Cosmos
Cosmos Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 100 Element tokens (20 of each type: H, C, O, N and Fe)
- 20 Asteroid tokens
- 16 Track markers (4 of each colour: yellow, blue, red and green)
- 107 Cards:
- 20 Initial cards (5 per deck)
- 60 Advanced cards (10 per deck)
- 12 Microorganism cards
- 15 Event cards
- 4 Protoplanet tokens
- 4 Satellite tokens
- 4 "60/120 points" tokens
- 12 Atmosphere tokens (4 of each colour)
- 1 Action token
- 1 Round token
- 1 Beta Eva token
- 4 Player boards
- 1 Game board
- 1 Bag (Space)
Preparation
Preparation of the protoplanetary disk
- Place the main board in the centre of the table.
- Each player chooses a player board and places it in front of them.
- Separate the markers for each colour of the planet and place them in the coloured border spaces on each track on the player boards (gravitational force, temperature and rotation). The remaining markers must be placed in space 0 of the scoring track at the edge of the main board.
- Place the protoplanets' tokens in their initial spaces indicated by a coloured dot, each in its orbit.
- Place the action token in the place indicated on the board.
- Place the round token in the space indicated with the number 1 on the rounds track.
- Separate the initial cards for each protoplanet and distribute them to their respective players. These cards form each player's starting hand.
- Separate the Asteroid tokens and place them next to the board.
- Each player receives a Microorganism card and the initial element tokens indicated on it. We recommend using Basic Microorganisms in your first game. (See Microorganisms on page 13.)
- Excess resource tokens are placed in the bag (Space).
- Shuffle the event cards and leave them next to the board.
- Reveal an event card and add to the Space the number of asteroids indicated on the card. Keep the card in play, it will be the first round event.
- Draw and distribute elements from Space in the spaces marked with the symbol of a diamond on the board.
- Separate the cards from Deck (ring icon), Deck (layered-arc icon) and Deck (target icon), shuffle them individually and place them in their respective spaces on the board. Reveal one card of each and leave it on top of the deck.
- Choose one of the Variable Decks (four variable deck icons), shuffle it and place it in the remaining space for cards. Reveal a card and leave it on top of the deck. We recommend using the ring-icon deck in the first match.
Changes for 3 players
Follow the preparation instructions as usual, however: DO NOT add the planet Acrides V4M (yellow) and its components to the game. Also DO NOT add any element cube or asteroid in the spaces with the mark 4 (diamond-with-4 symbol) on the orbit furthest from the star.
Changes for 2 players
Follow the preparation instructions as usual, however: DO NOT add the planet Acrides V4M (yellow), Nuenus RI (red) and their components to the game. Also DO NOT add any element cube or asteroid in the spaces with the mark 3/4 on the orbit furthest from the star, and with the mark 3/4 on the orbit closest to the star.
Separate a card with each title from each of the decks in play and return them to the game box, leaving 6 cards left in each deck.
Round Structure
The billion-year round
Beta Eva is very similar to the Sun in our planetary system, but a little bigger. While the Sun has a life expectancy of 10 billion years, Beta Eva will exist for only 7 billion. This is because of its mass: the bigger the star, the faster it consumes its fuel stock.
Players will then have 7 rounds to get as many evolution points as they can.
They will be divided into 5 phases:
- Maintenance Phase
- Player Phase
- Stellar Phase
- Translation Phase
- Temperature Adjustment Phase
1 - Maintenance Phase
This phase does not happen during the first round of the game, so don't worry about it for now if you are starting now. Come back here after the end of the first round.
Between 1 billion years and another, a lot of things change. Being generous, we can assume that humanity appeared on Earth about 400,000 years ago. 1 billion is 2500 times that time. Again, we are dealing with numbers beyond human imagination.
The first thing to do during the maintenance phase is to reveal a new event card. Put it on top of the event from the previous round. Then, add in the Space the amount of asteroids indicated in this new event card.
Read the effect out loud and see at what phase it will be applied. If it is during maintenance, resolve it immediately.
Then, fill in with element tokens the empty spaces on the board with the mark (diamond symbol). There is no specific order to fill it. However, if players are keen to follow a pattern, we suggest starting by filling in the space closest to the Deck (ring icon), clockwise, from the outermost to the innermost orbit.
