Reading about the hazard deck, I'm skeptical about its effects - Cosmic, being all about player interaction, doesn't seem like a game that needs random event cards. But maybe I'm wrong! How does the deck work in your games and do you think it's a worthwhile addition?

They don't seem to come up very often, at least in the games that we played. When they do happen, they seem to provide a interesting twist to the current encounter. The one that switches turn order can be rough in a 7 player game when it happens right before your turn

My biggest issue with them is that the symbol that indicates to draw a hazard is very hard to see. Have to stare at the card when you draw it practically. We're tempted to go get stickers or something to 'mark' the hazard-destiny cards.

I agree. They come up slightly less often than we'd like using the regular rules. The hazard warnings are easy to miss on the Destiny cards.

Everyone I've tried them with has enjoyed them, and most have wished they would occur more often.

Kobold Curry Chef said:

We played a few games wherein we agreed that wild cards would trigger Hazards. If you want slightly more than that, make specials rigger them instead.

In response to the OP, CE is indeed about player interaction, but is full of random effects which players must work around; specifically randomly drawn cosmic cards, reward cards, destiny cards, aliens, technology, and compensation. Hazards are just one morerandom thing which players must adapt to when making their decisions.

Everyone I've played with loves them - ranging from seasoned players to (relatively) new players, hardcore strategy gamers to casual social gamers, and preteens to young adults to thirty somethings. I've heard nothing but the same from other fans on other web forums.

Maybe hazards aren't for you, but the new aliens alone are worth the price of Cosmic Conflict. So why not test for yourself?

I played this version of CE without, and later, with the Hazard Deck. It adds a new layer of complexity. I would say that the impact of a hazard card is like a new alien power coming on the scene.

When I first got it, I insisted on always using it. However, when I introduced the game to some new players, I took out the hazards and defensive rewards to keep it simple. Here's the interesting part; it was just as much fun without them.

So, I can take it or leave it. I always play with the extra aliens and player tokens that came with the expansion though.

I never use Hazards when I teach the game, but I often add them for someone's second or third game. They require very little explanation, so they are easy to add.

A few months later...

I got the expansion and have used the hazard deck. It seems interesting, though my group decided to remove the Temporal Anomaly (the one that reverses the turn order), because in a 6 or 7 player game, you can really get screwed hard with that one.

It definitely shakes up the game, which is nice. I like it better than I thought I would.

Kobold Curry Chef and I played a 6 player game with Hazards with Temporal Anomaly... Everyone got a turn but me when it came up, switching the turn order. It went all the way around, and just as I was about to finally get a turn, it came up again. I never had a turn that game. I remember doing pretty well anyway (but not winning, I don't think). It certainly made us laugh a lot at my expense.

I had a game like that as well (Two temporal anomalys resulting in someone not getting a turn!) The victim wasn't too pleased about it, but he ended up winning anyway (as Sadist), haha.

Only in Cosmic Encounter can you win without even getting a turn! What a game.

^ er, I meant to say "as Masochist"

But yeah, funny game