This game is set in the Perry Rhodan universe, a hugely popular German space-opera book series published since 1961. The term "kosmisch" means "cosmic"; "Hanse" refers to the Hanseatic League, a Medieval trade network in Northern Europe. In the american translation of the book series the phrase "Die Kosmische Hanse" was translated as "The Cosmic House".

In this game the players take on the roles of traders who transport goods between planets. Occasionally one can carry also passengers, which bring additional profit. Players can invest in cargo space, transmitters, or faster drives to improve their spaceships.