How to play Mafia: rules, roles and scenarios

Mafia (also known as Werewolf) is a party game of hidden roles for 6 to 20 players. A small mafia team know each other; everyone else is a citizen who must find them before it is too late. A narrator runs the game, and this guide covers what they need: the rules, the scenarios played around the world, and every role.

How the game works

The ideaMafia is a game of hidden roles. The small mafia team know each other; the citizens know nothing. The mafia try to take over the town, and the citizens try to find every mafia member and vote them out. Some scenarios add an independent role that plays for itself.
The narratorOne person runs the game and does not play. The narrator deals the roles, wakes each role at night, keeps every secret and announces what happened. This app is the narrator’s companion: it deals the roles, reads out the night in the right order and works out every result.
Dealing the rolesThe phone goes around the table. Each player taps their name, looks at their role alone, hides it and passes the phone on. Never show your role to anyone.
The intro nightEveryone closes their eyes. The mafia wake up and see each other, and some roles make themselves known to the narrator. Nobody is shot on the intro night.
The dayEveryone opens their eyes and the narrator says who left the game during the night. Then each player gets a turn to talk: accuse, defend, bluff. A player can ask the speaker for a challenge, a short extra turn inside theirs.
The voteThe table votes on who seems guilty. Players with enough votes go to defense and speak once more, then a final vote decides who leaves. In some scenarios the player who leaves draws a last-move card that can still change the game.
The nightEveryone closes their eyes again. The narrator wakes the roles one at a time: the mafia choose who to shoot, the doctor chooses who to save, the detective asks about a player, and so on. Everything comes out in the morning, and the next day begins.
WinningThe citizens win when every mafia member is out. The mafia win when they are as many as the citizens. An independent role, such as the Zodiac, can win on its own.
Table mannersClosed eyes stay closed. No hints by sound, touch or glance. Players who are out stay silent. The narrator’s word is final.

Scenarios and roles

Godfather

Godfather, Matador, Saul vs Watson, Leon, Kane, Constantine; Nostradamus independent. · 10 to 15 players

GodfatherMafia: Makes the night shot. A vest stops one shot. Sixth sense: instead of shooting, guess a player’s exact role; if right, that player is slaughtered and nothing can save them.
MatadorMafia: Each night takes one player’s ability for that night. Not the same player two nights in a row.
Saul GoodmanMafia: Once per game, after a mafia is out, the mafia may buy instead of shooting. A simple citizen becomes mafia; anyone else and the purchase fails with no shot.
NostradamusIndependent: Intro night: picks three players and learns how many are mafia, then chooses a side (2+ mafia → must play mafia). Immune to shots; only a role guess or the vote removes him.
Dr. WatsonCitizen: Saves one player each night. Himself only once.
Leon (Professional)Citizen: A vest and two bullets. Hitting a mafia removes them; hitting a citizen kills Leon.
Citizen KaneCitizen: Once per game points at a player. If mafia, it is announced next morning and Kane is shot the following night.
ConstantineCitizen: Once per game brings back an eliminated player (not slaughtered or role-revealed).
Simple MafiaMafia: No special ability. Wakes with the mafia and helps choose the shot. Shoots once the leaders are out.
Simple CitizenCitizen: No night ability. Find the mafia through talk and votes.

Last move

Silence of the Lambs: Silence two players for the next day (one when half the table or fewer remain). They cannot speak, even in defense.
Identity Reveal: The narrator announces this player’s role. Constantine cannot bring them back.
Beautiful Mind: Guess correctly (Nostradamus if he is in the game, otherwise a player’s role) and you return to the game.
Handcuffs: Pick a player. Their night ability is cancelled for the coming night.
Face-off: Swap roles with a living player. Show them their new role at the start of the night.
Duel: Pick two players to duel for one minute of questions and answers.

Mafia Nights

Boss, Dr. Lecter, Joker vs Detective, Doctor, Professional, Die-Hard, Psychiatrist, Mayor. · 8 to 20 players

Mafia BossMafia: Makes the night shot. The Detective reads him negative.
Dr. LecterMafia: Each night saves one mafia member from being shot. Himself only once.
JokerMafia: Flips the Detective’s result on one player for the night. Three times per game, once on himself.
DetectiveCitizen: Each night asks about one player. Mafia read positive, except the bosses.
DoctorCitizen: Saves one player each night. Self-saves are limited.
ProfessionalCitizen: May shoot at night. Hitting a mafia removes them; hitting a citizen removes the Professional.
Die-HardCitizen: Survives the first night shot. Twice per game, by day, asks for the roles of players who left.
PsychiatristCitizen: Twice per game silences a player for the next day.
MayorCitizen: Once per game, when not on defense, cancels the vote or removes a player directly.
Simple MafiaMafia: No special ability. Wakes with the mafia and helps choose the shot. Shoots once the leaders are out.
Simple CitizenCitizen: No night ability. Find the mafia through talk and votes.