Note that in spaces that are occupied with another token, whether of element, protoplanet or satellite, no new elements will be placed.
After the distribution of new elements, the cards revealed on the tops of each deck must be placed at their bottom, face down, and a new one must be revealed in each one.
The Beta Eva marker must be passed to the next player on the left. We are ready for the next phase.
2 - Player Phase
It will be at this phase where players will perform their actions alternately. It is divided into two stages: A) playing a card and performing its action and B) buying a revealed card from one of the decks (optional).
After playing a card and drawing or not a card, it is the next player's turn. Upon reaching the first player again, advance the action token one space. This phase ends when all players have completed their maximum number of actions (see Rotation on page 9).
A) Playing a card
On your turn, the player must play a card from his hand.
To do this, he checks if the card he is playing has any costs in the upper left corner. If so, the player must pay that cost, returning the elements to the Space.
He then checks how many evolution points the card provides. He advances that amount on the scoring track if he can (see Atmosphere on page 8).
Then he performs the effect of the card. If the gravitational force of your protoplanet has already enabled the extended effects, the player can apply it if desired (see Gravitational Force on page 9).
Card anatomy (labels on the example card): Cost; Point by playing (the "?" point value); End game points; Type; Title; Quantity in deck; Effect; Extended Effect; Deck.
Example: Ricardo plays the Assimilate card and executes its effect, receiving one element from Space. After that, he decides to buy the Greenhouse card from the main board. He pays two elements and puts Greenhouse in his hand.
B) Buying a card (optional)
After playing a card, the player can buy one of the revealed cards from the board, as long as he does not already have one with the same name.
For that, he must pay the referring cost of that deck.
The card acquired goes into the player's hand and a new card is revealed from the deck from which the player purchased.
Key concepts
During this phase, players will encounter several different concepts that will appear on their initial cards and on cards acquired during the game.
Absorb
Many cards will tell players to absorb elements. This means bringing it to the player's individual board, placing it in the area reserved for Matter. This area is limited to 7 resources, that is, at the end of your action, after buying or not a card, the player will need to discard elements until he has exactly 7.
If the player absorbs elements during the Stellar and/or Translation phases, he does not need to discard at the time, only at the end of his next action.
Example: Leandro in his action absorbed one O element. As there were already 7 other elements in his Matter, Leandro would have to discard one of them, but he decides to make a card purchase, spending one H element and one Fe element, thus leaving 6 elements in his Matter.
Improve
Some cards tell players to improve some of the characteristics of their protoplanet. This means transferring as many elements as you want and can at a time to the respective characteristic. That is, it is possible to make several advancements at once on a characteristic track.
Atmosphere
An essential part of life's development here on Earth, atmospheres are layers of gases that envelop and protect the planets from external events.
When choosing this characteristic to improve, the player can transfer in any order and quantity the elements requested in each of the layers (5 N, 4 O and 3 C). When completing one of the layers with the requested elements, discard them and place an atmosphere token on the specific layer.
From then on, the player is able to overcome the filters of the evolution of life on the scoring track around the central board. To go from point 8 to 9, it is necessary to have completed any of the layers of the atmosphere. To go from 15 to 16, 2 layers, and from 21 to 22, 3 layers. If the player scores more points during the match than his atmosphere allows to score, those excess points are wasted.
At the end of the game, players mark the points indicated above the layers they have completed.
Example: Leandro played the Esquentar card, scoring 2 points immediately. As he has only one layer of the complete atmosphere, he marks 1 point and the other will be wasted.
Gravitational Force
The gravitational force, from a cosmological point of view, is largely responsible for the agglutination and preservation of this union of materials. Here on Earth, we measure acceleration due to gravity as g, which is equivalent to 9.80665 m/s². Jupiter, the planet with the largest mass in the solar system, has a gravitational force of 2.52g, while the Sun has 27.95g. In Cosmos we will extrapolate these numbers a little.
