# MAFIA+

## Objective

Players take on mysterious characters belonging to one of three **Factions**. Every game always features two **Core Factions**:

- **City** – honest folk trying to survive while rooting out all the filth festering in this concrete jungle: the **Mafia**.
- **Mafia** – gangsters working from the shadows, looking to whack anyone from the **City** who gets in their way.

Optionally, for more advanced players, you can play with a third, **Additional Faction**:

- **Syndicate **– a shadowy organization that plays by its own rules. They care nothing for either side of the conflict and win independently of everyone else, as long as they survive to the end of the game.

The **City's** goal is to **eliminate the Mafia**, and the **Mafia's** goal is to **eliminate the City**. The **Syndicate**… well, it just has a good time and wins if it survives to the end of the game. The game ends the moment every player of one of the **Core Factions** has been **eliminated**.

## Game Setup

The game needs one person to run it – the **Game Master **(**GM**). To begin, the group together picks as many Character Cards as there are players, not counting the **GM** (see below: Character Sets). The **GM** shuffles the chosen Character Cards and deals one to each player. !*Note: do this in secret — no one may see anyone else's card*.

Nearly all Characters in the full pool are unique and have special **abilities**. There are also Characters with no **abilities** at all, and several of those may appear in the same game at once.

## Types of Abilities

- **Opening** – activated only once, during **Night Zero**.
- **Night** – can only be activated during the **Night**.
- **Day** – can only be activated during the **Day**.
- **Single-Use** – can be used only once per game.
- **Voting** – affects the **vote**.
- **Reveal** – related to **revealing**.
- **Posthumous** – triggers on its own the moment its owner dies.
- **No Ability**

## Glossary

- **elimination **– removing a player from the game. Once **eliminated**, a player may not speak for the rest of the game.
- **stats **– the number of players currently alive in each **Faction**. For example, if at a given moment 6 people from the **City**, 2 from the **Mafia**, and 3 from the **Syndicate** are alive, the **stats** read "6-2-3".
- **starting stats **– the size of each **Faction** at the start of the game.
- **sleeping / falling asleep ** – we speak of **sleeping** when a player has their eyes closed. **Falling asleep** means closing your eyes until the **GM** announces they may be opened.
- **waking **– opening your eyes on the **GM's** command.
- **voting** – takes place at the end of every **Day**. When the **GM** announces that **voting** begins, anyone may name an **accused** they believe should walk the plank.
- **accusation** – naming someone as a suspect during **voting**.
- **revealing **– the act of the **GM **revealing someone's **Faction**.

## Night

The game opens with the so-called **Night Zero** – no one dies, and no one even speaks. This **Night** serves two purposes: to let the **Mafia** players get to know one another, and to let Characters with **opening abilities** use them.

The **GM** orders everyone to **fall asleep**, then calls the **Mafia** to **wake**. The **Mafia** quietly comply and, looking around, learn who the other members are – the **GM** also points out who the **Mafia Boss** is (*this matters, because the player on that Character makes the final **Mafia** decisions*).

Next, the **GM** wakes the Characters with **opening abilities**, one at a time, so they can use them.

On every following **Night**, the **GM wakes the Mafia**, who choose one player to **eliminate** from the game, and then, one by one, every character with a **Night ability** gets woken up. All night actions must be carried out silently and signaled with a hand gesture or a head nod.

Example:

- \**It's Night, everyone is asleep*\*
- **GM**: “**The Doctor** wakes and chooses someone to heal.”
- \****The Doctor** opens their eyes, then silently points at someone with their hand*\*
- **GM**: “Thank you. That person can sleep soundly tonight. **The Doctor** goes back to sleep.”
- \****The Doctor** closes their eyes*\*

## Day

The first **Day**, coming right after **Night Zero**, begins with the **GM** announcing the **starting stats**.

On every following **Day**, the first thing the **GM** reports is who was **eliminated during the Night**. The current **stats** are then announced. At any point during the **Day**, anyone may ask the **GM** what the current **stats** are, or what the **starting stats** were.

During the **Day**, players talk, work out who's suspicious, and throw out accusations. At the very end of the **Day** comes a group **vote**. The **Day** also ends immediately the moment anyone, in any way whatsoever, is **eliminated**.

