I began playing Cosmic Encounter back in the late 70's with the original Eon edition and its many expansions. I watched as the game was released by Games Workshop, and finally by Mayfair. I had felt from early on that Cosmic Encounter was, like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. If it had a drawback, it was that it was so innovative that it had a steep learning curve, making it hard for the casual gamer to enjoy.

When Mayfair had some much-publicized financial trouble a couple years back, Cosmic Encounter went out of print, perhaps for the final time. A shame, since it is a game that should be as much a standard game shelf occupant as Monopoly or Scrabble.

Happily, Simply Cosmic is still available. It is a pared down version of the parent game, with fewer players, fewer Alien powers, fewer cards, and far fewer ambiguities. It is easy to learn, and the mix of Aliens available is a nice mix of classic from the earliest days of the game, with enough variety to keep the game interesting.

What makes the Cosmic Encounter family work so well is the almost constant interaction between players. Players are involved in almost every challenge. It isn't enough just having better cards--one must also be a diplomat.

My recommendation is to buy Simply Cosmic and try it out. If you like it, try to locate its daddy, Cosmic Encounter. If you just can't get enough of those crazy Aliens, get the expansion, More Cosmic Encounter, which is still available.