Just an idea I'm playing with in the very rudimentary phase of game design, was interested in checking whether anyone had insights or suggestions which could see this grow.
Backstory> you are a humble empanada salesman trying to make a living and God willing, a profit on the streets of a nameless Latin American Country. You have a mobile stall which you move around the course and sell your wares. Competition among empanada salesmen in this unnamed city in this unnamed country is literally cut-throat.
Mechanics> The game works something like a mixture of Monopoly and Settlers of Catan with Sweeny Todd overtones. You have to move through the mostly 1/way course of a city (with alternate routes presenting themselves in places). Your resources are Maize, Vegetables and Meat, we all know that dodgy emapnada salesmen NEVER change their oil and fuel to cook the empanads is - well it's probably best you don't ask.
Some squares on the stylised city course have permanent structures built on them, there is also a seedy "downtown" area which is fixed. Structures include shops which sell maize and veg, fresh produce markets which only sell veg, butchers who sell meat, the church which sell nothing and won't let you sell outside it unless it is a Sunday and the hardware store which sells upgrades for you stall including better hand to hand weapons.
You have the option each turn to move or sell, you can't do both - if you are on a shop square you can buy or move, they don't want you selling your empanadas outside their fine establishment.
The longer you stay in one place, the harder it can be to sell for several reasons. The city is divided into a few sections which constitute different environments [downtown being one already mentioned] you and your rivals can [when, where, why?] draw cards which have 2 effects, 1 private and 1 public, the effects are restricted to an are of the city but they last a number of turns. Disease and murders can reduce your reputation in an area even if you are not responsible for these things. There is also a Polica affectionately know as the Popo which moves about and cards can allow people to move him about, he can be bribed by players after which he is loyal to them until a higher offer is made otherwise he is fairly diligent in his work. If the Popo catches you murdering someone, regardless of how much you've paid him, he will bust your operation. Mr P never goes into the downtown area, which is gangland, instead players must pay protection money not to get knifed, - um alternative sources of meat are also available here more easily and cheaply and there is a mobile "chop shop" which sells meat really, really cheaply but you might cause a typhoid pandemic if you buy it or something. You can't always find the "chop shop" though.
Going veg only is an option to save money but since a good empanada salesman never declares what's in his empanads, veg empanadas are viewed as "cheap" by the locals and your reputation in the area falls if you only sell healthier vegan emapandas for too long!
There is a [yet unfinished] system of combat for hinting dogs, humans and for killing off other empanada salesmen if you move onto the same square as them.
You can also get hotsauce which helps a lot!
No llamas were harmed in the making of this game, any thoughts, comments or suggestions?
Sorry, I don't quite follow the mayor role bit.
I actually like the idea of not always having to fight other empanada salesmen to the death over a street corner, I think that there should be a number of options avialible including sabotage (as suggested), stealing his materials and making a run for it, publicly slandering his empanadas or planding drugs on his stand and calling in the popo. You get the drugs from downtown with the use of a certain card. The gang boss gives you drugs to sell along with the empanadas but this makes your reputation go to hell and also, they kind of don't like it if you tell them that you don't want to sell their drugs anymore, they would rather you stopped selling empanadas!
Also... I don't think I'm ruining it by telling you this, I'm likely not to finish this anytime soon, but the way I'm planning the game, empanada salesmen do a lot better if they actually take steps to improve the neighbourhoods. Fewer incidents mean fewer brushes with the law and customers taking longer to smell a rat {or a dog, a donkey which has seen better days, something which wandered into the traffic, a buzzard "pollo sinor, pollo!", etc...}
I think that you should be able to kill other players but perhaps by 3rd party agent, like a hitman you hire in the downtown area. Killing humans and selling their flesh as a cheap filling for empanadas should remain an option though, just to add... atmosphere.
are the hotdogs really that scary?