Title: Mafia

Informant info: Informant name: Alex Putter, Location: Hanover, NH, Date: 5/18/16, Dartmouth Student, Male, Class of 2018

Type of lore (verbal, material or customary), Genre, Subgenre: Customary

Language: English

Country of Origin: United States

Social / Cultural Context: Since the game involves so many people and requires a deck of cards, this game must have been played after everyone got into their trips or during extended breaks.

Informant’s comments: “In Mafia you have two conflicting groups, the mafia and the citizens. The game starts out with the mafia having only a few people and the citizens having a lot. Mafia members slowly eliminate townspeople until they outnumber them, or alternatively, townspeople guess which players are mafia members and eliminate them until there are none left. The game involves a great deal of cooperation, secrecy, and bluffing. It is a perfect icebreaker game as it requires everyone’s input.”

Collector’s comments: “I don’t remember playing Mafia at all on my trip, so presumably each trip leader had his or her own set of games for us.” -Julio

Tags: Mafia, cards, citizens, criminals, guessing, secrecy, bluff