The Detective in Mafia

The town's investigator. Checks one player each night and learns whether they're Mafia.

Also called: Cop, Sheriff, Inspector

Team: The town
At night: Investigates
In Werewolf: Seer
In the app: Mafia theme

How the Detective works

Each night the Detective wakes and points at one player. The moderator answers with a nod or a shake: Mafia or not. In the Werewolf Narrator app the Detective sees the player's exact role on screen.

The Detective's information only matters if the town acts on it, and the moment the Detective reveals themselves they become the Mafia's next target. Timing the claim is the whole skill of the role.

Playing Werewolf instead? The same job belongs to the Seer.

What the narrator says

When the role wakes

“Detective, open your eyes. Point to a player to investigate.”

When it goes back to sleep

“Detective, close your eyes.”

Press play to hear the app's narrator. The full script for every role is on the narrator script page.

How to play the Detective

1.Don't reveal yourself on day one unless you've found Mafia. Once they know who you are, you won't see another night.
2.Check the players the town trusts most. Confirming a strong Civilian is almost as valuable as finding Mafia.
3.Keep a mental list of every result. When you do claim, give the whole list at once so the town can check it against the votes.
4.If someone else claims Detective, counter-claim straight away. Only one of you is telling the truth, and the town needs to know that now.

Playing against the Detective

1.As Mafia, a fake Detective claim can be devastating, but only if you claim before the real Detective does.
2.Kill a suspected Detective early. Every night they survive, they learn more.
3.If two players claim Detective, ask both for their full list of checks and look for the one that doesn't fit the deaths.

The most common mistake

Revealing on the first day with nothing to show. It just tells the Mafia who to kill.

Questions about the Detective

Does the Detective learn the exact role?

In classic Mafia, only Mafia or not. In the Werewolf Narrator app the Detective sees the player's exact role, which makes the role stronger and the Mafia's fake claims riskier.

Can the Detective check themselves?

No. The Detective chooses another player each night.

Who should the Detective check first?

A player who is talking a lot and steering votes. Whether they're Mafia or innocent, knowing for sure changes the whole day.