ESPIONAGE: Mafia Evolved

About

A free-to-play social deduction game for PC and mobile devices in which you attempt to find your adversaries hidden amongst the other players. Set in 1958, role-based play rewards those who rely on strategy and their creative instincts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 91 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

The game features a unique take on the social deduction genre, with interesting mechanics and character abilities that enhance gameplay.
The art style and soundtrack are highly praised, contributing to an engaging atmosphere and overall enjoyment.
The game has a dedicated community and developers who are responsive to feedback, which bodes well for future updates and improvements.

The player base is extremely low, leading to long wait times for matches and often forcing players to play against AI.
The gameplay can feel clunky and confusing, with mechanics that may frustrate new players, particularly due to the lack of communication during matches.
The community can be toxic, with experienced players often gatekeeping and making it difficult for newcomers to enjoy the game.

gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its strategic mechanics and unique communication style, while others find it confusing and lacking engagement. Despite its entertaining elements and beautiful design, many feel that the gameplay can become dull over time and is hindered by a dwindling player base. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects, significant improvements are needed to enhance the overall experience.
- “Honestly, I love the gameplay and its mechanics of strategy, but we indeed need more players to come and enjoy this wonderful game!”
- “A fun social deduction game with creative mechanics, great visuals, and an overall fun gameplay loop with special abilities for each character that add a twist to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay of Espionage: Mafia Evolved is a unique experience in the fact that most of the communication is done with signaling rather than blatantly speaking.”
- “The game mechanics are ridiculously confusing.”
- “The game is salvageable but it needs a lot of work when it comes to the gameplay.”
- “I have nothing but respect for the people behind Espionage, but the gameplay gets stale quickly and the community is absolutely abhorrent.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game has received high praise for its calming and engaging qualities, with many players noting that it enhances the overall experience, even leading some to recommend it as a standalone playlist. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to match character themes and elevate gameplay, making it a standout feature despite any shortcomings in other areas. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “Kudos to the musician(s)!”
- “The music at each stage of the game has you constantly on the edge of your seat and when you use your special ability - the quick, but satisfying click along with a snap of your character (and skin) makes the game so entertaining to be a part of!”
- “Sure, the gameplay is a bit dull, but the sound effects, music, character design, and UI layout made up for it.”
- “The soundtrack for this game is also better than a lot of games, with most themes drawing me in and all of the character themes actually matching the way the character is.”
- “The music at each stage of the game has you constantly on the edge of your seat and when you use your special ability, the quick, but satisfying click along with a snap of your character (and skin) makes the game so entertaining to be a part of!”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
The game's story is engaging and features a unique prologue comic available on the developers' site, enhancing the narrative experience. Players can choose between team detective or team spy, adding depth through character-driven gameplay. However, some users noted a lack of in-game story content, with hopes for future updates to address this.
- “Also, it follows its own story with a free comic as a prologue to read on their site if you want.”
- “The graphics are great, and the underlying story is interesting too!”
- “With a cast of story-driven and exciting characters, you are assigned to either team detective or team spy and must achieve victory; whether you are a civilian or a special role.”
- “The reason I gave this section an 8 is because games can feel sort of repetitive with the lack of game modes and story.”
- “Although the game lacks a proper in-game story, the developers have stated they plan to add one in the future, so fingers crossed.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style and great visuals, which enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Players appreciate the creative mechanics and the engaging aesthetic, making it visually appealing and immersive.
- “The graphics are great, and the underlying story is interesting too!”
- “A fun social deduction game with creative mechanics, great visuals, and overall a fun gameplay loop with special abilities for each character which add a twist to the gameplay.”
- “Firstly, I think the art style is stunning.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game is praised for its free-to-play model, absence of ads, and cross-play features, but it suffers from a dwindling player base and lack of advertising. Users hope for increased promotion to prevent the game from fading away, while noting that in-game purchases utilize actual conversion rates.