The protoplanets in the game can have 1g, 2g or 3g of gravitational force. This is defined by the track below the planet illustration on the player board. These values will represent the distance that players can absorb elements of the board when playing a card that instructs them to do so. That is, 1g means one space away from the player's protoplanet token, 2g is two spaces and 3g is three spaces.
When choosing this track to improve, the player must discard the elements related to the advances he is making, in order from left to right.
From the penultimate advance of the track the player enables the extended effects of his cards. Thus, when playing a card with extended effect, he can apply it if he wishes.
At the end of the game, players mark the points indicated below the advance where they are with their markers on the Gravitational Force track.
Example: Leticia in her action decided to play the card Attract. As in hers Gravitational Force track her marker is in the penultimate advance, the distance from which she can absorb elements is a maximum of 3 spaces. In addition, she can also apply the extended effect of the card if she wishes, as she has already achieved them. So she can choose any of the elements circled on the map, while those marked with an X are out of her reach.
Rotation
During its formation, as a protoplanet is hit by asteroids, its rotation changes due to impacts. During the game, the players are responsible for these impacts when choosing to improve this feature.
Its track is similar to gravity, with players advancing in order from bottom to top, discarding the elements of the advancements they are doing.
This track determines the number of actions that players perform, alternately, throughout the round. By default, players start with the right to perform 3 actions, but that number can increase up to 5. When starting a new sequence of actions, players who cannot do that action are skipped, passing directly to the next player clockwise that can perform it.
At the end of the game, the last advancement of the track guarantees 10 evolution points.
Example: All players have done their third action. Ricardo is the first player, but has no fourth action. Leticia, on the other hand, is in the third advancement on her Rotation track, and can then play one more action in the sequence.
Move
The protoplanets will forever revolve around Beta Eva. This is due to the intense gravity that the star has and the curvature in the space-time fabric it causes, causing the centrifugal force to keep the planets trapped in their orbits.
Therefore, when any card (or phase, as in the case of the Translation Phase, on page 11) indicates that the player moves his protoplanet, he must do so clockwise within the orbit he is in. To help visualize them, the board has a coloured background and coloured arrows between spaces.
Whenever a protoplanet passes through an element or stops at the same square as an element, it must absorb it, placing it in its Matter.
However, it is possible, with specific card actions, for a protoplanet to change orbit, or that their satellites appear and end up taking up space in the orbit of another protoplanet. Well, Newton already said in his third law: two bodies cannot occupy the same place in space. Therefore, if for some reason a player has to finish his move in a space that already has another protoplanet or satellite token, he must finish his movement in the first space free of those tokens before or after it, even if that makes the player move a few more spaces.
Example: Leandro played his Orbit card, which allows him to move his protoplanet up to 3 spaces. As in the third space there is Ricardo's satellite, Leandro can choose to end his movement in either one of the two previous spaces, or in the space after the satellite.
Asteroids
There is a specific element token that can appear on the board at random during the Maintenance Phase or when any two elements occupy the same square on the board, either in the Star Phase or by action of the players.
We're talking about the Asteroid. For game purposes, it is a wild element and can be used as any other. However, there are two important rules to absorb them:
- It is only allowed to absorb Asteroids that are on the main board, using cards that absorb elements at a distance equal to or less than the Gravitational Force of the protoplanet. At no time is it allowed to absorb Asteroids directly from Space or elsewhere.
- When absorbing an Asteroid, the player must move the marker on the temperature track one space to the left or right.
In real life, when an Asteroid of great magnitude collides with a planet, it is normal for it to heat up absurdly due to the impact, turning into a ball of fire and magma in the middle of space. This is the beginning of many planets' lives.
However, the opposite effect can also happen. In one of the theories of what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, the hypothesis arises that the dust cloud raised by the impact of the asteroid made the planet enter an ice age, since there was no longer any way for the sun's rays to penetrate the atmosphere and warm the planet.
3 - Stellar Phase
Unlike what happens to protoplanets, many elements of the gas cloud around Beta Eva have not been trapped in orbits around them. Therefore, they are drawn more and more towards the star.
In this phase, all the elements on the board are attracted one square towards Beta Eva. This movement must be done following the white arrows, starting with the orbit closest to the star and continuing through the furthest orbits. To help visualize, flip the element token to its other side, indicating that this token has already been moved.
