How to Play Mafia
The complete rules to Mafia (also known as Werewolf) — every role, how a round works, and how to win. Plus: how to play with no moderator, so nobody has to sit out.
Play now — free, no signup Runs in any browser · 4–20 players · nothing to installWhat is Mafia?
Mafia is a social deduction party game for groups. A small, secret Mafia hides among a larger group of ordinary townsfolk. Each night the Mafia quietly "eliminate" one player; each day the whole town argues and votes to cast someone out. Nobody knows anyone else's role — you deduce it from behaviour, claims, and who dies. The town wins by rooting out every mafioso; the Mafia win once they equal the town in numbers.
It's the same game as Werewolf — only the theme changes (werewolves and villagers instead of mafia and townsfolk; see Mafia vs Werewolf for the history). It scales from a small group to a big party and rewards reading people, bluffing, and building a case out loud.
What you need
- Players: 4 to 20+. It really sings with 6 or more; 8–12 is the classic sweet spot.
- A way to hand out secret roles: playing cards, slips of paper, or a free app that deals them to each phone.
- A moderator to run the night and count votes — or an app that does it, so everyone can play.
The traditional catch: one person has to be the moderator (a.k.a. narrator or "God"), and that person can't play. Mafia Board Game removes that job entirely — the app deals the roles, wakes the right players at night, resolves everything and tallies the vote, so no one sits out. You can even play online free with nothing to install.
The roles
These are the classic roles. In a balanced game you'll have a few Mafia, a couple of special town roles, and the rest Villagers.
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🗡 Mafioso Mafia
Each night, the Mafia secretly agree on one victim to eliminate. They know who each other are. By day they blend in and lie.
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🕵️ Sheriff Town
Each night, secretly investigate one player and learn whether they're Mafia. The town's best source of truth — if the Sheriff survives long enough to use it.
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😇 Angel Town
Each night, watch over one player (yourself allowed). If the Mafia target that player, they survive. A save nobody sees coming.
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🕯️ Villager Town
No special power — just your wits, your read on the room, and your vote. Villagers are the backbone of the town.
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🎭 Jester Neutral
An optional wildcard who wins alone if the town votes them out. They try to act suspicious enough to be lynched — without giving the game away.
A common way to balance by group size: 1 mafioso for 4–6 players, 2 for 7–10, 3 for 11–14, 4 for 15+; a Sheriff always; an Angel once you have 5+; the Jester as an optional extra at 7+. Everyone else is a Villager. For strategy on each role, name variants, and ten advanced roles, see the complete roles guide.
How a round works
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Deal roles
Every player secretly receives a role and keeps it hidden. Only the Mafia learn who their teammates are.
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Night falls
Everyone "closes their eyes." The moderator wakes each night role in turn: the Mafia pick a victim, the Sheriff investigates someone, the Angel protects someone. Done secretly so no one knows who acted.
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Dawn — the reckoning
The town wakes. The moderator announces who (if anyone) died in the night. The Sheriff privately learns the result of their investigation.
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Daylight — the debate
The whole town argues out loud. Who's acting suspicious? Who's too quiet? Players make accusations, defend themselves, and claim (or fake) roles.
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The vote
The town votes on who to cast out. The player with the most votes is eliminated and their role is revealed (or not — see variants). A tie means no one is cast out.
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Repeat until someone wins
Night falls again. The cycle continues until the town or the Mafia meet their win condition.
How to win
- The Town wins when every mafioso has been eliminated.
- The Mafia win when they equal (or outnumber) the remaining townsfolk — at that point they can't be out-voted.
- The Jester wins (ending the game) if the town votes them out.
Skip the moderator. Everyone plays.
Every rule above — dealing roles, waking the Mafia, resolving saves and investigations, timing the debate, counting the vote — the app does for you, on everyone's phones. Start a game, have friends scan the code, and play.
Start a free game →Strategy tips
If you're on the Town
- Track who votes for whom. Mafia often protect each other and pile onto townsfolk.
- Pressure quiet players — but remember the Mafia know to look active and helpful.
- If you're the Sheriff, don't reveal too early: the moment you claim it, you're the Mafia's next target. Time your reveal for maximum impact.
- As the Angel, protecting a likely target (a claimed Sheriff, a loud town leader) can swing a game — but don't be predictable.
If you're in the Mafia
- Blend in. Vote, accuse, and reason like a townsperson trying to find the Mafia.
- Don't over-defend a teammate. The fastest way to get caught is a suspicious rescue.
- Consider eliminating the players who reason well or organise the town — information is your enemy.
Variants & house rules
- Reveal on death: flip a player's role when they die (more information) — or keep it hidden for a harder, tenser game.
- First night is safe: some groups skip the first kill so no one is out before they've played.
- Add roles: Godfather (reads as innocent), Vigilante (a townsperson who can kill), Roleblocker, Medium, Lovers, and more.
- Ghosts: eliminated players stay in the room and watch — no talking, no spoilers.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need?
4 at a minimum, but 6+ is much better and 8–12 is ideal. More players means richer deduction and more Mafia.
Is Mafia the same as Werewolf?
Yes — identical rules, different theme. "Werewolf" swaps the mob-and-town setting for werewolves hiding in a village. If you know one, you know both.
How long does a game take?
Usually 10–25 minutes per game, depending on group size and how heated the debates get. Most groups play several in a row.
Do we need cards or an app?
You can use playing cards or paper slips and a human moderator. Or use the free Mafia Board Game app, which deals roles to each phone and runs the whole game — so nobody has to moderate.
Can you play without a narrator?
Yes. The app is the narrator: it handles the night, the reveals, the timer and the vote automatically, so everyone in the room gets to play.
Is it free?
Yes — Mafia Board Game is free, needs no downloads and no accounts. Open a game in your browser and share the code.