showcase backdrop
logo
logo

Illuminate

Illuminate is a trick taking game with a Biblical twist.

Requirements

30-60
1-4
12+

Description

Illuminate is a trick taking game with a Biblical twist.

MMLJrowV1.png

Players earn points by winning exactly the number of tricks they bid for the hand. The number of cards dealt in a hand increases as the game progresses. The winner is the player with the most points when the pre-specified number of hands have been played.

The Biblical twist to the game is that instead of “trump” cards that are the same for all players, each player takes on a role at the beginning of the game which corresponds with what we see in the gospel accounts (doctor, neighbor, preacher, teacher). Cards that match that role (that have a matching symbol) are “grace” (unmerited favor) cards only for that player. Four special cards in the deck can also disrupt the normal rules of play, making it more challenging for players to make their bid.

The Illuminate playing deck has 4 suits named for the four Gospels in the Bible. Each suit has 12 cards each of which is identified by a specific passage in that Gospel. The value of each card is based on the chapter and first verse in that passage. A card with a higher chapter has a higher value. If two cards are from the same chapter, then the one with the higher verse has a higher value.

FourSuits.png

The deck also has four cards that represent four roles that can be taken by the game players: Doctor, Neighbor, Preacher, and Teacher. Each Role Card has a symbol on it: a medical symbol, a heart, a church, and a bell respectively. These symbols also show up on the 48 playing cards in the four suits. This mechanism can be used to represent which cards are “trump” (or “grace”) cards for each player. For example, a card with a heart on it can be used as a trump/grace card for the player with the neighbor Role Card.

RoleCardsV1.png

Four of the cards in the deck have a star symbol instead of a role symbol. These cards include specific instructions that apply when that card is played.

SpecialCardsV1.png

At the beginning of each hand, players bid the number of tricks they expect to take in that hand and score points based on how accurate their bid was.

The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Components

Component Quantity Photo
{{item.name}} {{item.quantity}} component component

Vitals

Average Rating 0 reviews
Publish Date January 21, 2022
Edition First
Department Games
Tags {{tag.properties.name}}
More Info Illuminate web site

Why buy this?

  • Challenging twist to a trick taking card game.
  • Beautiful illustrations from the Book of Kells.
  • Each playing card features scriptures from the Gospels.

Notes

  • This game contains a premium upgrade where the printed components will be embossed with a linen texture.

Accolades

See It In Action

image slot

Ratings and Reviews

Be the first to review this!
Posted {{review.properties.date_created|timeago}}
Own It Played It Fun Priced Well High Replay Value Well Written Rules Nice Artwork

{{review.properties.review|truncate(review.stash('truncate')||200)}}

Please Sign In to leave a review
Community Chat