Michelle Li, 5/14 Week 16 - Mafia
Today was the largest game of mafia I have ever been a part of. 17 people! 18, if you count the Game Master. It also marks the end of a two-year hiatus I took from the game.
Throughout seventh to ninth grade, I was active on mafia forums and the MafiaScum Wiki pages (that’s Mafia Scum by the way; scum is a term used to describe any party that works against villagers in the game). I loved playing mafia online. Threads and direct messages allowed for much more privacy between mafia members, allowing for roles and setups to become far more complex than they could ever be in person. But despite the social nature of this game, I always felt disconnected from the other online players.
There’s something distinct about sitting in a circle, eyeing down people that have been biting back smiles or have stayed suspiciously silent for most of the round. There’s something distinct about physically putting my head down and wondering if the mafia is going to point at me and end my participation in the game. There’s something distinct about everyone talking over each other, voices overlapping as conversations get heated and people plead to avoid being voted out. My memories of mafia from quarantine—no matter how interesting or challenging the games had been back then—were quickly overshadowed by today’s experience.
But still, some things never change. As Game Master, I watched as the mafia members I selected began to show behaviors that were reminiscent of the mafia I had to root out two years ago. Bandwagoning. Pointing fingers. Keeping quiet. It was like stepping back in time—all the strategies, accusations, and memories that had been gathering dust in the back of my mind suddenly rushed forward.
I think I’m dissecting my experiences with mafia too deeply, but I did really enjoy playing it today. With the new ideas and setups I unfortunately spammed some of you with, I’m really looking forward to our next round. Hopefully, we won’t be so short on time and maybe mafia will finally get a chance to win.
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog, especially after Wednesday’s once-in-a-blue-moon free class. I never knew you used to read through mafia content almost religiously, but it explains why you were a great game master to facilitate the roles and the ensuing chaos of the conversations. I bet you did not think your break from the game would end like this, did you? I like how you vividly depict the scenes of the game and compare it to what you remember versus how an in-person group of high schoolers played. Thank you for suggesting multiple paragraphs worth of modifications to the game and I hope we can play again with some of those new roles.
I remembered the first time when I played Mafia, when I was just a wee lad, my dad had come from a business trip from a land across the world. He told us how he had played a game by the name of Mafia at the land of the free. That day was the first time I played Mafia in the States, it marked a day of completion for me I had come back to the place the game had started. On another note, the game itself is itself a marvelous adventure, unfortunately I was only there for the last game, so I did not get to experience your great skill as a Game Master. Yet I still distinctly remember, how my false accusation of Yuhaen was actually proven correct.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! When we were playing Mafia last Wednesday, I could clearly see your love for the game; I’m thankful that we were able to have such an experienced and passionate Game Master. You’ve told me about all the different setups and roles—and yes, I read some parts of the MafiaScum Wiki after you showed it to me. I’m amazed at how creative people can get with this game, as well as how it plays with trust and paranoia. I love how you described about how there is something so distinct about playing this game in person, and I think this is partially due to how close our class period has gotten over this past year. I hope we can all play Mafia again, and I especially hope we can test all your proposed setups and roles!
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI HAD SO MUCH FUN PLAYING MAFIA! You are such a creative and entertaining game master, and I am looking forward to the next time we play Mafia. Speaking of being Game Master, it's interesting to hear your perspective as Game Master. Recognizing familiar Mafia behaviors must have been like such an "aha!" moment, but you kept the perfect poker face. It really shows how well you understand the dynamic of the game. Thank you for managing one of the largest, chaotic, and engaging rounds of Mafia I have played so far. I genuinely am looking forward to seeing the new stories you bring next time.
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this! It is incredible how much background you have with Mafia—and it was really evident in the way you conducted the game. You made it feel so much more than a class assignment; it actually felt like a movie scene, with all the pointing fingers and chaos and tension. I totally get what you mean about the difference between in-person and virtual play—being able to see everyone's reaction in real time just adds the whole other layer. I'm so excited to see what systems you develop next (even if I get voted out again). Thanks for making the game so much fun!
As soon as I saw the title of your blog I just knew I had to read it especially after last Wednesday! I was spectating the whole game and your creativity (though a little morbid) was truly impressive and it was alot of fun watching you guys play and be resourceful with the items around you. And seeing you guys play mafia reminded me of how much I too, used to play the game in elementary school! We would all play together around 20 people as it was everybody who attended afterschool! Its clear your a pro at the game and I can only hope to join your game next time? Thank you for sharing such an amusing blog.
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