Illuminati: New World Order

Illuminati: New World Order

Designer(s)	Steve Jackson
Publisher(s)	Steve Jackson Games
Players	2-8
Age range	12+
Playing time	Approx 2 hours
Random chance	Some
Skill(s) required	Card playing Arithmetic Basic Reading Ability

Illuminati: New World Order (INWO) is a collectible card game (CCG) that was released in 1995 by Steve Jackson Games, based on their original boxed game Illuminati, which in turn was inspired by The Illuminatus! Trilogy. INWO won the Origins Award for Best Card Game in 1997.

Card contents

Cards come in several types, including Illuminati, Plots, Groups, Places, Personalities, Resources, and New World Order cards. The various cards are printed with two different colored backs and are collectively referred to as simply "Groups" and "Plots". The premise is that you play one of the Illuminati groups (the Adepts of Hermes, the Bavarian Illuminati, the Bermuda Triangle, the Discordian Society, the Gnomes of Zürich, The Network, the Servants of Cthulhu, Shangri-La, and the UFOs) bent on world domination. You seek to control a predetermined number of Groups (such as the Boy Scouts, the Men in Black, the CIA, etc.) and/or complete a Plot to achieve your goal before your opponent(s).

Product information

INWO is often said to be more difficult to learn than most CCGs, but it is infused with much more humor, similar to other Steve Jackson games. As with most CCGs, deck building, aggressive play, and sheer luck are key to winning. However, intrigue, negotiation, deal-making, and deviousness are also important elements.

INWO was released as a 412-card main set in double starter decks (suitable for two players) and sealed packs, in both limited and unlimited editions. There was also a boxed set called variously The Factory Set and One With Everything which contained one of each card from the main set of the limited edition, multiples of the Illuminati cards, and a few cards previously only available in magazines. One 125-card expansion of sealed packs has been released, called Assassins, as well as a complete-in-one-box 100-card expansion called INWO SubGenius. SubGenius can also be played as a stand-alone game.

There are common, uncommon, and super rare cards in the main set and in Assassins; Assassins also included 10 "ultra-rare" cards. All cards in SubGenius have the same rarity. Packs of blank cards are also sold for those who wish to make up their own cards, an activity that has proven so popular that online collections of homebrew INWO cards now list thousands of cards. The INWO Book, by Steve Jackson, is the official guidebook to the game.

Alignments in INWO

There are 10 official Alignments in INWO in each of the Group cards (Illuminati, Organization, Personality). Group cards can try to control other groups with similar alignments while simultaneously trying to destroy opposing Groups.

• STRAIGHT leans towards the status quo, what the public views as normal; WEIRD is unorthodox, deviating away from the normal, what the public would view as unconventional and irregular
• CONSERVATIVE is like the Republican agenda as well as the religious right; LIBERAL leans towards the Democratic agenda, also anti-establishmentism
• VIOLENT use rage and weapons to their advantage, sometimes terrorism is involved; PEACEFUL depicts pacifism as well as groups similar to the Hippie and Hare Krishna movements
• GOVERNMENT has lawmakers, congress, and special groups rule any nation; CORPORATE are big business executives who run companies and make profit, some off of government funds
• FANATIC is a unique Alignment that opposes other groups that also have a "Fanatic" Alignment
• CRIMINAL includes terrorists, socialists, corrupt politicians and greedy CEO's, this Alignment is also unique and doesn't have an opposite

Controversy

This game has caused some controversy, because, although it was released in 1995, it contains two cards which clearly remember the 9/11. . One of those cards could show an explosion in the WTC, and the other one, an explosion in The Pentagon.

Outside impact

INWO was mentioned in Dan Brown's novel Angels & Demons, but as a computer game.

External links

• Official INWO site (includes rules)