Illuminati Deluxe Edition

Steve Jackson's Illuminati, considered by many to be the progenitor of the entire conspiracy genre in gaming, is one of the precious few games that have remained popular for decades without changing their character a bit. Its first version was published before some people i've gamed with (and indeed, many of you reading this review) were even born and it's seen several expansions and reincarnations since, none very different from the original game. The Illuminati: New World Order CCG, probably the most popular one, was a bit of a departure from the traditional form of the game, but its spirit remained the same. Finally, in 1999 SJG released the version that i will be reviewing here, Illuminati Deluxe Edition. The game is pretty much the same as the old, non-collectible Illuminati, but it has adopted a few new groups from INWO, and a few others, never seen before.

What the game is like

Illuminati is based on the premise of some of the grandest, most paranoid conspiracy theories being true. A few very powerful, very secret organizations have infiltrated such groups as the CIA, the Republicans, the Mafia, media and fast food chains and control their every move without these being aware of it at all. These groups in turn attempt to control and manipulate other groups, whether by the same kind of infiltration, by sheer force, through subliminal messages, putting funny chemicals in people's food or any other appropriately fiendish means.

Each of the players controls one of these international conspiracies, starting with no other groups under their control. Essentially, the bulk of the game is spent in attempts to gain control of new groups, wrest them from other player's hands, or even destroy them. This is resolved by a die roll mechanic, modified by the relative attack and defense values of the groups and the money each side is willing to invest into the conflict. Most groups earn their own money each turn, but it can only be transferred through the power structure one step at a time, which means not all of your money will be available for every action. Most groups have Alignments such as Government, Communist, Criminal or Fanatic, which influence their ability to attack other groups with the same or opposite Alignment, and quite a few groups can give you bonuses to attack specific other groups (controlling the Secret Masters of Fandom makes it easier to also dominate the Trekkies and SF Fans, for example.)

Groups are represented by cards, and the controlling relationships between them by small arrows on their touching sides. Every group is limited in how many other groups it can control, and one must take care of their layout on the table, because cards cannot overlap, so one with an outward arrow blocked by another card (from another branch in the structure) has temporarily lost part of its "controlling potential". There are also 15 Special cards which can be kept by the players who find them and used later for special effects

The game is won by the first player to gain control of a fixed number of groups, dependent on the number of players. Each conspiracy, however, has another, specific way to win: the Gnomes of Zurich win by amassing 150 Megabucks (money units), the Servants of Cthulhu by destroying a total of 8 other groups, etc; the UFO's can copy the special goal of any other group and keep it secret. Since these specific goals do not change with the number of players involved, at least some of them become easier in a game with fewer players. Each conspiracy also has a special ability, such as a bonus to the die roll for specific kinds of actions, immunity from the attacks of certain groups, or the ability to make free actions of a certain kind at the end of turn.

The recommended number of players is 4-6, but 2 or 3 could play too, and since there are 8 Illuminati cards, 7 or 8 player games are possible as well - with some rule tweakings suggested in the rulebook.

All this said, this review would completely miss its point if i wouldn't also say just how hilarious the game is. Some of the groups are so ridiculous (Goldfish Fanciers, Orbital Mind Control Lasers, Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow) while others are clever parodies of real-world groups (Empty Vee, the Boy Sprouts); many illustrations are ingeniously humorous, and a few are self-referential (an Underground Magazine with the headline "Secret Service raids Austin game company", or a member of the Moral Minority "exposing" the game In Nomine). Probably a half of the cards include small images of the All-seeing Pyramid™ hidden somewhere in the picture.

SJG also have a decent web page devoted to the game (although the CCG part is much bigger). Under the Illuminated Articles link there are some new optional rules, new cards and some Illuminati humor. Fact is, much of the optional rules and new cards are meant simply as jokes as well, and most of the rest is simply dull. Still, there are a few jewels to be found there, and your definition of dull may be different from mine, so the pages are well worth checking out. (Don't miss the Real Illuminati FAQ!)

