Game Modes (ToS)

Looking for Coven Expansion Game Modes? For more information on Coven Expansion game mode setups and strategies, visit Game Modes - Coven.

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The Classic "Normal" Game Modes.

In the base content of Town of Salem, there are eight different game modes to play: Classic Mode, Ranked Practice, Ranked, Custom Mode, Rapid Mode, All Any, Rainbow Mode, and Dracula's Palace.

In every game mode except Custom Mode and Rapid Mode, the game will start automatically when the lobby reaches 15 players.

There are also Coven equivalents to all modes except Rainbow, Dracula’s Palace, and Rapid Mode plus three Coven exclusive Gamemodes (Mafia Returns, Coven Lovers Mode, and Coven VIP Mode).

Classic Gamemodes

These are the Classic Gamemodes. These gamemodes can be played for free and do not require the Coven expansion.

Classic Mode

Classic Mode is the simplest game mode as almost all of the roles are predetermined and somewhat balanced. This mode is geared towards newer players so they can learn roles without them changing every other game; the only alternating slots are Random Town and Town Killing. This game mode will probably be the very first game a player will ever play, however, this means that if experienced players do decide to play classic, there will be little claim space if they get an evil role, but they can trick the new players into thinking they're townies.

The amount of roles depends on the number of players. The corresponding number will be the first roles that are used. For example: if there are only 10 players the first 10 roles will be used. This means that if there are twelve or fewer players, there will be no uncertainty as to what roles are in the game, as there will be no Town Killing or Random Town.

The Town should press everyone for claims. If two people claim the same role, one is either the Random Town or an evil role. If 2 groups of two people claim the same role (for example, two people claim Sheriff, and two other people claim Doctor) one of them is definitely evil. The same goes if 3 people claim the same role, or if 2 people claim the same role when the Random Town slot is dead or taken. Once the Random Town is known, it is easy to narrow down who is evil by process of elimination. If you are evil, you should claim a role that fits in your investigation result that is hard to disprove and provide a will to back your claim up. If the Investigator dies and didn't put your investigation result in their will, you can claim any role; though it's possible the Random Town is another Investigator. Be careful of counterclaims though, normally, the one with a better will is the one who stays alive. If you are a Jester, you should try and claim what a confirmed Town claims. Most people will likely believe them over you. If you are an Executioner, claim Sheriff or Investigator and accuse your target late game or counter claim your target's claim.

Since members Town may be new to the game, and don't usually have any clue what to do, they might ignore people's evidence and info, and randomly vote/accuse players of wrongdoing. This can be somewhat useful to the Town as stated above.

Roles

Role Name	Role Alignment/Category	Role Description
Sheriff	Town Investigative	Check one person each night for suspicious activity.
Doctor	Town Protective	Heal one person each night, preventing them from dying.
Investigator	Town Investigative	Investigate one person each night for a clue to their role.
Jailor	Town Killing	You may choose one person during the day to jail for the night.
Medium	Town Support	Speak with all dead people at night.
Godfather	Mafia Killing	Kill someone each night.
Framer	Mafia Deception	Choose one person to frame each night.
Executioner	Neutral Evil	Trick the Town into lynching your target.
Escort	Town Support	Distract someone each night.
Mafioso	Mafia Killing	Carry out the Godfather's orders.
Lookout	Town Investigative	Watch one person at night to see who visits them.
Serial Killer	Neutral Killing	Kill someone each night.
Town Killing	Town Killing	May be either Veteran or Vigilante.
Jester	Neutral Evil	Trick the Town into voting against you.
1 Random Town	Town	Can be any Town role except for Jailor or Vampire Hunter.

Ranked Practice

This mode may be found under the 'Normal' tab and it features the same role list which Ranked Mode has.

• 10 games of this mode are required to play Ranked.
• Players may play this mode with friends in a party.
• This mode is often played by players that need to warm up before a Ranked match.

