This variant, akin to Blind Mafia or Davidoff's Game, was sent to us via e-mail by an anonymous correspondent:

Game opens with nightfall. Moderator is just any person who volunteers, but is also a player. Moderator keeps eyes closed and directs mafia to open their eyes, identify themselves to one another and then pick the first 3 people they want to kill in order (have to trust mafia not to pick more than 3). Moderator can count down out loud so that mafia know how long they have to choose. Mafia do not kill anyone on the first nightfall.

Daytime comes and everyone is alive and everyone gets to play the first round, including moderator; citizens kill the first person. Night again. First lynched citizen then becomes the moderator and unlike the first moderator gets to keep eyes open.

At second and subsequent nighttimes, the new moderator goes around the circle in order "Mafia do you want to kill X?" Mafia kill by nodding their heads simultaneously. It's the two keys theory. If they screw up their signals there's no one killed. Is generally in mafia interest to stick to the plan for the first 3 people, but at their own risk of screwing up they can try to communicate during day time if they want to switch the plan (e.g., if they start to suspect who cop is and want to get rid of him). After the first 3 people are killed they have to try to communicate during daytime as to who is next victim.

We have not yet attempted this variant, as of 10-30-99.