How to Format Mafia Games

[Shadow Yoshi]

So, you've thought up a great idea for your Mafia game and all you need to do is write a post for it. This guide is here to help you and make sure your game comes out in a way that looks good and is easy to read. I will not cover anything specific to actual game creation - this is simply how your information should be presented.

Guidelines for game formatting, which you really should follow:
1. Use this list of basic colors! And make your roles bold, too. It's hard to look at games which use really bright greens and yellows, and even harder if roles aren't bolded. Feel free to use other colors if you need to, but if all you need is the basic colors then use these:

• Red (#FF0000)
• Purple (#8000FF)
• Blue (#0000FF)
• Green (#008000)
• Orange (#FF8000)
• Black (Bold text with no color)

2. List out all of your roles, even if you have lots of one role. Listing out 10 townspeople instead of saying "Townie x10" allows people to better visualize the balance (or lack thereof!) between teams in the game.

3. Don't put a bunch of arbitrary space between lines. Space isn't required between individual roles of the same team. Use one blank line in between teams. This makes it so that your game takes up less space and is easier to follow.

4. Don't specify things that are already mentioned in the Mafia rules or otherwise assumed. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Instant lynches (instas). You only need to specify them if you are NOT doing them in your game.
• Mafia/town win conditions. These conditions are specified in the rules thread. Only mention anything that you're changing.

Game structure
Here's a template for a standard Mafia-town setup:

<Mafia team name> (usually "The Mafia" or something like that, heading optional)
<Mafia role> - Role description (not necessary for repeat roles)

<Town team name> (usually "The Town" or something like that, heading optional)
<Special role> - Role description
<Town role> - Role description

<Third party role> - Role description and win conditions (only call this a third party if it's actually the third party)

<Cult role> - Role description and win conditions

Mechanics
<Any mechanics your game has>

This is not an exhaustive template - you may come up with things that need their own method of presenation, and that's fine. This is just a template to ensure the standard aspects of Mafia games are displayed neatly.

Sample game
Here is a copy of M2: Electric Boogaloo.

Spoiler: show

Mafia: Electric Boogaloo

The Mafia
Godfather - Collaborates with the rest of the Mafia to kill one player at night. Will be green when inspected.
Mafioso - Collaborates with the rest of the Mafia to kill one player at night.
Mafioso
Vengeful Mafioso - If killed, may choose one player that will die with them.

The Townspeople
Sheriff - Chooses one player each night to inspect. Will learn this player's color.
Doctor - Chooses one player each night to save. This player will be immune to a kill.
Doublevoter - Lynch vote counts for two.
Townsperson - Normal townsperson.
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Townsperson
Millwright - Thinks he's a normal townsperson. Will cardflip orange if inspected or killed.
Miller - Thinks he's a normal townsperson. Will cardflip red if inspected or killed.

Serial Killer - Third party, chooses one player a night to kill. Wins game if he is the last man standing.

Mechanics
This is a cardflip game. Players' colors will be revealed on death.

Let me know if there's anything that should be added to this guide. Thanks for reading!

[MECHDRAGON777]

How would you format a faction game such as the one I am trying to host for M27

[underFlo]

Just do it like in the example but make the headers the faction names instead of Mafia/Town.

[MECHDRAGON777]

Just do it like in the example but make the headers the faction names instead of Mafia/Town.

So remove the spoiles, put the rules at the bottom and call them mechanics? Okay, I will, just after I get home. (Sorry for trying to host a five faction game with a third party).

[Julia Pseudo]

OK, so I wasn't sure exactly where to post this, but Spinda and I have come up with new regulations for mystery game submissions, based on the confusion around MECHDRAGON's mystery game in the M32 host-signups.

• The creator of a mystery game must have created and hosted at least one mafia game in the past. This game must have not been subject to major complaints about the its balance after the game has finished.

• The outline posted in the thread should include the number of players, an example role PM to base claims on, and specific descriptions of any unorthodox game mechanics, such as the presence of items. It should also name the main factions, but does not have to specify their size or discuss third parties.

Since the Game Masters otherwise have to look at the mystery game's outline privately, thus invalidating themselves from actually playing, it is much simpler to "riskily" approve an unknown mystery game by a trusted host.

This will be enforced at the Game Masters' discretion, and if we feel that a user's previous game was unsuccessful in some other way (due to a lack of activity or similar circumstances), we may not approve a mystery game even if it follows the letter of the above regulations.

By the way, all of the above does not apply to semi-mystery games like Mafia 15, where a complete outline is posted, but in which players select their roles from a set of possibilities at the beginning of the game.

[timocomsmbx2345]

Well, if i were to try and make a mafia right now even though i know absolutely nothing about the game, what would happen?

[Thehelmetguy1]

You would fail miserably, since you said yourself that you don't know anything about mafia

[Julia Pseudo]

Well, if i were to try and make a mafia right now even though i know absolutely nothing about the game, what would happen?

You should play in a mafia game or two before creating your own. That'll help you understand the game much better (and is also required to submit to host sign-ups).

[TDK]

Well, if i were to try and make a mafia right now even though i know absolutely nothing about the game, what would happen?

You will make the best game.

[Danny]

For future and current Mafia players.

Alright, I've been seeing this crop up a lot in recent games and concepts; roles or abilities that revive dead players.

Please do not include these in your game. Bringing a dead player back into the game can upset the balance of that game in many ways:

• If the dead player has received information about the game from another dead player or some other source, when they are brought back into the game, they have a significant advantage with information.
• If a Mafioso is brought back into the game in this manner, the Mafia is given a large advantage by having one of their own members back. If that player is a confirmed Mafioso, this can result in plays where other suspected Mafioso can cover themselves up by working toward lynching the revived Mafioso. In circumstances where the revived Mafioso is not a confirmed Mafioso, they get to live on as a Mafioso, extending the length of their team's life exponentially. This is not good or fair for the town, especially one that is already on the losing side.
• If they were a blue or red role, they likely would not survive past their initial revival, and it will slow down the game for either the Town or the Mafia as they now have to focus on killing this revived player, given that player was a vital kill (a blue or mouthpiece of the Town, or a Mafioso/Third Party).
• If a previously-inactive player was revived, the revive would have essentially been wasted, and the player most likely will not be targeted by the Mafia, Third Party, or what have you.

Those, among other things, are some of the issues with having revival roles in your game. As of currently, including them in your game that you submit for host sign-ups will not allow your game through until you change or remove the revival ability/role. It is a rather powerful and unfair mechanic, and even if you allow it to only be used once per game, it can leave a pretty lasting impact.