You're sitting there, Day 2, heart racing. You’ve just clicked on "Giles Corey" and the morning sun reveals the dreaded text: Your target could be an Investigator, Consigliere, or Mayor. Now what?
In the chaotic world of Town of Salem, the Investigator is arguably the most powerful information-gathering role, but it's also the easiest to mess up. Honestly, if you aren't tracking the specific investigator results town of salem provides, you're basically just guessing. You aren't playing a deduction game; you're playing a coin-flip simulator. And nobody likes losing because they didn't know the difference between a Doctor and a Potion Master.
The game has evolved significantly from the early browser days to the current meta in Town of Salem 2. While the core logic remains similar, the groupings—the "buckets" of roles—have shifted. If you’re still using a 2018 cheat sheet, you are going to get an innocent person lynched. Or worse, you’ll let a Serial Killer walk free because you thought they were just a Doc who hadn't claimed yet.
The Logic Behind the Buckets
Why does the game group roles together? It's about balance. If an Investigator checked someone and it simply said "This person is the Godfather," the Mafia wouldn't stand a chance. The "buckets" create plausible deniability. Every Evil role is paired with at least one Town role (usually). This is the "claim space."
When you see a result, you aren't seeing a name; you're seeing a set of possibilities.
In the classic version of the game, the groupings are legendary. You’ve got the Bodyguard, Godfather, Arsonist trio. This is the most dangerous result in the game. If you find someone in this bucket, they are either your best friend or the person who is going to burn the entire town to the ground. It’s a high-stakes gamble. Most experienced players will demand a "LO/TP" (Lookout/Town Protective) claim immediately. If the person stays silent? You hang them. It’s that simple.
Then you have the Framer, Vampire, Jester result. Basically, if you see this, you’ve found someone who is probably not on your side. Frame jobs happen, sure, but more often than not, this result identifies someone who is actively trying to deceive the Town.
Why People Fail as Investigator
It's the "Tunnel Vision."
Newer players see Sheriff, Executioner, Werewolf and immediately scream in the chat that their target is a Werewolf. Don't do that. You look like an Executioner yourself. Instead, you have to look at the "claim" versus the "result." If the target already claimed Sheriff on Day 1, and your result matches, they might be telling the truth. Or they might be a very smart Werewolf who knew exactly what they were doing.
You have to play the player, not just the text on the screen.
Reading the "Investigator Results Town of Salem" Cheat Sheet
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the current groupings because they matter. Note that these can change with patches, but the core philosophy of grouping "Alignment" stays consistent.
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The Classic Pairings:
- Vigilante, Veteran, Mafioso, Amnesiac: This is the "Gun" bucket. Everyone here has the potential to kill or, in the case of the Amne, become someone who kills. If someone claims "Vig" but there have been three Vigilante deaths already, they’re the Mafioso. Use your brain.
- Medium, Janitor, Retributionist, Necromancer: The "Graveyard" bucket. These roles all interact with the dead. It’s a very easy claim for a Janitor to make. "Oh, I'm just a Medium, but the dead aren't talking." Classic.
- Spy, Blackmailer, Jailor, Guardian Angel: This one is weird. The Jailor is the most powerful Town role, and they are grouped with the Blackmailer. This is intentional. It forces the Jailor to come out eventually or risk being seen as a suspicious Blackmailer.
If you’re playing Town of Salem 2, the "Investigator" works differently. It’s no longer about these rigid buckets of three. Instead, the Investigator searches for "Blood." If a player has killed someone, the Investigator finds blood on them. It’s a more direct, yet somehow more narrow, version of the role. This shift changed the meta from "Logic Puzzles" to "Timeline Tracking."
In TOS2, if you find blood on someone, they are 100% a killer. No more "maybe they're a Mayor" excuses. However, if you don't find blood, they could still be the Godfather or a Neutral Evil who hasn't acted yet.
The Consigliere Problem
We can't talk about investigator results without mentioning the Consigliere. The Consig is the Mafia's version of the Investigator, and they are better at it.
While the Investigator gets a vague list of three roles, the Consigliere gets the exact role. "Your target is a Serial Killer." Boom. Done.
As a Town Investigator, you have to be careful not to sound too sure. If you come out and say "Giles Corey is the Arsonist" without explaining that the result also included Bodyguard and Godfather, the Town might think you're the Consig trying to eliminate a Neutral Killing role. It's a weird paradox. Being too accurate makes you look evil.
