Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good game updated..., December 25, 2000
This is one of the classic games from Steve Jackson's company that can be found being played at most any gaming convention. Friends of mine once even reprinted the game onto aluminum cards to increase the ambiance and look of the game, it's that popular.The update includes new art for all of the cards and the addition of many groups from the CCG version I:NWO. There is an expansion to follow soon with even more cards. For those of you new to the game, the setting is thus: You are one of the mysterious 'illuminantis' who wish to rule the world. You have a goal all your own in addition to the generic 'take over the world' goal as well. For example, the Discordians wish to control five 'wierd' groups. To this end each of the players struggles to control any of the hundred or so groups that are available to take over. Everything from the 'Boy Sprouts' to 'Empty Vee' and 'Moral Minority' are in there to use as puppets. Take over the world if you can... "The UFO's, with assistance from Texas will attack to destroy the Congressional Wives..."
|
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Complex but wonderful Fun!, May 23, 2006
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
I've played this game for well over ten years now and it's still fun. The basic premise behind it is conspiracy theory. Each player tries to take control of people and organizations until he achieves the victory condition. This can be a certain number of cards for everyone, the specific Illuminati he is playing, or my favorite 'secret victory conditions'.
Initially this game can take a little time to get used to, but once you have the hang of it you'll soon realize how fun and well designed the game is. In 95% of the games, I've played 2 or 3 players all could have won the game on the same turn! That's the sign of a well designed and balanced game.
There is 1 deck of cards that all players use to draw from and a set of dice with the game. It's playable from 2-8 players. My only complaint with the game would be playing it in a 2 or 3 player match. It's simply not as much fun with less than 4 players and can be quite entertaining with 4-8.
It's a must have for the board game collection!
|
|
|
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I like it, but it's not for everyone, May 14, 2006
Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
I've played both the new and the old versions of Illuminati, and I can say that this version is an improvement over the old one. My main problem with the game, though, is that, when I've played, it devolves into long sessions of slap-around-the-leader. ( I'd use stronger language, but this is an Amazon review. )
Every time one player gets near winning, all the other players procede to, more or less, destroy his power structure and his chance at winning. While a strong Illumanati will fend off two or three attacks, after eight or nine, you just don't have anything left to resist with. So, you're back to nearly square one and, while you're trying to rebuild, you're helping everyone else do the same thing to whomever else might be nearing the win. Games can last three or four hours until someone manages to squeak out a victory.
Now, if you like that kind of game, that's fine, but that gets a little long for me.
Also, and this is another minor issue, I have never seen any player manage to win by the standard victory conditions. For those who've never played, a standard victory is controlling a certain number of groups, with the number depending on the number of players. For a five player game, for example, I think it's somewhere around a dozen groups.
Each Illuminati, though, also has its own victory condition: The Gnomes of Zurich need to collect a certain amount of money, The Assassins need a certain number of Violent groups, The Discordian Society need a certain number of Weird groups, and so on.
Since I've never seen a standard victory, everything can depend on the right groups becoming available for each group. If you're the Discordians, and no Weird groups come up, you've got no chance at winning, in my experience.
Don't let me discourage you from buying this game, I'm not trying to. I am saying, though, that it can be so irritating that you'll throw it on the shelf and never look at it again.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Steve Jackson
by Steve Jackson
