DESCRIPTION & INSPIRATION

The overarching theme of the game revolves around survival and shaping one's environment through teamwork, but it also incorporates deception as a core gameplay element. This dual focus on cooperation and deception adds layers of complexity and strategy, reflecting how collaboration and trust can coexist with hidden motives and trickery.

Our interpretation of the theme centers on the idea that survival and success in any environment, whether real or fictional, requires not only cooperation but also the ability to navigate deception. In designing the game, we wanted to emphasize how teamwork can be both strengthened and tested by deceitful actions and hidden agendas. Players must work together to achieve common goals while staying alert to the possibility of betrayal from within their ranks.

Drawing inspiration from Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle's MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons), we structured the game environment around four primary player roles and two player types. The Mafia player, acting as a "killer," introduces the element of deception, secretly working against the group. The moderator oversees the game mechanics, ensuring fair play, while the remaining players, Citizens and Detectives, are socializers and achievers who must collaborate to complete tasks and uncover the identity of the Mafia player. Cooperative play is at the heart of the game, where Citizens, the Doctor, and the Detective must unite to identify and eliminate the Mafia members while also fulfilling game objectives. However, the Mafia's hidden role adds a layer of mistrust, as players must decide who they can trust while working toward common goals. This tension between cooperation and deception requires players to think critically and use social manipulation to their advantage.
Game Documentation & Rulebook