Four rival museum curators are hovering at the edges of deep space, ships loaded with stolen artifacts, lasers charging, and a cartoonishly destructive scheme already in motion. Every 100 years, the galaxy's greatest museums race to prove their collection is the finest in existence, and "research" has never looked less academic. Cosmic Curators is a hidden-command action-point space heist built for the PlayGrid system, made for family game nights, strategy-leaning groups, and anyone who enjoys a little simultaneous-reveal chaos at the table.

Design Intent

Cosmic Curators was designed to feel sneaky, tactical, and just unpredictable enough to keep every player guessing. The hidden command moment is the heart of the game, where everyone secretly picks an attack or shield, slides it into their command folder, and then reveals at the same time. You can be one resource away from victory and watch a perfectly aimed laser sweep your prize off the board. Action points give players freedom to plan their turn the way they want, whether that's racing across the grid, scanning in a new planet to mess with someone else's path, or grabbing a resource and running. The intergalactic museum theme adds personality, and the modular nature of PlayGrid means the game can keep growing with new planets, command types, and expansion ideas. Drop a comment on what cosmic curiosities we should add next.

Meet the Designer

Cosmic Curators was designed by @JaayJeee, one of our talented third-party PlayGrid designers. Big thanks for bringing this one to life and adding another distinct flavor to the growing PlayGrid system.

You Will Also Need the PlayGrid Core Module

This game is built on top of the PlayGrid Core Module, which provides the base grid that Cosmic Curators sits on. You will need to print the core module to play this game. Grab it here: [https://makerworld.com/en/models/2662193-playgrid-core-module#profileId-2944976](https://makerworld.com/en/models/2662193-playgrid-core-module#profileId-2944976)

How the Game Works

Objective: Be the first curator to return all 4 resources to your Collection Tube and claim the title of the galaxy's greatest museum.

The game supports 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, and plays in about 20 minutes. Each player sets up their base in one corner of the board, marking their personal quadrant. Ships start in the matching corner of the grid, and the first player marker is handed out before the action begins.

On your turn, you have up to 5 action points to spend however you like. You don't have to spend all 5, and actions can happen in any order. Action options include:

Move (1 AP): Move your ship one square. No diagonal movement.

Scan (1 AP): Pull one of your opponent's planets from outside the board and place it next to your ship. If your opponents have no planets available, you can place one of your own. Planets can only be placed inside the scanning player's quadrant, cannot sit on the outermost edge of the board, and cannot be placed directly next to another planet.

Collect (1 AP): Grab a resource from a planet or square next to you. No diagonal collecting, and you can only hold one resource at a time.

End of the Round

Once every player has taken their turn, things get interesting. Every player simultaneously picks a command, slides it into their command folder, and tucks the folder into the slot on their base to hide it from the table. When everyone is ready, all players reveal at the same time, and commands resolve simultaneously. Shields always block matching attacks.

There are two commands to choose from:

Directional Attack: A laser sweeps across every row or column on the board, following the direction of the arrow on your attack tile. Any player hit by the laser must drop the resource they are holding into a square next to them. If they aren't holding anything, nothing happens. Planets block line of sight, which means smart scanning earlier in the round can save you here.

Directional Shield: Raise a laser-absorbing shield in the direction shown on your shield tile. If an incoming attack hits the shield from that direction, you are protected. A shield facing left, for example, blocks a laser moving left-to-right.

After commands resolve, pass the first player marker to the next player and start the round again.

Assembly

Assembly is quick. Press fit the 5x2mm round magnets into the four surround pieces, just like all of the other PlayGrid games, making sure the orientation is correct so they mate up to the PlayGrid core base. Press fit or glue the magnets on the action tiles and their corresponding placement on the surrounding pieces. The collection tube, command folder, planets, and ships are all press fit and ready to play once they come off the build plate. The little glass-style resource vials are a nice touch and slot right into the collection tube.

Game Setup

Place a PlayGrid core board in the middle of the table and snap the four bases around the outside. Each player sets up their base with their collection tube, command folder, planets, and command tiles as shown in the rules. Place ships in matching corners of the grid, hand the first player marker to whoever is going first, and you are ready to launch.

See the attached one-page rules guide for a print-off you can store with the game.

PlayGrid System Note

Cosmic Curators is part of the growing PlayGrid system, a modular board game platform built to support many different game ideas using one shared physical foundation. That means this is not a one-off design. It is part of a bigger system that makes it easier to create, expand, and enjoy new tabletop experiences. If you haven't signed up for our Crowdfunding campaign, that gives you access to these core game modules and helps back even more development of the system.

Feedback

If you print and play Cosmic Curators, I would love to hear what worked for your group. Thoughts on action point balance, attack frequency, planet placement strategy, and future command or expansion ideas will all help shape where this game goes next. And if there is a cosmic theme or expansion pack you would love to see added, drop a comment below.

Check Out Our Other PlayGrid Games

If this one catches your eye, take a look at the rest of the PlayGrid system. The core module and other themed games are available on our profile, and the collection will keep growing.

The lasers are charging, the planets are in position, and the galaxy is watching. Whose museum will claim the century?