Second Look—Mafia de Cuba

Fans of Mafia or Werewolf who want a bit more out of their game, pay attention. Mafia de Cuba gives you what you love, and so much more.

Actually, the only thing Mafia de Cuba shares with the previously mentioned games is the face that each player has a role, and someone is trying to figure those roles out. The really cool part? Players choose their roles through gameplay.

The game starts with The Godfather, the only non-secret role in the game. He fills the cigar box (the actual box the game comes in) with 15 diamonds and the character tokens. He then passes the box to the next player. Players can take any number of diamonds out of the box, or a character token. The first player can actually take TWO character tokens and hide one, this removing it from play. Once the box makes it around the table, The Godfather questions the players trying to find the thieves. If he recovers all fifteen diamonds he wins. If he accuses the wrong people, he’s eliminated and victory is awarded based on who was accused. Each different role has different victory conditions, most sharing victory with other roles. The game’s expansion, Revolucion, adds more roles and a fake diamond.

The game is a blast, and I actually prefer it over other social deduction games. Everything from the pieces, the roles, and the role play really hit the right buttons with me. Speaking of the pieces, the game’s box is designed to look like a cigar box, the plastic diamonds are excellent, and the character tokens have enough heft to make them feel substantial. There’s a player-aid under the lid of the box with a space to place a sticker with the extra rules that come with the expansion, so all the rules are right in front of you during play.  It’s a game that feels solid from the ground up, the only downside being you need at least 6 players to play.

The rules are simple, and you’ll really only need a references sheet for the roles for the first few times you play. The expansion adds more depth, and a lot more fun.

I see this replacing Werewolf in my game collection, though I’d love to see a Werewolf themed version of this in the future.

A copy of Mafia de Cuba was provided free by Asmodee Editions.