## Voting

**Voting **must take place at the end of each **Day**. It is the only way, unrelated to any character's **abilities**, for the **City **to **eliminate** someone. Anyone may **accuse** someone as a suspect, either to **reveal** or to **eliminate** them. The **accused **have the right to defend themselves. The **GM **decides when the discussion ends and the **vote** begins. **Voting** is open\* – the **GM** asks each player who they wish to cast their vote for. In the case of majority of votes landing on one person, that person is **eliminated**. In the event of a tie, the **GM **asks the players to debate again, potentially narrowing down the list of the accused.

It's also possible to hold a **vote to** **reveal** instead of **to** **eliminate** – but only if the **GM **allows it, at their discretion\*\*. A good example of when the **GM** might suggest a **vote to investigate** is <u>the first **Day**</u>, when players aren't yet sure of anything, or after a tie in a regular **vote**.

\**You can also hold a secret vote, for example using slips of paper and pens.*

\*\**The irony, of course, is that to collectively decide on changing the voting method, you have to hold… a vote.*

## Faction Reveal

Whenever someone's **Faction** is **revealed** in any way, the **GM** shows the **reveals** **the Faction** with a thumb gesture, just like Caesar in ancient Rome would:

- *thumbs up* means that the given person belongs to the **City**,
- *thumb sideways* means that the given person belongs to the **Syndicate**,
- *thumbs down* means that the given person belongs to the **Mafia**.

## Closing Notes

<closing_notes>

## Characters

### ♡♢ City

#### (A♢) Loose Cannon

**During** the **Day**, the **Loose Cannon** may **stand up**, **declare themselves the Loose Cannon**, and gun down one person. The Day ends immediately after the shot, no matter the outcome. They can do this only **once**.

*"Gotcha!"*

#### (K♡) Doctor

**Every Night**, the **Doctor** chooses **one person** to heal. If the person chosen that **Night** gets attacked by the **Mafia**, they **won't die**. The **Doctor** may heal themselves. Those who are healed don't know that someone is watching over them.

*Let them sleep soundly…*

#### (K♢) Railwayman

**Every Night**, the **Railwayman** chooses **one person** to ship out of town. For the entire next **Day and Night**, that person is out of town – they cannot **speak**, **vote**, **use their ability**, or be **attacked** or **investigated**. Each person can board the train **only once**. The **Railwayman** cannot ship themselves out.

*The Railwayman will take good care of you…*

#### (Q♡) Lady of the Night

On **Night Zero**, **Lady of the Night** chooses **one person** to seduce. The chosen person wakes up, and the **LotN** sees their **character card**.

*I wonder who'll be the first to spill your secret.*

#### (10♡) Detective

**Every Night**, the **Detective** chooses **one person** to **reveal**, and, through quiet detective work, **learn their Faction**. Suspects don't know they've been investigated.

*Decide for yourself who to trust.*

#### (10♢) Gun Shop Owner

If the **Mafia kills the Owner during the Night**, they may **shoot once more**.

*You left the key under the doormat.*

#### (9♡) Saint

Has **two lives**. The first attempt to **eliminate the Saint will fail**.

*The second time, don't count on a miracle.*

#### (8♡) Bodyguard

On **Night Zero**, the **Bodyguard** choose **one person** to protect. If that person would ever die at the hands of a mortal, the **Bodyguard sacrifices themselves** **to save them**.

*You'll wonder whether it was worth it in your grave.*

#### (7♡) Poor Bloody Infantry

Whenever the **Poor Bloody Infantry** gets their **Faction** **revealed**, they come up as a member of the **Mafia**. In reality, they belong to the **City**.

*"I's a war veteran! ... spare me a gold coin?"*

#### (6♡) Chairman

Right after the **vote**, the **Chairman** may **stand up and declare themselves as the Chairman**. The **vote** results are immediately annulled, and the **Chairman** then declares either a **re-vote** or the **end of the Day**. If a **re-vote** is called – the **Chairman** may also choose its effect: **reveal** or **elimination**. They can do all of this only **once**.

*Let gold do the talking.*

#### (4♡♢/3♡♢/2♡♢) Citizen

**No special abilities**.

*But hey — at least you don't have to lie.*

### ♠ Mafia

#### (A♠) Mafia Boss

The Boss of all Bosses. If the **Mafia** can't agree on who to **kill during the Night**, the **Mafia Boss** passes the **final death sentence**.

