Illuminati
Illuminati
Formal Elements
The basic rules of the game are to take over the world. Sounds simple. You start with a single Illuminati card representing your own secret conspiracy. During the game, you take over other Groups (represented by other cards). These Groups are added to your Power Structure and do your bidding – unless a foe takes them from you. You may win either by controlling enough Groups, or by fulfilling the special goal of your own Illumnati.
The game is started by everyone randomly choosing an illuminati card and placing it face up in front of them. Each turn is made up of a sequence of actions: 1) collect income (amount dictated by illuminati group) 2) Draw a card (these cards are other illuminati groups which become “uncontrolled”) 3) Take Two Actions (Attacking other players, uncontrolled cards, transfering money, etc) 4) Using Special Power actions
On each illuminati card is an Attack Power, Income, Alignment, and Special Power. When you attack another card (which have the same attributes as above) you win them by subtracting their Resistance Power from your Attack Power and rolling a number (with dice) that is less than that sum. In order to increase your odds of rolling such a number, you may add money to your Attack Power thereby increasing the odds. (Ex: 12-6=6. You must roll 6 or less to win the card. If you add 3 money to it, 15-6=9. You must roll 9 or less which is easier.)
As you gain Illuminati cards your income, attack power, and power structure grow. Each player in turn tries to build up their alliances and attack other players (cards) to destroy them. The game ends by either one player gathering 10 other illuminati groups (cards) or by fulflling your illuminati's special goal (such as collecting 150 income total)
Dynamic Elements
Flipping through the sixteen-page rulebook of Illuminati, we were quite intimidated. The game becomes much easier to understand and play, however, once the cards are on the table. We began playing after we had a clear understanding of the basics, and when we encountered a new situation, we would learn the rules that applied to that circumstance. This way, after the dice had gone around several times, we were rolling along without any difficulty.
When Illuminati is in motion, the bulk of the action most certainly takes place inside the mind of each player. The strategies one can employ are virtually endless and constantly changing with the events of the game. Because there are so many “Groups” in the deck of cards, the game will vary each time it is played. There are always a number of Groups for players to attempt to control, and since some Groups are much more appealing than others, competition is inevitable. On top of this, each Illuminati has specific goals: the Gnomes of Zurich want money, the Discordians want Weird groups, the Bermuda Triangle wants to control every alignment, the Bavarian Illuminati wants powerful groups, and so on.
Special cards also add to the variety and spontaneity of Illuminati. Special cards range greatly in effect and importance, and can often change the direction of the game when put into use.
So as the game progresses, more and more Groups are thrown onto the table for players to either desire or ignore. While players can always see the Groups and Illuminati that have come into play, they are not necessarily aware of the amount of money players have allocated to their Groups, because money can be stacked. This adds an element of secrecy and player reading, so to speak. Meanwhile, players can observe each others’ power structures and secretly plan to attack a fellow player. Another player’s Group can either be destroyed (taken out of the game) or neutralized (placed in the uncontrolled area). When these events occur, the dynamics of the game are quite dramatically altered.
Not only are players trying to accomplish their own goals of gaining and maintaining control of a certain number of Groups, as well trying to reach their Illuminati’s specific goals; they must also prevent other players from winning the game. As such, the Gnomes goal of acquiring money may take a back seat in order for the player to destroy part of another player’s power structure. Players must always be wary and choose carefully how they set up their power structure as well as how they protect different Groups within it.
Dramatic Elements
Illuminati's dramatic elements focus on a group of secret societies (such as the Bermuda Triangle, the UFOs, and the Society of Assassins), who each aim to conquer the world by conquering other organizations. Certain organizations, due to their "alignments" (Communist, Violent, Peaceful, Weird, etc.) have an easier time taking over groups of their alignment rather than an opposite alignment (the KKK, for example, has an easier time taking over the local police forces than they do with the Punk Rockers).
Each secret society has its own requirement for victory, as well as its own special abilities, as a result of the group’s nature. For example, the Assassins, a violent group, can win the game if they take control of 6 violent groups, and have a +4 attack bonus whenever they attempt to neutralize a group. The UFOs, meanwhile, are able to attack twice in a single turn. As this is a game that involves a heavy amount of conspiracy, the rules explicitly state that cheating is NOT forbidden in the game.
Play Experience #1
My illuminati group wasn't very powerful nor did it have any useful special abilities so I tried to achieve my secret mission which was to collect 5 cards of different alignments. This seemed to be much easier than gaining ten random cards but because I was so weak, other players attacked me and kept knocking my groups away. At one point in time I was very close to winning and had a Power Structure with four different groups on it and was about to get another group on my next turn. Unfortunately, Jay saw fit to knock off one of my illuminati groups thereby severing the entire structure (3 cards) and was back to square one. From then on it was impossible for me to win so I just tried to drain Jay of his resources. If I had played the game over, I might have tried to ally myself with Jay so that he couldnt attack me while at the same time I was pursuing my secret mission.
Playing Experience #2
I think the moment that was most significant in determining the outcome of the game was when I was able to gain control of the IRS Group. As the Gnomes of Zurich, my specific goal was to attain money, and I was also adept at managing that wealth because of my special ability. The IRS Group allowed me to take two dollars from each player every time my turn came around. I took control of groups that had relatively strong incomes, and was much wealthier than the other players before they realized it. With my money I was able to ensure my protection from their attacks and begin attacking their Groups. We found ourselves becoming more and more interested in what the various Groups were, immersing ourselves in the unreal world of Illuminati. It may have been good strategy or it may have been my own unconscious desires that caused me to destroy Texas and the Republicans in one fell swoop!
Play Experience #3
Of all of the players, I had the latest start in the game. If a player does not have any groups controlled by the end of the third turn, he is eliminated. I was without any groups after two turns. This resulted in me always trailing behind the leader, who wound up being Jay. Because he chose the Gnomes as his Illuminati, he was able to accumulate a great deal of money very fast and none of us were able to ever catch up with him. I spent my time trying to win through the Assassin condition for victory: accumulating 6 Violent groups. This was a difficult thing to do, especially because the Violent groups that appeared did not have much income, and I was very poor throughout the game.
Since none of us were rich enough to ever attack Jay, he basically picked pieces off of anyone who became a threat, and accumulated more than enough money to win the game. This experience showed me that money is a VERY important part of gameplay, and as such, it is probably a good idea to obtain a group or two with very high income as soon as possible.
I also made the mistake of not attacking other players to either destroy or neutralize their groups while I had the chance. Because we were all too timid in the beginning to attack other players, the player with the best start to the game wound up coming up on top.