The technical part

From the technical point of view, the game is a teeny weeny little bit of a disappointment. But first things first.

Illuminati Deluxe Edition comes in a 151x222x43 mm cardboard box, and consists of a 106 card set, 4 blank cards, two six-sided dice, two cardboard sheets that break up into 160 cute little money counters, and a 16-page rulebook.

My first impression upon emptying out the box was that it was entirely too big. The cards and dice are placed in special holes in a kind of a cardboard dais; the entire lower half of the box is completely unused, and the upper half, containing the cards and dice, consists of probably 60% unused space. All the materials except the rulebook could have fit into a package the size of two cigarette packs (not to mention that the dice were hardly necessary) and this kind of a big box makes the game much less portable. Well, i suppose it could be explained by SJG wanting this "deluxe" game to look heavier and more serious; many people might refuse to shell out 35 dollars for what is obviously little more than a deck of 100 cards just on principle.

The rulebook is a story to itself. It's a coverless, staple-bound, easily readable, well organized and decently laid out 16-page booklet... in the standard format we're used to seeing with RPG's. What this means is that they had to fold it in order to fit it into the box, and it's hard to open it without damaging it. I'm pretty sure it will wear out painfully within a couple of months of playing. This book really could have been printed in half the size. If SJG feared it would be unreadable (which i'm sure wouldn't be the case anyway, because the font is fairly large) they could have made it a 32-page book instead, with the same font size and half the format; i won't go into theorizing what it would look like as a card-sized book, the kind we see in CCGs.

By the way, the book is divided into the Basic Rules section, one Advanced Rules page (more optional than advanced), a page of general strategy tips apparently aimed at first-time players, a description and discussion of every conspiracy with tips for playing them as well as playing against them, a good bibliography page (written as a discussion, rather than a dry booklist) and a one-page Rules Summary. A casual reading may leave a few rule questions in your head, but almost all of these can be answered by carefully reading the text. The group vs. group attack rules are the only area that could be called a little bit complicated, and you will find yourself getting back to the book every now and then the first couple of times you play; it would have been nice to have at least the attack rules, if not the whole Rules Summary printed on a separate card - after all, this is supposed to be a deluxe edition.

The cardboard that the cards and money tokens are printed on is fairly cheap and its edges are especially sensitive to water (sweat, soda..) - if you want your cards to last, a pack of card protectors is a must. Then again, once you slip the cards into protectors, they can't fit into their place in the box anymore, so you'll have to keep them somewhere else (or get that blasted cardboard dais out and let your cards scatter all through the box.) I should mention that two of the cards are misprinted, but one of the misprints is harmless, while the other is almost so. Anyway, both are detailed on the errata page.

The two dice seem to be of excellent quality. Card art, while very humorous, has the level of artistic technique you'd expect to see in a corporate advertisement comic or caricature. Not a major drawback, though, because that gives it a kind of "literal" feeling, which enhances the humor of many illustrations.

The blank cards - one for a new conspiracy, three for new groups - are an excellent idea. I bet every player could think of a few groups he misses in the game, and these blank cards are just the solution. They let you go wild with your imagination, make fun of any real-life group, laugh your guts out and surprise your friends when you bring the deck for a game. I only wish that there were more of them, or that SJG made packs of blank cards for this game, like they did for INWO.

Conclusion

Illuminati Deluxe Edition is a very fun game. It is also a true classic, released as a polished-up and distilled version, without losing any of the charm or content of the original. I believe it's worth its hefty price tag.

