Some time ago, while me and a group of friends were lounging around, bored, I recounted a Clue-esque card game I had once played in my youth. Starting with a normal set of cards, you take out as many cards as their are people playing, and only use those. With this smaller deck, you let one of them, say, the ace of spades, be the “killer” card (explained below). The cards are dealt out face down, so you only see the card handed to you.
The object of the game (as I remember it) is to identify who the killer is before he takes everyone out. The one holding the ace of spade “kills” another player by sending some subtle signal identifying himself as the killer, and after a random interval the victim unexpectedly falls dead (after making pitiful shreaks, gasps, or blindly stumbling around–elaborate death scenes are appreciated ). Meanwhile, the remaining players are pointing fingers at each other, trying to solve the mystery. The game ends when either someone id’s the killer or only two people remain. Obviously, this game works better in larger groups.
The thing is, after all these years I’ve forgotten how it is exactly that others are supposed to unmask the killer, or for that matter what kind of signal is is that the killer uses on other players. I have vague recollections that if a normal player guesses wrongly, they’re out–but that’s all I remember.
So I’m hoping one of you has better neurons then I. Does anyone remember:
What this game was called?
How the killer takes out other players?
How are you supposed to unmask the killer?
The game is called “murder” (in the form I know it). The method the killer uses is to wink at the victim, at which time they are supposed to die dramatically. The other non-murderers are supposed to accuse a person of being the murderer and if they are wrong they die themselves. (I believe that all they do when they accuse someone is say “I accuse _______.”)
The game, as we pllayed it, was called…“Killer.” The killer kills with a wink. When you realize someone has just winked at you, you identify yourself as dead. If anyone who’s still alive besides the intended victim sees him wink, they can call him on it and the game is over. But if the accuser is wrong he is dead. Amusing game - we played it often when I was a teenager.
Now I’m half-remembering a variation of this game and could use some help on details (all my web searches turn up commercial games for sale).
From what I remember, there were three kinds of people – murderers (or vampires), detectives (or vampire-hunters), and villagers. Vampires only knew who other vampires were, detectives might have known who vampires were, and villagers were ignorant fools. A moderator (judge) was probably needed as well. The game works best with a fairly large number (with around 2 vampires and 1 detective per 10 people).
Each ‘night’ – signalled either by turning off the lights or by having people close their eyes in the daytime – the vampires would kill (or turn?) one person each. I thinked this worked with the moderator saying, “vampires open your eyes” and the vampires would open their eyes, then collectively point at a person to turn/kill. The next ‘day’ their bodies (if killed) might be found. Now somehow the detective had special powers, like they could ask one question per day of the judge, or they actually knew who the vampire(s) were.
What made the game interesting is that at the end of the day, there would be a debate period, and people could accuse each other of being a vampire. Eventually one person was voted out each ‘day’, then night would come and the results would be seen.
As I’ve described, it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s pretty entertaining. For some reason I think the game was set up so that detectives had to draw as little attention to the fact that they knew something more and subtly persuade others to vote out the vampires, while vampires were trying to figure out who the detectives were as they could then wipe out (turn?) the townspeople.
Legolas, you seem to be new 'round these parts, so I’ll go easy on you.
Long sig files are non grata on these boards, and your signature file has got to be the longest I’ve ever seen. See TubaDiva’s announcement that’s currently at the top of every forum at the moment.
Uh, Legolas, I think you need to check out the announcement at the top of all the forums.
I’ve played a version of this called Mafia. The leader is God, who decides who wakes up when. While everyone else is asleep, the Mafia pick a victim by pointing. Then the Mafia go to sleep and the Policeman gets to point out who he thinks is Mafia. If he’s right, God nods. Sometimes there’s an angel or doctor who gets to guess who got killed. If he’s right the victim lives. In the ‘morning’, everyone gets a chance to accuse each other of being in the Mafia. At the end there’s a vote and who ever was picked dies. And then it happens again. Its over when there’s no Mafia left or no townspeople left. In my experience the Mafia usually win.
I think that’s what I was thinking of, Yue Han. Thanks.
I know I’ve played ‘mafia’ as you described it, and I think I’ve played a variation using vampires that turn people into vampires (so no one knows in the morning what happened, but once you see a coalition developing, you suspect vampires). And I think vampire-hunters worked like both policemen and the angels you described (they could save people and discover vampires).
). Meanwhile, the remaining players are pointing fingers at each other, trying to solve the mystery. The game ends when either someone id’s the killer or only two people remain. Obviously, this game works better in larger groups.