Cosmic Encounter: 42nd Anniversary Edition

Designed by Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Bill Norton, Peter Olotka, Kevin Wilson

The cosmos is calling...

For more than a generation, gamers have reveled in the wacky, fast-paced world of Cosmic Encounter, pitting alien against alien in an all-out struggle for galactic domination. If you have yet to experience it, now is the perfect time to join the fray!

Choose from 51 different aliens, each with their own unique powers, to further your efforts to build an empire that spans the galaxy. You will make alliances, negotiate deals, and defend your home planets against those who seek to conquer your system. The first player to colonize five foreign planets will win the game, which means diplomacy may be your path to victory...or defeat.

Cosmic Encounter 42nd Anniversary Edition welcomes new players to the game of infinite possibilities with a freshly revised rulebook and a beautifully illustrated Quick-start Guide that captures the nostalgia of the original game and makes it easy for anyone to learn. The Quick-start Guide’s comic book style throws readers back to the 1970s, providing vital insight into the core rules of the game while embracing the fun of a cosmic conquest filled with wacky aliens and outrageous abilities. What's more, with the beautiful translucent ship pieces (as shown above), spreading your colonies across the galaxy has never been more stylish!

A newly discovered species joins the classic line-up of aliens. You can, of course, play as old favorites such as Mite or Remora, or you can try your hand at leading the ruthless Demon to victory. Previously only released at Cosmic Con, this species was exiled from their original galaxy for unprincipled opportunism. Now they seek cosmic vengeance, using their power to possess other players’ hands to bolster their own strength and sap others’ will to win.

In addition to this monstrous newcomer, Cosmic Encounter 42nd Anniversary Edition offers you new ways to customize your games with the introduction of Cosmic Combo cards. These carefully assembled cards offer a list of alien species with a brief description of their powers to create themed matchups and explore different types of games. You may find yourself among some Big Time Clubbers or Cellar Dwellers, that can be integrated into three, four, or five-player games. Every card spins a new challenge, and with these new options for customization, no two games are ever the same.

Rulebook