Cosmic Encounter is one of the few games from yesteryear that remains a favorite in the hardcore board gaming community. While games like Clue and Monopoly have quickly been outclassed in the ongoing golden age of modern gaming, Cosmic just keeps plugging along. And now, the publisher is expanding the universe even further with a standalone two-player game Cosmic Encounter Duel.
Cosmic Encounter Duel sees you and friend vying to be the next species the Cosmic Citizenship Council will allow into its ranks. So, it's a race to see who can gain control over five planets and win their way onto the Council. You'll choose one of the twenty-seven new alien species. Each of them comes with their own unique abilities that switch up game mechanics just a bit. These variable player powers are a huge part of what makes Cosmic Encounter great, so it's good news that they're bringing them along to Duel.
The game builds on the Destiny cards seen in the original Cosmic Encounter. Now, there are three separate categories: Discovery, Event, and Refresh cards. Discovery sees you and your opponent discovering and fighting over new planets. Event cards throw intergalactic challenges at you, while Refresh cards let you recover and gather new resources. When you inevitably duel over a planet, you'll secretly decide how many ships to send into battle. Similar to the original game, you'll be able to employ allies to bolster your forces in conquest. The only difference being that these won't be real people, so you don't have to worry as much about backstabbing. Once a player controls five planets, they win.
Cosmic Encounter Duel is currently available for pre-order and is scheduled to be available in April.