Illiterati is a cooperative survival word game. You and your fellow Librarians must work together to save the world from illiteracy by spelling words and binding books, all while surviving the onslaught of the Illiterati. Illiterati is played simultaneously in real time with all players working together. Each round is composed of 3 phases:

1. WORD BUILDING PHASE: Draw letters and spell words.

2. BOOK BINDING PHASE: Burn unused letters and turn in any completed books.

3. ILLITERATI ATTACK PHASE: Draw an Illiterati Villain and resolve its effects.

To win, each players must first bind his/her own books. Then, all players must coordinate their efforts by tackling one epic book together called the Final Chapter). All players lose if too many letters are burned or the Illiterati Villain Deck is emptied.