Week 6

A social deduction game is a combination of a social game and a deduction game. A social game is a game where “where social interaction is a core game mechanic.” (Ankit Buddhiraju On Games, Part 2: Social Deduction Games) The purpose of a social game is to make players interact with each other in a way that tells a narrative using your in-game character. Dungeons and Dragons is a good example of this, as it is a game where you must take on the role of a fictional character and move through the imaginary world invented by the DM (Dungeon Master). There are also many video games like this, mainly MMORPG’s (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) where players create a character and move through an online space and can play either with or against other players. Technically, all games where you play with other people could be considered a social game, but this type of game has the main focus be the socialization. 

A deduction game is a game “here players must use deductive reasoning on information presented in the game to draw the correct conclusions and win.” (Ankit Buddhiraju On Games, Part 2: Social Deduction Games). There are puzzle-solving games. Games where you take on the role of the sleuth or the detective and solve the mystery. Who-dun-it's are a prime example of this sort of game, where you are given a set amount of information, and the player (or players) are tasked with interpreting that information correctly in order to answer a question. My favorite type of deduction game is Phoenix Write, a game where you play as a lawyer whose job is to prove the innocence of an individual by finding evidence and piecing together the details of a murder in order to arrive at the truth. 

“Social deduction games are the marriage of the two.” (Ankit Buddhiraju On Games, Part 2: Social Deduction Games). A popular social deduction game is Mafia, where the mafia is trying to kill off all the other players, while the villagers are trying to kill the mafia. Everyone only knows who they are. The constraint is that all players have limited knowledge of their roles and other players' roles, which creates a challenge because there is no way to know who is who until a player is eliminated The direct actions are voting players out and talking amongst themselves. Indirect actions are thinking a deducing for yourself who is lying. The goal is trying to figure out the roles of the other players. This game is almost entirely chance-based, as there is no definitive, logical way to determine who is who while debating. 

These games are not for everybody. Some people don't like lying or being forced to be suspicious of their friends. This makes them uncomfortable and may increase anxiety, which is no fun for anyone playing a game. Some people enjoy the deduction and figuring out who is lying; the feeling of being a sleuth. I personally really enjoy socialization games and deduction games, but I’m a too high-stress person to enjoy social deduction games.