In this movement, three special cases can occur:
- A) An element collides with Beta Eva - When this happens, simply discard the element, returning it to Space.
- B) An element collides with a protoplanet - When this happens, the player controlling that protoplanet must absorb the element, placing it in the area reserved for Matter on his player board (see Absorb on page 8).
- C) One element collides with another element - When this happens, discard both elements, returning them to Space, and place an Asteroid in its place.
Example: During the Stellar Phase, the elements move one space towards Beta Eva. During this movement, elements can be discarded, absorbed by the players or transformed into asteroids.
4 - Translation Phase
Because they are in orbit around Beta Eva, protoplanets are constantly moving in the vacuum of space. During this phase, the planets must move a specific amount of spaces, depending on the orbit they are in. Protoplanets in the red and blue orbits must move one space, while protoplanets in the green and yellow orbits must move two spaces (see Move on page 10).
If a protoplanet collides with an element during this movement, it absorbs that element, placing it in its Matter.
Example: Following the positioning of the previous example, during this phase the red and blue protoplanets move one space within their orbits, while the green and yellow protoplanets move two spaces. In this case, the red and green protoplanets collided with an element each, absorbing them.
5 - Temperature Adjustment Phase
Throughout Beta Eva's life, its temperature will oscillate. Sometimes it will be hotter, sometimes colder. This directly impacts the temperature of the protoplanets that orbit around it.
Event cards can have an icon in their upper left corner. This icon can be a snowflake or a flame. In this phase, the protoplanets must adjust the temperature track on their player boards according to the symbol on the round event card: one space to the left for each snowflake and one space to the right for each flame. If the marker is already at the end of the track and the event sends it off the track, the player does not move the marker.
Example: The round event indicates that in this temperature adjustment phase, the protoplanets will cool down. Ricardo then moves the marker on his temperature track one space to the left.
End of Round and End of Game
Once the Temperature Adjustment Phase has been resolved, the round is over. Move the round marker to the next square on its track and start a new round, beginning with the Maintenance Phase.
After 7 rounds, each consisting of the 5 phases described, the game ends. We then proceeded to the point counting step.
The last stage of evolution
At this stage, we will see which planet is better able to hold life as we know it here on Earth. For that, we will count the points of the players.
Add to the evolution points acquired during the match the following scores, ignoring from now on the evolution filters of life (see Atmosphere on page 8):
- All points achieved on the player's board.
- All end game points on the cards in hand and in front of the player.
- 1 point for every 2 elements left in the player's Matter.
After the sum, the player with the most evolution points is declared the winner! In the event of a tie, the player with the most elements in his Matter among those tied is the winner. If the tie persists, the tied players share the victory.
Microorganisms
We still don't know for sure what the exact origin of life is. However, we know that it most likely arose from very small beings, microorganisms. In Cosmos, each player starts the game with a fictional being on his protoplanet.
There are two types of Microorganism cards: Basic and Advanced. For the first matches, we recommend the use of Basic Microorganisms.
Basic Microorganisms
During preparation, distribute a Basic Microorganism card to each player. These cards are all the same. Place them on the left side of each player's boards.
Players then receive the resources indicated on the right side of the Microorganism card (O, H, Fe, N and C elements, as shown on the card). These resources must be placed in the Matter of the player's protoplanet.
Advanced Microorganisms
During preparation, distribute two Advanced Microorganism cards to each player. Each of them has a different special ability that the player can use during the game. Players must choose one of them and return the other to the box. Place the chosen cards on the left side of each player's boards.
Players then receive the resources indicated on the right side of the Microorganism card, which are also different from each other. These resources must be placed in the Matter of the player's protoplanet.
If the gaming group is made up of experienced players and beginners at the same time, we suggest using the Advanced cards for the experienced, while the beginners stay with Basic cards.
Microorganism notes
Here you will find some additional explanations and frequently asked questions about microorganisms.
- Tassellis - This is the basic microorganism. It has no special abilities.
- Edandrae - You can absorb Asteroids from Space with cards like Transmute or Oscillate, for example.
- Suricoensis - The elements Fe and O can be spent like each other for any purpose (except for events).
