Daniel Korolev Sam likes Cosmic, but not anywhere near Tom and Zee's enthusiasm for it. I like Cosmic, but it's only for a particular crowd of gamer's, it's not everyone's cup of tea.
This is the first video of yours I ever saw. I was researching before my first ever trip to europe (of which I have very fond memories) and somehow the internet brought me down the board game rabbit hole. It brought me to your channel and got me sucked into your top 100, top 10 lists etc... first ever youtube channel I subscribed to. Been following ever since. You inspired me to start my own channel, in fact, watching yours grow. Embarrassingly, I tried to post a link to my channel/video in one of your comments sections, thinking I could get free, easy views or whatever even though my content isn't even board game related. Sorry, it was an immature youtuber's over zealous ambition clouded judgement. This isn't a self serving message, that was all, thanks for all of your entire dice tower network. Crazy to see what you've grown. It's because of your working together to build such a strong community, you, your family, sam, zee, jason (and now, too many to list) helping each other. An old fan.
I agree with Tom's statement at the end: if you don't like negotiation and prefer a more concrete game, this isn't for you. I'm that kind of guy and Cosmic Encounter is just not fun for me. Another problem for me with this game is, that it can be over very quickly, or it can stretch like chewing gum. One game was over, before everyone was even main player at least once! Another game I played yesterday lasted for hours it seemed. Everyone was at 4 colonies and yet somehow, no one managed to get help as an attacker and no one remembered that "double negotiation" gambit. I allied with an attacker at the end and won together with him somehow. But somehow it didn't feel like winning for me. Maybe I'm not playing with the right people, and I'm pretty sure *I* am not the right person to play this game. I really like to play a lot of different games and I usually agree to play anything. But for this I make an exception, sorry!
I've introduced a lot of new players to this. Ive found that the best way to explain the game to new players is to go by the phases printed at the bottom of each alien card, by name. Many other cards have this chart printed on them to show when said card can be played and players knowing when they can play a card, cuts out a lot of confusion later. It also helps them to understand the explanation of their alien's power and helps them to understand the flow of the game under normal circumstances.
I had a fantastic game of Cosmic Encounter yesterday. 5 players, I was the Warpish (I get +1 power for every ship in the warp - late in the game, that's super OP). Early on, I made an alliance with the guy next to me CJ Walker. 5 minutes later, I betrayed him and gained an easy colony. I played moderately well while 2 guys accelerated to the top. One of them launched an attack against me, I was going to have an easy win, until EVERYONE ELSE ADDED 4 SHIPS in a Fellowship-style alliance, despite the fact that 2 of them knew that the other 2 would win because of this (Could've been because one of the losers was trying to lose all of his ships because that was a win condition for him, and the other guy was CJ Walker). I only lost the encounter by 3 points, and it was beautiful.
I just got this game after wondering if I should. After seeing your review and a few other considerations, I decided to go for it and I am so glad I did. One of the best games I own.
Wow, this game looks so good!! Not at all what I expected, but I knew I had to check this review out because I hear Tom talk about it so often :P Can't wait to give it a go.
Well, how did you find it? :) I've been considering it myself. Love Letter is a bit too light, Cuthroat Kingdoms lives up to it's name a bit *too* well, and we had to clean up pieces when someone suggested Agricola.
I played the original a ton of times in the '80s. You're constantly cooking up a plan with your allies, trying to anticipate every possible counter-move. But somebody always plays a card that you forgot about and you have to throw your plan out and start fresh. It's is all about attacking, but there's no reason for hard feelings because who you attack is random. Two players is pointless, three is a bit dull, four players is great. I only ever once played with five people and it was shear madness..
+David Weissman I prefer 5-6 players myself. Lots of fun and usually allies on both sides. But then you're about to win and everyone gang up on you. Madness usually ensues.
I've been looking around for board games lately seeing as the holiday season is coming up and I'm so glad I've come across someone who's so passionate about board games, it's so refreshing to see. I think I'm definately going to get this game and I wouldn't even consider myself a board game geek or anything, that's how much you're love for this game has enticed me. :) Thanks a lot.
