Cosmic Encounter Officially Invades Tabletop Simulator

Cosmic Encounter is a fantastic board game, a wheeling, dealing, warring strategy game about vying for control of the cosmos as one of many aliens factions who each throw a different wrench in its simple rules. It's Rab's favourite board game and, as a sign of things to come, Quinns wrote about it too. "But Alice," you say, "you clearly can't be civil for the duration of a board game, so what are you doing writing about it now?"

It's simple: Cosmic Encounter has become the second cardboard game officially released as DLC for virtuaboard 'em up Tabletop Simulator [official site].

"The Cosmic Encounter Connector on Tabletop Simulator features 50 alien races, 50 flare cards to boost their powers, 100 flying saucer ships, and all of the premium components from the Fantasy Flight Games board game edition," say Berserk Games. The cardboard game has been expanded a fair few times since 1977, adding new aliens and cards and whatnot, and expansions are planned for this version too.

The game received an official digital version in 2003 in Cosmic Encounter Online, but that closed down last year after 11 years. Last year, the game's makers launched a Kickstarter to make a new digital version, but ended up scrapping it. Well, here we are.

The Cosmic Encounter DLC for Tabletop Sim costs £4.61 on Steam right now, thanks to a launch discount. The base game is on sale at the moment too, down to £10.04.

Or you can still download unofficial Cosmic Encounter mods.

More official Tabletop Sim versions of board games are planned.