Mafia Game Rules: Complete Guide for 5 to 15 Players

Day discussion, night kills, secret roles, public voting. The classic social deduction party game in one focused guide.

Mafia (also known as Werewolf in some countries) is one of the great party games of the last century. Half the fun is reading other people's faces; the other half is getting lynched anyway. This guide covers the full rules for groups of 5 to 15, the role list with what each role does, the day-night cycle that drives the action, and how the optional narrator (also called the "God" or "Storyteller") makes everything run smoother.

Game premise

The town has been infiltrated by a small group of Mafia members. The Mafia know each other; the citizens don't. Every "night," the Mafia secretly kill one citizen. Every "day," the whole town discusses who they think is in the Mafia and votes to eliminate one suspect. The game ends when either:

• Citizens win: all Mafia members are voted out
• Mafia win: Mafia members reach equal numbers with citizens (so they can never be voted out)

Setup

Players

Mafia works with 5 to 15 players. The sweet spot is 7-10. Below 5 it's too thin, above 12 it gets unwieldy unless you have a strong narrator.

Optional: a narrator (the "God")

One person can volunteer to be the narrator. The narrator does not play, doesn't get a role, isn't aimed at by night actions, and never wins or loses. Their job is to:

• Privately assign roles to all players
• Run the night phase (close everyone's eyes, wake roles in order, resolve their actions)
• Run the day phase (call for vote, count, declare elimination)
• Declare the winner at the end

A good narrator dramatically improves the experience. Without one, the rules can be self-managed but it's slower.

Role assignment

Roles are assigned secretly. Each player learns ONLY their own role. The Mafia members each learn who their fellow Mafia are (so they can coordinate at night).

Recommended role distribution:

• 5 players: 1 Godfather + 1 Mafia + 3 Citizens
• 6 players: 1 Godfather + 1 Mafia + 1 Detective + 3 Citizens
• 7 players: 1 Godfather + 1 Mafia + 1 Detective + 1 Doctor + 3 Citizens
• 8 players: 1 Godfather + 2 Mafia + 1 Detective + 1 Doctor + 3 Citizens
• 9 players: 1 Godfather + 2 Mafia + 1 Detective + 1 Doctor + 1 Sniper + 3 Citizens
• 10 players: 1 Godfather + 2 Mafia + 1 Negotiator + 1 Detective + 1 Doctor + 1 Sniper + 3 Citizens
• 11 players: Add 1 Bodyguard to the 10-player setup → 4 Citizens
• 12+ players: Scale up to 3 Mafia, add a Mayor, more Citizens

The role list

Mafia team

• Godfather: leads the Mafia. When the Detective investigates a Godfather, the Detective sees them as innocent (this is the main reason the Godfather exists). Knows their fellow Mafia members.
• Mafia: standard Mafia members. Can be multiple. Coordinate the night kill with each other.
• Negotiator (optional): once per game, can prevent a player from being voted out that day.

Citizens team

• Citizen: no special power. Wins by voting correctly during the day. Sometimes called Townsfolk or Villager.
• Detective: each night, picks one player to investigate. The narrator silently signals whether that player is Mafia or not. The Detective uses this to guide the day's discussion.
• Doctor: each night, picks one player to "save." If the Mafia kill that player tonight, the player survives. The Doctor can save themselves but most house rules limit self-saves to once per game.
• Sniper: once or twice per game, the Sniper can shoot one player at night, eliminating them. Risk: if they shoot a Citizen, the Sniper is eliminated themselves.
• Bodyguard: protects one player at night. If that player is targeted by the Mafia, the Bodyguard dies instead.
• Mayor: their vote counts as 2 votes during the day.
• Vigilante: similar to Sniper, can kill at night with limited uses.
• Hunter: when the Hunter is eliminated (by Mafia or by vote), they can take one player down with them.
• Saul (Lawyer): can declare one Mafia investigation result as innocent (a Persian-Mafia variant).

The day-night cycle

Night phase

1. Narrator: "Everyone close your eyes." All players close their eyes and stay silent.
2. Narrator: "Mafia, open your eyes." The Mafia members silently look at each other and confirm they recognize their team.
3. Narrator: "Mafia, choose your victim." The Mafia silently agree on one player to kill (point at them). Narrator notes the choice.
4. Narrator: "Mafia, close your eyes."
5. Narrator: "Doctor, open your eyes. Choose a player to save." The Doctor points at one player. Narrator notes.
6. Narrator: "Doctor, close your eyes. Detective, open your eyes. Point at a player to investigate." The Detective points. Narrator silently shakes head no (citizen) or thumbs up (mafia). Detective remembers.
7. Narrator: continues for any other special roles in turn (Sniper, Bodyguard, etc.).
8. Narrator: "Everyone open your eyes."

Day phase

1. Narrator announces who died last night (or "no one died" if the Doctor saved the target).
2. The dead player flips face up and reveals their role; they can no longer participate in discussion.
3. Discussion phase: surviving players debate who they think the Mafia is. Players can claim roles, accuse each other, defend themselves.
4. Voting phase: players nominate suspects. Each player votes for one suspect. The suspect with the most votes is eliminated.
5. The eliminated player reveals their role.
6. Night returns.

Win conditions in detail

• Citizens win the moment all Mafia members are dead. Players who died but were Citizens still win.
• Mafia win the moment the number of remaining Mafia is greater than or equal to the number of remaining non-Mafia. (At equal numbers, the Mafia can simply outvote any citizen attempt to eliminate them.)

Beginner strategy: 6 things to know

For Citizens

• Don't vote silently. Discussing helps you read people. Stay quiet only if you're suspicious of being read.
• Be wary of overly defensive players. Real citizens often shrug at accusations; Mafia tend to over-explain because they're acting.
• The Detective should be subtle. Outing your role too early just makes you the next Mafia kill. Drop hints, build a case, reveal only when you have to.

For Mafia

• Vote with the town early. Joining the citizens to vote out an innocent player builds your credibility for the days ahead.
• Don't be too quiet. Players who say nothing all game often get voted out late just because they're suspicious by absence.
• Pick kill targets that hurt the town. If you suspect someone is the Detective, kill them first. Don't waste kills on weak Citizens.

Variations and house rules

• Persian Mafia: features the "God" (gad / گاد) as the narrator and includes additional roles like Negotiator, Saul, and Hunter. Discussion-heavy with structured debate periods.
• Werewolf: same mechanics with horror theming (werewolves instead of Mafia, villagers instead of citizens, Seer instead of Detective). Identical strategy.
• Avalon: a related but distinct game with a quest-completion mechanic instead of night kills.
• Two-card variant: each player gets two roles instead of one. Adds chaos.
• No-narrator: smaller groups can run without a narrator using cards or an app to communicate night actions.

Frequently asked questions

Can the Detective investigate themselves?

Standard rule: no. The investigation has to be on someone else. Some house rules allow a single self-investigation per game.

What happens if everyone gets a tied vote?

House rule. Common options: re-vote with only the tied players, narrator breaks the tie, or no one is eliminated that day. Pick one and stick with it.

Can dead players talk?

No. Once you're out, you can't influence the game. You can react silently to events but not give hints. Hardest part of the game for many players.

How long does a game last?

15-45 minutes for a standard 7-10 player game. Larger groups can stretch to 60-90 minutes.

What's the best player count?

7-10 is the sweet spot. Less than 5 doesn't have enough role variety; more than 12 is hard to keep everyone engaged without a strong narrator.

Can I play Mafia online?

Yes. We host a free Mafia game at gamingrooms.net where the app handles all the role assignment privately to each player's phone. The narrator (God) just runs the in-person discussion. Link below.