Cosmocracy is a party game where players argue over controversial issues plaguing the universe by making up facts and pandering to the alien races to win the most votes and become President of the Galaxy.

Components

• 48 Matter Cards
• 48 Issue Cards
• 8 Candidate Cards
• 8 Race Cards
• 40 Vote Tokens
• Instructions

Setup

Place the Issue and Matter deck face-down. Put the 40 vote tokens in a pile. Have a stopwatch or smartphone nearby.

Each player chooses one of the alien races and takes the Race card (with the check icon). The players' corresponding Candidate cards (with the star icon) are then gathered and shuffled together into a face-down pile. Unused Race and Candidate cards are returned to the box.

Recommended Warm-Up: Before the game begins, everyone invents one fact about their race. This helps to establish the setting early in the game, and also helps players understand how the improvisational part of the game works.

Example: The Space Whales do not have currency. They pay for everything with hugs.

Cards

Candidate Card

When your Candidate card is drawn, it is your turn to debate. You will take on the role of your Candidate running for President of the Galaxy.

Race Card

When voting, you play as the population of your Race, choosing which candidate best suits your needs.

The "Yes, but... " Rule

Anything you say while debating becomes an absolute fact about the universe for the rest of the game.

You can NOT contradict opponents' facts or say they are false. You can, however, add information to their fact to spin it the other way.

Example Debate:

"Galactic scientists conducted a study and found that humans are mostly harmless.

Therefore, I see no problem with allowing Humans to regulate Death Rays".

"True, however the galactic scientists my opponent refers to are actually raccoons that used a sample size of one human who was feeding the 'scientists' stale crackers. Humans have the lowest IQ in the galaxy and can't safely handle deadly weaponry".

As the game goes on, players create the universe. When debating feel free to invent the history of a Race, or the disastrous effects of a Matter card.

The game is most fun when players improvise backstories and call back to established facts.

Game Play

1. Select Candidates

   Draw 2 Candidate cards. These players will debate against each other.

2. Select Moderator

   Choose a player not involved in the debate to be the Moderator. This player will present the Issue, manage the timer, and settle disputes on contradictory statements. The Moderator should attempt to keep the debate fair and concise.

3. Present The Issue

   The Moderator reveals an Issue card from the deck. If the card shows draw a Matter card to fill in the space.

   If the card shows the Moderator picks any race in play (including the Races of the debating players) to fill in the space. The Moderator may optionally draw multiple cards and pick their favorite combination.

   
   
   

4. Choose Pro or Con

   The first Candidate drawn chooses to argue Pro or Con on the Issue, or may defer to the second Candidate. Once a stance is chosen, the other Candidate must take the opposite stance. Place the two Candidate cards on the Pro or Con side of the Issue card to indicate the chosen stances.

5. Debate

   The Moderator starts the timer. The Candidate that chose a stance begins and gets 30 seconds to make up an argument. Then the other Candidate gets a 30 second rebuttal to counter any claims made by the first Candidate.

   Pander & Slander!

   Remember to keep your audience in mind. Shamelessly pander to the voting Races' Likes and attack the opposing Candidate's reputation by making up facts about their crooked past.

   When the 30 seconds have elapsed, the Moderator should start clapping and the rest of the players should join in to signal that time has expired. Candidates don't have to use the full 30 seconds.

6. Follow-up Questions

   After each debate, the voters (all players not debating, including the Moderator) may optionally ask follow-up questions to learn more about the issue or to clarify a Candidate's stance. Each debater may only respond once by answering a question OR refuting their opponent's answer to a question.

   
   

   The Moderator can call on voters for questions, deny questions, cut off Candidate responses, and declare when it's time to move on to the vote.

   
   

7. Vote

   Voters flip their Race cards to the Pro or Con side to choose their favored Candidate, covering the cards with their hands. When all votes are in, the voters

   simultaneously reveal. Candidates score 1 Vote Token for each vote received. Keep your Vote Tokens face down to help prevent biased voting.

   
   

   Voting is subjective. You may vote for the Candidate that appealed to your Race's Likes, the most solid argument, or the funniest response.

   
   

8. Reset

   After each debate, set the two Candidate cards to the side and repeat, drawing the next two Candidate cards.

Ending the Round

Even number of players: When everyone has debated and no Candidates remain the round is over. Shuffle the Candidates together to start the next round of debates.

Odd number of players: When only one Candidate is left, set it aside and shuffle the other Candidates. The Candidate you have set aside will debate first and last in the next round.

Once the opening debate of the next round is complete, place that Candidate at the bottom of the deck and continue play (this ensures that all Candidates debate an equal number of times).

Humans

Compared to the elder races of the galaxy, Humans are practically space toddlers, and their comparatively underdeveloped brains find space politics even more boring and confusing than most.

They are fooled easily by cheap rhetoric and empty promises, but stay closely involved for the drama and free t-shirts.

Proud Warrior Race

The fearsome Proud Warrior Race cling to their ancient traditions and ideals as fiercely as they do their battlefield conquests.

They are oldest known race and have ruthlessly repelled invaders and expanded the Galactic Alliance deep into the Milky Way. Their outdated beliefs are their identity and they remain uninterested in change.

Androids

Although built to be servants, the remarkable Androids quickly outsmarted their creators to become the masters and dominant inhabitants of the Vega Sector.

Literally incapable of caring, the Androids have computed the statistically most efficient way of running the Galaxy and refuse to support any legislation that caters to feelings.

Space Whales

These gentle souls drift freely through the vacuum of space blissfully unconcerned with politics. To them, it should be easy for all races to coexist symbiotically with each other and the beautiful galaxy around them.

Their knowledge of the varieties of space kelp is encyclopedic, but their native language has no word for "economics".

Brain-sucking Parasites

The Brain-sucking Parasites have burrowed into thousands of brilliant minds all across the known universe.

From these invisible pulpits, they sow chaos, secretly tarnishing the reputations of their hosts for their own dangerous and nefarious ends. Some Human conspiracy theorists believe they have even reached Earth and are wholly responsible for cable news.

Monstrous Bug People

This hive minded species blindly follows the will of their queen, who was recently re-elected to a record-smashing 312th consecutive term.

The Monstrous Bug People are incapable of individual thought and believe all races should conform to their worker-class, garbage consuming lifestyle.

End of the Game

If playing with 3-7 players the game ends after 4 rounds of debates. If playing with 8 players, the game ends after 3 rounds.

The player with the most vote tokens is elected President of the Galaxy. If tied, remove Candidates not tied and continue play. First player to win a majority vote is elected President.

Continue Reading