Playing your first Mafia game

[Daniel Blackworth]

The first Mafia game is often considered as a hurdle that new players need to overcome as it tends to mold a player's experience to Mafia. The first game is typically unnerving for players, especially when they tend to be lost as they traverse the game or simply struggle to understand the flow the game is taking.

 

I played my first Mafia game around late May 2017. It was a Mafia game in another forums based on One Piece. It was quite a nervewracking experience for me due to the intense atmosphere even in Day 1 where I already had a potential chance of getting lynched due to not understanding how to play. Fortunately, I was able to survive... until Night Two that is.

 

This guide aims to provide tips on how you can survive your first Mafia game. Other players may also pitch in to provide their own insights and experiences.

 

1. Read to understand.

- One of the major hurdles of being a new player is not understanding what everyone else is doing or how the game is played. This is easily remedied by taking the time to read up on how to game is played and potentially, reading up on other games to see how people acted and how people played. If you do not have the time to read other games, you may simply read up on what the players are doing in the game you're in, carefully taking in what they said.

- It is also advised to read carefully the information posted in the opening post of every Mafia game, especially the setup of the game and the rules indicated.

 

2. Be inquisitive.

- A good thing to do as a new player or even as a veteran player is to ask questions when you don't understand something. If you're unsure of something in the game, ask questions either to the other players in the thread or to the game master. This may include roles you've never seen before, specific game mechanics, or unknown terms. Taking the time to ask questions helps you better participate in the game.

 

3. Observe other players.

- Try to observe other players as the game progresses. You may not be familiar with their behavior in previous games as certain alignments, but you can still observe their behavior. You may check if they have been consistent with their stances and movements, and use these to check for contradictions in their posts. Inconsistency can be signs to a player's being mafia, though that may not often be the case.

 

4. Take care of your role information.

- It is often not advisable to claim or reveal your role when it is unnecessary to do so. However, there are instances where revealing your role can support your faction. As town, when you are about to be lynched, it is best to claim and reveal what you know. As mafia, it is best to make up a claim or fake claim another role to confuse the town and hinder them from making good decisions.

- Other instances may include revealing to aid the town. Revealing as cop when you find a mafia member may be instrumental, though early claims are not as advisable. Revealing as tracker when you discover the person who visits someone who died may also provide some insights. However, mafia can do these things as well by making fake evidence, so be wary.

 

5. Vote wisely.

- Players sometimes think that their one vote doesn't matter, but it actually does matter. Use your vote effectively and vote for a player you think may be mafia as town or even as mafia to blend in with town. Explain your reasoning for the vote, so that others mya understand your motivation.

- Observe voting patterns as well. Some players may be indecisive and keep changing their votes. Others may simply focus on one person solely and neglect everything else. Others simply follow on bandwagons and not provide a different contribution. Observe these kinds of situations and other pressing situtuations as they may lead to finding a mafia person or simply a lazy town player in other cases.

 

I hope that was insightful and if you haven't played Mafia before, join the Reborn Mafia Club and experience a whole new world ~