- Vabros - You move in the opposite direction of the arrows, even in the Translation Phase. You cannot trade Asteroids with opponents. Turn the card 90° to indicate when the effect was used.
- Tapiformes - Your temperature track scores 20/10/0/-5/-10/-15/-10/-5/0/10/20.
- Formicialis - When you spend this elements [sic, as printed], move the Gravitational Force marker to this card. Its evolution points are earned only on the final score, ignoring the score filters.
- Kristetto - O elements in this card do not count towards the limit of the Matter. Its evolution points are earned only on the final score, ignoring the score filters. Card text (translated from the card art): whenever you absorb an O, you can place it on this card; you can spend them normally. At the end of the game, each O on this card is worth 2.
- Ephrine - Purchasing in this way replaces the normal purchase in your turn. The card acquired goes to your hand, normally. Turn the card 90° to indicate when the effect was used.
Promo microorganisms
- Crejine - The card chosen to stay in the playing area must be paid for. You must choose a card that you can afford.
- Suspos (Promo Card) - Additional movement in the Translation Phase is optional. That is, in the red and blue orbits the player can move from 1 to 3 spaces, while in the green and yellow, from 2 to 4.
- Mephiscus (Promo Card) - The elements received are placed in your Matter. Turn the card 90° to indicate when the effect was used.
- Ornatus (Promo Card) - You cannot trade Upgrade cards with this effect. Turn the card 90° to indicate when the effect was used.
- Pygmalus (Promo Card) - The effect of this used card does not count as an action. Turn the card 90° to indicate when the effect was used.
- Aureus (Promo Card) - Your Gravitational Force trail has a strength of 2g/2g/3g/3g/4g/4g. Additional strength increased with an element of the type shown on the card only lasts the action in which it was increased.
- Varozoa (Promo Card) - The spent elements do not need be of the same type. The evolution points are marked at the time, and can go through filters released by this improvement.
Promotional cards
Some cards described in this manual are promotional cards, part of the game's crowdfunding campaign. They were delivered to all backers and are no longer sold. The remaining stock can be distributed in events, fairs, conventions or in specific promotions.
Variable Decks
Before starting the game, players must choose or randomly select one of the variable decks to play. These decks feature new cards and mechanics to explore during the game.
Deck with the ring icon (open ring with a dot)
In this deck there will be cards with new mechanics, focused on representing external characteristics of the planet. It introduces a new type of card: Enhancements.
Cards shown on the page (titles as printed in the rulebook, with translation):
- Rings (Anéis) - Enhancement. When moving your protoplanet, choose up to 3 adjacent elements and move them together, choosing new positions adjacent to the place where the protoplanet ends its movement.
- Greenhouse (Estufa) - Enhancement. You may choose to exchange the Heat symbol for a Cold symbol, or a Cold symbol for a Heat symbol, in the Temperature Adjustment phase.
- Recalculate (Recalcular) - Advanced. Move your protoplanet to an adjacent space in another orbit. If it ended up closer to Beta Eva, advance one space on the Temperature track. If it ended up further away, retreat one space.
- Satellite (Satélite) - Enhancement. Place a Satellite token on a space adjacent to your protoplanet. Whenever it moves, choose a new adjacent position for the Satellite, absorbing an element on the same space where it stops.
Deck with the two-circle icon
This deck has a great focus on Extended Effects. These are the only advanced cards that have the extended effect box such as the initial cards, with very powerful effects when applied. Here are also some new enhancements.
Cards shown on the page:
- Control (Controlar) - Advanced. Return a card from your play area to your hand and acquire an additional card in this turn for 1 element. This additional card has no cost.
- Copy (Copiar) - Advanced. Copy the score and effects of a card (except Enhancements) in the play area of any player. Ignore the cost of this card.
- Twin (Gêmeo) - Enhancement. You may perform the extended effects of your cards twice.
- Magnetosphere (Magnetosfera) - Enhancement. At the beginning of the Stellar Phase, choose up to 3 elements one space away from your protoplanet. They do not move in this phase. Your Gravitational Force is always 1g more.
(Card texts above are translated from the card art and partly abridged where the card is cut off on the scan.)
