The Fantasy Flight Games edition of Cosmic Encounter was released in 2008. It included improved components, including stackable plastic ships and mobile mini-boards for the planets and game areas (as opposed to the large fixed boards of previous editions), support for up to 5 players (up to 8 with expansions), 50 aliens (many returning from previous editions but some all-new), improved rules with clarifications and all-new tech cards.
42nd Anniversary Edition[edit | edit source]
In 2018, in honor of the 42nd anniversary of Cosmic Encounter, Fantasy Flight Games re-published their edition of the game with several improvements. These included translucent plastic ships, a "Learn to Play" comic to allow players to quickly jump in without having to read the rulebook, a set of Cosmic Combo cards that list themed sets of aliens to be played together and a re-release of the Demon alien power and flare card, which had formerly been available only as promos.
Aliens[edit | edit source]
This edition includes 50 aliens, 13 of which are brand-new in this edition:
The 42nd Anniversary Edition includes the above aliens plus 1 more:
Expansions[edit | edit source]
The Fantasy Flight Games edition has had a total of 7 expansions as of 2019:
| Expansion | Year | New aliens | New player color | New variants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmic Incursion | 2009 | 20 | Orange | Reward deck |
| Cosmic Conflict | 2010 | 20 | Black | Hazard variant |
| Cosmic Alliance | 2012 | 20 | White | Large group variant for 7+ players |
| Cosmic Storm | 2013 | 25 | Space stations | |
| Demon[1] | 2014 | 1 | ||
| Cosmic Dominion | 2014 | 30 | New reward deck | |
| Cosmic Eons | 2016 | 30 | Hidden Alliances variant, Essence mechanic |
- ↑ Promo alien given to attendees of CosmicCon 2014; later re-included in the 42nd Anniversary Edition.
With all expansions included, the Fantasy Flight Games edition currently includes 196 aliens.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- The cover depicts Parasite in the foreground and (clockwise from top) Mirror, Virus, Warpish, Fodder, Reincarnator and Will in the background.
- The alien pictures on the cover were added on the game's second printing. The game's first printing simply had the game's logo on a textured background and did not feature any aliens.
- The cover of the 42nd Anniversary Edition depicts Sorcerer in the foreground and (clockwise from top) Citadel, Tick-Tock, Vacuum, Cudgel and Will in the background.