I've owned this game for quite some time but decided to watch this video just because I like Vasel's reviews; and I just noticed this whole time I've been pointing the hyperspace gate wrong. I thought it was like a laser that you shot your ships at, so I always pointed the pointy end at people ;w;
Dunno if it was possible in the base set, but now you can totally have a 5 way victory in a 5 player game. Diplomat forces two players into a three way deal, all three agree to give each other a fifth colony, the successful deal removes the last counter from Tick-Tock, and then the last player uses Xenophile's super flare to hop aboard the shared victory train. Or, y'know, a Galactic Council hazard, but that's lame :P. Also, now I kinda wanna see a double powers game where somebody gets Virus and Macron :33.
Love that story you told about your wife, If it happend to me and a friend did that 5 years ago, I could still laught about it, I think thats great fun. These are the best moments, when you talk to your friend a couple years later and say hey: Did you remember when you did that move nobody expected and got the leading player second at the final round? Those game you remember, you don't to win the game to have great memorys.
Can «Chosen» use his power (devine intervention) after two negotiate cards are revealed? Can «Chosen» play attack card after both main players are in negotiate (resolution) phase?
Yeah, that's a little misleading because it makes people think they stay there, as if defending allies also get free foreign colonies if they help defend. That kinda confused me when I was first learning Cosmic, lol.
Also, to avoid confusion, offensive allies should be placed in a different part of the cone and defensive allies should be placed next to (not on) the planet they are helping to defend.
I have heard so much buzz about this game, but have never seen it played, so I watched this video to see what it's all about. I guess I'm missing something because I don't see much of a game here.
This review made me buy Cosmic Encounter. I have not regretted my purchase - me and EVERYBODY I have introduced to the game just love Cosmic Encounter.
I know you will really hate me for saying this tom, but the mechanic here is a lot like Munchkin.. Your'e battling someone.. friends can choose to help you out or screw you over, you can play power ups, heck you even draw a destiny card similar to when you bust down a door in munchkin to reveal you destiny!! I know the theme and the concept and the way it plays is different, and cosmic encounter has obviously more depth to it, but couldn't help but notice the similarities!
Of course she is. My wife plays Cosmic Encounter with me. Come on. I need to clarify, saying my wife would leave with the baby, is a figure of speech guys. She would never leave me I have Cosmic Encounter and Twilight Imperium 3.
+Simon Leger Comtois If your wife were to leave with the baby - hypothetically - because of betrayal in Twilight Imperium 3, would it just take much, much longer than it would with Cosmic Encounter? :)
@davidchircop You did watch the review, right? Cosmic Encounter is over 30 years old. You could say that it is the great grandfather of the current batch of card games. Sure, there are elements in Munchkin that are similar to CE, but there is no comparison from a gameplay perspective. There is absolutely no strategy in Munchkin. There is way too much silliness and randomness to try and apply a strategy. You might as well draw straws to determine the winner at the start.
Hi Sorry to ask a noob question about this game I've read the instructions which come with the game but I've got a question. When I create the Encounter Deck, I make this out of the Encounter Cards, Reinforcement Cards, Artifact Cards and the Flare Cards. Is this correct? As I've been bought the game with the expansions this means the Encounter Deck will be huge. Is this correct? Thanks in advance for taking the time to help. Also Tom Vassel, awesome videos thanks to you and your team for all the hard work you put into them I thoroughly enjoy them.
Allan Brown In the newest edition, they call it the Cosmic Deck. But yes, you do use all the encounter, reinforcement, and artifact cards. But you don't use all the flares. You only use the flares that were dealt out during setup for people to pick their aliens. (It's in the rules for setup.) Also, if you have the reward deck, make sure to keep that separate.
Wow! Go MageKnight! It's well deserved. *Especially* with the expansions. I'm so glad they stopped releasing them though when they realized the game was just perfect. Take notes from Vladda FFG! :)
lets say blue and red conquer an orange planet and someone later chooses to attack that planet. Who will become the main player for defending the orange planet? and can orange attack that planet if he draws and orange destiny card?
Tom, you really like the negotiation part of this game, which is the same reason why I love Munchkin, because of the negotiations involved. But you seem to hate the Munchkin series. Have you thought of playing Munchkin the same way you play Close Encounters..?
I've heard so much buzz about this game, so I finally decided to watch this video to see what all the hoopla is about... I don't get it. Doesn't look like much of a game. I must be missing something.