*Silence falls at once.*

#### (K♠) Blackmailer

On **Night Zero**, the **Blackmailer** chooses **one person** to blackmail. The chosen person learns the **Blackmailer's** identity and, from then on, **cannot** act **against the Blackmailer** for the rest of their sorry life.

*You smiled just once. That was enough.*

#### (Q♠) Coquette

Whenever the **Coquette** gets her **Faction** **revealed**, she comes up as a member of the **City**. In reality, she belongs to the **Mafia**.

*Charm often works better than a knife.*

#### (10♠) Janitor

During the **Night **shift at the city hall, the **Janitor** can sweep the **Mafia's **dirt under the rug. For the **entirety of the next Day**, no one can learn the **stats**. They can do this only **once**.

*Some papers simply vanish.*

#### (4♠/3♠/2♠) Mafioso

**No special abilities**.

*But hey — you can still frame someone.*

#### (A♠/K♠) Blackmailing Boss*

On **Night Zero**, the **Blackmailer Boss** chooses **one person** to blackmail. The chosen person learns **BB's** identity and, from then on, **cannot** act **against them**. If the **Mafia** can't agree on who to **kill during the Night**, **BB** passes the **final death sentence**.

*Just don't get yourself killed.*

<u>**a fusion of the Mafia Boss and the Blackmailer - useful for better Faction balance - make sure the pool of available characters doesn't include either of those two characters at the same time as the Blackmailing Boss.*</u>

### ♣ Syndicate

#### (A♣) Angel of Death

**Every Night**, the **Angel of Death** chooses **one person** to mark. A person marked for the second time **dies**. Those who were marked don't know that…

*…Death is treading on their heels…*

#### (K♣) Mayor

If a **vote **ends with the **Mayor's elimination**, everyone who voted for the **Mayor** **dies as well**.

*It was never about democracy.*

#### (Q♣) Chairman's Daughter

Right after the **vote**, she may **stand up and declare herself as the Chairman's Daughter**. Her vote then counts **double**. You can do this only **once**.

*No one dares to question you.*

#### (10♣) Bomber

If the **Bomber** **dies**, in any way whatsoever, the person sitting to the **Bomber's** **left** **dies as well**.

*\*Boom.\**

#### (10♣) Bomber+

If the **Bomber+** **die**s, in any way whatsoever, the people sitting on **both** **sides of the** **Bomber** **die as well**.

*\*BOOM!\**

#### (8♣) Bartender

During the **Night** shift behind the bar, the **Bartender** can get the **Mafia** drunk. The **Mafia's** target is then shifted by **one person** in the direction the **Bartender** chooses. Only the **Bartender** knows when **Mafia's** glass is actually topped up. They can do this only **once**.

*"C'mon! Won't you drink with your neighbor?"*

## Example Character Card Sets

| Number of Players | Starting Stats | City                                                         | Mafia                                                        | Syndicate                                                    |
| ----------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 6                 | 4-2-0          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Poor Bloody Infantry | Mafia Boss<br />Coquette                                     | —                                                            |
| 7                 | 4-2-1          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon | Mafia Boss<br />Coquette                                     | Bartender / Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter             |
| 8                 | 5-2-1          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner | Blackmailing Boss<br />Coquette                              | Bartender / Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter             |
| 9                 | 5-2-2          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner | Mafia Boss<br />Coquette                                     | Two characters from the pool:<br />Bartender / Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter |
| 10                | 5-3-2          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Saint | Mafia Boss<br />Coquette<br />Janitor                        | Two characters from the pool:<br />Bartender / Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter |
| 11                | 6-3-2          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman / Chairman | Mafia Boss<br />Coquette<br />Janitor                        | Bartender<br />Angel of Death / Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter |
| 12                | 6-3-3          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman / Chairman | Mafia Boss<br />Coquette<br />Janitor                        | Bartender<br />+Two characters from the pool:<br />Angel of Death / Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter |
| 13                | 7-3-3          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman / Chairman<br />Bodyguard | Blackmailing Boss<br />Coquette<br />Janitor                 | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Mayor / Bomber / Chairman's Daughter |
| 14                | 7-3-4          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman / Chairman<br />Bodyguard | Blackmailing Boss<br />Coquette<br />Janitor                 | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor / Chairman's Daughter |
| 15                | 8-3-4          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Bodyguard | Blackmailing Boss<br />Coquette<br />Janitor                 | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor / Chairman's Daughter |
| 16                | 8-4-4          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Saint | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor       | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor / Chairman's Daughter |
| 17                | 9-4-4          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Saint<br />Bodyguard | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor       | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor / Chairman's Daughter |
| 18                | 9-4-5          | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry / Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Saint<br />Bodyguard | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor       | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor<br />Chairman's Daughter |
| 19                | 10-4-5         | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry<br />Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Saint<br />Bodyguard | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor       | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor<br />Chairman's Daughter |
| 20                | 10-5-5         | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry<br />Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Bodyguard<br />Citizen | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor<br />Mafioso | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor<br />Chairman's Daughter |
| 21                | 11-5-5         | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry<br />Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Bodyguard<br />Citizen x2 | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor<br />Mafioso | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor<br />Chairman's Daughter |
| 22                | 12-5-5         | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry<br />Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Bodyguard<br />Citizen x3 | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor<br />Mafioso | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor<br />Chairman's Daughter |
| 23                | 12-6-5         | Doctor<br />Detective<br />Lady of the Night<br />Loose Cannon<br />Poor Bloody Infantry<br />Gun Shop Owner<br />Railwayman<br />Chairman<br />Bodyguard<br />Citizen x3 | Mafia Boss<br />Blackmailer<br />Coquette<br />Janitor<br />Mafioso x2 | Bartender<br />Angel of Death<br />Bomber+<br />Mayor<br />Chairman's Daughter |

