How to play Mafia
With Midnight Mafia as your narrator
Mafia is a game of hidden roles for 4 to 16 players. A few players are secretly the Mafia and know each other. Everyone else is the town and knows nothing. The town has to work out who is lying before the Mafia take over.
What you need
- At least 4 players. It is most fun with 7 to 12.
- One phone passed around the table, or everyone's own phone with an internet connection.
- About 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the number of players.
A round of Mafia
- Get your role. Each player sees their role in secret. The Mafia also see who else is Mafia.
- Night. Everyone closes their eyes. The narrator wakes each role in turn. The Mafia choose someone to kill, the Doctor chooses someone to save, and the Detective checks one player.
- Morning. Everyone opens their eyes and hears who was killed, or that the Doctor saved them.
- Discussion. Talk it out. Share suspicions, defend yourself, and watch for anyone whose story doesn't add up.
- Vote. Living players vote in secret for who they want out. The player with the most votes leaves the game. A tie means a second vote between the tied players only.
- Repeat night and day until one side wins.
Players who are out stay silent until the game ends: no hints, gestures or faces.
The roles
The list of roles needs JavaScript to show.
How to win
- The town wins when every Mafia member, including the Psycho Mafia, is out.
- The Mafia win when there are as many Mafia as town players left alive.
Tips for a great game
- Town: ask questions and listen to how people vote. The Mafia often protect each other, or pile onto an innocent player once someone else accuses them.
- Mafia: act just like a town player. Accuse someone, but not too hard, and never all vote the same way.
- Detective: once you find a Mafia member, think about when to reveal it. Saying so too early makes you the Mafia's next target.
- Doctor: try to guess who the Mafia fear most. Remember that you can't save the same player two nights in a row.
- Everyone: eyes closed means closed. The game is only fun if nobody peeks.
Each game also has its own How to play guide (the question mark button at the top), with every detail for that way of playing, such as turn timers and how points are scored.