I felt the exact same way watching videos on Cosmic. I'm working on a Cosmic Encounter video for my channel that should be up within the week. Hopefully it will provide some more clarity for you. Cosmic is kind of like a party game in the sense that it's not super balanced and there's a ton of randomness. It's all very fun though.
what the hell, so wrong ! D: at 1:45, the "hyper space cone" is suppose 2 be facing the other way !! >_< cuz red is attacking BLUE! so the pointed part should be facing that blue planet ! .... sorry, just soooo bugging me! lol
You kidding?!?!? It doesn't matter. Simply point the thing at the target planet any way you want. You had just pulled a card telling you which player is to be attacked, so the point is moot. The tile is simply there to put the attacking ships on. Enjoy the game!!!!
last weekend i went to a hobby shop with the intention of buying a board game, i had the chance to play some games including this one, before deciding for one, and after a couple of rounds of cosmic encounter, i had to decide against it, the game looks fun but coming from a videogame background where companies at least tryto balance stuff every once in a while, opposed as in a board game that's pretty much set in stone or inhouse rules until a revision comes up, i just couldn't bear how massive the power gap between 2 alien races could be, we got to play with random aliens, luckily i got the warrior and the virus in my games which helped in creating stategies and overall having fun, while another player in my game got the insane and the calculator, effectively having no abilities for both of the games excepting for super niche situations and we could clearly see she was just not having fun because while we traded back and forth, she stayed behind thanks to getting stuck with shitty aliens, like even the player that got the philantrophist in a game could and would trade cards (mostly reinforcement) for colonies and some of the players were super glad to accept his offers making him feel like he could do something and of course from our rookie perspective he seemed like the super smart planning guy that would reap the benefits of his minf.
So the game is not necessarily supposed to be balanced powers wise. The balance comes from the social aspect and working with your different teams to get ahead. There is much in the game that is out of your control, but it's still a ton of fun. It's not meant to be taken too seriously like chess where luck is not part of the outcome. Also, every game is so different that you may have just played a combination of aliens you didn't find fun. There are certainly aliens that are more fun than others.
Why not ally with her, get her close to winning and then betray? Its about the socilalization at the table in this game. If you all play alone just mechanically of course its going to suck. Youre right, maybe get a CMON game, youve got to have a personality for this one.
If you'd ever play it, you'd realize it's very different from Munchkin. The mechanics of playing against a random monster and playing against a real person are very, very different things. Also, Munchkin is a very silly game, it's meant for having an hour or two of relaxed, casual fun, while CE is a lot more serious and strategic. Besides, CE is much older than Munchkin.
Played cosmic encounter with my brothers yesterday, one was the zombie and still lost all his ships to the warp (he lost his power from colony lost).Trololololololol
i'm one of the people who hate this game haha. i guess you either love it or hate it. ive just played games where one player got too big of an advantage and everybody just went through the motions knowing he was going to win, facepalming the entire time
The game is broken....and broken in the best way possible. Gamers may dislike the game because it is not a true euro or even playing game. But the moment you realize, you're actually playing for moral victory and not actual victory, the game comes into its own. I had a game where I surprise shared victory with another player...my victory meant far more than my opponents.
Have to disagree with Tom on this game, horribly horribly overrated where it is completely random, chaotic and unbalanced. Depending on your group, people can growing spiteful with one another, or give favorable sympathy, turning the already muddled and often ambiguous and confusing play and rules into a total molasses of winning by "ganging up" rather than through clever play.
+Daniel P Well Tom does sort of highlighted that fact in his review. He makes sure people understand it's a negotiation based game. This is not a Euro type game, if that's what you are looking for this game is not it.Yes it does play the way you suggest, my group loves these sort of games, as you are playing the players versus playing the game system. Each to their own though as I like playing the game system type of games as well.We also enjoy Game of Thrones the Boardgame which either enjoys or suffers the same issue depending on your stance.
Watching this in 2019 because of your 'Why I love this...' video! Thanks Tom.
I think it's time for a Miami Dice re-review of Cosmic Encounter, with both Sam and Zee. :)
Sam is not a fan
Daniel Korolev Sam likes Cosmic, but not anywhere near Tom and Zee's enthusiasm for it. I like Cosmic, but it's only for a particular crowd of gamer's, it's not everyone's cup of tea.
