From the time their ancestors crawled out of the crystal blue sea on a paradisiacal world under a particularly lucky sun, the Winners have always been incredibly fortunate. Random factors have a bizarre tendency to go their way, and the stars always seem to shine down just a little bit brighter on them. Now, as they casually sail out into the Cosmos under a favorable solar wind, they know that they will soon take their place as the rulers of the Universe. After all, they’re Winners – it’s what they do.

Cosmic Alliance , the much-anticipated expansion for Cosmic Encounter , will be on store shelves late next week!

For those who haven’t followed our previews so far, we’ve already met the fun-loving Animal and charismatic General , versatile Cyborg and pint-sized Pygmy , and the toxic Poison and vampiric Sting . We’ve also seen the rules for Cosmic Alliance (pdf, 996 KB), which are now available on our support page . Today, we’re pleased to present the final preview in our series, in which we’ll reveal the alien sheets for the highly fortunate Winner and the ever-obsequious Butler.

Duh, winning!

If the object of the game is to win, then this alien is a no-brainer: he wins more. The stars always seem to align for these fortune-favored spacefarers, and “Overkill” simply isn’t in their vocabulary. If they win an encounter by 10 or more, they can gain one free colony on a planet in any system!


Click the image above to enlarge.

Will there be anything else, sir?

With a far more subtle approach to galactic domination, the Butlers are a race of interstellar servants who harbor a secret desire to lead. This classic alien must (courteously) perform all menial tasks at the table, whether it’s flipping cards or looking up rules (depending on your game group, your Butler may even open soda cans, fetch pizza, or warm your seat while you visit the restroom... go nuts!). Just be careful; should the house of Butt ever rule the Cosmos, there will be a reckoning.


Click the image above to enlarge.

With 20 new and classic alien races and rules for an additional player, Cosmic Alliance expands your battle for the Cosmos in exciting new ways. Head to your local retailer late next week to grab your copy!

Cosmic Encounter is a classic board game that puts players in charge of the fate of an alien race. Three to five players each strive to be the first to conquer five enemy colonies and establish themselves as the dominant life form in the galaxy. With over 50 alien characters to choose from, no two games are ever the same.

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