The Creator of Mafia Has Feelings About The Traitors

by

The captivating, deceitful reality show “The Traitors” is frequently likened to the party game “Mafia,” which has been popular since the early ’90s among sleepover groups, summer camps, and game nights. Both games share a focus on psychological strategy as players aim to detect liars and remove them before they cause harm. Numerous media outlets have acknowledged the impact of “Mafia” on “The Traitors” following its debut in the Netherlands in 2021 and subsequent expansion across 22 countries so far. The connection is even recognized on NBC’s website and the official Wikipedia page for “The Traitors.

Previously, Dimma Davidoff, the inventor of the game Mafia, had never watched it. With the announcement of season four and season three being nominated for Emmys, I persuaded him to watch some episodes. We discussed his opinions about the show, as well as the 40-year history of Mafia, which began as an educational tool in Soviet-era Moscow. He shared how his game has impacted television shows, movies, and similar games over the decades, with some even acknowledging him financially. However, The Traitors does not fall into this category. Furthermore, he offered advice to next season’s contestants, coming from the man who is most knowledgeable about this type of covert scheming on earth.

In the mid-1980s, you devised Mafia, while Tetris was conceived in 1985 – both originating in Moscow, both emerging from an academic background. What sparked the creation of these two iconic games during this period?

It’s possible that it was the end of the “psychological winter” in the Soviet Union that served as the inspiration. After Stalin’s purges in the 1930s, psychology studies were severely restricted; one didn’t need psychology when citizens merely needed to respond like Pavlov’s conditioned dogs. However, this frost eventually thawed. One of the individuals who re-emerged was Lev Vygotsky, often referred to as the “Mozart of Psychology,” who made groundbreaking contributions to the field in the 1920s. Vygotsky was the first to recognize the significance of games within human culture and their role in human development. The resurgence of his ideas by his colleagues and students in the 1970s likely played a significant part in the emergence of these two blockbuster games.

I’m acquainted with Vadim Gerasimov, a collaborator on the classic game Tetris. He once invited me to discuss the Mafia game at MIT, as I recall. Their objective, it seems, was to employ games for psychological evaluation. Tetris, interestingly enough, was a digital adaptation of the Pentomino puzzle, which had previously been utilized as a test. The ability to effectively organize items, movements in dance, or thoughts into clear expressions is a crucial skill. Tetris wonderfully embodies this concept and translates it seamlessly into a game.

For me and Mafia, well … The origin is also in psychology, but it’s a little more complicated.

What was your intention?” or “Why did you act as you did?” My goal was to educate high school students on psychology. Although they listened attentively, they were hesitant to participate. At a certain point, I noticed that it was my authority that caused the silence. I needed to find a way to step back from the spotlight. So, I asked a couple of students to go outside and select a secret topic for discussion. Once they returned, we began discussing their chosen topic without realizing it. The students were tasked with subtly leading the group into conversation about their topic.

As a movie buff, I found myself pondering over an intriguing challenge: How do you steer a group when everyone’s eyes are on you? Initially, I managed to grab their attention, but it proved fleeting. The secret topic failed to captivate them, and they couldn’t manipulate us. However, in a flash of inspiration, my lightbulb moment struck: It would be much simpler for them if we were unaware of who had left the room initially.

The concept we’re discussing is the origin of the Mafia – a hidden bond within the group that demands attention. It’s like an unsolved mystery that overshadows all other topics, requiring immediate resolution before we can proceed. In case some members of the Mafia are present and their identities unknown, it means the entire group isn’t united. To address this, we need to start forming alliances from scratch – by convincing others to work together towards common goals. According to Vygotsky, these collaborative actions form the foundation upon which our world is built.

On the subway ride back from the university, I finished the rules.

In a flash, could you explain the fundamental guidelines for the original game of Mafia? Here, players are given secret roles – some as Mafia (the antagonists) or others as Villagers (the protagonists). The Mafia aim to eliminate all Villagers, while the Villagers strive to identify and expel the Mafia members.

In this game, there’s a switch between night and day phases. At night, the Mafia members discreetly pick one player to eliminate. As the sun rises, it transitions to the day phase where all players engage in discussions, trying to guess who might be part of the Mafia. They then vote on someone to potentially expel from the game. The objective is to either get rid of all the Mafia members and secure a Villagers’ victory, or for the Mafia to outsmart the Villagers, outnumbering them, thus claiming victory themselves.

Eventually, Mafia became popular among us. But how did that happen? At the time, I was residing in a Moscow University dormitory, which were two massive 16-story buildings with around 3,000 students. The place had a pool, café, winter garden, and even a movie theater! We’d spend months inside without leaving, and parties and games at those gatherings were much loved. So I began playing Mafia with friends, and it was fascinating to witness their reactions as they played for the first time — that moment of tension when someone realizes no words they say will be trusted!

I soon realized that many of these people would delight in sharing Mafia with their own friends, spreading the game far and wide. And that’s exactly what happened.

How fast did that occur among the Moscow University students during summer-science camps? Since there were no board games available at that time, Mafia emerged as an adult group game of choice. It eventually gained popularity in other nations too, thanks to exchange students returning home and Soviet citizens who could travel post-USSR fall.

In August 1991, upon arriving in the U.S., I overheard someone speaking Russian at a nearby grocery store. We struck up a conversation, and he extended an invitation for a game night. They were playing the game Mafia. I found it surprising since it was quick for me to be connected to the other players then.

