COSMIC ENCOUNTER: COSMIC STORM

The game Cosmic Encounter has had several expansions over the years.  Cosmic Storm is the latest one, and it lacks the consistency of the previous expansions.

While the previous expansions added new colors and ships to increase the number of potential players, Cosmic Storm consists of two things: Space Stations and aliens.  When playing with the Space Stations, each player puts a Space Station on one of their planets, and they get the Station's ability as long as they have a colony on that planet.  (Variant rules let someone conquering the planet with a Space Station to take control of the Station.)  Space Stations don't add much to the basic game: While they have different abilities, they become an immediate target for all other players, who have no reason not to try and neutralize (or control) them.

That leaves the 25 new aliens in Cosmic Storm.  While this is more than the previous expansions (which had 20 each), the quality of these new aliens is variable.  There are several good ones, such as: the "dangerously adorable" Squee, who can make an attacker either concede or lose three ships to Warp; the Phantasm, who draws a card from the deck after encounter cards are revealed, and if an encounter card is drawn, replaces one of the played card; the Sneak, who dealt with losing a colony by gaining a colony on one of the attacker's planet; and the Outlaw, who as a main player draws a card at random from each opponent and opponent's ally.

Then there are the aliens that are either too weak, too powerful, or too familiar.  The Neighbor's power only gives a slight advantage if defending someone else's colony where they already have one.  The Brute forces a player on the other side to either show their hand and give the Brute a card, or lose three ships to the Warp -- and the Brute can do this as a main player or ally.  The Roach's extra ships feel a lot like the Symbiote, while Sycophant is similar to Tik-Tok.

Cosmic Storm is a hit-or-miss expansion for a terrific game.  There are plenty of fun aliens that will be enjoyed and used well -- and others that will disappoint.  The next expansion, Cosmic Dominion, will be a fan-created series of aliens; lets hope they are more consistent.

Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch

COSMIC ENCOUNTER: COSMIC ALLIANCE

The wonderful boardgame Cosmic Encounter allows for shared victories -- but now players can join together in teams with the new expansion Cosmic Alliance. And if this isn't enough (and for me, it isn't), there's also a new color (allowing for another player) and a collection of new aliens -- some of which aren't that new.

Normally in Cosmic Encounter, players who ally when attacking both get to go on the target planet if they win; and if multiple players get their fifth colony together, they all win! Cosmic Alliance allows players to form teams of two, working together to defend each other and go after their opponents. To me, this ongoing alliance from the outset is unnecessary: Part of the fun of Cosmic Encounter is persuading people to join you (for attacking or defending), and having an automatic ally from start to finish removes that element of the game.

Fortunately, there are 20 new/old aliens with Cosmic Alliance. This expansion introduces aliens from earlier editions of the game (like the Empath) into the current Fantasy Flight Games version -- and tosses in new ones as well. As with the previous expansions, the aliens here work extremely well, whether the paralysing Gorgon (virtually trapping ships on its planets or shared colonies), the scary Relic (which gets a free colony whenever another player draws a new hand of cards -- and gets its own ships out of the Warp when it draws a new hand), or the rules-changing Schizoid (which changes the victory conditions, leaving other players to win by accident or try and figure out what the new victory condition is). None of these are so overpowering that they'll be picked over the other aliens -- but they certainly have the potential to bring victory. There's also a pretty good sense of humor here: the hedonistic Animal has the summary "Throws a Hearty Party;" the Horde (shown below) looks like a marshmallow Peep with a sinister underside; and the Pacifist is once again the victim as it becomes controlled by the Remote.

The new color -- white -- gives more color options for the players. More significantly, when combines with the other expansions it allows for massive eight-player games! If you have the players, this will last a long time -- and be very fun (if long).

Cosmic Alliance is a nice expansion, except (ironically) for the new alliance rules. Even if you ignore them, you'll still have 20 new aliens, the option for an additional player -- and another great expansion for the terrific Cosmic Encounter.

Overall grade: A-
Reviewed by James Lynch

COSMIC CONFLICT

Given that the game Cosmic Encounter is largely about alien races battling for control of the cosmos, I would have though "conflict" was a given. Nevertheless, that game's second expansion is Cosmic Conflict. It's familiar -- but that's a good thing.

Much like the previous expansion, Cosmic Incursion, Cosmic Conflict includes 20 new aliens (and Flare cards for them), a new color (black) of ships and planets (which, if combines with the last expansion, allow up to seven players), and a new type of cards.

As with the previous release, my favorite feature is the aliens (though a seven-player game is quite welcome). Quirky species include the Xenophile (which gets bonuses the more opponents successfully invade it), the disgusting Filth (too gross for any alien to share a planet with), and the Lunatic (which can join in on any attack on its own colonies -- more useful than it sounds). For sheer power, the Trickster can give any combat a 50% chance of victory, the Relic can gain a new colony whenever another player draws cards, and the Claw can snatch whole planets from opponents! Even the Empath returns, better than in the last edition of the game.

The Hazard cards -- a new feature -- add an additional element of randomness to the game. These come up at random encounters, and they do anything from give players more cards before the encounter to canceling the use of an alien power. Some folks may like them, but to me it's a little too random: They can obviate strategies and substantially change how the game is played -- especially for the ones that remain in play.

For me, Cosmic Conflict is an expansion with a lot of picking and choosing. I'll always use the new aliens and planets, but seldom will I opt to include the Hazard deck. But the former are more than fun enough to make this another fine expansion for the classic, varied, wonderful (and still unreviewed here -- for now) Cosmic Encounter.

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch

COSMIC INCURSION

In The Hithchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams wrote: "Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is." Apparently the fifty aliens in the latest version of Cosmic Encounter weren't enough to compete for all that space, as the expansion Cosmic Incursion adds twenty new ones. There are also a new deck of cards and room for another player.

For you xenophiles (who are the most likely players of Cosmic Encounter), there are twenty new aliens introduced in Cosmic Incursion. These aliens are nicely varied. Some are sluggers, like Fury (who gets one token, giving a combat bonus, for each ship lost when attacking or defending) and Leviathan (who can use whole planets to help attack!). Others are far more subtle: Genius can draw cards instead of colonies -- and can win if they collect 20 cards; Sniveller can whine (really, that's their power) when behind the other players and either get compensated or hurt the other players. These aliens work quite well with the original ones.

Apart from new aliens, the biggest change Cosmic Incursion brings is the reserve deck. These are new cards that players can draw when claiming rewards from being defensive allies. The reserve deck offers new artifacts, crooked deals, kickers (that affect combat), and rift cards (that get ships from the warp -- or hurt anyone who steals these cards from you). To keep this from being the only deck players draw from when claiming rewards, it also includes encounter cards that are lower value than the regular cards, so drawing from the new deck is a little risky. Cosmic Incursion also includes a new color (orange), planets, and destiny cards so up to six people can now play Cosmic Encounter.

Cosmic Incursion doesn't revolutionize Cosmic Encounter -- it enhances it. The new aliens are very nice, and the reserve deck is as easy to play with as it is to set aside. Cosmic Incursion isn't required to enjoy Cosmic Encounter, but this expansion does give players a little more variety (and room for one more!).

Overall grade: B
Reviewed by James Lynch