Oldtimer Wondering About Evolution of Game

[Askthepizzaguy]

I was feeling a bit of nostalgia, so I plan on joining the next big mafia game, but are there any specific threads/games I should read through to get myself up to speed on the evolution of the game?

Ideally you'll want to read a thread which you can digest in a single sitting or two, a shorter game which meets your criteria, such as a small game.

A small game with non-vanilla roles, which demonstrates some of the complexity, one I would recommend, would be.... hmm. Let me check.

Okay here are four in the relatively small category:


TheFlax's Mass Effect (Mini Mafia)- game setup included a neutral role, two mafiosi on the same team but who did not know each other's identity, no murder, and I believe there was some kind of couple/mason thing going on too, out of 7 players.

Worth it because the objective for the mafiosi was to figure out who their partner was, and this was actually achieved. Also, dealing with the neutral role, and voting off the townies. The game is tiny, action packed, and the final conclusion I reached was that Cultured Drizzt Fan was my partner, based on his behavior. And, I risked the entire game on it (a won game, too) because it was just him and just me and one townie remaining, and the townie was going to be lynched, and if my partner was already dead... I would have lost. But, I risked the game on my analysis and it turns out, even though he initially denied it, he was indeed my partner and we both voted the townie.

That will be an unusual circumstance that you wouldn't find in a vanilla-game. Only 185 posts to read, so that won't take much of your time. That's a good "appetizer".

Swords and D20's 2: Return of Anywhere- A role-heavy game where everyone has a character and they usually have an ability. Impossible to summarize for me right now because I lack sleep, but the bottom line is that there are a bunch of roles and it's worth a read. 430 posts, still quite manageable. The mafia got a whooping in the first game, this is the sequel, where they get their revenge? Mehbe.... ?

Askthepizzaguy Mafia: A "vanilla" Askthepizzaguy game. As vanilla as it really gets, for me anyway. 3 scumbags, one murder, 14 townies, no special roles. However, everyone gets 100 credits to spend over the course of a game. They can spend it betting on who is guilty... they act like votes. Person with the most votes (bets against them) dies. If the player is guilty, you get your credits back. If they are not, you lose them forever. If you bet all 100 credits and lose them, I shoot you in the face. Nothing personal, it's just business. 433 posts, worth a look.

Psycho Mafia: An unusual setup. Lots of townie power roles, and several detectives, and one of them is actually mafia. But, the twist is, they don't even know they are mafia. The game host murders whoever they investigate at night, on the night they investigate them, so the game is solvable. Person in question figures out they are mafia, and realizes that to win the game, he has to die. Yes, I am not sure how easy the game will be to follow, but it should expose you to.... unusual games. Was very popular, under 600 posts, still quite manageable to read. Everyone in the game is a psychopath in a mental institution, and they all have some kind of flaw, which they demonstrate in their posts. It gets quite silly to read at times, but the endgame where they sit down and really solve it, probably worth reading. Because of the unusual setup, I sprinkle clues into the game to help the players, because they are really playing against the game itself, not each other.

You won't run into many games like that so I'd recommend Swords and d20's if you only have time to read one. Though Askthepizzaguy mafia is quite fun.

[Kagemusha]

Wellcome back Cowhead! I hope you still remember me. I have just turned green. It could be some sort of radiation causing that. ;) I think i had the kneeling red samurai avatar when you were last time active.