"Mafia" is a salon team game with a psychological bias and distribution of roles. It contains a detective story simulating the struggle of members of the formed minority who are knowledgeable about each other and an unorganized majority.
Storyline: the urban population, tired of the revelry of the mafia, decides to put them all in jail. And the mafia, in turn, declares war on civilians right up to their complete extermination.
Number of players
There are no clear restrictions on the number of participants; at the same time, from 5 to 20 people can play. It’s just worth understanding that if there are few players, then there will be few roles in the Mafia and the game will end quickly. When there are a lot of them, then endless loud disputes turn the process into chaos. Therefore, the specified composition is considered optimal.
Characters
Many characters can take part in the action, but most of them will be additional heroes, the classic roles in the game “Mafia” are: sheriff (aka commissioner), mafia, doctor and civilians. We will analyze each of them in more detail:
- Mafia. Participants with such a card can be from one to three, depending on the total number. Their goal is to destroy civilians and avert suspicions from themselves and their accomplices.
- Sheriff. This role in the "Mafia" is assigned to only one person, that is, such a card is dropped once. The sheriff’s mission is to test players. A facilitator may come to his aid.
- Doctor. There can also be only one per game. From the name it’s already becoming clear that the person who received this card heals those whom it was decided to shoot.
- Civilians. Their number is unlimited. The task is to calculate the mafia.
Extra heroes
With a large number of participants, additional roles in the Mafia can be introduced. This makes the game even more interesting and exciting. Who can I add?
- Killer. He belongs to the category of civilians. He wakes up on the second night and has the right, at his own decision, to kill any player.
- Woman of easy virtue. In the game "Mafia" a role description, the following is a peaceful layman who enters the process from the second night. The lover wakes up and can deprive the right to choose any character at will.
- Informer. Civilian citizen. He opens his eyes after the mafia on the first night and remembers the members of the group. They do not know who the snitch is. His mission is to convince civilians to vote against a bad character. Next is the scripted process.
- Bus driver. Civilian. This is a unique role in the "Mafia", giving the player the right to bluff and confuse the traces of the participants of the mafia structure. If the hero is killed, then the whole city is killed or a draw is declared.
What you need to have for the game
The stores sell special kits for playing the card mafia by roles. It includes cards with images of heroes and masks. But if there is no special kit at hand, then you can get by with the usual accessories.
To do this, take a regular deck of cards. Masks can be replaced with ordinary dressings or just close and open your eyes at the command of the presenter. So, the designations of the main characters:
- Most often, the mafia is usually denoted by the highest suits of black cards, for example, two black aces or a joker.
- Civilians are given small red suits (2, 3, 4, 5 and others).
- The sheriff is the red king.
- The healer is a red lady.
All other designations of the roles of players in the "Mafia" are chosen by the participants by agreement.
In the absence of playing cards, you can make cards yourself. To do this, you need a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. Cut pieces the size of a map and write on each of them the name of the character. You can write only the first letter, for example, - sheriff, - mafiosi and so on.
Rules of the game
All the nuances are sorted out, it's time to go on to the description of the rules of the card "Mafia":
- In no case should there be any identification marks on cards or pieces of paper, that is, hatchings, bent edges and other things.
- Each player is dealt one card, which he looks at and puts his shirt side down. Until the character is killed, you cannot touch her, when this happens, a person will have to show her to everyone.
- The game must have a host who will monitor the progress of the game and pronounce key phrases.
- You need to play in compliance with the rules - do not prompt or peep. But you are allowed to bluff and confuse.
- All participants, except mafiosi, are classified as civilians.
- If in the process of the game only a couple of characters remain - a civilian and an enemy, then the game stops and a draw is announced.
- The number of days and nights may vary.
- According to the rules of the “Mafia”, the role of the doctor implies the ability to cure oneself, but this can only be done once.
- The dead have no right to vote, but if the participant was a civilian, then he has the right to take the last word if he wishes and make an assumption about who the mafia is.
- If the number of participants is not more than eight, up to two participants of the mafia structure are enough, from eight or more - three. And you can also assign additional roles.
- If the character was simultaneously killed by the mafia and the killer, then the doctor cures him completely. There can be no zombies in the game.
The course of the game. First night
On the first night, members of the mafia group get to know each other.
- The commentator deals the cards and asks the players to remember their roles. After that, he says the phrase “Close our eyes, night falls on the city”. All participants close their eyes.
- The host pronounces the phrase "The Mafia wakes up." Those who have a card with this character open their eyes and nod to each other. Everything needs to be done as calmly and quietly as possible so that the people sitting nearby do not feel the movement and suspect who is a bad player. The commentator notifies that the meeting is over and asks to close his eyes.
- Further, he asks to open and close the eyes of other participants - a doctor, a sheriff, a girl of easy virtue, a murderer (all except peaceful heroes). In no case should the situation be allowed when the doctor and the sheriff can see each other. Everything should be done silently.
The first day
In the daytime, the following actions are performed: Acquaintance of participants with each other, an assumption of who the group is, nomination of candidates for execution, acquittal, voting, daytime execution.
- The host announces the beginning of the day and pronounces the phrase "The city wakes up." Everyone opens their eyes.
- Everyone takes turns starting to name their names and name the reasons why they cannot be the mafia. If the participants were not familiar before, then you can use badges or nameplates.
- After meeting each other, they begin to observe each other and discuss who, in their opinion, can be a peaceful citizen and who is a mafia. In the process, you can ask each other questions on the forehead, for example: "Admit, you are from a mafia structure!"
- Further, each of the participants votes who to execute as a representative of organized crime. He calls the name of his candidate and argues why he thinks so. At the end of the discussion, the facilitator names those whom they decided to exclude. They are given the opportunity to make excuses. Nominees begin to explain to the others that they make a mistake and why.
- Repeated voting, only for candidates for execution.
- The player with the most votes is eliminated from the game and shows everyone his card.
Second night
The actions of the next night are different from the first, the following occurs:
- The facilitator announces nightfall. All participants close their eyes.
- The girl of easy virtue awakens first and chooses a lover for herself at night. He closes his eyes.
- The leader asks the mafia to open his eyes. They confer among themselves and choose the victim that they want to eliminate from the game. Communication between them should be silent so that the rest of the participants do not suspect anything. The presenter remembers this choice in order to announce it with the onset of the day. He reports that the mafia made its choice and fell asleep. Characters in the group close their eyes.
- Then, in turn, they wake up, make their choice and fall asleep other participants - the sheriff, doctor, killer and others. The facilitator must remember all decisions. It is necessary to awaken all separately, so that no one meets each other's eyes.
Second day
This day is practically no different from the first. The only difference is that at the very beginning the leader announces the resolution of the players - who is killed by the mafia, cured by a doctor, seduced by a mistress, shot dead by a killer and so on. Exited characters reveal their cards to the rest.
Further, the script is repeated day after night. This lasts until all civilians or the mafia are destroyed.
Tricks and tricks
During the game, you can apply the following:
- In order not to lose a person, it is possible in the process of survival game “Mafia” to transfer the role of the leader from the second night to the one who was killed during the day. Anyone can drive the first night.
- It is scientifically proven that a person who has played the role of a mafioso three times (in a row) is likely to be the same in the fourth. But in the fifth already for sure!
- You can make one card more than players. Distribute to everyone, and move the remaining card to the side and do not open. This will increase interest, since no one will know which character is missing.