You should always post your results in the format: Target Name: Result 1 / Result 2 / Result 3.
It shows you're using the game's mechanics and not just cheating or guessing. It builds "Town Cred."
Dealing with "Doused" or "Framed" Targets
The Arsonist and the Framer are the Investigator's worst nightmares.
If an Arsonist douses someone, that person will show up as Bodyguard, Godfather, Arsonist to the Investigator. It doesn't matter if they are actually the Doctor or the Sheriff. This is how Arsonists get innocent people hung.
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Similarly, the Framer can change a person's result to Framer, Vampire, Jester.
If you get a suspicious result on someone who has been acting like a "Confirmed Townie," you have to consider the possibility of a frame. Don't just push for the lynch. Ask for their role. Ask for their "Will." If their Will is detailed and makes sense, tell the Town: "They might be framed, keep an eye on them."
The Nuance of the "No Result"
Sometimes, you won't get a result.
If you're jailed, obviously, you get nothing. But if your target is "Hidden" or if you are "Roleblocked" by a Consort or Escort, you're flying blind. A lot of Investigators forget to put this in their Will.
Your Will should look like this:
- N1: Giles Corey - (Investigator, Consig, Mayor)
- N2: Deodat Lawson - (Roleblocked!)
- N3: Sarah Wildes - (Bodyguard, GF, Arsonist)
That "Roleblocked" entry is vital. It tells the Town that there is an Escort or Consort active. If no Escort claims they blocked you, you’ve just found a member of the Mafia (the Consort).
High-Level Strategies for the Dedicated Investigator
Let's talk about the "Whisper Meta."
If you find someone who results as Lookout, Forger, Juggernaut, or Coven Leader, don't always blast it in the public chat. Whisper them.
"Hey, I checked you. You're LO/Forger. What's the word?"
If they respond immediately with a convincing Lookout will, you've gained a secret ally. You two can coordinate. If they stumble or don't reply, you go public. This "soft-check" method prevents the Mafia from targeting you immediately because you haven't "come out" as the Investigator yet.
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Another trick: Check the quiet people. The loudest people in the chat are usually either the Jailor, the Veteran, or a very aggressive Executioner. The killers usually stay in the "middle." They participate just enough to not be "suspiciously quiet" but not enough to draw attention. That guy who only votes but never speaks? Check him. That’s where the Godfathers hide.
Understanding the "Town Investigative" (TI) Slot
In most game modes, there are limited TI slots. If there are already two Spies and a Psychic, and you claim Investigator, people are going to be skeptical. This is where your results need to be flawless.
If you find a "confirmed" evil, and they get hung, you are confirmed. If you push for a lynch on a "Bodyguard" result and they actually turn out to be the Bodyguard, you're going to get executed by the Jailor that night. It’s a profession of high risk and high reward.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Game
Stop guessing. Start calculating.
First, keep a digital notepad or a physical piece of paper next to your keyboard. Don't rely on the in-game Will alone because it can be deleted if you’re cleaned by a Janitor.
Second, memorize the "Scum" pairings. If you see Framer, Vampire, Jester or Hex Master, Potion Master, Doctor, you need to be on high alert. Those are the buckets where evils love to hide.
Third, pay attention to the "Graveyard." If the "Doctor" result pops up for your target, but there are already two Doctors dead and the "Town Protective" slots are filled, you’ve found a Potion Master.
Finally, be aggressive but not annoying. A passive Investigator is a useless Investigator. You are the Town’s eyes. If you don't share your information, the Town is just stumbling in the dark. Post your results every morning as soon as the discussion phase starts. It forces the evils to react to you, and when people react under pressure, they make mistakes.
Go into your next match with the mindset that you are the smartest person in the room. Even if you aren't, pretending you are will make your claims more believable. Use the results, track the claims, and for the love of everything, don't ignore the possibility of an Arsonist dousing your targets.
Next Steps:
- Open the Town of Salem Wiki and keep the "Investigator" page open during your next ten games.
- Practice writing your Will in a clear, standardized format (N1, N2, N3).
- Watch high-level players like Pipenth or HollyTheHigh on YouTube to see how they interpret "ambiguous" results.
- Focus on "Cross-Referencing": compare your results with what the Sheriff or Spy is reporting.