Last move

Green Path: Give it to a player. They cannot be sent to defense in the next day.
Red Carpet: Give it to a player. They go straight to defense in the next day.
Beautiful Mind: Guess correctly (Nostradamus if he is in the game, otherwise a player’s role) and you return to the game.
Insomnia: The coming night is skipped. The game goes straight to the next day.
Lie of the Thirteenth: Tell the table one game-related lie. The narrator confirms it.
Final Shot: Pick a target. Your shot replaces the mafia’s shot next night.

Zodiac

Al Capone, Magician, Bomber vs Doctor, Detective, Professional, Rifleman, Bodyguard, Ocean; Zodiac the serial killer. · 10 to 15 players

Al CaponeMafia: Zodiac’s mafia boss. Makes the night shot. The Detective reads him negative.
MagicianMafia: Each night takes one player’s ability (Zodiac’s shot too). Not the same player two nights in a row.
BomberMafia: Once per game, by day, plants a bomb on a player with a secret code 1–4. Guessing the code defuses it; otherwise the player leaves at the end of the day.
ZodiacIndependent: Serial killer on his own side. Shoots on even nights. Immune at night; leaves only by vote, gun or bomb. Shooting the Bodyguard kills him. Wins if he survives to the final two.
DoctorCitizen: Saves one player each night. Self-saves are limited.
DetectiveCitizen: Each night asks about one player. Mafia read positive, except the bosses.
ProfessionalCitizen: May shoot at night. Hitting a mafia removes them; hitting a citizen removes the Professional.
BodyguardCitizen: Does not wake. If Zodiac shoots him, Zodiac dies. May try to defuse another player’s bomb; a wrong code kills him instead.
RiflemanCitizen: Each night hands out up to two guns, at most one live. Holders may fire next day; a live shot removes the target and reveals the role.
OceanCitizen: Twice per game wakes a player to team up. Waking a mafia or Zodiac costs Ocean his life.
Simple MafiaMafia: No special ability. Wakes with the mafia and helps choose the shot. Shoots once the leaders are out.
Simple CitizenCitizen: No night ability. Find the mafia through talk and votes.

Negotiator

Boss and Negotiator vs Doctor, Detective, Sniper, Journalist, Armored. · 9 to 13 players

Mafia Boss (Negotiator)Mafia: Makes the night shot. Cannot be removed at night, not even by the Sniper; only the vote removes him. Reads negative.
NegotiatorMafia: Once per game, after a mafia is out, negotiates instead of the shot. Works on a simple citizen or an Armored whose armor is broken; they join the mafia.
DoctorCitizen: Saves one player each night. Self-saves are limited.
DetectiveCitizen: Each night asks about one player. Mafia read positive, except the bosses.
SniperCitizen: One bullet. Hits a mafia: they leave (the night-proof Boss survives). Hits a citizen: the Sniper leaves.
JournalistCitizen: From the first negotiation on, wakes each night and asks whether a player was bought.
ArmoredCitizen: Armor absorbs the first night shot. With the armor intact the Negotiator cannot buy him.
Simple MafiaMafia: No special ability. Wakes with the mafia and helps choose the shot. Shoots once the leaders are out.
Simple CitizenCitizen: No night ability. Find the mafia through talk and votes.

Investigator

Boss, NATO, Charlatan vs Detective, Doctor, Hunter, Immortal, Investigator. · 10 to 13 players

Mafia BossMafia: Makes the night shot. The Detective reads him negative.
NATOMafia: Once per game, instead of the shot, guesses a citizen’s role. If right, that player leaves.
CharlatanMafia: Each night points at someone. If it is the Detective, all of the Detective’s results that night are reversed.
DetectiveCitizen: Each night asks about one player. Mafia read positive, except the bosses.
DoctorCitizen: Saves one player each night. Self-saves are limited.
HunterCitizen: Each night links to a player. If the Hunter leaves, a linked mafia leaves with him (not the bosses).
ImmortalCitizen: Cannot be killed at night. Only the day removes him.
InvestigatorCitizen: Once per game, by day, puts two players on trial. Both defend and one of them leaves by vote.
ProfessionalCitizen: May shoot at night. Hitting a mafia removes them; hitting a citizen removes the Professional.
Simple MafiaMafia: No special ability. Wakes with the mafia and helps choose the shot. Shoots once the leaders are out.
Simple CitizenCitizen: No night ability. Find the mafia through talk and votes.

Simple

For beginners: Boss and mafia vs Doctor, Detective and citizens. · 6 to 14 players

Mafia BossMafia: Makes the night shot. The Detective reads him negative.
DetectiveCitizen: Each night asks about one player. Mafia read positive, except the bosses.
DoctorCitizen: Saves one player each night. Self-saves are limited.
Simple MafiaMafia: No special ability. Wakes with the mafia and helps choose the shot. Shoots once the leaders are out.
Simple CitizenCitizen: No night ability. Find the mafia through talk and votes.

Ready to narrate?

Mafia Narrator deals the roles in secret, reads the night script and settles every ruling, all from one phone.

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