Illuminati: New World Order
Encyclopedia
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.
, the Discordian Society, the Gnomes of Zürich
, The Network, the Servants of Cthulhu, Shangri-La
, and the UFO
s) 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).
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.
's novel Angels & Demons, but as a computer game.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
(CCG) that was released in 1995 by Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
, based on their original boxed game Illuminati
Illuminati (game)
Illuminati is a standalone card game made by Steve Jackson Games , inspired by The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. The game has ominous secret societies competing with each other to control the world through sinister means, including legal, illegal, and even mystical...
, which in turn was inspired by The Illuminatus! Trilogy
The Illuminatus! Trilogy
The Illuminatus! Trilogy is a series of three novels written by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson first published in 1975. The trilogy is a satirical, postmodern, science fiction-influenced adventure story; a drug-, sex-, and magick-laden trek through a number of conspiracy theories, both...
. INWO won the Origins Award
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
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 TriangleBermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
, the Discordian Society, the Gnomes of Zürich
Gnomes of Zürich
Gnomes of Zürich is a disparaging term for Swiss bankers.Swiss bankers are popularly associated with extremely secretive policies, while gnomes in fairy tales live underground, in secret, counting their riches...
, The Network, the Servants of Cthulhu, Shangri-La
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains...
, and the UFO
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
s) bent on world domination. You seek to control a predetermined number of Groups (such as the Boy Scouts
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
, the Men in Black
Men in Black
Men in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
, 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
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
. 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 quoStatus quoStatu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
, 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 adventage, 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
Outside impact
INWO was mentioned in Dan BrownDan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
's novel Angels & Demons, but as a computer game.