Masonic references in games

While Freemasonry is frequently referred to in film and text, little research has been done into its occurance in games. This list represents an attempt to catalogue those occurances. Please contact our editor with other examples.

Video games

Age of Wonders III (2014)

A turn-based strategy video game written by Raymond Bingham and published by Dutch developer Triumph Studios, the goal of expanding and managing an empire also requires upgrading cities by adding buildings. One such building is the home of the "Masters' Guild". Note the unauthorized use of the masonic square and compasses. Released 31 March 2014.

Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed is an historical science fiction third person action-adventure game series consisting of four main games and a number of supporting materials. Other than a reliance on Templar legends and hidden symbols such as pyramids and apples, there is nothing that references Freemasonry or the Illuminati. This has not prevented mistaken reports based on conspiracy theories.

Assassin's Creed III
While Freemasonry again plays no part in the narrative, a principal character, Haytham Kenway has a masonic design embroidered on his cloak. See: Assassin's Creed Rogue: Playthrough Part 26, Sequence 6 - Haytham Shoots Achilles. There is also one sequence in which he visits The Green Dragon Tavern, which, in the real world, has a particular significance to Freemasonry and the American War of Independence.

Batman: The Telltale Series (2016)
Batman: The Telltale Series (2016)

Batman: The Telltale Series is an episodic point-and-click graphic adventure video game based on Bob Kane and Bill Finger's Batman character. In one episode, Alfred is kidnapped by Lady Arkham, and Batman is trying to locate him using clues found in a video.

Batman: "A mason's stamp."

Lucius: "Only one masonic lodge in the city, Gotham City Fraternal Order of Stone Masons."

Batman, "So the house was built in 1945, by them." [00:32:30]

The emblem is obviously not the masonic square and compasses, but it is noteworthy as a transitional moment in the fictionalization of Freemasonry.

Batman: The Telltale Series, Episode 5: City of Light. Developer: Telltale Games. Directors: Kent Mudle, Jonathan Stauder, Jason Pyke, Mark Droste. Producer: Brodie Andersen. Designers: Chris Hockabout, Michael Kirkbride, Emily Garrison, Mark Darin. Programmers: Tulley Rafferty, Jason Kim, Greg Felber, Michael Carpenter. Art Director: Martin McDonald. Writers: Zack Keller, Eric Stirpe, Meghan Thornton. Composer: Jared Emerson-Johnson, Series Batman, Engine Telltale Tool, Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch. released December 13, 2016.

Deus Ex (2003)
The object of this game is to complete a series of missions with the intent of contacting and finally joining the Illuminati with the goal of restoring an age-old secret government to rule the world with compassion and an invisible hand.

At one point a character asks for help "for the Widow’s Son" — a significant phrase for freemasons but of no other apparent relevence to the storyline. There is only one specific mention of Freemasonry in a list of the usual suspects in contemporary conspiracy theory, but the Illuminati itself is often associated in the popular mind with Freemasonry. Deus Ex: Invisible War. (C) 2003 Eidos Inc. Developed by Ion Storm. Published by Eidos Inc.

Final Fantasy X

The prayer gesture in Final Fantasy X.

"As your party progresses throughout the pilgrimage, you will meet new characters who will join your effort to destroy Sin." As the game progresses, the characters visit a temple in each town they pass through. When speaking to the high priest, the main character must first make a "prayer gesture"—right forearm over left forearm, fingers spread out, hands curved in the shape of a circle, and bow. This is reminiscent of a sign found in numerous nineteenth century "exposures" of masonic ritual. Final Fantasy X, for PlayStation 2.

Mage: The Ascension (1989)
The metaplot of this role-playing game involves a four-way conflict between a science-based Technocracy (Order), insane Marauders (Chaos), cosmically evil Nephandi (Entropy) and nine magical Traditions, to which the player characters are assumed to belong. One of the "traditions", the Sons of Ether, make use of a logo incorporating a compasses, pyramid-like triangle and a stylized all-seeing eye. Sons of Ether (#3), WWP No. 4058 (Tradition Books), Sons of Ether, WWP No. 4658 (Revised Tradition Books). World of Darkness, White Wolf Games, White Wolf Publishing, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Originally developed in the late 1980s by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein-Hagen.

Diomin: Worldbook (2000)
Used as a compass rosette on a map, the square and compasses has ceased to be viewed as a masonic trademark and has become simply a catchy image, a visual shorthand for the mysterious. Written by R. Hyrum Savage, Chad Cunningham & Christopher T. Miller. Santa Monica : OtherWorld Creations, 2000. pb 112pp.