I give it the highest mark in style in spite of the minute technical shortcomings, mostly because of its intelligently humorous spirit. As for content, i can only say it deserves a higher grade than most of the games rated 5 in RPGnet reviews.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Illuminati Deluxe Edition
Author: Steve Jackson and J. David George Category: Card Game Company/Publisher: Steve Jackson Games Line: Illuminati Cost: $34.95 Page count: n/a ISBN: 1-55634-384-1 SKU: SJG03495 1305 Capsule Review by Vladimir P. Filipovic on 10/07/00. Genre tags: Modern day Comedy Conspiracy	Illuminati Deluxe Edition Steve Jackson's Illuminati, considered by many to be the progenitor of the entire conspiracy genre in gaming, is one of the precious few games that have remained popular for decades without changing their character a bit. Its first version was published before some people i've gamed with (and indeed, many of you reading this review) were even born and it's seen several expansions and reincarnations since, none very different from the original game. The Illuminati: New World Order CCG, probably the most popular one, was a bit of a departure from the traditional form of the game, but its spirit remained the same. Finally, in 1999 SJG released the version that i will be reviewing here, Illuminati Deluxe Edition. The game is pretty much the same as the old, non-collectible Illuminati, but it has adopted a few new groups from INWO, and a few others, never seen before. What the game is like Illuminati is based on the premise of some of the grandest, most paranoid conspiracy theories being true. A few very powerful, very secret organizations have infiltrated such groups as the CIA, the Republicans, the Mafia, media and fast food chains and control their every move without these being aware of it at all. These groups in turn attempt to control and manipulate other groups, whether by the same kind of infiltration, by sheer force, through subliminal messages, putting funny chemicals in people's food or any other appropriately fiendish means. Each of the players controls one of these international conspiracies, starting with no other groups under their control. Essentially, the bulk of the game is spent in attempts to gain control of new groups, wrest them from other player's hands, or even destroy them. This is resolved by a die roll mechanic, modified by the relative attack and defense values of the groups and the money each side is willing to invest into the conflict. Most groups earn their own money each turn, but it can only be transferred through the power structure one step at a time, which means not all of your money will be available for every action. Most groups have Alignments such as Government, Communist, Criminal or Fanatic, which influence their ability to attack other groups with the same or opposite Alignment, and quite a few groups can give you bonuses to attack specific other groups (controlling the Secret Masters of Fandom makes it easier to also dominate the Trekkies and SF Fans, for example.) Groups are represented by cards, and the controlling relationships between them by small arrows on their touching sides. Every group is limited in how many other groups it can control, and one must take care of their layout on the table, because cards cannot overlap, so one with an outward arrow blocked by another card (from another branch in the structure) has temporarily lost part of its "controlling potential". There are also 15 Special cards which can be kept by the players who find them and used later for special effects The game is won by the first player to gain control of a fixed number of groups, dependent on the number of players. Each conspiracy, however, has another, specific way to win: the Gnomes of Zurich win by amassing 150 Megabucks (money units), the Servants of Cthulhu by destroying a total of 8 other groups, etc; the UFO's can copy the special goal of any other group and keep it secret. Since these specific goals do not change with the number of players involved, at least some of them become easier in a game with fewer players. Each conspiracy also has a special ability, such as a bonus to the die roll for specific kinds of actions, immunity from the attacks of certain groups, or the ability to make free actions of a certain kind at the end of turn. The recommended number of players is 4-6, but 2 or 3 could play too, and since there are 8 Illuminati cards, 7 or 8 player games are possible as well - with some rule tweakings suggested in the rulebook. All this said, this review would completely miss its point if i wouldn't also say just how hilarious the game is. Some of the groups are so ridiculous (Goldfish Fanciers, Orbital Mind Control Lasers, Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow) while others are clever parodies of real-world groups (Empty Vee, the Boy Sprouts); many illustrations are ingeniously humorous, and a few are self-referential (an Underground Magazine with the headline "Secret Service raids Austin game company", or a member of the Moral Minority "exposing" the game In Nomine). Probably a half of the cards include small images of the All-seeing Pyramid™ hidden somewhere in the picture. SJG