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Cosmic Encounter

#39463BGG ↗

2008 · 3-5 players · 120min · weight 2.58 · 34,858 ratings

v2 v3

BGG raw

ID
39463
Name
Cosmic Encounter
Year
2008
Rank
121
Min players
3
Max players
5
Playing time
120
Min playtime
60
Max playtime
120
Avg weight
2.5814
Num weights
1481
Bayes avg
7.31422
Average
7.5075
Users rated
34858
Num owned
43554
Wanting
1095
Wishing
9660
Num comments
6853
Fetched at
Sat Apr 25 2026 16:15:31 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Mechanisms (11)
AlliancesCard Play Conflict ResolutionHand ManagementInterruptsNegotiationPrisoner's DilemmaRaceSimultaneous Action SelectionTake ThatTradingVariable Player Powers
Categories (4)
BluffingNegotiationScience FictionSpace Exploration
Description (1122 chars)

Build a galactic empire... In the depths of space, the alien races of the Cosmos vie with each other for control of the universe. Alliances form and shift from moment to moment, while cataclysmic battles send starships screaming into the warp. This classic game of alien politics returns from the warp once more! In Cosmic Encounter, each player becomes the leader of one of dozens of alien races, each with its own unique power. On a player's turn, he or she becomes the offense. The offense encounters another player on a planet by moving a group of his or her ships through the hyperspace gate to that planet. Both sides can invite allies and play cards to try and tip the encounter in their favor. The object of the game is for players to establish colonies in other players' planetary systems by landing their ships on the other players' planets. The winner(s) are the first player(s) to have five colonies on planets outside his or her home system. The players must use force, cunning, and diplomacy to ensure their victory. And, because alliances are a key part of the game, multiple players can win together!

LLM v2 (wide)

Core verb
negotiate, reveal encounter card
Decision shape
social
Reward schedule
immediate
Aesthetics
["Fellowship", "Fantasy", "Challenge"]
Core loop pitch
Attack a rival's planet, invite allies, both sides reveal cards while alien powers warp the rules.
Translation difficulty
Hard
Difficulty reason
The whole game is alliance-bargaining and rule-breaking alien powers; AI cannot meaningfully negotiate, so digital versions stay sandbox-tier.
Direct digital port
Port kind
Closest loop translation
none yet
Primitive tags
["alien_power_rule_break", "bilateral_alliance_invite", "simultaneous_card_reveal", "negotiation_deal_brokering", "shared_victory_path"]
Confidence
0.7
Extracted at
Mon Apr 27 2026 11:40:03 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
Raw v2 JSON (862 chars)
{
  "game_id": 39463,
  "name": "Cosmic Encounter",
  "core_verb": "negotiate, reveal encounter card",
  "decision_shape": "social",
  "reward_schedule": "immediate",
  "aesthetics": [
    "Fellowship",
    "Fantasy",
    "Challenge"
  ],
  "core_loop_pitch": "Attack a rival's planet, invite allies, both sides reveal cards while alien powers warp the rules.",
  "mobile_translation_difficulty": "Hard",
  "translation_difficulty_reason": "The whole game is alliance-bargaining and rule-breaking alien powers; AI cannot meaningfully negotiate, so digital versions stay sandbox-tier.",
  "direct_digital_port": null,
  "closest_loop_translation": "none yet",
  "primitive_tags": [
    "alien_power_rule_break",
    "bilateral_alliance_invite",
    "simultaneous_card_reveal",
    "negotiation_deal_brokering",
    "shared_victory_path"
  ],
  "confidence": 0.7
}

LLM v3 (deep)

Not yet enriched at v3 (deep pass).