At least two different factions are attempting to alter the course of history. You’ve lost your memory and have little to go on besides cryptic messages from the future. The player quickly learns that they’re a time traveler possessing the body of a 1930s mafioso. I said earlier that players take the role of a Prohibition-era Mafia Don, but that’s only half correct. And Mafiosi’s story, while sparse, is at least interesting to talk about.

Mafiosi is an adventure game at its core, and an adventure game lives or dies on the strength of its story. You can usually rely on context clues to figure it out, but there are times when the results feel disconnected from the decision itself. It could also mean gaining or losing both. That may mean trading your cash for extra goons or vice versa. For example, a decision may indicate a small effect on Gangsters and a significant effect on Money. Notably, the interface indicates the amount but not the direction of the change. This both shows your response and which resources are affected. You can preview your decisions by swiping a card partway to either side. Why exactly does having maxed out Respect cause a riot? The game never provides an answer to that question. The developers decided not to warn players about this in advance, and its explanation doesn’t really make sense. Oddly, the game also kills you for having too much Money or Respect. Running out of any resource is an instant game over, with Mafiosi explaining the exact nature of your character’s gruesome murder.

In Mafiosi, that mostly means the number of dirty cops and corrupt politicians on your payroll.Ī few other resources come into play should your character end up in prison, but they all follow the same basic principles. Lastly, the level of Law indicates your influence in the local government. Respect represents the fear and gratitude of everyday citizens. The last two are self-explanatory, indicating your supply of henchmen and cash. These decisions affect the player’s supply of four key resources: Law, Respect, Gangsters, and Money. Typically, each card presents players with two options, which they select by swiping either left or right. The gameplay is straightforward, with characters and events appearing as cards on your screen. The game offers an interactive narrative that’s, on the one hand, unique and intriguing, and on the other, buggy and random. A card-based adventure and management game, Mafiosi tasks players with running a crime syndicate in Prohibition-era America. Russian developer Defas releases two kinds of products: bootleg Naruto mobile games and Mafiosi.

Undermine game review