NOTE / 001
The cost you cannot see
Every resource you spend closes one possibility and opens another. Learn to make that exchange visible.
Read the strategy note ↗
01 / EXPLORESix mission concepts
02 / UNDERSTANDDecisions with depth
03 / GATHEROne shared table
Scroll to discover WELCOME TO THE COSMIC INSTITUTE
A galaxy is vast.
A good decision
starts small.
Cosmoinst explores the craft of science-fiction board games: the plans you make, the information you share and the unexpected turn that changes everything.
Our illustrated worlds are fictional concepts, built to make tabletop mechanisms easier to explore. Use the mission atlas to find a starting point, then try a small rules experiment with the pieces you already own.
01 Make the goal visible02 Give every move a cost03 Leave room to adapt
01 / MISSION ATLAS
Where will you
make your next move?
Choose a sector to inspect its objective. Refine the map by complexity and the time you have at the table.
6 missions available
No mission fits these settings. Widen the time window or reset the map.
SELECT A BEACON TO RECEIVE YOUR BRIEFING02 / THE MISSION FILES
Different systems.
Different kinds of tension.
03 / FLEET ANATOMY
A miniature.
A meaningful role.
A useful unit gives you a different way to think, not just a bigger number.
See one turn further.
A surveyor reveals a route before the fleet commits. It trades immediate progress for better information.
04 / COMMAND SIMULATOR
Eight energy.
Three priorities.
Your decision.
A small, deterministic tabletop exercise. Allocate all eight energy tokens, then test a supply run.
Launch needs 3 fuel. A complete survey needs 3 research. The asteroid belt requires 2 shield. Try a trade-off, inspect the consequence, then revise your plan.
Read the reasoning behind the exercise ↗POWER DISTRIBUTION8 unassigned
Propulsion
Reach the destinationResearch
Complete the surveyShielding
Protect the cargoAllocate your energy to begin. This is a rules demonstration, not a prediction or a competitive ranking.
05 / THE LONG GAME
A strong engine
keeps options open.
Resources are more interesting when they can do two things. A spare cube might repair a relay now, or fund a longer route next round. The question is not simply “can I afford it?” but “what will I give up?”
ReserveKeep one flexible resource.
CommitPay a cost you can explain.
RecoverBuild a useful fallback.
06 / MECHANISM OBSERVATORY
What makes a turn
worth thinking about?
Switch the lens. Each mechanism creates a different relationship between what you know and what you choose.
THE DESIGN LENS
A signal is useful because it is incomplete.
Face-down cards let you commit to a sequence while leaving room for a surprise. Keep the possible outcomes explainable: uncertainty is engaging when players can make an informed choice.
Take this to the table
THE DESIGN LENS
The space between pieces is part of the rules.
A narrow crossing makes position matter. Before adding combat, ask whether a route, a blocking asteroid or a limited movement allowance already creates an interesting decision.
Take this to the table
THE DESIGN LENS
Cooperation works when each player still owns a decision.
A common energy pool can create a genuine discussion. Give every participant a distinct responsibility and let the active player make the final call on their own turn.
Take this to the table07 / VESPER CROSSING
The shortest route
is rarely the only route.
A moving asteroid belt turns a static map into a planning problem. Use an escort to make a direct crossing, or let a surveyor reveal a safer approach. Both routes should have a reason to exist.
Inspect Vesper CrossingTACTICAL / 60 MIN / 2–3 PLAYERS
08 / NIVALIS STATION
Build something
that survives
the next round.
Connect the relays. Protect the weakest link. On this moon, a clever network matters more than a spectacular single move.
“Can we afford to wait?” is often a better question than “What gives me the most?”
A design prompt from our fictional Nivalis scenario.
Read the station brief09 / ORION ACCORD
A promise can be
a game component.
THE NEGOTIATION RULE
Make the terms visible.
Agree on what changes, who benefits and when the promise expires. Keep negotiation inside the game; nobody should have to defend a personal boundary to enjoy a turn.
Open the accord ↗10 / FIRST COMMAND
Teach the first turn.
Then let it breathe.
- 01
Point to the destination.
Show what completing the mission looks like before naming every component.
- 02
Spend one resource.
Move a ship, pay its cost and describe the change on the board.
- 03
Offer two real choices.
Let the new player decide. Keep advice available without taking over.
11 / PRE-LAUNCH CHECK
A little preparation.
A much better orbit.
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0 of 5 launch checks complete
12 / AFTER THE LAST TURN
Keep the discovery.
Leave the score behind.
A good debrief does not need a winner’s lecture. Ask which choice surprised the table, where the rules slowed the group down and what each player would try differently.
Notice Which decision changed the direction of the game?
Explain What information did you wish you had earlier?
Adjust What single change would improve the next session?
13 / RESEARCH NOTES
Useful ideas for
your next table.
NOTE / 002
A map needs friction
Distance becomes interesting when a safe detour and a risky shortcut both make sense.
Study the route design ↗NOTE / 003
Make room for the first question
A teaching sequence that starts with the goal can give a new player a useful mental model.
Read the field lesson ↗14 / OPEN QUESTIONS
Before you
leave the dock.
No. Cosmoinst presents original fictional board-game concepts, illustrations and small rules exercises. There is no store, inventory, preorder or commercial game release on this website.
Yes. Use coins, paper, counters and a simple hand-drawn route. The mission briefs explain small mechanism experiments; they are not complete rulebooks for a manufactured product.
It checks a deliberately small set of visible conditions. Its result helps explain trade-offs, but it does not model a complete board game or rank your ability.
Start with Lyra Relay or Nivalis Station if the group is new. Agree on a shorter first session and show one turn before introducing optional rules.
15 / OPEN A CHANNEL
Every good expedition
starts with a question.
Found an unclear rule? Have an accessibility suggestion? Send a specific observation and help make the next explanation better.
Contact the institute[email protected]