## Edge Cases

- When the **Doctor** heals someone, but that same **Night** the person is **marked for the second time** by the **Angel of Death**, are they eliminated? - YES.
- Can the **Doctor **heal themselves? - YES.
- Can the **Doctor **heal the same person more than once? - YES.
- Can the **Railwayman** ship themselves out of town? - NO.
- Can the **Detective** investigate themselves? - NO.
- Can the **Detective **investigate a person shipped out by the **Railwayman**? - NO.
- Can the **Bodyguard **protect themselves? - NO.
- Can the **Loose Cannon **shoot themselves? - YES. *(why? no idea, but they can)*
- Can a blackmailed person **vote **against the **Blackmailer** if the **vote **is secret? - NO.
- Can the **Blackmailer** blackmail themselves? - NO.
- Can the **Lady of the Night** check herself on **Night Zero**? - NO.
- When the **Mafia **shoots the **Saint** during the **Night**, while the Saint still has two lives and is being healed by the **Doctor** at the same time, do they lose their first life? - NO.
- When the **Mafia** shoots the **Saint** during the **Night**, while the Saint still has two lives and is being protected by the **Bodyguard** at the same time, what happens? - THE **BODYGUARD** IS ELIMINATED. THE **SAINT** LOSES NO LIFE.
- When the **Loose Cannon **shoots the **Saint**, who still has two lives, while being protected by the **Bodyguard** at the same time, what happens? - THE **BODYGUARD** IS ELIMINATED. THE **SAINT **LOSES NO LIFE.
- When the **Mafia** shoots someone during the **Night** who is protected by the **Bodyguard**, and the **Doctor **healed the **Bodyguard** that same **Night**, what happens? - NO ONE IS ELIMINATED.
- When the **Mafia** shoots someone being healed by the **Doctor** who is at the same time protected by the **Bodyguard**, what happens? - NO ONE IS ELIMINATED
- Can the **Angel of Death** mark themselves? - YES. *(why? no idea, but they can)*
- How many times must the **Angel of Death** mark the **Saint** for them to be eliminated? - 4
- Does the **Bodyguard** protect against the **Angel of Death's** second mark? - NO.
- When the **Bartender** shifts the **Mafia's** bullet and it lands on a person shipped out by the Railwayman, what happens? - NO ONE IS ELIMINATED.
- Does the **Bodyguard** protect against the **Bomber** blowing themselves up? - YES.
- The **Chairman **and **Chairman's Daughter** can use their **ability** during, or "right after," the vote. Up to exactly which moment can these characters use their **abilities**? - UNTIL THE GAME MASTER CARRIES OUT THE SENTENCE
- If the **Bomber** dies and the person next to them has been shipped out by the **Railwayman**, what happens? - NO ONE IS ELIMINATED ON THAT SIDE.
- If the **Bomber** dies and the person next to them is already **eliminated**, what happens? - THE NEAREST LIVING PERSON ON THAT SIDE IS ELIMINATED