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. Depending on the number of players, a game can take between one and six hours. It can be played by two to eight players. It contains groups named similarly to real world organizations, such as the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Symbionese Liberation Army. It was designed as a 'tongue-in-cheek rather than serious' take on conspiracy theories. The game has ominous secret societies competing with each other to control the world through various means, including legal, illegal, and even mystical. Illuminati is a card game made by Steve Jackson Games (SJG), inspired by the 1975 book, The Illuminatus! Trilogy, by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea.
