Let's Play COSMIC ENCOUNTER

**Let's Play COSMIC ENCOUNTER** is a video in the Board Game Club series, and is the first episode to be recorded on the in-person set at Draughts London.

"*Hello, I'm Adam from No Rolls Barred and welcome to Board Game Club!*"
―Adam
## Notable moments

* The first rule of Board Game Club is "a New Hope".
* Who will *emerge as the next benevolent Emperor of the known universe*?
* And we're in person! Adam's excitement is both palpable and infectious. The studio looks lovely, as does the table. We're finally home, folks.
* This isn't quite the final Adam hosting persona, but it's pretty close - so we've gone from WrestleTalk Adam to NRB-but-on-Zoom Adam, and very very shortly we get full NRB Adam. You love to see it.
* Adam's defending champion. Luckily he's not being smug about it. Blair's not allowed to touch the trophy.
* So we have alliances, betrayal, backstabbing, petty grudges. Happy sigh.
* Adam: "It's Sullivan - get his ass!" "That's a face that inspires military optimism".
* Sully likes kissing. So many wars fought over the kissing planet. Now the entire galaxy is ganging up on them - and they were only trained to kiss, not fight.
* Turn one - it already feels like bullying. But in a funny way.
* Pre-joke of the day joke of the day: Make out not war!
* Kiss-topia waves a single, lipstick-stained white flag. It will be remembered in the cosmic history books, or the cosmic lads' mags.
* Jon demands applause for his jokes.
* Sullivan's Johnny Bollocks Big Planetarium Planet is our next target.
* Did we really get to 12 minutes in before we get The Planets hummed?
* Tom's got time.
* And at the last minute, Adam switches forces to aid poor Sullivan. Jon to Adam: "Who's this turncoat! This doesn't make you the good guy." but Adam knows which way the wind will blow. Sullivan took half of Blair's hand. Expecting competence was perhaps a little foolish, given experience, but as usual Sullivan scrapes the victory.
* Jon is a Zombie, committing ships with gay abandon. They eat shit. Eat shit, Blair!
* Tom finally reveals his role. Blair: "I'm scared, should I be scared?" Adam: "You should be scared". An eternal race above the petty squabbling of the 'normal' players? It was practically written for him. There is no space to list all the Tom awesomeness in this episode. Just assume everything he does and says is fantastic. So many good lines, such a perfect delivery.
* Laurie: "Tom's character is the cold, emotionless, clock-ticking-away, counting down to the moment when our own incompetence hangs us out to dry. It is the most Tom character that ever Tommed."
* Sullivan is the Bride. How very...
* Jon: "I don't want to marry you. The Zombies do not consent". Sullivan: "I'm irresistible!"
* Jon is channelling his inner 70s comedian: "I can survive death but not marriage to Sully?" Tom: "It won't last. Nothing lasts except the Tick-Tock."
* Modern marriage is very much about destruction of one's new spouse. Jon is threatening Zombie retribution. Being a mindless, undead, shit-eating horde does rather prevent one being the underdog.
* Sullivan is a terrible wife but Jon is proud anyway. And quickly, ashamed and regretful.
* Now we're attacking Adam's Redsville USA. It's not a doomed expedition, but Tom's not a 4 ship kind of guy anyway.
* Sullivan has tiny T-Rex arms.
* The sound of Tom's chips hitting the tray is alarming. It does go right through you.
* Tom: "Come on Laurie, lubricate my gears".
* Adam and Sullivan are betrayed, but they kind of had it coming. Adam: "You fucking toaster".
* Blair is a Parasite, so she's not interested in your invitation, or indeed lack of same.
* Actually, Blair is Toad or at least the Toad hat on Laurie's head.
* Adam smacks the shit out of Laurie. That will literally never come up again and is in no way setting the pattern of their relationship for ever.
* Jon is the only one to confront the moral bankruptcy of this game.
* Kiss my grits!
* Sullivan's already moved on from his first marriage. Jon: "The first flashy guy that comes along and you suddenly forget about your infinite army of zombie shit-eating monsters and you go with the magician!" Adam: "I have made your marriage... disappear!"
* Adam and Sullivan are boyfriends. Adam gets a proper proposal. Sullivan: "... I love you, I love you so much. Let's get married and I'll take your stuff in a little bit". But... wait! That was worth it for the bit.
* Jon's so cross he's going to shit in his own hand and eat it. It will make the zombies happy.
* Eat shit, Adam! Blair played him so very hard. Adam: "I'd say I played myself, but that would not be doing Blair justice. She played me."
* Adam played coy, but in the end his bride gets him. Love wins! And then Sullivan plays Adam so very hard.
* The Sullivan-Blair marriage is even shorter and more brutal.
* Tom: "Winning feels strange, but it will do for now".
* Jon: "[Laurie's] a petty man, what can I say? he's a small, petty man".
* Sullivan and Laurie win - and they're not even married! But luckily, they don't mind living in sin.

## Scores

* Blair 3
* Adam 4
* Jon 4
* Tom 4
* Laurie 5
* Sullivan 5

## Talking Heads

We have our first ever talking heads available in this episode.

## Trivia

* Game rules and introduction by Adam.
* This is the first of the in-person era, so we have new set and new theme music.
* And we have our full sign off.
* Our Patreon-specific episodes start at the same time. We have our first available Patreon-specific uncut version, of this episode, available on the No Rolls Barred Patreon.