Are there any additional recollections about the time when the game was becoming globally popular? In the mid-’90s, Silicon Valley saw the game gaining momentum. Engineers would often lose track of time playing games like “Mafia” and its variant “Werewolf”. These games became a common pastime among them, and some even brought it back to their home countries. This is how the concept of “killer clubs” emerged in China. Chinese players were particularly fascinated with playing “Mafia” using virtual-reality helmets, and these clubs are where they would gather. By the end of this trend, around ten factories in China had started manufacturing these VR helmets to cater to all the new killer clubs that sprung up.

Over time, as we approached the year 2000, there was a weekly occurrence of Mafia-related stories. Due to power outages, residents of an African village would play Mafia during their crisis. A Christian camp in Pennsylvania was shut down due to naked games of Mafia. Schools were concerned about the influence of Mafia on young people. Many instances of this game could be seen – even at airports, where kids waiting for delayed flights would gather and play Mafia, using a unique hand gesture I explained in my original rules (placing one hand on top of the head to vote).

For around fifteen years, from 2000 to 2015, I kept a close eye on numerous TV shows and movies. This observation turned into an intriguing personal experiment, as I studied how ideas spread across various social media platforms.

Isn’t it true that “The Traitors” wasn’t the very first reality TV show? Well, there were numerous ones before it. The initial one originated from Russia, featuring competitions among psychics or detectives. Perhaps Latvia was the second to follow, around the 1990s. I’ll have to double-check my archives for more details, as many countries participated and even fictional treatments were explored – a series of movies in Japan, a TV series in South Korea, for instance.

In Russia about a decade ago, there was a Mafia film that had quite a laugh. Fast forward to 2072, and Mafia has become the most popular TV series globally. The twist being, instead of prizes, losing contestants meet their end, reminiscent of Squid Game. However, it’s less about critical acclaim and more about grand production.

The game you initially created has sparked an entire category of games, some of which have gained significant popularity in recent times, like Secret Hitler and Among Us. These can all be linked back to your original creation, the Mafia. Such innovations are crucial for developing new games. For instance, consider a type of music game called “Mafia” where eight people with headphones dance, six share the same melody, and two have different rhythms. The challenge is to identify these rhythmic outliers. It’s quite fascinating, and I must admit, it brings me joy when I visit a gaming store and see the concept of Mafia reinvented as something new. However, simply renaming roles, such as calling the Mafia “Traitors” and the Honest “Faithful,” is like rebranding J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as something else… it may not carry the same charm or impact.

Were you receiving royalties for everything? No, only the 2015 Mafia movie paid royalties because they licensed the rights to the game. I attempt to negotiate with those who create commercial versions or they approach me for a license. However, when people invent stories about the origin of the game, they don’t think about licensing it. Sadly, one European version falsely claimed that Mafia originated from the Stalin-era Gulag on its packaging.

Have you happened to catch The Traitors on TV recently? I eventually gave in and watched it myself, mainly due to my daughter-in-law’s enthusiasm for the series as she is a dedicated viewer.

And?
They have made an entertaining show, but the way they went about it is disappointing.

It seems like the producers haven’t responded to your attempts to contact them regarding the Mafia game? You had reached out through their website previously, but you didn’t receive any response. They are certainly aware of the Mafia game, given its popularity and your copyright on it. If they have carried out even a basic check, they would know that Mafia is your intellectual property, as your email is clearly listed. Although games can be complex when it comes to intellectual property rights, this doesn’t diminish their value or the recognition and compensation game designers deserve for their work.

I’m not just voicing this opinion for my own sake. It’s an issue because failing to respect other creators can negatively impact everyone. This isn’t conducive to game designers creating better games. For instance, even a popular game like “Mafia” has been pirated by large organizations. If a young game designer witnesses this, they might think, “What are my chances?” This gives the impression that all their work is fair game for taking without permission.

Is it still the case that people acknowledge your work and compensate you for utilizing Mafia?

Yes, absolutely! Some individuals come up with unique ways to credit me. For instance, there’s an Australian game featuring 180 distinct roles. They wrote a letter proposing to pay me an honorary fee.

Are you still involved in game design?
Indeed, I am! I’m an independent researcher who specializes in designing psychological games. These games serve as my research tools and also form part of my books. One of my ongoing projects is developing games that can be enjoyed by humans, pets, and robots collectively. Additionally, I have a keen interest in dexterity games – exploring ways to improve speed and agility. My ultimate goal is to create games that embody various psychological concepts.

As a fan, I must confess that watching Boston Rob’s cunning strategies being uncovered this season has given me a sense of déjà vu. For years, I’ve found myself in similar situations playing the Mafia game, where my knack for strategy would often lead me to become the first casualty. This season’s lesson? It seems that being exceptionally skilled can sometimes work against you. Yet, it adds an extra layer of intrigue to the game!

“That tip seems quite beneficial. Any more tips for future contestants in Mafia? Well, remember that it’s a game about persuasion, and lying is generally counterproductive. As Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.’ So try to minimize your lies, but only when absolutely necessary. Strive to construct a convincing narrative.”

Fundamentally, Mafia isn’t about hidden tricks or strategies; that’s what makes it unique. External factors such as knowledge, skills, or past experiences hold little weight in this game. You could play against youngsters and still lose. The charm of Mafia lies in its simplicity – you start with a blank slate. However, you do possess the freedom to create your own narrative, piece by piece. Together, you construct a universe where fabrications can transform into truths if the majority deems them so.

Harry Potter is transliterated as “Garry Potter” in Russian, so for Russian readers, the spoonerism is actually “Porri Gatter.”
Davidoff has published his original rules online since 1998 and maintains copyright dates of 1987, 1992, and 1998.

Read More

2025-07-01 17:55