This is the first video of yours I ever saw. I was researching before my first ever trip to europe (of which I have very fond memories) and somehow the internet brought me down the board game rabbit hole. It brought me to your channel and got me sucked into your top 100, top 10 lists etc... first ever youtube channel I subscribed to. Been following ever since. You inspired me to start my own channel, in fact, watching yours grow. Embarrassingly, I tried to post a link to my channel/video in one of your comments sections, thinking I could get free, easy views or whatever even though my content isn't even board game related. Sorry, it was an immature youtuber's over zealous ambition clouded judgement. This isn't a self serving message, that was all, thanks for all of your entire dice tower network. Crazy to see what you've grown. It's because of your working together to build such a strong community, you, your family, sam, zee, jason (and now, too many to list) helping each other. An old fan.
Wow!!! I just bought the 42nd Anniversary Edition. What an amassing feat for a game to be around for this long!
Ah yes, my old enemy... 240p!
I love the line, "...situations like that are a lot of fun as long as you keep it all within the game..." Haha. :)
Ah 2008... the year where every video ever was recorded on potatoes...
I agree with Tom's statement at the end: if you don't like negotiation and prefer a more concrete game, this isn't for you. I'm that kind of guy and Cosmic Encounter is just not fun for me.
Another problem for me with this game is, that it can be over very quickly, or it can stretch like chewing gum.
One game was over, before everyone was even main player at least once!
Another game I played yesterday lasted for hours it seemed. Everyone was at 4 colonies and yet somehow, no one managed to get help as an attacker and no one remembered that "double negotiation" gambit. I allied with an attacker at the end and won together with him somehow. But somehow it didn't feel like winning for me.
Maybe I'm not playing with the right people, and I'm pretty sure *I* am not the right person to play this game. I really like to play a lot of different games and I usually agree to play anything.
But for this I make an exception, sorry!
Yes sometimes the game gets ruined by not having the right people to play with.
you are 100% playing with the wrong people
Fester Blats you are very wrong
We meet again 240p...
+Henry Audubon Please don't tell me this actually came out 8 years ago?!
Zing!! :D
No, it was 10 years ago.
@@filmosis 11!
that wife backstab - priceless.
I've introduced a lot of new players to this. Ive found that the best way to explain the game to new players is to go by the phases printed at the bottom of each alien card, by name. Many other cards have this chart printed on them to show when said card can be played and players knowing when they can play a card, cuts out a lot of confusion later. It also helps them to understand the explanation of their alien's power and helps them to understand the flow of the game under normal circumstances.
I have written a review of Android online, I would check that out. I'm not sure I'll do a video about it.
I had a fantastic game of Cosmic Encounter yesterday. 5 players, I was the Warpish (I get +1 power for every ship in the warp - late in the game, that's super OP). Early on, I made an alliance with the guy next to me CJ Walker. 5 minutes later, I betrayed him and gained an easy colony. I played moderately well while 2 guys accelerated to the top. One of them launched an attack against me, I was going to have an easy win, until EVERYONE ELSE ADDED 4 SHIPS in a Fellowship-style alliance, despite the fact that 2 of them knew that the other 2 would win because of this (Could've been because one of the losers was trying to lose all of his ships because that was a win condition for him, and the other guy was CJ Walker). I only lost the encounter by 3 points, and it was beautiful.
I just got this game after wondering if I should. After seeing your review and a few other considerations, I decided to go for it and I am so glad I did. One of the best games I own.
Wow, this game looks so good!! Not at all what I expected, but I knew I had to check this review out because I hear Tom talk about it so often :P Can't wait to give it a go.
Well, how did you find it? :) I've been considering it myself. Love Letter is a bit too light, Cuthroat Kingdoms lives up to it's name a bit *too* well, and we had to clean up pieces when someone suggested Agricola.
I played the original a ton of times in the '80s. You're constantly cooking up a plan with your allies, trying to anticipate every possible counter-move. But somebody always plays a card that you forgot about and you have to throw your plan out and start fresh. It's is all about attacking, but there's no reason for hard feelings because who you attack is random. Two players is pointless, three is a bit dull, four players is great. I only ever once played with five people and it was shear madness..
