Well, this is a conversation that happened at Youthgroup one night after a particularly good game of Mafia:
"I wonder if you could do an outdoor version"
"Sounds possible"
And thus I was given the opportunity to create...
Mafia: Extreme Outdoor Edition
Introduction:
Built upon the premise of the original card game Mafia, this new version adds in more features that allow it to be used outside and is generally more physically active but just as fun.
-----
Needed Gear:
One mini-game for every five players (This is to reduce the length of queues as the game is quite fast-paced)
Leaders to manage the mini-games and organise individual points.
PREFERABLY: A minimum of twenty players. It is still possible with less than twenty but it does not work nearly as effectively.
Tables/Chairs, etc.
PREFERABLY: Prior knowledge as to how the cardgame works as it will make it easier to move into this version.
Small slips of Paper to write on.
-----
Objective: Mafia must kill the Civilians before the Civilians kill the Mafia.
-----
Players:
One mafia in every five players (Four mafia in a group of twenty - six mafia in a group of thirty)
A Doctor
A Sheriff
-----
Method of Play:
The game is organised into a Day/Night cycle of five or ten minutes (Add time for an increased number of players). When ten minutes is up, everyone regroups at the main points desk for notices, accusations and deaths.
During the day, players will quickly move around the different minigames as they please, racking up as many points as they can. The more difficult the challenge, the more points they get. Players can either move in groups or individually, both choices have merits and consequences.
The individual points cost is divided into cheap, normal, expensive and UBER. The Mafia have an extra "Uber" as the final one is basically a instant victory although the price is very hard to get. Costs are reset for each Cycle.
- Killing, saving and identifying
First kill: 500pts
Second Kill: 1500pts
Third Kill: 3000pts
Fourth Kill: 6000pts
All Civilians die: 16000ptsThe mafia do not have to kill in every cycle, but it is advised that they talk to each other about who should be killed. If two first kill requests are handed in, the second is nullified without redemption.
Unlike the cardgame, the doctor is now able to save groups of people rather than individuals for daynight cycles. By paying a fee, a group of people that the doctor has been with is saved from being killed for the rest of the cycle. However, the doctor cannot save themself at all. The doctor must write on a piece of paper who they want to save and hand it into the points desk along with the cost. A confirmation paper will be given back.
Small group save (3): 500pts
Medium Group save (5): 1500pts
Large Group Save (10): 3000pts
Emergency standby (11 - 200): 9000pts
Be warned though, a protected player can still be killed through an accusation.
The Sheriff is able to detect who the mafia is by handing in the required points along with requested names. The points manager will hand a list of names as well as their status back to the Sheriff.
Single detection (1): 500pts
Triple detection (3): 1500pts
Super Detection (6): 3000pts
Spy Network (11 - 200): 9000pts
The Civilians work slightly differently, in that they must all work together (Despite not knowing who each other is) to take down the Mafia. They must all gather points to create an accusation. However the Mafia is also able to contribute to an accusation, making it harder to work out who is civilian or Mafia. Unlike other payments, these payments are made during the end of a cycle when everyone regroups.
First accusation: 3000pts
Second accusation: 7000pts
Third Accusation: 12000pts
Force Card Reveal: 20000pts
The "Force Card Reveal" payment, despite being the most expensive in the game, forces an accused player to reveal their card. This is actually quite risky as it allows the mafia to also learn who the player is, thus making it easier for them to find the doctor and the sheriff.
The mafia can contribute to paying for an accusation, but they themselves cannot accuse someone. Any number of civilians can contribute any amount of payment they want to an accusation.
-----
Accusations
When a player is accused of being the Mafia, someone else must support the accusation (If the accusation does not go through, then the points are NOT returned). The accused is given a chance to defend themselves after which, everyone votes whether or not to kill the player. If the player is killed then they reveal their card. Otherwise it stays hidden.
Ending the Game
The game ends when either all Mafia are killed or there are not enough civilians left to be able to defeat the mafia (More mafia than civilians)
In the end, there are two victors, the remaining team and the surviving player with the most remaining points.
Strategies
- There is one mafia in every group of five civilians (Four civilians, one mafia). The civilians can afford to lose three civilians to kill a Mafia (Though, strategy is neccecary for clear victories)
- It is not implied anywhere in the rules that a player cannot reveal their card to another player. However keeping your card secret allows you to have some leverage over other players.
- If a players card is revealed (Such as the Force Card Reveal payment), then it is highly advised that the doctor protect them in the next round and possibly the second.
- The Mafia don't have to stick together - Spreading out with other groups to figure out who is who generally gives them an upper hand. Sometimes skipping a turn to kill a player gives them the points to kill two.
- For the sake of the survival, the civilians are very dependant on keeping the pressure on mafia. If the mafia arent forced to kill people, they can easily hide in the shadows and rack up enough points to kill everyone in one turn.
- The Mafia should strategically work out who is the biggest threat to them. Eliminating the Doctor is more effective than killing the sheriff.
-----
So, what do you think?
