Illuminati Card Game Analysis
The game can support from two to ten players, but the ideal number is four or five. Each Illuminati card has a basic goal, such as income, dan reynolds illuminati power or special action.
Group cards represent world groups, like Boy Scouts, the CIA and Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow, that each have a Power, Resistance and income value. They also have an Alignment.
Gameplay
The game is a satire of occult groups and other conspiracy theories. While some of the groups in the game are not flattering to real life (the Bavarian Illuminati, for example, want nothing more than raw power), others are hilarious takes on special interest groups. In addition, the gameplay is fun and engaging. The way that cards chain together and interact with each other creates interesting decisions and increases replay value.
The gameplay of the game is based on controlling a number of different conspiratorial groups, each with their own unique abilities and goals. Some are driven by raw power, while others seek to control the world through financial means. Still, others wish to make the world weirder or burn it to the ground.
Players can take control of a group by attacking it. This requires overcoming resistance, which is determined by the combined Power of attacking and attacked groups, money spent, and influence of special cards. The attacked group can be defended by blocking attack arrows with other groups, or by spending more money and special cards to boost its own Power and defense.
When a player controls an entire pyramid of six groups, that player wins the game. However, the game also allows for a variety of different win conditions by having multiple illuminati groups in play and by having a player control each of the four corners of the pyramid.
There are several expansion sets for the game, ranging from themes like Ancient Conspiracy to Modern Warfare and Civil Unrest. These sets add new groups, special cards, and new rules to the game. These expansions are well worth the investment, as they will make your games of Illuminati more varied and interesting.
The game has received a small amount of attention in the mainstream media, such as this 2012 piece in Vice. It has also been analyzed by the Alternative News Collective, a popular website that features criticism of conspiracy theory content. Despite this, the vast majority of the media remains oblivious to the existence of the game. This is probably due to the fact that the game does not offer a slick presentation or a strong narrative.
Rules
In this conspiracy card game players play as secret societies trying to extend their influence into special interest groups. They must use diplomacy and negotiation to meet their win condition, which varies depending on the secret society played. The game uses cards that represent groups, resources, places and people. Each card has a picture, the name of the group and a special ability. Each player has a group deck and each turn they may take control of one of these groups. They can also attack or neutralize groups or destroy them. They can also add money to their power structure or use special cards for boosts. In addition, they can play opponents off each other, backstabbing and concealing their true motives to achieve victory.
The basic game is simple enough, though it can get a little complicated as the cards are added to the deck. There are cards that give bonuses or penalties based on the group type, and other cards that affect how many groups you can have in your power structure. Adding these to the mix makes for a pretty interesting and unpredictable game. The group icons on the cards are well chosen, and the card’s alignment and special ability often make sense. For example, the United Nations gets a bonus for controlling nations and a disaster relief bonus.
When a player wants to take control of a group they must overcome the Resistance of the attacked group, which is determined by the combined power of the attacker’s groups (affected by their Alignment and the attacking group), the amount of money spent and the influence of special cards. If they can do this they place the card along the special markers next to their Illuminati, or another already controlled group forming a power structure.
This is a fun game that can be enjoyed by two or more players. It is best with four or five players, as there are more opportunities for negotiating and playing opponents off each other. It also has the advantage of being a reversible game, which means that it can be played on both sides of the table.
Graphics
Designed by Steve Jackson Games (SJG), Illuminati Card Game is a tongue-in-cheek take on conspiracy theories. It features secret societies competing to control the world through various means, both legal and illegal. It can be played by two to eight players, and a game can last between one and six hours. Each player controls an Organization, which acts as the center of their Power Structure and has Power, a Special Goal, and a group that can support it. Organizations can be attacked or defended by the other groups in their Power Structure, and they can use their outward-pointing Control Arrows to transfer power to other groups.
The cards feature a variety of conspiracy themes and are aesthetically pleasing. They are printed on quality stock and feature a rich color palette. Some of the cards also have cryptic symbols that reference secret societies and their members. The game’s ominous theme is reinforced by the fact that many of its organizations have names reminiscent of real-world conspiracies, such as the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Symbionese Liberation Army.
Some of the cards depict ominous events, such as the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11 or the burning Pentagon. This has given the game a certain amount of legitimacy in the eyes of conspiracy theorists. However, the fact that the game was released in 1995 makes it less likely that these events were actually predicted.
Several cards also mention secret symbols and rituals, which further reinforce the conspiracy theory theme. For example, a card called Subliminal Seduction refers to hidden meanings and subliminal messages. Another card depicts a nuclear explosion, which is a clear allusion to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Illuminati card game has received some mainstream attention, but much of this coverage is frivolous and uncritical. It is also revealing how poorly the media is trained to report on such topics. Despite its lack of credibility, the Illuminati card game has a greater truth value than most of the conspiracy-related content on the Internet. This is particularly true since the game was produced just two years after the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon.
Strategy
The game is played in turns. The main activity is to take control of groups (affected by the alignment of both attacking and attacked players, proximity to a player’s own group cards, etc). To do this the attacker needs to overcome the Resistance of the attacked group by combined Power of his groups (affected by Alignment of both attacker and attacked), money spent, and influence of special cards. The attacked card becomes a puppet of the attacker and gets placed (along its special marker) next to the ‘controller’ of that group or another already controlled group forming a power structure.
Each player has a secret conspiracy goal that they are trying to reach. This is usually the sum total of their groups’ Power and Income, although some have unique goals-the Bavarian Illuminati wants to collect 50 points of raw Power, for example. The goals are enhanced by various Plot cards, which can add to the basic goal, or do other things that make the game more interesting.
It takes a few games to get the hang of the rules, as there are a lot of small bits to keep track of. For instance, it is important to remember that groups can only be attacked (not defended) and that a player must always announce what action they are taking; i.e. they can’t hide the fact that they are attacking someone. It is also helpful to keep in mind that every play has a good chance of being countered, neutralized or made more complicated by some other special card.
Illuminati is a fascinating, mind-boggling game. It is full of occult symbolism and references to real world events, and it can be very satisfying when it works out well. It is not for the faint of heart, however; it can take a lot of patience to master the rules, and there are a lot of opportunities to screw up the game by being sneaky or unfair. If you’re not careful, you could end up spending the entire game banging your head against the table as you struggle to figure out who is winning.
