- Home
- How to play Mafia
How to play Mafia
Mafia is a party game for 5 to 18 players where a hidden group of Mafia members eliminate one player every night, and everyone else tries to work out who they are and vote them out. Here are the full rules. It takes five minutes to learn and no equipment beyond a phone.
The Mafia game rules, step by step
- 1
Hand out the roles
Each player secretly gets a role. A few are Mafia; the rest are Civilians, some with special roles like the Detective or the Doctor. Keep your role to yourself.
- 2
Night: everyone closes their eyes
The narrator (or moderator) wakes the Mafia, who silently agree on someone to eliminate. Then the Detective wakes and points at one player to learn whether they are Mafia, and the Doctor picks one player to save.
- 3
Morning: the narrator announces the news
Everyone wakes up and hears who was killed in the night, or that the Doctor saved them. The eliminated player is out and stays silent.
- 4
Day: talk it out
Everyone discusses who the Mafia might be. The Mafia pretend to be innocent Civilians, and anyone can bluff.
- 5
Vote someone out
The town votes. Whoever gets the most votes is eliminated and (usually) reveals their role. If there's no majority, nobody goes.
- 6
Repeat until one side wins
The Civilians win when all the Mafia are gone. The Mafia win when they equal or outnumber the Civilians.
The Mafia roles
Mafia
Know each other. Each night they choose one player to eliminate. By day they blend in.
Strategy guideDetective
Each night, investigates one player and learns if they are Mafia (in the app, their exact role).
Strategy guideDoctor
Each night, saves one player from the Mafia. Can't save the same person two nights in a row.
Strategy guideCivilian
No night power. Finds the Mafia through discussion and votes, and decides most eliminations.
Strategy guide
Want more variety? See every Mafia role, including extras like the Vigilante and Lovers.
How many Mafia for your group
The narrator
Mafia needs someone to run the night: wake each role, remember who was targeted and saved, and announce the results. Traditionally that's a player who sits out, reading from a narrator script. The Werewolf Narrator app does it with a spoken voice instead, so everyone gets to play. Switch the app to its Mafia theme (in settings) and the narrator calls the Mafia, the Detective and the town by name.
Tips for your first game
- Start with just Mafia, a Detective, a Doctor and Civilians. Add extra roles once everyone knows the basics.
- Set a timer for the day discussion (3 minutes works well) so the game keeps moving.
- Eliminated players can stay and watch, but they mustn't give anything away.
Questions about Mafia
How many players do you need for Mafia?
At least 5, and it works with up to about 18. Eight to twelve players is ideal.
How many Mafia should there be?
About one Mafia member for every four or five players: 1 for 5–6 players, 2 for 7–11, 3 for 12–15 and 4 for 16 or more.
What's the difference between Mafia and Werewolf?
Only the theme. Werewolf calls the Mafia werewolves and the Detective the Seer, and often adds roles like the Witch and Hunter. The rules are the same.
Can you play Mafia without a narrator?
Yes. A narrator app calls each role at night, tracks who was killed or saved and announces it in the morning, so everyone can play. Werewolf Narrator has a Mafia theme for exactly this.
Who wins Mafia?
The Civilians win when every Mafia member is eliminated. The Mafia win when there are as many Mafia alive as Civilians.
Keep reading
Let the app narrate your next game
A spoken narrator, automatic role dealing and a day timer on one phone. Free, no sign-up, works offline.
Start a game