Roles

Role Name	Role Alignment/Category	Role Description
Jailor	Town Killing	You may choose one person during the day to jail for the night.
2 Town Investigative	May be Investigator, Lookout, Sheriff or Spy.
1 Town Protective	May be Bodyguard or Doctor.
1 Town Killing	May be Veteran or Vigilante.
1 Town Support	May be Escort, Mayor, Medium, Retributionist or Transporter.
3 Random Town	May be any Town role, as long as unique roles do not occur more than once.
Godfather	Mafia Killing	Kill someone each night.
Mafioso	Mafia Killing	Carry out the Godfather's orders.
2 Random Mafia	May be any Mafia except Godfather or Mafioso.
1 Neutral Evil	May be Executioner, Jester or Witch.
1 Neutral Killing	May be Arsonist, Serial Killer or Werewolf.

Differences

• Since you have a lot of Random Town placements, you must find all the Random Town in order to discern whether or not a claim is true. This often takes place during the late game.
• Due to the fact that there are three Random Town placements, there is a reasonable chance to have more than one Town Protective in this game mode. This means you can ask for other possible to reveal early in the game and team with them, ensuring a good combo.

Ranked

Competitive? Experienced? Ranked may be found under the 'Normal' tab.

• This game mode may not be played within a party.
• You will not know any other person in the Queue's REAL username.
• Scrolls will not work.

Roles

Role Name	Role Alignment/Category	Role Description
Jailor	Town Killing	You may choose one person during the day to jail for the night.
2 Town Investigative	May be Investigator, Lookout, Sheriff or Spy.
1 Town Protective	May be Bodyguard or Doctor.
1 Town Killing	May be Veteran or Vigilante.
1 Town Support	May be Escort, Mayor, Medium, Retributionist or Transporter.
3 Random Town	May be any Town role, as long as Unique roles do not occur more than once.
Godfather	Mafia Killing	Kill someone each night.
Mafioso	Mafia Killing	Carry out the Godfather's orders.
2 Random Mafia	May be any Mafia except Godfather or Mafioso.
1 Neutral Evil	May be Executioner, Jester or Witch.
1 Neutral Killing	May be Arsonist, Serial Killer, or Werewolf

Differences

• In order to participate in Ranked matches, you must have played and have completed 50 games in other Game Modes. You must also have completed 10 Ranked Practice matches, which counts towards playing 50 games.
• You will be competing to win and earn Elo.
• Rather than being placed into a lobby, you are placed into a queue that redirects you to a ranked match with fourteen other people. You will see a timer instead of the 'Play' button on the top of the screen, with the words 'Ranked Queue'. When the timer runs to 0, you will be shown a small picture with 2 options ('Accept' or 'Decline') as well as a 10-second timer. Choose 'Accept' to join the game. If you join when the timer is near 0, you might get a message telling you that the queue is already full, but you will be the first person in the next queue. If you do not select a button, you will be out of the queue.
• The roles are predetermined (see below for list of player roles).
• Scrolls are not allowed in this game mode, because the developers wanted scrolls to have no effect on Ranked games and have a fair environment to play without them.
• Parties are not allowed in this game mode, as you are sent right into the queue.

Since there is more claim-space in Ranked than Classic Mode, it becomes slightly easier for the evils to claim freely; but unlike All Any, there's still a reasonably strict role list, allowing the game to be solved by process of elimination. Therefore, if you are Town, it is usually best to have a confirmed Townie that directs the Town on what to do. They should ask for claims and narrow it down that way. However, this has a downside: it forces Jailor and other important Town roles to claim. If a Townie is confirmed, make sure you have a Transporter, Lookout, Bodyguard, Doctor, or even a Jailor protecting them. The Town should communicate with each other in the day time to gain information. If you are evil, try and lay low and attack semi-confirmed Townies, or ones that might be important and have no protection.

Custom Mode

Custom Mode gives the Host more freedom to choose what they want to put into their game. All players will earn the same number of Merit Points, which is dependent on the duration of the match.

The Host

• The host is the first person who joins the lobby. If there are at least 7 players in the lobby, players are able to type /repick to pick a new host which will be one of the players in the lobby. You need to be in the lobby for at least 10 seconds before voting to repick the host.
• The host can create the role list from 15 choices of any specific or random role. Random roles may be of a certain alignment (e.g. Neutral Killing), a certain team (e.g. Random Town) or Any.
• The host has a few restrictions while picking roles:
  • There cannot be more than one of a Unique role.
  • There cannot be more than four members of the Mafia or of the Coven.
  • There cannot be more than four Vampires.
  • There cannot be more than six Any roles.
  • There cannot be more than six of a particular role or alignment.
• If the host leaves, the person below them will become the host.
• When hosting, be sure to choose what roles you AND the other players want into the game, so everyone can come on an agreement easily.

