The deluxe edition added the Society of Assassins and The Network, and the Illuminati Y2K expansion added the Church of The SubGenius and Shangri-La. The Pocket Box edition depicted six Illuminati groups: The Bavarian Illuminati, The Discordian Society, The UFOs, The Servants of Cthulhu, The Bermuda Triangle, and The Gnomes of Zürich.

The players take role of Illuminati societies that struggle to take over the world. The game is played with a deck of special cards, money chips (representing 'millions of dollars in low-denomination unmarked banknotes') and two six-sided dice. Later commentators have attributed both the game and the Illuminatus! Trilogy as using real conspiracies as 'targets of ridicule.' Description In 2001, although Illuminatus! Trilogy co-author Robert Anton Wilson did not specifically name Illuminati, he criticized some products for exploiting the Illuminatus! name without paying royalties by taking advantage of legal loopholes. They must be-they are, by definition, behind everything.' Robert Shea provided a four-paragraph introduction to the rulebook for the Illuminati Expansion Set 1 (1983), in which he wrote, 'Maybe the Illuminati are behind this game. The first two were substantially incorporated into the deluxe edition, while the third was a version of what would become Illuminati: Brainwash. Over the next few years, three expansions for the Pocket Box Illuminati game were published. After researching the Illuminati and conspiracy theories, and 'extensive and enthusiastic playtesting' it went on the market in July 1982 in the (at the time) usual SJG Pocket Box format.

He decided 'a game about the secret-conspiracy idea behind Illuminatus!' was viable. Steve Jackson decided against adapting the novel because of the expense of game rights, and the difficulty of adapting a novel with such convoluted plots. In September 1981, Steve Jackson and his regular freelance cover artist Dave Martin discussed their shared admiration of the Illuminatus! Trilogy, and the latter suggested a game.

1994 illuminati card game