+David Weissman I prefer 5-6 players myself. Lots of fun and usually allies on both sides. But then you're about to win and everyone gang up on you. Madness usually ensues.
I've been looking around for board games lately seeing as the holiday season is coming up and I'm so glad I've come across someone who's so passionate about board games, it's so refreshing to see.
I think I'm definately going to get this game and I wouldn't even consider myself a board game geek or anything, that's how much you're love for this game has enticed me. :) Thanks a lot.
I've owned this game for quite some time but decided to watch this video just because I like Vasel's reviews; and I just noticed this whole time I've been pointing the hyperspace gate wrong.
I thought it was like a laser that you shot your ships at, so I always pointed the pointy end at people ;w;
Kerma7 I think you're actually supposed to point the pointy end at the planet. That's what the picture in the rulebook looks like, anyway.
You are being very creative. I think that sounds cooler than it's intended use and name. +1
Kerma7 The sharp end is supposed to point toward the target. The attackers all go on the wide end. The defensive allies go on the ring.
SO this is where it all started Tom? Dangerous obsessions man.
@Ogma01 The defensive allies go on the ring around the cone, so they are never placed on the planet and cannot be mistaken for a base there.
Dunno if it was possible in the base set, but now you can totally have a 5 way victory in a 5 player game. Diplomat forces two players into a three way deal, all three agree to give each other a fifth colony, the successful deal removes the last counter from Tick-Tock, and then the last player uses Xenophile's super flare to hop aboard the shared victory train. Or, y'know, a Galactic Council hazard, but that's lame :P. Also, now I kinda wanna see a double powers game where somebody gets Virus and Macron :33.
Dapperghast Meowregard Amoeba/Masochist is a good one too!
Love that story you told about your wife, If it happend to me and a friend did that 5 years ago, I could still laught about it, I think thats great fun. These are the best moments, when you talk to your friend a couple years later and say hey: Did you remember when you did that move nobody expected and got the leading player second at the final round? Those game you remember, you don't to win the game to have great memorys.
Can «Chosen» use his power (devine intervention) after two negotiate cards are revealed?
Can «Chosen» play attack card after both main players are in negotiate (resolution) phase?
Isn't Tom placing the attack cone the wrong way round at 2.00?
Yes, and he puts defensive allies ON the defender's planet instead of off to the side. My OCD-sense is tingling.
Yeah, that's a little misleading because it makes people think they stay there, as if defending allies also get free foreign colonies if they help defend. That kinda confused me when I was first learning Cosmic, lol.
Also, to avoid confusion, offensive allies should be placed in a different part of the cone and defensive allies should be placed next to (not on) the planet they are helping to defend.
You'd think by now there would be a ton of How to Play videos for this game by now. Instead I'm watching this video from 14 years ago.
I have heard so much buzz about this game, but have never seen it played, so I watched this video to see what it's all about. I guess I'm missing something because I don't see much of a game here.
Shut Up and Sit Down has a fun playthrough you can watch
Its all about the negotiation and the special powers. But youre right. Very few rules.
You are missing something, you haven’t played one of the best games ever made :)
Tom, being cosmic encounters is one of.your all time favorite games. How do you feel about the new expansion?
This review made me buy Cosmic Encounter.
I have not regretted my purchase - me and EVERYBODY I have introduced to the game just love Cosmic Encounter.
How is it now
I know you will really hate me for saying this tom, but the mechanic here is a lot like Munchkin..
Your'e battling someone.. friends can choose to help you out or screw you over, you can play power ups, heck you even draw a destiny card similar to when you bust down a door in munchkin to reveal you destiny!!
I know the theme and the concept and the way it plays is different, and cosmic encounter has obviously more depth to it, but couldn't help but notice the similarities!
Although it's 240p still worth watching
I think it is currently out of print, that's what I heard from my FLGS.
me irl: 9 years later "and she never forgot that"
I bought the game, thanks again for the review.
My wife would leave with the baby if I backstabbed her in a negotiation.
I agree. Would never get away with that.
that's a very unhealthy relationship
Daniel Korolev sometimes stuff happens in games which is beyond the game - it is only a game after allwhicheevr way you look at it
Of course she is. My wife plays Cosmic Encounter with me. Come on.
