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[Quarque]

Ok, reposting this here for review. I have an idea for a game in this genre, called "everybody is mafia".
The premise: everybody is in the mafia, but some people are infiltrators.

An infiltrator wins if specific mafia figures on his kill list are eliminated. They do not know who the other infiltrators are, or even if there are any. Each infiltrator has a different kill list.
The mafia wins if all infiltrators are eliminated. Fundamentally, the major difference is that the "scum" have an easier win-con compared to a traditional mafia game, but no information advantage.

There is a daytime and a night time phase as usual. At daytime people vote to bury one particularly smelly fellow mafiaso in concrete.

Equipment to be used at night:
- guns, can be used to shoot another player at night
- poison [limited doses], can be used to poison another player at night
- bullet-proof vest, grants 50% fail rate when someone shoots you
- combat helmet, grants 50% fail rate when someone shoots you (100% if you also wear the vest)
- antidote [limited doses], can be used to protect yourself from poison for one night

Donating equipment to another player (if you would ever want that) is allowed.

Could add additional roles like inspection, doctors, etc, but since this deviates from tradition already my thought is to keep it otherwise simple.

I have a role scheme in mind that I think would make the game interesting, but sharing it might be too much of a spoiler.

[webadict]

Is it true that everyone is Mafia?  It looks to me like everyone is Town and the Infiltrators are more akin to Assassins.  The Mafia theme might just be the flavor here.

It's probably a fast game, but the I assume the Body Armor and Helmer are used up when they protect, or else they just can't die (unless the Poison is meant to counteract Immunity.)  I think you probably have a significant advantage as Infiltrator purely by accident.

[Quarque]

Yes, it is mostly flavour. The main difference is that the "scum" do not know who else is "scum" and instead of sharing the same goal, they have conflicting goals. The different flavour is meant to underscore this difference.

Regarding the helmets, no one would start out with both a helmet and an armor so no one would be immune to bullets unless one person selflessly donates an item. Even then, being immune to bullets still means you can die to an execution or poison.

I understand why it looks like the scum would have an advantage, as they know who they have to kill. However, I believe that with the distribution of kill lists and equipment I have in mind, it would balance out. I hesitate to spell it out, because spoilers. But an important factor is that the infiltrators are working against each other. You wouldn't want anyone outside of your kill list to die, because it might let another infiltrator win.
Another factor is that some kill lists might include other infiltrators, so when they work toward their own victory they might also bring a "town" victory closer (without knowing it).

[notquitethere]

Bring Your Own Pokémon
Team Rocket have infiltrated the Pokemon Tournament and prize pokemon are going missing!

Before the game begins, players pick a roster of two pokemon to take to the tournament.

Each Tournament Phase, player's send one of their pokemon to fight a free-for-all battle in the arena with their pokemon to decide who is the very best. Which pokemon fought in the battle is public knowledge but, due to the chaos of the format, no one knows whose 'mon is whose. Each Tournament, any number of pokemon may be knocked out based on the battles. Knocked Out pokemon usually need to rest for a whole tournament phase to recover. If a player has no valid pokemon to battle at the start of the tournament, they are eliminated.

Each Discussion Phase players may vote to ban a player from the tournament. They may also trade pokemon during this phase. Knocked out pokemon are revived when traded. Discussion phases are short (36 hours) and if a majority isn't reached during this time, no one is banned.

Each Night Phase, Team Rocket may choose to steal a pokemon (which they may use in future tournament phases) or disrupt a region. Any player can go to one of six regions and, (if its undisrupted) they'll catch a pokemon local to that region. Different regions specialise in different type pokemon (Ice Cavern, Forest Route, Safari, Power Plant etc.).

Play proceeds until all Team Rocket or all non-Team Rocket players are banned from the tournament, or, if five tournament rounds are fought. When the tournament ends, one player is declared the Pokemon Master based on their record in the tournament. If that player is Team Rocket then Team Rocket will win, otherwise the Trainers win.

