I have heard that some people are nervous about joining mafia games because they are not entirely sure what to do or what the game is about. I will let everyone in on a big ol’ mafia secret. No one really knows what is going on most of the time. If they say that they do, they are lying. Mafia is actually a party game that is played in real life. Former DD Admin Black_Kitty brought the forum version of the game to Drunkduck 2 years ago.
Now first off, signing up for a game is easy. When you see the thread go up in General Discussion, just post that you want to sign up. There is plenty of warning during signups since SkoolMunkee usually makes a newspost or two about them. Don’t be afraid of everyone posturing or the strange titles that go after our usernames. Those are just like Xbox achievements or the size of everyone’s names at the bottom of the forum screen. They are just nonsense that we do to amuse ourselves. When someone does something memorable during a game, they sometimes get a title to commemorate it.
So you just signed up, what do you do? Just wait. You can post on the sign up thread or just ignore us for the rest of the sign up time if you like. But when the GM sends you a PQ with your role, it is time to play. The current game will always be stickied in the Forum Games subforum.
There are a few roles that are common to the game, though the names might be changed on occasion for themed games. Most games will have: bodyguards, a paranoid, a veteran, a detective, paramedics, and a vigilante on the side of the town. The mafia usually has the godfather, a madhatter, and a couple of mafia members. The rest of the people in the game are called townies. They do not have any special abilities, but that doesn’t mean they are not important. Townies, being the most numerous role in the game, provide votes and work to solve the clues given out each night cycle. Lurking in this mass of fun is the serial killer who works only for himself.
Alright, now you have signed up for the game, and have been given your role…it is time to play. The game (with rare exceptions) starts out with the election of the town mayor and pardoner. The town mayor’s role is to lead the town (whether to victory or defeat is a different story). The elected mayor gains a couple of extra abilities on top of what he already has. To be a balance against the mayor is the pardoner. The pardoner can pardon up to two people from being lynched, but can't pardon himself. So everyone votes. The candidates beg, plead, and bribe for votes. In most games, if the candidate makes an election poster for him or herself, he or she gains an extra vote.
The winners are announced at the end of this day cycle. At this point, the night begins, and people with action roles can use them. The next day cycle, the night activity is revealed with clues about who did what. At this point the town votes on whom to lynch. The day and night cycles are repeated until there is a winner. When the game ends, elections for the new GM begin in Forum Games.
Naturally, I feel it should be mentioned, though teamwork makes winners in mafia, not everyone works in a team. There is plenty of backstabbing in this game. In fact, it wouldn’t be mafia without backstabbing to some degree, so always be careful who you trust. If someone is betrayed or found out, it's nothing personal and we try not to hold grudges.