For common setups to host, view Custom Setups.

Rapid Mode

Rapid Mode is a Game Mode where everything is fast-paced. The timer for several aspects of the game is cut in half, leaving you with much less time. If you need a quick game or a fast-progressing game, then this is where you'll find it. All players will earn the same number of Merit Points, which is dependent on the duration of the match.

Differences

• Time given to complete actions is cut in half.
• Overall duration of the game is decreased.
• Certain roles drop in usefulness (see Disadvantages)

Advantages

• Great for people who want to play a game but don't have enough time.
• Great for people who like fast progression.

Disadvantages

• Night and Defense phases progress very fast.
• Less time to write your Last Will.
• Difficult to find a match; Rapid Mode is not as popular as other game modes.
• Some role abilities are put at a disadvantage with the shortened time frame (i.e. Medium seancing, Jailor jailing,  Forger writing a forged will, and Mafia members getting confused with orders at night).
• Difficult to discuss with each other.
• Shorter time to choose what you are going to do at night.

Strategy

Rapid Mode forces players to summarize their findings as fast and as succinct as possible. Interrogations are also forced to speed up. Players who are able to summarize accusations quickly can effectively carry the game and steamroll over the rest of the Town. However, just like Custom, the strategy depends on the role list.

All Any

All Any mode is completely random and consists of 15 Any slots, which can be any of the 33 roles in the game (49 for Coven). As with other modes, there can only be one of each Unique Role if one is selected. Games can start with as many as 4 members of the Mafia and, although very rare, as few as 0 members of the Mafia. Games can also start with up to 4 Vampires.

Normally, the Mafia has a big advantage over the rest of the factions. They are the usually only faction that knows their identities instantly, while the Town can take many days to figure out who is who. If you are accused of any role, call them an Executioner. If you are evil, you should refrain from claiming Jester because that is a common claim for evils in this mode. The Town has to converse and figure out the role list very quickly before the evil roles kill them all off or the Vampires convert them all.

Advantages

• It is significantly easier for Neutral roles to win games, as chances are that there aren't as many Town roles compared to other game modes.
• Members of the Mafia may also find it easier to win as they instantly recognize their teammates.
• Games generally take a short time to start as it is popular among Town of Salem players.

Strategy

All Any mode requires players to only rely on the findings of their own and other people. As such people who rely on the role list to make accusations may be at a disadvantage.

Rainbow Mode

Rainbow Mode is a chaotic game mode where the role list looks like a rainbow. Arsonists, Serial Killers, and the Godfather are night immune, as well as any potential Survivors and Veterans on alert and Witches before being attacked.

Role Name	Role Alignment/Category	Role Description
Godfather	Mafia Killing	Kill someone each night.
Arsonist	Neutral Killing	Douse someone in gasoline or ignite all doused targets.
Survivor	Neutral Benign	Put on a bulletproof vest at night, protecting yourself from attacks.
Jailor	Town Killing	You may choose one person during the day to jail for the night.
Amnesiac	Neutral Benign	Remember who you were by selecting a graveyard role.
Serial Killer	Neutral Killing	Kill someone each night.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.
1 Any	May be any Town, Mafia or Neutral role, as long as Unique roles do not occur more than once.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.
Serial Killer	Neutral Killing	Kill someone each night.
Amnesiac	Neutral Benign	Remember who you were by selecting a graveyard role.
Veteran	Town Killing	Decide if you will go on alert and kill anyone who visits you.
Survivor	Neutral Benign	Put on a bulletproof vest at night, protecting yourself from attacks.
Arsonist	Neutral Killing	Douse someone in gasoline or ignite all doused targets.
Mafioso	Mafia Killing	Carry out the Godfather's orders.

Strategy

Mafia

Main Ally: Witch - Witches can stop the evil Serial Killers from killing your Mafioso, Arsonists from killing you, and only have a 50% chance to affect you.

Night Kill Target: Amnesiac - Amnesiacs likely will join the Arsonists or Serial Killers. They can become you, but the odds are lower as Neutral Killing has a better chance to get allies and kill you.

