
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Illuminati (Second Edition): 2020
- 2–6 players
- 60–180 min
- 2020

2018
Rules assistance for Illuminati (Second Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Illuminati (Second Edition) is a board game released in 2018 for 2–6 players, 60–180 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Steve Jackson (I) and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Tile Placement.
Second edition of the classic game of world domination, in which each player is a secret society attempting to spread their tendrils into special interest groups throughout the world. The content and mechanics of the Second Edition have been revamped for the twenty-first century, dropping the Cold War-era Government/Communist alignments and adding a new alignment, Media, for the information age. The cards have been redesigned with cartoon-style artwork by Lars DeSouza, and updated to reflect modern political and social conflict: now the Russian Campaign Donors can work with Antifa to take control of Furries, or destroy the Hipsters.
Illuminati (Second Edition) supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Illuminati (Second Edition) is 60–180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Illuminati (Second Edition) for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Illuminati (Second Edition) has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Illuminati (Second Edition) belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Political. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Tile Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Illuminati (Second Edition) are: Steve Jackson (I). These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Illuminati (Second Edition) as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.