also have a decent web page devoted to the game (although the CCG part is much bigger). Under the Illuminated Articles link there are some new optional rules, new cards and some Illuminati humor. Fact is, much of the optional rules and new cards are meant simply as jokes as well, and most of the rest is simply dull. Still, there are a few jewels to be found there, and your definition of dull may be different from mine, so the pages are well worth checking out. (Don't miss the Real Illuminati FAQ!) The technical part From the technical point of view, the game is a teeny weeny little bit of a disappointment. But first things first. Illuminati Deluxe Edition comes in a 151x222x43 mm cardboard box, and consists of a 106 card set, 4 blank cards, two six-sided dice, two cardboard sheets that break up into 160 cute little money counters, and a 16-page rulebook. My first impression upon emptying out the box was that it was entirely too big. The cards and dice are placed in special holes in a kind of a cardboard dais; the entire lower half of the box is completely unused, and the upper half, containing the cards and dice, consists of probably 60% unused space. All the materials except the rulebook could have fit into a package the size of two cigarette packs (not to mention that the dice were hardly necessary) and this kind of a big box makes the game much less portable. Well, i suppose it could be explained by SJG wanting this "deluxe" game to look heavier and more serious; many people might refuse to shell out 35 dollars for what is obviously little more than a deck of 100 cards just on principle. The rulebook is a story to itself. It's a coverless, staple-bound, easily readable, well organized and decently laid out 16-page booklet... in the standard format we're used to seeing with RPG's. What this means is that they had to fold it in order to fit it into the box, and it's hard to open it without damaging it. I'm pretty sure it will wear out painfully within a couple of months of playing. This book really could have been printed in half the size. If SJG feared it would be unreadable (which i'm sure wouldn't be the case anyway, because the font is fairly large) they could have made it a 32-page book instead, with the same font size and half the format; i won't go into theorizing what it would look like as a card-sized book, the kind we see in CCGs. By the way, the book is divided into the Basic Rules section, one Advanced Rules page (more optional than advanced), a page of general strategy tips apparently aimed at first-time players, a description and discussion of every conspiracy with tips for playing them as well as playing against them, a good bibliography page (written as a discussion, rather than a dry booklist) and a one-page Rules Summary. A casual reading may leave a few rule questions in your head, but almost all of these can be answered by carefully reading the text. The group vs. group attack rules are the only area that could be called a little bit complicated, and you will find yourself getting back to the book every now and then the first couple of times you play; it would have been nice to have at least the attack rules, if not the whole Rules Summary printed on a separate card - after all, this is supposed to be a deluxe edition. The cardboard that the cards and money tokens are printed on is fairly cheap and its edges are especially sensitive to water (sweat, soda..) - if you want your cards to last, a pack of card protectors is a must. Then again, once you slip the cards into protectors, they can't fit into their place in the box anymore, so you'll have to keep them somewhere else (or get that blasted cardboard dais out and let your cards scatter all through the box.) I should mention that two of the cards are misprinted, but one of the misprints is harmless, while the other is almost so. Anyway, both are detailed on the errata page. The two dice seem to be of excellent quality. Card art, while very humorous, has the level of artistic technique you'd expect to see in a corporate advertisement comic or caricature. Not a major drawback, though, because that gives it a kind of "literal" feeling, which enhances the humor of many illustrations. The blank cards - one for a new conspiracy, three for new groups - are an excellent idea. I bet every player could think of a few groups he misses in the game, and these blank cards are just the solution. They let you go wild with your imagination, make fun of any real-life group, laugh your guts out and surprise your friends when you bring the deck for a game. I only wish that there were more of them, or that SJG made packs of blank cards for this game, like they did for INWO. Conclusion Illuminati Deluxe Edition is a very fun game. It is also a true classic, released as a polished-up and distilled version, without losing any of the charm or content of the original. I believe it's worth its hefty price tag. I give it the highest mark in style in spite of the minute technical shortcomings, mostly because of its intelligently humorous spirit. As for content, i can only say it deserves a higher grade than most of the games rated 5 in RPGnet reviews. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)