Lynch Target: Arsonists - Sure, the Serial Killers can kill your Mafioso, but you can try to trick them later in the game. Arsonists can kill both of you and are the ultimate threat to the game, able to kill everyone.

Arsonists

Main Ally: Other Arsonists - The best team you have is your own. You can kill anyone, and as soon as someone is doused, you can ignite them later or even in the same night for quick deaths. Arsonists can collaborate through Death Notes on when to ignite, who to douse, etc.

Night Kill Target: Town - They're your bane. If either of them still can use their ability in an endgame, they win. The Jailor can kill you early, and the Veteran just wants to save themselves from attacks, not mass-kill.

Lynch Target: Mafia - If you're not killing members of the Mafia at night, lynch one of them. An informed group can be very powerful towards the endgame, and if it's 2 versus 1 or 3 versus 2, you're doomed. Also, Survivors and Witches will likely side with them.

Survivors

Get your name out there. The longer you wait, the less believable your claim is. Keep reminding people, and they won't want to hurt an ally.

Even if you claim Survivor, there still might be threats to your safety, so keep a lookout for Jailor, Werewolf, and Arsonist, because all of them have the ability to break through your defenses.

Note: if you claim to be a Survivor on the first day, someone may try to kill you on the first night, but you can use a bulletproof vest to keep yourself safe. In practice, especially against inexperienced players, claiming Survivor can be dismissed as "an easy claim" and can actually get you lynched faster. As with most roles, claim when you have to.

Town

Main Ally: Survivors - Survivors will probably go to the side that wins the least in the endgame, so team up with them. The Mafia could work too, as you can easily win in a 1 versus 1, and an Arsonist if you aren't doused. Remember that because the Town doesn't have the majority, you will need any ally you can get to compensate for your lack of Night Immunity.

Night Kill Target: Serial Killers - They make the most nightly kills of any faction, and the longer they live, the more likely you are to die. Also, Serial Killers in jail will kill the Jailor if said Jailor doesn't execute them.

Lynch Target: Mafia - You need one lynched in order to win in the endgame with them, so think long-term.

For Veterans, it's best to start using alerts after Night 1, constantly or on most of the nights, since Rainbow Mode is full of evil roles. Once you're out of alerts, you can ask Jailor to jail you. Also, the if you are the Jailor, be wary of Town and Neutral Benign claims, as they can either actually be what they are claiming, or an evil role trying to weasel out of an execution.

Amnesiacs

You have 2 tactics:

Be peaceful - Remember that you were a Witch or Survivor, claim you're that person, be helpful to everyone you can.

Steal the win - If an Arsonist dies Night 2 or 3 with something from 10 or less people alive, become an Arsonist. The other Amnesiac will likely do too, and you will have a power group. If they aren't dying, remember that you were a Serial Killer. You still have an effective faction that can take the majority and kill the Town and a Mafioso.

Serial Killers

Main Ally: Survivors - They have bulletproof vests, they won't be that afraid of you, especially if you vow you won't attack them. Witches will likely mess up your killing flow to protect themselves, but they work when it comes to voting.

Night Kill Target: Town - You have a Veteran, trying to save himself from being shot, and can be in a 1 versus 1 with you in the endgame, which is a gamble. You also have a Jailor that can kill you literally or passively through Last Wills, and you will likely be lynched because only Survivors and Witches win with you. Kill them off as fast as you can, but be cautious of alerts.

Lynch Target: Arsonists - They're the only faction bigger than you. They can kill everyone, including you, they have the same numbers as you, are in your case in the endgame, are basically you but stronger in this setup. You can get an easy lynch out of them as they're prime targets to kill. It's a long-term plan that will help in the endgame.

Witches

Claim and confirm yourself as a Survivor, and pretend to do what Survivors do, remind people constantly. You can convince Jailors not to execute you because you aren't the primary kill. People can have good games because since the Jailor might already die, so you can tell them not to execute you as you are the least priority target. In order to win the game, it's best to claim Witch once the Jailor dies and team up with the evil roles; you can easily "confirm" yourself through your night ability.