Pokemon have abilities and strengths/weaknesses based on types. Some have special powers that can be used in other phases. Some may evolve based on specific triggers (such as winning a battle, being traded etc.).

[Mephansteras]

Sounds a bit like the old Wizard Duel games I used to run.

[Elephant Parade]

My Bring Your Own Pokemon was just a normal BYOR with the possibility of type mechanics, but I also had a separate Pokemafia concept similar to yours (but minus the battle component) with a Day Phase, a Catch Phase, and a Night Phase.

Day Phase: No changes.
Catch Phase: Pick an area and catch a random Pokemon available there. Different areas specialize in different Pokemon and action types (e.g., Victory Road has Dragon-types, Rock-types, vigs, and roleblockers). Each area has some, but not all, of its list revealed.
Night Phase: Select one of your Pokemon to send out. You may use one of its moves (actions) this night. Incoming actions target both you and the Pokemon; if they're super-effective against your Pokemon's type, they gain a Strongman effect. For example, if you send out your grass-type Venusaur and get hit by a Mafiakill Flamethrower by the mafia's Charizard, doctors can't save you.

Each player starts with one Pokemon and can have up to six. In addition to Pokemon actions, each player's role gives them an innate action—Nurse Joy can heal a player's fainted Pokemon, Officer Jenny can confiscate a Pokemon, Looker can see either what Pokemon a player has out or what area they went to, and so on.

[Quarque]

Pokemafia?

Pokemons act like child-friendly monsters but in fact they are mobsters!

[webadict]

So, I've been working on Demonology in my spare time, and here's what I've come up with for Roles so far.  There's a couple that I haven't added yet because they weren't feeling what exactly how I wanted, buuuuut this really feels like what I'm hoping to have.  Basically, the goal is to have a more concrete idea of what could exist with a bit more flexibility.  Perhaps the end goal is to allow for all sorts of Abilities and Roles, or maybe there's nothing additional.  Not sure just yet, but I figured I'd post here in case anyone had some input that would make this better (Feel free to offer better names than these, I really kinda scraped what I could...)

Current Roles

• The Chosen One is literally chosen by fate to fight Evil.  They are the only role that cannot be Evil, and there is always strictly one per game.  The Chosen One provides some benefit to Good while alive, and some benefit to Evil while dead.
• The Chosen One always has access to Reveal, allowing them to reveal themselves as the Chosen One publicly.  This grants them two additional votes at the cost of being completely susceptible to kills and immune to investigative actions.
• The Paladin is a holy warrior, fighting with an array of prayers, blessings, and divine artifacts.
• The Paladin has access to at least one Protect, Guard, or Unblockable Ability.
• The Paladin has access to at least one Revive, Kill, or Block Ability.
• The Oracle uses their visions of the future to change its direction.
• The Oracle has access to at least one Inspect, Watch, or Track Ability.
• The Oracle has access to at least one Protect, Revive, or Resurrect Ability.
• The Mercenary uses the knowledge, weapons, and training to fight.
• The Mercenary has access to at least one Kill, Poison, or Ignite Ability.
• The Mercenary has access to at least one Watch, Track, or Inspect Ability.
• The Tinkerer blends the arcane and sciences to make tools, weapons, and anything else to fight.
• The Tinkerer always has access to at least one Item or Equipment.
• The Tinkerer always has access to the Craft or Gift Ability.
• The Devicer uses items that exhibit strange or magical properties.
• The Devicer always has access to at least one Item.
• The Devicer always has access to at least one Equipment.
• The Devicer sometimes has access to an Ability to use more than one Equipment.
• The Apprentice works under the guidance of another, picking up the pieces when they can no longer fight.
• The Apprentice starts with knowledge of the role and alignment of their Master, a Town Player.
• The Apprentice always has access to the main Ability of their Master.
• The Disciple uses their secret arts and techniques to fight, and can even pass these on to others.
• The Disciple always has access to the Teach Ability, allowing them to teach one of their Abilities to another Player.
• The Disciple always has access to a Secret Ability that is unaffected by other Abilities.
• The Summoner can bring forth beings from the other realms.  They tend to fight from afar, and can misdirect to protect or distract.
• The Summoner always has access to at least one Bus, Redirect, or Delay Ability.
• The Summoner always has access to at least one Ability that changes AP costs.
• The Channeler utilizes the power of an Outsider, empowering themselves.
• The Channeler always has access to at least one Protect, Inspect, or Block Ability.
• The Channeler always has access to at least one Hide, Revive, or Resurrect Ability.
• The Thief works in the shadows, preferring stealth over brute strength.
• The Thief always has access to at least one Steal, Copy, or Disable Ability.
• The Thief always has access to at least one Hide, Bus, or Untrackable Ability.
• The Elementalist uses magic from all the elements to fight, preferring no one of the other.
• The Elementalist always has access to at least four different One-Shot Abilities.
• The Hexer uses powerful hexes from the Outside realms to stop and confuse.
• The Hexer always has access to the Curse Ability, allowing them to put additional restraints on other Players and their Abilities.
• The Hexer always has access to at least one Bus, Redirect, or Block.
• The Ritualist uses the powers of rituals, difficult magic that has great returns.
• The Ritualist always has access to the Ritual Ability, allowing them to spend more or less AP on Abilities in exchange for modifying the Ability.
• The Ritualist always has access to at least 3 different Rituals.
• The Ritualist always has access to an additional Role or Role Modifier.

