Midnight Crew, a Homestuck Party Game
For anyone that knows the game Mafia, this is a slight variation, mostly in the titles of each player’s role. It is best played in a large room where players can spread out a little.
YOU’LL NEED:
- 7 or more players (plus 1 narrator)
- 1 deck of cards
To start, someone who knows how to play needs to volunteer to play the narrator, or Hussie.
Hussie takes the deck of cards and removes two Jacks, an Ace, and a King. The suit does not matter. Additional number cards are removed until Hussie holds enough cards to distribute one to each player.
Hussie then passes out the cards to the players. The players may look at their cards, but may not show them to other players. The card you hold determines your role in the game:
- If you hold a number card, you are a member of The Felt. You goal is to kill all members of the Midnight Crew before they kill you.
- If you hold a Jack, you are a member of the Midnight Crew. Your goal is to kill off members of The Felt until none are left.
- If you hold an Ace, you are Problem Sleuth, making a surprise cameo. You are allowed to perform special investigations, see below.
- If you hold a King, you are John Egbert*. You have the power to kiss people back to life, although they may not be dead yet, and it involves no actual kissing. See below.
No one should communicate to anyone else what their role is throughout the game, with the special exception of the Midnight Crew. The game is now set up and ready to play.
ACT 1: Rise with the moon
Hussie commands all other players to close their eyes and go to bed with the sun. It is advisable for the players to sit at tables so they may also rest their heads in their arms.
Hussie then says “[S] Midnight Crew: Ascend”, or something similar. The Midnight Crew silently raise their heads and opens their eyes. They now know who each other is. The Midnight Crew then silently gesture who of the group they want to kill off. Only one player can be killed by the Midnight Crew per night. After their selection is made, Hussie says “[S] Midnight Crew: Descend”, or something similar, and the Midnight Crew silently close their eyes and lower their heads.
Next, Hussie commands Problem Sleuth to rise and open his or her eyes. Problem Sleuth is allowed to point or otherwise gesture to one player they think is a member of the Midnight Crew. Hussie will non-verbally affirm or deny the guess. Hussie then verbally commands Problem Sleuth to go back to sleep.
Finally, Hussie commands John* to rise. John* is allowed to point or otherwise gesture to one player. This player, if they were chosen by the Midnight Crew to die, is now saved. If the player was not chosen to die, the immunity is lost and the player is vulnerable again the following round. John* is allowed to chose himself to save. John* may pick the same person to save each successive round if he so chooses. Hussie commands John* to go back to sleep.
ACT 2: Who did the thing
All sleeping players wake up. If the victim of the Midnight Crew was not saved, Hussie announces that a player has died, and points them out. The dead player is no longer allowed to speak to any alive players, or participate in the game in any significant way. If no one has died, Hussie says, “all ships are secure”, or something similar.
All remaining players are then allowed to discuss who they think is a member of the Midnight Crew.
- The Felt can attempt to identify the Midnight Crew by any non-physical means.
- The Midnight Crew are advised participate in the discussion and keep the suspicion away from themselves.
- Problem Sleuth, if they have successfully identified a member of the Midnight Crew, can use this information to their advantage, but may not directly say that they know or otherwise identify themselves as Problem Sleuth.
After the discussion, the players nominates up to three people they think are members of the Midnight Crew. The players will vote, and whoever receives the most votes is killed. If all members of the Midnight Crew have been killed off by voting, then The Felt have won. If not, then all remaining players go to sleep again.
The cycles of day and night continue until the Midnight Crew kills Problem Sleuth, John*,and all members of The Felt, or the Midnight Crew is killed by voting.
Dead players become ghosts and do not have to go to sleep at night. This means they are allowed to see the actions of the Midnight Crew, Problem Sleuth, and John*. While remaining quiet is preferred, ghosts are allowed to make exclamations such as, “Are you kidding me?!” or “I knew it was you!”, and are to avoid comments such as “So [player name] was a member of the Midnight Crew!” Basically, don’t use names.
If Problem Sleuth and/or John* is killed, they cannot perform their special abilities. Hussie is to verbally act as though they are still alive, cueing them on and off like normal, so the sleeping players have no way of knowing they have died.
In groups larger than fifteen, more members of the Midnight Crew should be added, not surpassing 1/3 of the total group. This game can get pretty crazy, so make sure you have enough time and a cooperative group to play with. Try it at the next convention you go to, or at home with a group of friends! No knowledge of Homestuck is required to play.
*if you want to be someone else (another kid, a troll, a consort, an exile, etc.), then go right ahead, no one can stop you
