So, a mafia game just ended, and I lost, urgh. Since I don't like that, I'm going to run a game instead, but not of mafia. Bleys has experience with that, I wouldn't do as good anyway.
No, the game I'm going to be running is called Mascarade (Masquerade), and it has a page on BGG. From that page:
Some more details about the actions:Quote:
Players in Mascarade start with six coins and a randomly dealt character card. Characters stay face up just long enough for players to more or less memorize them, then are turned face down. Your goal is to be the first player to hold 13 coins, and while you start nearly halfway to that goal, you can go down just as surely as you can go up!
On a turn you take one of three actions:
1) Announce your character: Claim the power of a certain character and take the associated action. You don't have to have that character card in front of you to take this action, but if someone else says that they're that character and reveals the card to prove it, that player takes the action instead while you lose one coin to the tribunal.
2) Swap cards or not: Take another player's character card along with yours, place them under the table, shuffle them around a bit, then give one card back to the other player while keeping one for yourself. You (presumably) know whether you changed characters and can have some idea of who you are now, but that other player might be in the dark.
3) Secretly look at your character: Look at your character card to make sure of who you are.
Play continues until one player obtains 13 coins and wins!
Mascarade includes more character cards than the number of players, so not all characters will be used in each game.
1) Someone who claims role X can be challenged by anyone (or even multiple people). Anyone who claimed or challenged will reveal his card, and the liar(s) will pay a 1 coin penalty to the tribunal. If the original claimer is caught lying, he loses his turn. If one challenger counterclaimed and was that role, he immediately gets its effect. Whoever is playing next and had challenged will be forced to take a swap action.
2) It's half the fun, casting doubt about whether you exchanged cards.
3) cards get swapped around a lot, so it's actually useful for some effects.
Since it is normally played around a table, I'll adapt things a bit for the forum format, which I'll detail:
I'll start the game thread with the list of rolecards and play order, the distribution depends on the number of players, so I'll wait until I have the participants confirmed.
I'll leave that distribution up for 24 hours, then remove it from my post, after that, you'll have to remember by yourself what's going on (except for the play order).
The three actions will require a bit of PMing: if you decide to swap cards, you will say whose you pick, and PM me if you really exchange or not. The whole point is that you can choose not to swap your card just to lead the others astray. If you decide to look at your card, I will PM you what it is. As long as players keep doing either of these two, the game goes on and you do not need me pausing the game.
If you roleclaim, well, this is where it gets amusing. Once someone roleclaims, actions are paused (the next player can't swap/look/claim), and people will have to either counterclaim/contest the roleclaim, or pass. since everyone most likely is new at the game, it is a valid move to fake counterclaim. You will get a coin penalty, but it'll block the other person if she was fakeclaiming. It also means you will (and everyone too) know what your card is.
Since roleclaiming pauses the game, there will also be a 12h deadline to post a challenge. If everyone has posted a pass, the game moves on, and if at least one has challenged and everyone else posted, I'll post the result as early as I see it.
Unlike mafia, it is "a every player for himself" game, and there is no elimination. It is, however, about pretending to be who you are (not), but with less metaplaying and headaches about figuring who is who. I expect the game will not last extremely long, around a table, it takes a few rounds to win usually. Since everyone is a beginner (except me, but I'm not playing ;)), have no fear about mistakes. you also won't have to post a lot, but you should keep an eye on the thread, since it is turn based, your turn will inevitably come. You can also chat and try to talk people out of revealing who they (think they) are ;)
While people sign up, I'll come up with the role names to fit an EoFF theme.
The game plays with 2-13 people, but it gets interesting with at least 7-8 players, so it'll be the minimum. Ideally I'll have that much confirmed by Friday, and I can run the game over the weekend and start of next week.
If you have questions, post them here.