I need to clarify, saying my wife would leave with the baby, is a figure of speech guys. She would never leave me I have Cosmic Encounter and Twilight Imperium 3.
+Simon Leger Comtois If your wife were to leave with the baby - hypothetically - because of betrayal in Twilight Imperium 3, would it just take much, much longer than it would with Cosmic Encounter? :)
I played my first game and two players tried to plot against me but I ended up winning sheer beginners luck. I agree this game is tons of fun
i need to watch this video on a 1980s television
@davidchircop You did watch the review, right? Cosmic Encounter is over 30 years old. You could say that it is the great grandfather of the current batch of card games. Sure, there are elements in Munchkin that are similar to CE, but there is no comparison from a gameplay perspective. There is absolutely no strategy in Munchkin. There is way too much silliness and randomness to try and apply a strategy. You might as well draw straws to determine the winner at the start.
Best year to get into this is 2020...
Sounds kinda like Munchkin as far as negotiating goes. Definitely getting this :D
.
I'm getting ready to play this game. Thanks for the intro!
+Scott H How was it?
+fuloran1 We had a great time.
Wait,is Cosmic Encounter out of production now? Or its still being printed?
definition of two thumbs up right here
Thank you so much!
Hi
Sorry to ask a noob question about this game I've read the instructions which come with the game but I've got a question.
When I create the Encounter Deck, I make this out of the Encounter Cards, Reinforcement Cards, Artifact Cards and the Flare Cards. Is this correct? As I've been bought the game with the expansions this means the Encounter Deck will be huge. Is this correct?
Thanks in advance for taking the time to help.
Also Tom Vassel, awesome videos thanks to you and your team for all the hard work you put into them I thoroughly enjoy them.
Allan Brown In the newest edition, they call it the Cosmic Deck. But yes, you do use all the encounter, reinforcement, and artifact cards. But you don't use all the flares. You only use the flares that were dealt out during setup for people to pick their aliens. (It's in the rules for setup.) Also, if you have the reward deck, make sure to keep that separate.
3rd-most watched Dice Tower review (as of November 28, 2016).
Hieronymous Pseudonymous what are the first and second?
240p HYPE!
Dominion and Mage Knight (MK is Miami Dice).
Wow! Go MageKnight! It's well deserved. *Especially* with the expansions. I'm so glad they stopped releasing them though when they realized the game was just perfect. Take notes from Vladda FFG! :)
Sounds like a great game if you like Catan.
Woah time capsule
Hi, it is 2020 and I don't know what am I doing here
lets say blue and red conquer an orange planet and someone later chooses to attack that planet. Who will become the main player for defending the orange planet? and can orange attack that planet if he draws and orange destiny card?
Very good review Tom!
I forgot 720 wasn't standard always on youtube. lol
Tom, you really like the negotiation part of this game, which is the same reason why I love Munchkin, because of the negotiations involved. But you seem to hate the Munchkin series. Have you thought of playing Munchkin the same way you play Close Encounters..?
Exactly. I dont think he "gets" munchkin.
ha that would be great (w/ Wil Wheaton)
What? I've been using the Hyperspace Gate BACKWARDS?!
I've heard so much buzz about this game, so I finally decided to watch this video to see what all the hoopla is about... I don't get it. Doesn't look like much of a game. I must be missing something.
I felt the exact same way watching videos on Cosmic. I'm working on a Cosmic Encounter video for my channel that should be up within the week. Hopefully it will provide some more clarity for you. Cosmic is kind of like a party game in the sense that it's not super balanced and there's a ton of randomness. It's all very fun though.
The game is about the negotiation and the powers. There are very few rules, so its more about the people and the type of gamers they are.
Can all 5 players win if Tick Tock is involved?
good video
7:52 SUPER POWER!
I haven't even opened this yet. Can't find people :( probably cuz my board game buddies were scared away by Twilight Imperium. so fun.
what the hell, so wrong ! D: at 1:45, the "hyper space cone" is suppose 2 be facing the other way !! >_< cuz red is attacking BLUE! so the pointed part should be facing that blue planet ! .... sorry, just soooo bugging me! lol
You kidding?!?!? It doesn't matter. Simply point the thing at the target planet any way you want. You had just pulled a card telling you which player is to be attacked, so the point is moot. The tile is simply there to put the attacking ships on. Enjoy the game!!!!
