15 Best Cosmology Board Games to Play in 2026
Blast off with these top cosmology board games! Perfect for new players who want to explore the mysteries of the universe together.
Are you ready to blast off into the wild world of cosmology? We’ve wrangled up the 15 best cosmology-based board games this side of the Milky Way. When we picked these gems, we looked for games that make you feel like you’re steering galaxies, trading stardust, or saving planets—no dry textbooks here, just pure cosmic fun! We played them with our friends, laughed (and maybe cried) over wormholes, and checked for rules that are easy to grasp for new players. So, buckle up for the top picks that bring the wonders of cosmology straight to your tabletop!
On this list:
- Cosmic Encounter
- Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
- Gaia Project
- Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
- Race for the Galaxy
- Star Realms
- Sidereal Confluence
- SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD
- Galaxy Trucker
- Among the Stars
- Terraforming Mars
- Roll for the Galaxy
- Space Alert
- The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
- Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
15 Cosmic Encounter
Cosmic Encounter never gets old for us. It takes the vastness of cosmology, throws in a bunch of wild aliens, and lets us battle it out in space. No game feels the same twice, and the negotiation part is as chaotic as our last family dinner. Every session, someone gets betrayed. The cosmology theme is front and center, with alien powers making you feel like a warlord from another galaxy. There’s just the right amount of luck, a pinch of strategy, and a load of laughs (and the occasional grudge). If you want to test your friendships and your knowledge of the cosmos, this one delivers every single time.
14 Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
Eclipse makes us feel like tiny gods in a massive universe. You get to explore, expand, exploit and exterminate your way through a galaxy dripping in cosmology vibes. The tech tree alone ate half our brain power (and snacks). Victory never comes easy, but it always feels epic. If numbers and space ships excite you, this is your jam. One of the best things is how every race feels different, just like the wild diversity in real cosmology. The fights can get intense, so bring your best poker face and a love for cosmic conquest!
13 Gaia Project
Gaia Project had us yelling at each other about planet types and resource cubes for hours. It’s the spiritual cousin of Terra Mystica but with way more cosmology. Here, you terraform planets and build the coolest space federation since the dawn of time. It’s a thinky euro-game, so our brains hurt after, but in a good way. Every faction has its own way of dealing with the universe, and the modular board means you never see the same galaxy twice. It’s our go-to when we want to feel like we’re solving a space puzzle.
12 Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
Twilight Imperium is the king of cosmology epics. The universe is your playground, and the rules are only slightly less complex than actual astrophysics. We’ve finished games at sunrise and loved every minute. Every time we play, empires rise and fall, alliances get made (and broken), and someone ends up ruling with an iron fist—or crying in the corner. The scope is massive, and if you like cosmology and galactic drama, this one’s a star performer.
11 Race for the Galaxy
If you only have an hour but still want to play out your cosmology fantasies, Race for the Galaxy is perfect. We love the mix of speed and depth. Each game is a race to build up the most impressive tableau of planets and tech. The symbology can look like an alien language at first, but once it clicks, it’s pure cosmic joy. The replay value is out of this world, and it scratches that space itch without taking your entire weekend.
10 Star Realms
Star Realms is a cosmology-themed deck-builder that’s so fast and fun, we usually play best-of-three before the pizza arrives. It’s small enough to throw in your bag, and the combos you can pull off are as satisfying as discovering a new planet. The base game is two-player, but with expansions you can go up to six. If you want to get your cosmology fix in 20 minutes, you can’t go wrong.
9 Sidereal Confluence
Sidereal Confluence is what happens when cosmology meets ruthless trading and tons of negotiation. We spend most rounds making deals and then instantly regretting them. The factions are weird, and the amount of resources you convert each turn makes it feel like you’re running an intergalactic spreadsheet. It’s chaotic but always a hilarious time. If you like negotiating and don’t mind spreadsheets in space, it’s a stellar pick.
8 SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD
SpaceCorp brings real cosmology into play, letting us explore and expand humanity’s reach from the near future up to the farthest stars. You’re building, researching, and occasionally sabotaging your friends’ plans for the universe. The three eras feel really different, and you get a taste of what space travel might be like as we move from our solar system to the stars. We always finish a game wanting to sign up for astronaut school—if only they’d let us in.
7 Galaxy Trucker
Galaxy Trucker is the only cosmology board game we know where your lovingly built spaceship falls apart faster than our last IKEA shelf. It’s quick to learn, and the real-time building part has us laughing and yelling over who took the last engine tile. If you love chaos and want a lighter take on cosmology, this one’s for you. The cosmic disasters feel way too real sometimes, but that just adds to the fun.
6 Among the Stars
Among the Stars lets you build your own space station, and it’s a ton of fun for folks who love cosmology but hate waiting for their turn. Drafting cards to create a high-tech station while keeping an eye on your rivals makes it both creative and competitive. The art is great, and we love comparing finished stations for bragging rights. If you want a bit of strategy with your starlight, this is a must-try.
5 Terraforming Mars
Terraforming Mars is a favorite of ours for when we want a side of science with our cosmology. The game packs in loads of real-life details about Mars, and the engine-building is deep but never overwhelming. There’s something satisfying about seeing the planet turn green by game end. Plus, the expansions keep things fresh. Every time we play, we leave feeling like the rulers of a new world (and sometimes arch enemies).
4 Roll for the Galaxy
Roll for the Galaxy is cosmology in dice form. We love the random chaos but also the chance to pull off a sneaky strategy. Each round, you build up a galactic empire, hoping your dice land the way you want. It’s easy to teach, quick to play, and always leaves us wanting more. The best part is using your luck and brains to make up for whatever nonsense the cosmos throws at you.
3 Space Alert
Space Alert is the board game version of trying to fix a spaceship while it’s on fire (and being shot at by space squids). The real-time chaos and teamwork make it a must-try for cosmology fans who like to laugh and yell. Every mission is frantic and fun, and we always walk away with new inside jokes about who forgot to press the teleport button. It’s great for groups who want to cooperate instead of conquer.
2 The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The Crew is a super clever trick-taking game packed with cosmology flavor. As astronauts searching for the mysterious ninth planet, we have to work together to win different missions. The twist is that you can’t talk and have to read each other’s minds (which never works, but is always funny). It’s quick, cheap, and keeps us coming back for ‘just one more’ mission every time. If you like card games and the idea of exploring the cosmos with your friends, this one’s for you.
1 Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
We picked Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition as the best cosmology-themed board game, because it truly feels like you are shaping the fate of the galaxy. This game is massive in both scope and playtime. It mixes politics, war, alliances, backstabbing, and discovery in a way that nothing else does. When we played, there were epic betrayals, wild speeches, and a lot of pizza consumed. The sheer scale of the universe here and the variety of options make every session a unique story. For anyone who wants to get lost in the wonders and drama of cosmology, Twilight Imperium is the only way to go.
