How to Play Mafia
Mafia (also known as Werewolf) is a classic social deduction game for a group of friends. A hidden Mafia tries to eliminate the Villagers one by one at night, while the Villagers try to figure out who among them is lying before it's too late. No app or equipment is required — just a group of people and one person willing to moderate.
What you need
- 7 or more players (8–15 is ideal)
- One moderator (also called the Narrator) who doesn't play a role and keeps the game moving
- A way to assign secret roles — playing cards, printed slips, or a moderator who tells each player privately
The roles
- Villager — no special power. Wins by helping eliminate all the Mafia through voting.
- Mafia — usually 1 Mafia per 4–5 players. Secretly eliminates one Villager each night and tries to stay hidden during the day.
- Detective (Sheriff) — each night, secretly checks whether one player is Mafia or not.
- Doctor — each night, secretly chooses one player to protect from elimination.
Larger groups can add extra roles for variety, but Villager, Mafia, Detective, and Doctor are enough to run a full game.
Setup
- Decide the role count based on your group size — roughly 1 Mafia for every 4–5 players, one Detective, one Doctor, and the rest Villagers.
- Deal or assign roles secretly so no one else sees them.
- Sit in a circle so everyone can see each other during the Day phase.
- Choose a moderator to run the Night and Day phases and keep track of who's eliminated.
How to play: Night and Day phases
Night phase
Everyone closes their eyes. The moderator wakes each special role in turn:
- The Mafia silently open their eyes and point to the player they want to eliminate.
- The Detective opens their eyes and points to a player; the moderator signals whether that player is Mafia.
- The Doctor opens their eyes and points to a player to protect for the night.
- Everyone opens their eyes and the moderator announces who was eliminated (or that the Doctor saved them).
Day phase
- Players openly discuss the previous night's events and share suspicions.
- Anyone can accuse another player and make a case for why they think that person is Mafia.
- The group votes, and the player with the most votes is eliminated and reveals their role.
Night and Day phases repeat until one side wins.
How the game ends
- Villagers win when every Mafia player has been eliminated.
- Mafia win when their numbers equal or outnumber the remaining Villagers, since they can then control every vote.
Tips for hosting a great game
- Keep the moderator role separate — a player who's also moderating can't focus on running the game fairly.
- Set a discussion time limit for the Day phase so debates don't drag on.
- Encourage quieter players to speak during accusations — silence often reads as suspicious, even when it isn't.
- Play a couple of rounds; roles are more fun once everyone knows the flow.
FAQ
How many players do you need to play Mafia?
Mafia works best with 7 or more players. Below that, the game is short and roles are easy to guess; 8–15 players is the sweet spot for most groups.
What's the difference between Mafia and Werewolf?
They're the same core game with different themes — Mafia uses gangster roles, Werewolf uses a village-and-wolves theme. Rules and phases are nearly identical.
Do you need cards to play Mafia?
No. You can use playing cards, printed role slips, or just have a moderator whisper roles to each player. Any way of assigning and keeping roles secret works.
Who wins if the Mafia and Villagers end up tied?
The Mafia win as soon as their numbers equal or exceed the remaining Villagers, since they can then control every vote.
Looking for more games to play together?
Mafia is a great slow-burn game for a full group, but sometimes you want something faster between rounds. WinkRoom is a free party game app with quick mini-games, live reactions, and private rooms you join with a 6-digit code — perfect for filling the gaps in a game night on iPhone, iPad, and Android.