This game uses the AP system.  You have 3 AP each Night and 1 AP each Day (lol, good luck getting a Day Ability.)  This is supposed to be a more Action heavy game, but with a more solvable game state.


Players will always have one or more Roles.  Right now, I think there will be additional Actions given beyond what is listed, but I'm willing to change my mind if people want more solvability in their game.


I'm still thinking about this one, but the Chosen One's boon and bane might be selectable by the Evil forces, I haven't decided.  This might be something that allows for an Evil team to take a higher risk Bane for a higher reward Boon.  There'd be probably three to choose from ranging in difficulty, but an example one might be:
Beacon Of Hope (Difficulty:  Hard)
Boon:  The Chosen One is known to all non-Evil Players.  -  Bane:  When the Chosen One dies, the Evil Team may perform an additional Evilkill each Night.  This is revealed when the Chosen One dies.

Strength Incarnate (Difficulty:  Medium)
Boon:  The Chosen One starts with an additional Revive.  -  Bane:  When the Chosen One dies, all Kills are immune to Nosy Abilities, and Evilkills are immune to all Abilities.  This is revealed when the Chosen One dies.

Chosen Two (Difficulty:  Easy)
Boon:  The Chosen One starts with a Mason partner.  Each Mason can use the other's Abilities while the other lives.  -  Bane:  The Chosen One cannot use the Reveal Ability.

These Banes and Boons will probably only be known to the Chosen One and the Evil team, but some might be revealed when certain things happen, but this means that an Evil team might feel their skills work better for certain Banes and Boons.  (Plus, they might see one sucks hardcore and never pick that one because it sucks and they wouldn't be saddled with it.)


There is a list of Role Modifiers, but consider them akin to additional Roles.  They are things like being a Half-Demon, a Construct, Cursed, or a Vampire, but I haven't really fleshed out what these might add to the role, so they aren't listed here.  Perhaps these might be more... fluid?


There are Items in this game as well as Equipment.  Equipment is more things you wear, like Armor, Jewelry, and Clothing, which provides more passive Abilities, where as Items would be something like a Weapon, Wand, or Trinket with Active uses.  Items


Aaaand that's about it for now.  Questions, comments, concerns, and criticism, if you wouldn't mind.

[Imp]

I think it looks complex, and fun.  I have too little experience to identify problems or delights in specific, but I absolutely would gloriously explore it as a playtester when chance comes!

[Shakerag]

Aaaand that's about it for now.  Questions, comments, concerns, and criticism, if you wouldn't mind.

