Four vests, Basic defense and surviving the finish
- You have four vests. A vest grants Basic defense for that night and does not stop stronger attacks.
- The goal is simply to remain alive until the game ends, not to eliminate a specific faction.
- Because every faction may want your vote, public credibility and neutrality are part of the role’s survival tools.
Spend defenses while survival is still uncertain
Early game
Avoid making binding promises to a faction before the board is clear. A Survivor who loudly commits on Day 1 can become a target for the opposite side without gaining lasting protection from the side they helped.
Mid game
Use vests when attack risk is real: after becoming a swing vote, after refusing a faction demand, or when killers have few alternative targets. Saving every vest for a late game you never reach is as bad as wasting them early.
Endgame
At three or four players, your vote can decide the winner. State your objective clearly, but remember that both factions may eliminate you if they cannot trust how you will vote tomorrow.
A Survivor claim needs a consistent history
A Survivor claim is easy to say and hard to prove. Track vest use honestly and avoid inventing attack feedback you do not receive. Some lobbies will still demand a counterclaim or mechanical test.
Compare the claimed objective with the choices
Other players should judge a Survivor claim by incentives: did this player repeatedly act in a way consistent with simply surviving, or did they have private knowledge and coordinated behavior that suggests a hidden faction?
Important interactions
- Consigliere/Investigator results can narrow whether a Survivor claim fits the target’s investigative group.
- Jailor can protect a Survivor from attacks for a night but may also use jail chat to pressure the claim.
- Arsonist, Werewolf and other unusual attacks make vest timing dependent on the exact mechanics in play.
Decision example: a night that still needs a vest
You are the only unconfirmed player between Town and Mafia, and both sides need your vote. Wearing a vest on the night after you publicly reject one faction is rational because that faction now has a clear motive to remove the swing vote. The role is diplomacy plus resource timing.
Recognize a terminal vote
If only two Mafia members, one ordinary Town member and you remain, hanging the last Town member can end the game with a Mafia victory and a surviving Survivor win. There is no additional night to fear after the game has actually ended. First verify that no opposing role or unresolved win condition keeps play running.
Earlier in the match, a faction’s promise still offers no protection against a later attack. Distinguish a vote that finishes the game from one that merely gives a faction more influence tomorrow. Those are different survival decisions.
Common mistakes
- Using all vests before anyone has a reason to attack you.
- Becoming a permanent extra vote for one faction and assuming they will never remove you.
- Treating the Survivor claim as self-confirming.