Deck with the spiral icon
This deck brings cards with very powerful effects and high scores when played. However, they are used only once in the match. It introduces a new type of card: Discard.
Cards shown on the page:
- Advance (Adiantar) - Discard. Advance your protoplanet up to 6 spaces in its orbit.
- Facet (Lapidar) - Discard. Choose one: make 1 advance on the Rotation track at no cost; or make 1 advance on the Gravitational Force track at no cost.
- Stabilize (Estabilizar) - Discard. Advance or retreat up to 3 spaces on the Temperature track of your protoplanet.
- Incorporate (Incorporar) - Discard. Absorb up to 3 elements at a distance equal to or less than the Gravitational Force of your protoplanet.
Discard
These are cards that, when played, do not go to the player's playing area. When played, they are returned to the game box. That is, its effects will be activated only once during the game, so choose the moment well. You cannot buy a card with the same name as another that you have already discarded (unless you are using the microorganism Crejine).
Deck with the atom icon (Promo Deck)
In this deck are added cards with a greater and more aggressive interaction between players. It will be possible to manipulate the board and elements on it more. Here it is also presented a new discard card.
Cards shown on the page:
- Combine (Combinar) - Advanced. Discard up to 2 elements at a distance equal to or less than the Gravitational Force of your protoplanet. Absorb one element from Space.
- Compensate (Compensar) - Advanced. Absorb one random element from Space for each player in front of you on the scoring track.
- Pulverize (Pulverizar) - Discard. All other players must place a card from their hands in their play areas. You receive 2 points for each basic or unique card, and 1 point for each advanced card. Enhancements, Discard and the New Cycle card cannot be played this way. If a player only has those in hand, they ignore this effect. (Text partly cut off on the scan.)
- Renew (Renovar) - Advanced. Choose an orbit and carry out the Stellar Phase in that orbit only.
Enhancements
These are cards that, when played, are placed on the right side of the player's board. Its effects are passive and linked to other actions and phases of the game. When playing the "New Cycle" card, enhancement cards do not return to the player's hand. That is, these cards will be played only once and their effects will last until the end of the game.
Nuclear Fusion and Fission Variant
Inside the stars, hydrogen atoms are fused all the time to become helium atoms. This process, called nuclear fusion, releases a lot of energy, and it's basically the fuel that makes the stars shine.
Eventually helium starts to join with hydrogen, creating new elements, such as lithium, beryllium, boron, until it reaches the iron. From then on, the stars can no longer perform the fusion, because the energy used to fuse it is greater than the energy generated.
Fission is the opposite process, where a heavy element has its core separated into lighter elements. This process is used in nuclear reactors and has also existed naturally here on Earth.
For a friendlier version of the game, we can introduce this concept into the game, allowing players to spend two identical elements at any time as another element of their choice.
Example: Leticia wants to play the Satellite card from her hand. However, it has a cost of one Fe element, which Leticia does not have on her individual board. However, she has two element tokens in her Matter (as shown in the example). Then she decides to spend them as one Fe element, so she can play her card.
Solo Variant
To play a game alone, your goal will not only be to earn evolution points, but to complete all the characteristics of your protoplanet before the end of the last round.
During preparation, select any of the four protoplanets. Depending on which one you choose, the match will be easier or more difficult. Use the following difficulty level to define your choice:
- Easy - Acrides V4M (yellow)
- Moderate - Eytera EV3 (green)
- Challenging - Tainus Z2 (blue) [as printed]
- Hard - Nuenus RI (red)
After choosing the protoplanet, fill in the spaces marked with the diamond symbol only in the orbits of the chosen protoplanet, the inner orbit directly adjacent and the outer orbit directly adjacent. All other orbits will not receive elements either during preparation or during the Maintenance Phases.
Still in preparation, assemble the decks with just one copy of each card. The others must be returned to the box. The rest of the preparation follows the same as a match with more players.
During the game, at the end of his actions, the player can choose to spend 5 evolution points to perform an extra action, without moving the action marker.
After the end of the last round, if the player is at the end of the Gravitational Force track, the end of the Rotation track, has completed all three layers of the Atmosphere and has Temperature at 15 ºC, he wins! Otherwise, he loses.