- “I like it for what it stands for: free-to-play, no ads, and cross-play. What more can you ask for?”
- “It also uses actual conversion rates for in-game purchases.”
- “It's kind of sad since this is a cool and fun concept of a game, but it's dying from a lack of online player base and advertisement.”
- “Hopefully some advertisement is done for the game since it would be a shame if a gem like this is lost in the sea of games on Steam.”
- “The game also uses actual conversion rates for in-game purchases.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed experience; while it excels in creating an engaging and immersive aesthetic filled with intriguing imagery and easter eggs, the lack of moderation leads to a judgmental environment that can be unwelcoming for beginners.
- “Another time does an amazing job with imagery and getting you into the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Aside from the many easter eggs featured throughout the game and fascinating atmosphere, the game just hooks you with its entire aesthetic.”
- “Another Time does an amazing job with imagery and getting you into the atmosphere of the game.”
- “Aside from the many easter eggs featured throughout the game and its fascinating atmosphere, the game just hooks you with its entire aesthetic.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the absurdity of players having to vote against each other despite mutual trust, creating a blend of comedic frustration and strategic signaling that enhances the overall experience.
- “It's also pretty funny that when all but 2 people have been excused from arrest, and those 2 people trust each other, they still have to vote against each other.”
- “It becomes just as funny as it is frustrating when trying to signal to teammates or signal against enemies.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its engaging character design and strong community connection, which enhance the overall experience despite some gameplay shortcomings. Players appreciate the emotional intensity and memorable moments that the characters bring to the social deduction genre.
- “With some of the best OSTs, interesting character design, and receptiveness when it comes to community love for the characters, this game has given me the most intense and nerve-wracking moments I've ever felt in any social deduction game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game's replayability is hindered by AI issues, particularly with informants and supporters making poor voting decisions that can lead to frustrating losses. Fixing these bugs could significantly enhance the experience and encourage more playthroughs.
- “The game offers a unique experience every time you play, making it highly replayable.”
- “With multiple strategies and paths to victory, I find myself coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the dynamic interactions and choices available.”
- “Fun game, but the AI needs some work. My informant voted for me in a 2v1, resulting in a game lost at the most confirmed win. This is clearly a bug, as every game I've been in, the AI informant has voted for the spy, often resulting in them losing the game. A fix to this bug would make the AI game mode a lot more playable. This same issue happens with AI supporters who will go out of their way to vote out the detective.”
- “The game lacks replayability due to repetitive mechanics and predictable outcomes. Once you've played a few rounds, you start to see the same patterns and strategies, which makes it less engaging over time.”
- “While the game has potential, the limited variety in gameplay and scenarios makes it hard to stay interested after a few sessions. I found myself losing motivation to play again after completing the main objectives.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The game's optimization is generally acceptable for playability, but players have noted that the AI performance can be subpar and occasionally frustrating as they progress further into the game.
- “The game is certainly playable, and overall it's okay, but once you get into it and learn more, you'll likely realize that the AI performance is not optimal at times, and can actually be quite poor.”
- “The game is certainly playable, and overall it's okay, but once you get into it and learn more, you'll probably realize that the AI performance is not optimal and at times actually quite bad.”
- “The optimization issues make the game feel sluggish, and it often struggles to maintain a stable frame rate during intense moments.”
- “Despite the interesting gameplay mechanics, the lack of proper optimization leads to frequent crashes and long loading times, which severely detracts from the overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game engaging initially, as it encourages constant monitoring of opponents' actions. However, there are concerns that it may become tedious or overwhelming, particularly for newcomers.
- “This fact leads each player to be constantly watching the AP of opponents, and although it has been fun so far, I can see it becoming a possibly tedious or intimidating part of the game for newer players.”
- “The grinding aspect feels repetitive and can quickly drain the enjoyment out of the game.”
- “I find myself spending too much time grinding for resources instead of actually enjoying the gameplay.”