BOTCH
Imagine the tense social deduction of Blood on the Clocktower, but instead of gathering around a table, you and your friends are walking through a fully realized Minecraft village. The sun sets, a bell tolls, and accusations fly over chat. That is the experience BOTCH delivers, bridging the gap between a classic party game and the sandbox world of Minecraft. This isn't just a simple reskin; it is a comprehensive toolkit that transforms your server into a dedicated game night hub.
BOTCH is designed as a companion system that pairs a PaperMC plugin with a Fabric mod. This dual approach ensures that the game master has all the tools they need to orchestrate a seamless game, while players on Fabric clients get the full immersive experience, complete with audio cues and visual feedback. For those who prefer a lighter setup, the PaperMC plugin works perfectly on its own, though you will miss out on the transparent dead players and ambient sounds that signal phase changes.
Core Features for the Game Master
The heart of BOTCH lies in its intuitive command system and physical world integration. It moves the game's mechanics out of menus and into the world itself, making every vote and action feel tangible.
Voting Lamps and Player Interaction
Each player gets a physical voting lamp, typically a Waxed Copper Bulb, placed in the world. The interaction is simple: right-click to cast your vote. The first click lights the lamp for an "Aye" vote, and a second click extinguishes it and switches your vote to "Nay." This simple mechanic is easy for any player to grasp, keeping the focus on the social deduction rather than complex controls.
Streamlined Vote Management
Nominations are handled through a clear command sequence. The game master uses /vote begin <nominator> <nominee> to start a vote. The system then guides players through a sequential voting process, highlighting the current voter's lamp and showing a live tally on the boss bar. This removes any confusion about whose turn it is and provides real-time feedback on the vote's progress.
Dynamic World State and Scoreboard
BOTCH takes control of the world clock to enforce game phases. Commands like /botch day, /botch evening, and /botch night smoothly transition the time of day, complete with ambient sounds and informative titles for players. A persistent sidebar scoreboard tracks everyone's status, showing who is alive, who is dead, and who has already used their post-death vote. This constant stream of information is crucial for strategic play.
Setting Up Your First Game
Getting a game running is straightforward, but it does require a bit of initial setup to link the physical world with the game's logic. The process is designed to be logical and quick once you understand the flow.
Installation and Initial Configuration
To get started, you will need to download BOTCH and place both the PaperMC plugin and the Fabric mod into their respective mods and plugins folders on your server. After a restart, you can begin configuring the world. The first step is to place and register voting lamps for each player. Stand within five blocks of a lightable block and use /vote blocks add <seatName> to register it. You can verify your setup with /vote blocks show, which highlights all registered lamps in yellow.
Next, you need to assign players to their lamps. The easiest method is to use /vote blocks list and click the [unassigned] button next to a block to link it to a player's name. You can also adjust the voting order using the arrow buttons in the chat interface. Finally, set the time each player has to vote with /vote time <seconds>; the default is 15 seconds.
Running a Full Game Cycle
Once the setup is complete, the game master's role is about pacing. Start the day with /botch day, allowing players to mingle and discuss. When it's time for nominations, transition to /botch evening and initiate a vote. The system handles the rest, from the sequential voting to the final tally announcement. After the vote concludes, use /botch night to send players to bed. If a player is killed outside of a vote, the game master can manually update their status with /botch dead <player> or bring them back with /botch revive <player>.
For players looking to jump into a game quickly, the foxygame.net launcher offers a one-click install for BOTCH, handling both the mod and plugin setup so you can skip the manual file management and get straight to the deduction.
Command Reference and Player Experience
BOTCH is feature-rich, and its command list reflects its depth. All commands require the botch.admin permission, which is granted to operators by default. The command structure is logical, separating game management (/botch) from vote control (/vote).
/botch players- View and manage the player roster./botch dead <name>- Mark a player as dead, changing their lamp block./botch game reset- Reset all lamps and player statuses for a new game./vote blocks add <name>- Register the block you are looking at as a voting lamp./vote blocks setplayer <blockName> [playerName]- Assign a player to a lamp./vote begin <playerName> <playerName>- Start a nomination vote./vote end- End a vote early and tally the results.
The player experience is polished and informative. The scoreboard is always visible, and the boss bars during a vote provide clear, real-time feedback. The addition of sounds and titles for each phase keeps everyone engaged and aware of the game's state. If you are new to Blood on the Clocktower, the core premise is simple: one team of villagers must find and execute the demon before it kills them all. BOTCH provides all the tools to bring that thrilling experience to life in Minecraft. For those who want to manage everything from one place, the add-on catalog in the foxygame.net launcher keeps BOTCH updated and compatible with your server's version, ensuring a smooth experience every time.
BOTCH is a remarkable piece of work that shows how deeply a tabletop game can be integrated into a virtual world. It respects the source material while leveraging Minecraft's strengths to create a unique and memorable social deduction experience. Whether you are a seasoned game master or a curious player, BOTCH is a fantastic way to host your next game night.