The Messenger (2000)
The main character, Morgan (or Morganna), seeks four ancient objects within the Louvre to stop the destruction of the world. Those objects were hidden by the Dark Templars. Other than the name "Templars," there doesn't appear to be anything masonic in this game. Designed By: Index Multimedia, DreamCatcher Interactive. Nov, 2000.

Tomb Raider III, Adventures of Lara Croft (1998, 2009))
This single-player video game follows fortune-hunter, Lara Croft, as she enters upon a quest to recover four pieces of a meteorite that are scattered across the world. In the game's City of London level, Aldwych Section, Lara uses Solomon's Key to access the Mason's Room where she retrieves a Masonic Mallet. Core Design, Eidos Interactive, Enix. First released in North America on 21 November 1998.

The Secret World (2012)

A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) The Secret World, was released in 2012. Players have to affiliate with one of three secret societies: one of which is a fictional version of the Illuminati.

World of Warcraft (1994)

In this game, one reward for a quest called the Divino-matic Rod is a "Masons Fraternity Ring". World of Warcraft (commonly known as WoW) is a pay-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) first introduced in 1994. Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, published by Vivendi Universal, and designed by Rob Pardo, Jeff Kaplan and Tom Chilton, the latest version was released in North America on 23 November 2004. thottbot.com accessed 2007/08/08.

Other games
Several—mostly negative—references to Templars, Freemasonry, the Illuminati and Rennes-Le-Chateau have been reported in the following games: Knight’s Chase, Broken Sword 1 : The shadow of the templars, Broken Sword 2, Broken Sword 3: The sleeping dragon, Gabriel Knight 2: The beast within, and Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the sacred, blood of the damned.

Card games

Illuminati: New World Order (1994)
A convulated, confusing, and often quite humourous card game, the official card list of April 18, 1995 includes 413 cards with an additional 125 cards in an Assassins set. While none of the cards make specific reference or mention of Freemasonry, several cards refer to groups often associated with Freemasonry in the popular mind: the common cards, "Fraternal Orders", "Rosicrucians" and "Templars"; the uncommon cards, "Illuminati" and "Society of Assassins (Illuminati)"; the rare Illuminati cards, "Adepts of Hermes" and "Bavarian Illuminati"; and the uncommon rare card, "Illuminati University." The object of the game is world domination. Copyright 1995 Steve Jackson Games Incorporated.

Role-playing Games

Call of Cthulhu (2002)
"Design the symbol. Cults often have a symbol they use as identifying, decoration. This symbol might appear on rings or brooches the cultists wear in daily life, the way Masons do. It might be on ceremonial robes, painted on banners, or carved into the skin of their victims. You could pick an astrological symbol, an occult symbol such as a pentagram, or make something up. It doesn't matter if you can't draw; just roughing it out lets you describe it verbally to the players. Perhaps the investigators see it in their dreams." The positioning of a pentagram illustration next to the masonic reference may be unintentional. Monte Cook and John Tynes, Call of Cthulhu. Chapter 9: "The Cthulhu Mythos". Oakland, CA : Chaosium Inc., 2002. p. 209.

Dead Lands (1996)
In this post-apocalyptic roleplaying game, a character archetype called Templar is introduced on page 76. Chapter Ten: Templars starts with "Simon Mercer was an accountant in Boise, Idaho. He had a family, a house, a car, was a member of the local Freemasons, and even a Boy Scout Master—a nice, average fellow."

Then the bombs dropped in 2081 and life became very difficult in a hard and lawless land. Later: "he wandered into his old Freemason’s Temple. A deep fever took hold as he lay in the dark, stone building for days, staring at the pictures of the Knights Templar, an order within the Masons' secrative organization." He revived the Templars as an order dedicated to protecting the weak and helpless, but only those they believed worthy or good enough: the compassionate and honest. Within the game, players who choose to be Templars must be at least 18 years of age and "good-hearted". "Note that your character must have faith. Simon has not made religion an official part of the order, though Christianity was integral to the old Knights Templar and the Freemasons as well." Dead Lands, Hell on Earth, The Wasted West Roleplaying Game. written & designed by Shane Lacy Hensley. Blacksburg, VA : Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc., 1998. pp. 151-57.

GURPS Illuminati (1992)
Unlike the Illuminati card sets—distributed several years later—the Game Master textbook for GURPS Illuminati contains many references to Freemasonry. While noting in the Introduction that it is merely a game, the writing style is such that the unwary reader may unwittingly accept the world view presented as being historically accurate. "The World Is Stranger Than You Think", by Nigel D. Findley (1960-1995). Edited by Steve Jackson and Jeff Koke. [Generic Universal Role Playing System designed by Steve Jackson]. Austin, TX : Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, 1992, 1996, 2000. ISBN 1-55634-223-3. 129p.

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