Simple rules for playing the popular mafia

If you often meet with friends and do not know what to do, then try playing the exciting and exciting Mafia game. Its rules are very simple, but there are some tricks to help you win.

How did this game come about?

The history of the Mafia game, according to researchers, goes back to 1986. Surprisingly, Dmitry Davydov, a Soviet student at the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, came up with it.

At first, the games were held exclusively in university dormitories, but then, when students began to travel to different countries for postgraduate professional education, they spread throughout Europe, and then they learned about the Mafia in other parts of the world.

And now, today it is one of the most popular, and entire tournaments are organized, which are broadcast on television.

What will be required?

To play the "Mafia" in the company of friends, you will need a deck of cards (regular or special, having all the symbols) and the players themselves. The optimal number of participants is eight people, but there may well be more.

If among friends there are those whose honesty you doubt, then you will also need masks that do not let the light through, for example, for sleeping. Then everyone will be sure that no one will spy on anyone.

The essence of the game

The rules of the game "Mafia" are very simple. All players are divided into several categories, the most basic of which are civilians and the mafia. There are also some other characters in the game, and each of them performs its own specific functions. But in the end, either mafiosi or civilians should win.

Roles

In different variations of the game "Mafia" there may be different roles. In the simplest version, there are only two categories: civilians and the mafia. You will also need a presenter who will comment on the course of the game, monitor the implementation of its rules, and also announce intermediate and final results.

So, the roles can be as follows:

• Civilians. In fact, they do not perform any function. Their main task is to find out who is the mafia and kills innocent townspeople.
• The mafia is the most important villains who kill civilians at night. Mafiosi can be two, three or even more, depending on the total number of players.
• The doctor can heal townspeople killed by the mafia.
• Putana or Fallen Woman is an auxiliary character. This player spends the night with one of the participants in the game and thereby saves him from death if mafiosi attempt on him.
• The Commissioner or Policeman keeps order and can arrest murder suspects.
• Also in some versions there is a maniac. He can take the side of both civilians and the mafia, or just play for himself and protect his own interests. At night, he strangles people, after which they cannot speak, but communicate with the help of gestures.

Game process

So how do you learn to play? Everything is pretty simple. The entire gameplay is divided into two main phases: day and night. At night, all players complete their main tasks, and during the day, discussion begins.

The main stages of the game:

1. First, all players draw cards and figure out what roles they will play. If ordinary cards are used, then sixes usually denote civilians, aces - the mafia. Kings can fit into the roles of Commissar and Doctor. Jack can be Maniac, and Queen - Confused. It is important that each player sees only his own card, otherwise the meaning of the game is lost.
2. Then the first day begins. Players can come up with names for themselves, get to know each other, as well as evaluate each other's behavior and even draw the first conclusions (but they will not be taken into account).
3. Then comes the first night. The mafia is waking up. They open their eyes, get acquainted and make a choice. On this, the first night ends, because the rest of the characters cannot yet guess who got what roles.
4. Second day. The host announces who was killed by the mafia. Then a discussion begins, during which the suspects are identified, and the one chosen in the vote reveals his card and is automatically eliminated from the game.
5. The second night will be interesting, as all the characters are activated. The host announces the participants in a certain order, and they perform their direct functions. First, the mafia does its "dirty deeds". Next, the Doctor enters the game, who treats the supposedly injured city dweller. Now Putana wakes up and decides with whom she will spend the night. Then it's the Commissar's turn, and he must imprison the one he suspects of the murders. And then a maniac may wake up, who will choose a victim and strangle her.
6. Another day. The host announces the events that took place during the night. If the victim was rescued by the Doctor or Putana, his identity is not revealed. If Putana is killed, then her "client" automatically dies as well. If the Commissar made a mistake, then the host also should not say who he considered the killer, otherwise some cards will open. The killed person is eliminated from the game, then the discussion begins again. But the strangled person does not take part in it, or rather, does not speak, but only gesticulates.

The game continues until either all the mafiosi are killed, or the criminals outnumber the law-abiding townspeople.

The discussion can take place in different scenarios. The simplest is the general vote. That is, the players put forward their assumptions, consult with each other, explain their behavior or justify themselves if they are accused. Then everyone votes, and thus who is the mafia is decided.

Voting can also have some nuances. So, all players can vote in turn, while the host will take into account the votes. But candidates can also be nominated in turn, and then the calculation will be simpler.

When the prime suspect is identified, he can have his last word (this is not always allowed), and if someone has changed their mind, they can change their vote. A candidate can be considered elected if a greater number of players or an absolute majority voted for him. Then he reveals the card and leaves, and the game continues on.

Subtleties and rules of etiquette

To make the game interesting, you need to consider some tips and rules:

• If the players could not decide on the suspect, and the two candidates received an equal number of votes, then the discussion starts again, then the players vote only for the two candidates chosen in the first round.
• You can only vote for one player.
• It is forbidden to reveal your role, then the meaning of the game will be lost.
• Eliminated players must silently and without emotion observe the course of the game, without betraying other participants.
• It is desirable to remove all players from each other so that they do not touch and do not feel movements at night, this is often confusing.
• Do not peep, then it will be simply uninteresting to play!
• If, after the distribution of cards, one player has found out the role of the other, then the cards are re-dealt again.
• You should not bet, swear, attract religious views or principles. Everyone must be on an equal footing.
• During the game, keep a close eye on all players, ask incriminating questions and evaluate the answers to them and the reaction.
• At night, all participants must be as quiet as possible, as any movement can attract attention and make others suspect not the guilty, but the noisiest players.
• The leader, when addressing the players at night, should keep his head straight so that the participants cannot figure out the roles in the direction of his voice.
• It is not the victory that is important, but the process itself, because it is exciting and interesting!
• If you do not know how to lie, then try to behave as calmly as possible. You should probably practice.

Be sure to try playing Mafia in a fun company!