Looking at this in 2022…. Never played it
I keep trying to find this story about the time he played this with his wife...
@kryptx0 No; Tom has :)
it looks cool
Oh, actually it was 8 years prior to this...
Seth Godin brought me here ;)
found a copy at a garage sale today
last weekend i went to a hobby shop with the intention of buying a board game, i had the chance to play some games including this one, before deciding for one, and after a couple of rounds of cosmic encounter, i had to decide against it, the game looks fun but coming from a videogame background where companies at least tryto balance stuff every once in a while, opposed as in a board game that's pretty much set in stone or inhouse rules until a revision comes up, i just couldn't bear how massive the power gap between 2 alien races could be, we got to play with random aliens, luckily i got the warrior and the virus in my games which helped in creating stategies and overall having fun, while another player in my game got the insane and the calculator, effectively having no abilities for both of the games excepting for super niche situations and we could clearly see she was just not having fun because while we traded back and forth, she stayed behind thanks to getting stuck with shitty aliens, like even the player that got the philantrophist in a game could and would trade cards (mostly reinforcement) for colonies and some of the players were super glad to accept his offers making him feel like he could do something and of course from our rookie perspective he seemed like the super smart planning guy that would reap the benefits of his minf.
So the game is not necessarily supposed to be balanced powers wise. The balance comes from the social aspect and working with your different teams to get ahead. There is much in the game that is out of your control, but it's still a ton of fun. It's not meant to be taken too seriously like chess where luck is not part of the outcome. Also, every game is so different that you may have just played a combination of aliens you didn't find fun. There are certainly aliens that are more fun than others.
Why not ally with her, get her close to winning and then betray? Its about the socilalization at the table in this game. If you all play alone just mechanically of course its going to suck. Youre right, maybe get a CMON game, youve got to have a personality for this one.
Cosmic Tavern Love you video on Cosmic btw :)
If you'd ever play it, you'd realize it's very different from Munchkin. The mechanics of playing against a random monster and playing against a real person are very, very different things. Also, Munchkin is a very silly game, it's meant for having an hour or two of relaxed, casual fun, while CE is a lot more serious and strategic. Besides, CE is much older than Munchkin.
This Looks Like a Way Cool Game... ^_^
GhostStationZ8 It totally is. One of my favorites.
Played cosmic encounter with my brothers yesterday, one was the zombie and still lost all his ships to the warp (he lost his power from colony lost).Trololololololol
This game sounds very similar to munchkin. Similar game but just different themes?
Again I hear it...twe(o)ny...twe(o)ny one. Maybe twenTy one?))))
i'm one of the people who hate this game haha. i guess you either love it or hate it. ive just played games where one player got too big of an advantage and everybody just went through the motions knowing he was going to win, facepalming the entire time
Tom was a lot less obnoxious all those years ago
The game is broken....and broken in the best way possible. Gamers may dislike the game because it is not a true euro or even playing game. But the moment you realize, you're actually playing for moral victory and not actual victory, the game comes into its own. I had a game where I surprise shared victory with another player...my victory meant far more than my opponents.
Hopefully you didn't have to sleep on the couch after that game w/ your wife!
Weew
Have to disagree with Tom on this game, horribly horribly overrated where it is completely random, chaotic and unbalanced. Depending on your group, people can growing spiteful with one another, or give favorable sympathy, turning the already muddled and often ambiguous and confusing play and rules into a total molasses of winning by "ganging up" rather than through clever play.
+Daniel P Well Tom does sort of highlighted that fact in his review. He makes sure people understand it's a negotiation based game. This is not a Euro type game, if that's what you are looking for this game is not it.Yes it does play the way you suggest, my group loves these sort of games, as you are playing the players versus playing the game system. Each to their own though as I like playing the game system type of games as well.We also enjoy Game of Thrones the Boardgame which either enjoys or suffers the same issue depending on your stance.
Yea this game seems like it would amplify your personality, so if you and your friends are a bunch of assholes youre going to have a bad time.
This looks dreadful. You can quote me on that.
game of thrones is way better
Fantasy Flight has RUINED Cosmic Encounter. Get the Mayfair version.