Overview

Cosmic Encounter is a social negotiation and hand-management game where each player is a unique alien species attempting to colonize foreign planets. Players use diplomacy, alliances, and force to establish colonies outside their home system. The first player to have 5 foreign colonies wins. If multiple players reach 5 foreign colonies simultaneously, they share the victory.

Components

• 1 Warp
• 1 Genesis Planet
• 1 Prometheus Token
• 1 Lunar Cannon Token
• 20 Destiny cards
• 55 Encounter cards
• 6 Reinforcement cards
• 11 Artifact cards
• 51 Flare cards (1 per alien)
• 20 Tech cards
• 34 Cosmic Combo cards
• 42 Cosmic Tokens
• 7 Grudge Tokens
• 1 Quick-Start Guide
• 1 Hyperspace Gate
• 25 Player Planets (5 per player)
• 100 Plastic Ships (20 per player in 5 colors)
• 5 Player Colony Markers
• 51 Alien Sheets

Setup

1. Choose Player Color: Each player takes a color and receives the colony marker, 5 planets, and 20 ships of that color.
2. Set Up Warp, Planets, Ships, and Colonies: Place planets in front of each player, stack 4 ships on each planet, place the Warp in the center, and set colony markers at “0.”
3. Prepare Destiny Deck: Take the 3 destiny cards matching each chosen player color. Shuffle them with wild and special destiny cards. Return unchosen colors to the box.
4. Choose Aliens: Shuffle cosmic combo cards, reveal the top card, gather indicated alien sheets, and deal one randomly to each player.
5. Prepare Cosmic Deck: Shuffle encounter, reinforcement, and artifact cards to create the cosmic deck.
6. Deal Starting Hands: Deal 8 cards to each player.
7. Choose First Player: Youngest player in first game; otherwise reveal cards from the destiny deck – the first color shown that matches a player determines the first player.

Turn Structure

The active player (offense) takes a turn consisting of these phases:

1. Regroup: Retrieve 1 ship from the Warp to any home colony.
2. Destiny: Draw the top card of the destiny deck. The color shown determines the defense player (whose system you must encounter). Wild and Special cards have unique effects.
3. Launch: Place the hyperspace gate aimed at any planet in the defense player’s system. Place 1-4 ships from any of your colonies onto the gate.
4. Alliance: Offense and defense each invite other players to ally. Allies commit 1-4 ships.
5. Planning: Offense and defense each select 1 card from hand and place it face down.
6. Reveal: Both encounter cards are revealed simultaneously and resolved.
7. Resolution: Determine the outcome based on the revealed cards.

If the offense wins or makes a successful deal, they may have a second encounter (max 2 encounters per turn).

Actions

Encounter Cards:

• Attack Cards (value 00-40): Each side totals their attack card value + number of their ships (including allies). Higher total wins. Ties go to the defense.
• Negotiate Cards: If both sides play Negotiate, they have one minute to make a deal (exchange cards, colonies, etc.). If no deal, both lose 3 ships to the Warp. If one side plays Negotiate against an Attack, the Negotiate loses but collects compensation (draws cards from the winner’s hand equal to ships lost).
• Morph Card: Copies the opponent’s encounter card.

Winning an Encounter (Offense): Offense and allied ships land on the targeted planet, establishing colonies. Defense and allied ships go to the Warp.

Winning an Encounter (Defense): Offense and allied ships go to the Warp. Defense ships remain. Defensive allies receive defender rewards (draw 1 card from deck or retrieve 1 ship from Warp per ship committed).

Artifacts: Played at specified times to create special effects. Discarded after use.

Reinforcement Cards: Played after encounter cards are revealed to add to either side’s total.

Flare Cards (Advanced Game): Unique cards tied to each alien. Each has a “super” effect (if you are that alien) and a “wild” effect (if you are not).

Tech Cards (Advanced Game): Placed face down and researched by placing ships on them. Once fully researched (enough ships), flip face up to gain the tech’s ongoing ability.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• The first player to have 5 foreign colonies (colonies on planets outside their home system) wins.
• If multiple players reach 5 foreign colonies at the same time, they share the victory.
• Colony markers on the Warp track help track each player’s foreign colony count.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Alien Powers: Each alien has a unique game-breaking power. Powers are used at specific times as stated on the alien sheet. Some powers are mandatory; others are optional.
• The Warp: Ships sent to the Warp are out of play until retrieved through Regroup, deals, or card effects.
• Home System Defense: If you lose all ships from a home planet, you lose that colony. Losing all home colonies means you may not use your alien power until you regain one.
• Cosmic Zap: An artifact that negates another artifact or flare card as it is played.
• Card Zap: Negates a flare or artifact card as a player attempts to use it.
• Mobius Tubes: An artifact that frees all of a player’s ships from the Warp.
• Empty Hand: If you have no encounter cards in hand at the start of the Planning phase, discard your entire hand and draw 8 new cards.
• Destiny Deck Exhausted: Shuffle the discard pile to form a new destiny deck.
• Alliances are voluntary: Players may decline invitations. Only invited players may ally.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
Regroup	Retrieve 1 ship from Warp
Destiny	Draw destiny card to determine opponent
Launch	Aim gate, place 1-4 ships
Alliance	Invite allies; allies commit 1-4 ships
Planning	Select 1 encounter card face down
Reveal	Flip cards simultaneously
Resolution	Determine winner; place/remove ships

Encounter Result	Offense Wins	Defense Wins
Ships	Land on planet	Go to Warp
Allies (offense)	Land on planet	Go to Warp
Allies (defense)	Go to Warp	Defender rewards

• Attack total = card value + ships on your side
• 5 foreign colonies = victory
• Second encounter allowed only if offense wins or deals