Cosmic Cows

About this board game

Cosmic Cows is a two-player dice game with a 30-minute playing time, in which players compete to move three cow pawns into their own win zone first.

Set during an annual extraterrestrial cow-pulling contest, the game combines Yahtzee-style dice rolling with tactical movement. On each turn, roll five dice and set aside dice to build a useful combination, with up to three rolls available. The result determines which pawn or pawns can be moved and how far.

• A pair moves its matching pawn two spaces; three or four of a kind move it three or four spaces.
• Two pair and a full house are the only combinations that move two pawns in one turn.
• A small straight moves a pawn three spaces, while a large straight moves it four.
• Chance uses the total of all five dice to produce a three- or four-space move.
• A five of a kind moves the central Kniffel pawn directly to the rolling player’s back win zone, subject to the game’s special Kniffel rules.

Every turn requires the player to choose one available scoring option; combinations cannot be combined. If no legal move is available after the third roll, the roll is forfeited. Players do not need an exact count to reach the final line of a win zone, but excess movement is lost.

The pawns are neutral, so a cow already in one player’s win zone can still be moved out by the opponent with the right dice roll. That creates an ongoing tug-of-war as players decide whether to advance their own cows or disrupt the other side.

Designed by Maureen Hiron and released in 2001, Cosmic Cows includes a gameboard, ten dice, ten cow pawns, and instructions in English, Spanish, and French. It is for two players or teams and is listed for ages eight to adult.