Mafia game glossary
Text-based mafia games carry three decades of accumulated jargon. This glossary explains the terms in plain English, grouped by where you will meet them.
Core resources
Energy — The resource spent on jobs. Refills over time and caps how much you can earn per day. Usually the real bottleneck on progress.
Heat — A risk counter that rises as you commit crimes. High heat reduces earnings and eventually triggers police attention.
Bullets — Ammunition consumed when you attack another player. Running out mid-fight is the most common beginner loss.
Cash vs bank — Cash on hand can be stolen by raiders. Banked money cannot. Banking before you log off is the cheapest insurance in the genre.
Premium currency — Usually diamonds or gold. In a fair game it buys time and convenience, never rank.
Character progression
Level — Overall character progress, earned through experience. Gates which jobs and ranks are available.
Rank — Your standing inside a family. Typically Rookie → Soldier → Capo → Consigliere → Underboss → Don.
Rank gate — The requirement to advance: usually a level threshold plus accumulated points, sometimes a duel with the character above you.
Stats — Attack, defence, speed, stealth. Determine combat outcomes alongside equipment.
Prestige — A long-term reputation score, often used to gate group-level progress rather than personal power.
Combat and conflict
Raid — Attacking another player to steal cash. Costs energy and bullets; the outcome depends on stats, gear and luck.
Family war — Group-versus-group conflict. Winners take loot from the losing group's treasury; losers take damage to their property.
Stance — A risk setting for group conflict. Aggressive doubles both loot and damage; defensive halves both. Expected value stays the same — you are choosing risk, not reward.
Matchmaking band — The strength range within which opponents are selected. Without one, strong groups farm weak ones and both sides quit.
Protection / bodyguard — A consumable defence that absorbs incoming attacks for a limited number of uses.
The family layer
Family — The core social group. Also called a crew, syndicate or gang depending on the game.
Don — The head of a family. Usually the highest rank and often a single seat per family.
Consigliere — Traditionally the adviser; in most games a senior rank with authority over the treasury.
Capo — A mid-level rank that leads a small group of soldiers.
Treasury — Shared family money. Funded by member activity and war loot; spent on healing, repairs and upgrades.
Family orders — Daily tasks set by the family's ranks. Usually the best income available to a new player.
Headquarters — The family's upgradeable building. Raises defence and often unlocks additional income sources.
Upkeep — Automatic maintenance costs. In a well-built game this runs without anyone having to log in and press a button.
Economy
Player market — A marketplace where players set prices. The clearest sign that an economy is real rather than decorative.
World trade — Buying goods in one city and shipping them to another to sell at a higher price. Risk comes from theft or loss in transit.
Insurance — Paying a percentage up front to recover part of a shipment's value if it is lost.
Territory — A district containing businesses that generate income for whoever controls or rents them.
Tribute / cut — The share of territory income that goes to the controlling family.
Sink — Any mechanism that removes money from the economy. Without sinks, inflation destroys prices.
Faucet — Any mechanism that creates new money. A healthy economy balances faucets against sinks.
Meta terms
Text-based — The game is played through written actions and menus rather than real-time control. Full explanation here.
Persistent world — The game continues while you are offline. Others can act on you in your absence.
Session loop — The repeatable ten-to-fifteen-minute routine most players follow each day.
Retention — How many players return the next day. The number every design decision in this genre is ultimately judged by.
New to the genre? Start with the beginner's guide, or read how families work.
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