Gesture Practice

Author: Vitaly - mr. Koteo (Brisbane Mafia Club)

Before we move on, it’s worth actually practising these gestures. In a real game you don’t have time to think, “Wait, how do I show ‘check #7’ again?” — your hands should know it automatically. A quick self-test helps you in two ways: first, you train your eyes to recognise what other players are silently telling you; second, you train your hands to show clear, readable signals without over-gesticulating or breaking FIIM rules.

The better you are at this silent language, the easier it is to focus your brain on what really matters: the logic of the game.

Part A — Read the Gesture (10 questions)

For each situation, you see the gesture. Write what it means in our convention.

1. A player looks at #2, shows 4 fingers, then shows 👍. → What are they saying?

2. A player shows 👌 without pointing at anyone. → What are they claiming?

3. A player looks at #7, then shows the question-mark finger (bent index) then shows 3 fingers. → What are they asking?

4. A player shows 5 fingers into the table, waves them slightly in the air. → What are they asking to do and who are they asking?

5. A player shows 2 fingers ✌️, then 👎, then makes a sharp flat-palm cut in the air. → What level of certainty and about whom?

6. A player mimes opening a book with both palms. → What are they asking for?

7. A player shows 3 fingers, then both thumbs up, pushing them upwards. → What are they saying about #3?

8. A player crosses both forearms in an X. → What are they expressing?

9. A player shows 🤙 (call-me hand), then 2 with ✌️+👍, then 5 with 🖐️+👎. → What logical link are they showing?

10. A player clashes 👍 from one hand against 👎 from the other (thumb vs thumb), after mentioning #1 and #9. → What are they saying about #1 and #9?

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Part B — Show the Gesture (10 questions)

Now you know the idea. For each intention, write which gestures you would use.

There can be more than one good answer.

1. You want to say:

   “I think player #6 is dark.” → Which gesture combination do you show?

2. You want to say:

   “I’m 100% sure #4 is red.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

3. You want to say:

   “I’m playing together with player #8.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

4. You want to say:

   “Sheriff, please reveal yourself now.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

5. You want to say:

   “Sheriff, please check #9 tonight.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

6. You want to say:

   “Let’s split the table.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

7. You want to say:

   “Please nominate player #2.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

8. You want to say:

   “If #1 is red, then #5 is dark.” → Which gesture sequence do you use?

9. You want to say:

   “There is (at least) one dark player among #3, #4, and #7.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

10. You want to say:

    “I strongly agree with what this player is saying.” → Which gesture(s) do you show?

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Suggested Answers

You can keep this hidden or on a separate page.

Part A

1. “#2 is red.”

2. “I am the Sheriff.”

3. “Who is #3?” (asking for an opinion from #7 about #3).

4. “Sheriff, check #5 at night.”

5. “I’m 100% sure #2 is dark.”

6. “Sheriff, reveal.”

7. “#3 is the most red player at the table.”

8. “Hard NO / total BS / I strongly disagree / I didn’t say that.”

9. “If 2 is red, then 5 is dark.”

10. “#1 and #9 are in different teams.”

Part B (examples)

1. Show 6 fingers using two hands ☝️+ 🖐️ (or point at #6), then 👎.

2. Show 4 fingers, then 👍, then sharp flat-palm cut in the air.

3. Mime a handshake 🤝 towards #8.

4. Open palms like a book 🤲.

5. Show 9 fingers into the table and wave them slightly.

6. One palm horizontal, the other cutting it like a knife (split gesture).

7. Hit 👍 on your other open palm then show 2 fingers ✌.

8. Show 🤙, then 1 ☝️ with 👍, then 5 🖐with 👎.

9. Show 3, 4, and 7 with fingers (or point at them one-by-one), then put your palm in a T-shape over one finger → “one dark among these”.

10. Show 🤟 (strongly agree), or combine it with the index-finger “plus” tap gesture to show support.