Jester/Executioner

What people lynch on varies between games, so it might be a good idea to be patient. Most players will not factor in the possibility of a Jester or Executioner, since these roles are very rare. Executioners will have the Veteran as their target every single time, due to not being able to have a Jailor as their target, and the fact that they're taking up the Any slot. In some games, if people are lynching erratically, you may want to just silently place a vote on your target and hope others follow suit. Another good strategy is to claim Executioner immediately and reveal your target. Because almost every role in the game is evil, people will almost always hang them. For Jesters, become an annoyance that people just dislike and want out of the game. Don't spam, as that's breaking the rules, but being annoying in any other way (spoiling a new movie, sharing an unpopular opinion, etc.) will most certainly help. You may also want to place a vote on someone who seems to be leading the town in hopes that they vote for you back.

Werewolf

Main Ally: Witches - If you communicate, you won't be threats to each other, and to be safe they can control you every other night. Survivors will probably fear you because of your killing ability.

Night Kill Target: Town - Veterans tend to attract attention, and if you attack them when they aren't alerting, you can get a bunch of kills in, but you have to read when they're alerting correctly. Also, them alerting in endgame is incredibly bad. Jailors can out you like Serial Killers, and they can kill you in endgame. Also, you probably want to avoid attention unless you want to stay home for some reason.

Lynch Target: Arsonists - They can douse you, ending your Night Immunity and devastate your life if they ignite. In a 1 versus 1, a draw will come out as they will ignite you and you will maul them, creating a draw.

Vampire

Try to bite the Town for less threats and Amnesiacs so you don't have a big role against you. You can even try to persuade the Jailor to get bitten if you want. Survivors and Witches will probably side with you for this rare occurrence. Everyone who you can't bite though, except for Witches, are lynch targets, as they're in a factions that can kill you.

Bite target: Amnesiacs - If you ever see an Amnesiac that is claiming, or in a even better case, a confirmed Amnesiac, bite them. The Town will usualy think their still just waiting to remember to win easier, and they will be one of the last targets to lynch or kill.

(From olly's forum page: http://www.blankmediagames.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=37586&p=1168297&hilit=Rainbow+Mode+Strategy&sid=990356e5e8923c0305d87b8b71477a2b#p1168297)

Dracula's Palace

Role Name	Role Alignment/Category	Role Description
Doctor	Town Protective	Heal one person each night, preventing them from dying.
Lookout	Town Investigative	Watch one person at night to see who visits them.
Lookout	Town Investigative	Watch one person at night to see who visits them.
Jailor	Town Killing	You may choose one person during the day to jail for the night.
Vigilante	Town Killing	You may choose to shoot somebody during the night.
1 Town Protective	May be Bodyguard or Doctor.
2 Town Support	May be Escort, Mayor, Medium, Retributionist or Transporter.
Vampire Hunter	Town Killing	Check one person at night, staking them if they are a Vampire.
Jester	Neutral Evil	Trick the Town into voting against you.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control somebody into somebody else.
4 Vampires	Neutral Chaos	Convert (or kill) everybody opposing you.

Strategy

• As Vampire, your biggest threat is obviously the Vampire Hunter.
• Your main gameplan revolves around getting them eliminated.
  • There are a few ways to do this:
    • You could claim Vampire Hunter yourself and hope to get them lynch if they claim.
      • However, if this doesn't end up happening, you will probably get staked the next night.
    • You could try and find the Witch.
      • Usually, the Witch would find you first. However, any whispers may look suspicious. Discuss with caution.
      • When they are found, try to figure out who the Vigilante is. Hopefully the Vampire Hunter will have claimed by now (such as if someone pressures them) and you can hopefully get the Witch to control the Vigilante into the Vampire Hunter.
    • You can try to lynch the Jester.
      • Normally, with smart hunters, this will not work, as they will most likely vote innocent if they suspect a Jester.

WIP.

Retired Game Modes

Vigilantics

Vigilantics was first introduced in Version B.0.6.0 which was released on August 16th of 2014. In Version 2.0.0.6501, the Witch was given a barrier which protects the Witch from the first harmful attack. This buff unfortunately made it difficult for Vigilantes to win. Ultimately, due to the game mode hardly being played, it was removed on November 13th of 2018 and it was immediately replaced with Dracula's Palace.

Role Name	Role Alignment/Category	Role Description
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Vigilante	Town Killing	Choose to take justice into your own hands and shoot someone.
Witch	Neutral Evil	Control someone each night.