Just happy to see you still building games, mate.  Imma bout to dip my toes back into drunk fortress I think.

[notquitethere]

Aaaand that's about it for now.  Questions, comments, concerns, and criticism, if you wouldn't mind.

- I'm a big fun of mafia-as-competitive-puzzle and so it's good to see the more semi-open possibilities. The players won't know exactly what's happening but they can make more informed guesses.
- The Chosen One role is a neat idea. As presented they're more like a sometime innocent-child who is almost guaranteed to die the night after they reveal themselves. Though I suppose with Watchers and other roles that might not be the case-- scum will want to avoid having a town leader with a lot of players running interference.
- I don't think you need to stack multiple roles on players, but if you want to then you could have something like  Destiny + Job — so you could have a Chosen One Thief, Cursed Hexer, Vampire Oracle, etc. The modifiers could do stuff with wincons or put a meta twist on the roles they're attached to (like a Leper Paladin could have the normal paladin powers, but they infect others when used; a Pactbound Tinkerer could gain pacts for their demon master when gifting etc. That way benign seeming 'confirmable' abilities could still have unseemingly or chaotic elements).

[Quarque]

Beacon Of Hope (Difficulty:  Hard)
Boon:  The Chosen One is known to all non-Evil Players.  -  Bane:  When the Chosen One dies, the Evil Team may perform an additional Evilkill each Night.  This is revealed when the Chosen One dies.

I know it's only an example, but in this case I'd be worried that there is a really high risk that one of the town players accidentally spoils who the Chosen One is, giving Evil an easy way to get an OP Bane.

[webadict]

Beacon Of Hope (Difficulty:  Hard)
Boon:  The Chosen One is known to all non-Evil Players.  -  Bane:  When the Chosen One dies, the Evil Team may perform an additional Evilkill each Night.  This is revealed when the Chosen One dies.

I know it's only an example, but in this case I'd be worried that there is a really high risk that one of the town players accidentally spoils who the Chosen One is, giving Evil an easy way to get an OP Bane.

This is true, and I definitely see why there might be some concern.  To be sure, there is a high probability of tilting the game in one direction or the other.  Consider this a test on how far the game can be tilted.  A doublekilling Evil team might not actually be as strong as you think it might be.  I consider it adding about 50-60% additional power to the team.  They still have to pay for the Evilkill (Standard Evilkill is 1 AP), plus with an AP system, Tracks and Watches become twice as powerful, and so are Protects and Guards.  The real issue is that if the Evil team was alrwady doing well, they snowball to victory, but I think that is the feel I want for this type of game.

By giving such an important Player to the Town, fakeclaiming as them to out OR protect them are viable plays.  I'm only wondering if it would be fun to work around that limitation.  In this case, the Town would probably need to be aware of such a Bane happening, but this was meant to mimic Assassins in the Palace a bit, where identifying the Sultan/King/whatever is an instant win.  This is more of a toned down version.

[Imp]

Consider this a test on how far the game can be tilted.

Uhhh, can I in yet?

I'ma innate 'playtester', that's like one of my actual subclasses.  This sounds great to explore.  Web's very experienced with running games, hugely increases the odds that this is going to be interesting at very least.

Now, how I play may suck to web, and I may not wanna hear that in the flavor web's been using.  But that doesn't change my opinion here, that this sounds cool to check out.

I know, I know, web said opine on.

But but but... I'ma be disappointed if this doesn't get tested, in whatever form.

[webadict]

I plan to run this after NQT's game, which is after Max's game finishes.  This is really just the initial feedback, and what Quarque brought up was my initial concerns as well, but I have been testing it to see how well it would work.  That one is super strong (for both teams), so not sure if I'd use one that strong initially, but I am certainly aiming for "The Chosen One is keeping Evil at bay" vibes, and it very much feels like it.  I actually wasn't planning to have Evil choose at all, but it seemed kinda fun to try it out (and the Chosen One getting to decide is too strong)