How many people should play?
Mafia works with groups of different sizes, but around 10–15 players creates the richest balance of information, uncertainty and special roles. A moderator leads the game and does not belong to either clan.
Trust no one
How to Play Mafia
Mafia is a game of deduction, persuasion and deception. Every player receives a secret role and belongs either to the Citizen clan or the Mafia clan. Citizens must discover the Mafia before the Mafia gains control of the town.
Before the first round
Players and the rhythm of the game
Who can play?
Players aged 16 and over are welcome to participate.
Day and night
After roles are assigned, the game alternates between two repeating phases: day and night. During the day, players debate and vote openly. During the night, special-role players act secretly under the moderator’s direction.
The town
Citizen roles
Citizen
Citizens have no night action. Their strength lies in listening, detecting contradictions, persuading others and using their day vote wisely.
Doctor
Each night, the Doctor chooses one living player to heal. That player is protected against any attempt to kill them during that night.
Sheriff
Each night, the Sheriff investigates one living player’s allegiance—whether that player belongs to the Citizen or Mafia clan. The Sheriff can turn that knowledge into power during the day’s discussions or by leaving a note for the moderator to announce if the Sheriff is killed that night.
Maniac
Maniac acts independently but counts with the Citizen clan for the purpose of victory. Each night, Maniac has the power to shoot any living player. Because those shots are made blindly, that power must be used with care.
The hidden clan
Mafia roles
Godfather
The Godfather leads the Mafia at night. Mafia members agree on a target; if their views differ, the Godfather has the casting vote. If the Godfather is eliminated, the next eligible Mafia member becomes acting Godfather.
Mafia
Mafia members know their teammates, conceal their identities during the day and jointly choose a victim at night. Mafia cannot shoot one of its own clan, except that Courtesan may be selected as the target.
Courtesan
Each night, Courtesan visits a player of her choosing, distracting that player and preventing them from performing their action. If every other Mafia member is eliminated, Courtesan becomes the acting Godfather: her power to distract is replaced by the power to kill.
In plain sight
The day phase
Equal voices, one verdict
During the day, every player has equal rights, regardless of their role. Each day is intended to end with one player being executed by vote. Anyone who fails to persuade the town that they are an innocent Citizen risks leaving the table before the next night.
1. Open discussion
The day begins with an open discussion. Living players may share suspicions, analyse the previous night, accuse others and defend themselves. Eliminated players no longer participate.
2. Individual speeches
Each living player then receives an uninterrupted turn to present their view. The speaking order rotates between days so the same player does not always speak first.
3. Voting
Every living player must vote; abstention is not allowed. A player may vote only for another living player and may not vote against himself. The player receiving the most votes is executed. Before leaving, that player may make a short final speech offering their last suspicions, clues or arguments. They must then reveal their role and leave the table.
What if the vote results in a tie?
If two or more players share the highest total, those tied players receive another opportunity to speak in their defence. The living players then vote again between the tied candidates.
What happens in case of a repeated tie?
If the runoff vote also ends in a tie, nobody is executed. The day ends and the game proceeds to the next night.
When the town sleeps
The night phase
While the town sleeps
Players with special roles act in the order described below. The moderator invites each of them to wake up and perform an action. Everyone else remains asleep, with their eyes closed and their faces concealed behind masks.
1. Mafia shoots
Mafia chooses one non-Mafia target to shoot. They may also shoot Courtesan—if they forget that she is their ally or decide to sacrifice her for strategic reasons. If there is disagreement, the Godfather or acting Godfather decides.
2. Courtesan distracts
Courtesan selects a player whose special action will be blocked for that night. If Courtesan blocks the acting Godfather, the Mafia attack fails. Courtesan may also “stay at home” by pointing to herself, in which case her power affects nobody.
3. Doctor heals
Doctor selects a player to heal. A successful heal prevents that player from being killed by Mafia, Maniac, or both during the same night. Courtesan can block the heal. Doctor may heal himself but may not heal the same player on two consecutive nights.
4. Sheriff investigates
Sheriff checks a player and learns only whether the target belongs to the Citizen or Mafia clan. Once per game, Sheriff may leave a note recording the allegiance discovered that night. The moderator announces its contents the following morning only if Sheriff is killed during that same night; otherwise, the note vanishes. Courtesan can block both the investigation and the note.
5. Maniac kills
Maniac either shoots another living player or passes. Doctor may save the target, while Courtesan may block Maniac’s action.
Night result
After resolving all interactions, the moderator wakes the town and announces who died—without publicly identifying the actions that succeeded or failed, except for a valid Sheriff’s note triggered by the Sheriff’s death. Players eliminated during the night reveal their roles and immediately leave the table to become silent spectators. They are not entitled to a post-mortem speech.
The final verdict
Who wins?
Citizen victory
The Citizen clan wins as soon as every member of the Mafia clan—Godfather, Mafia and Courtesan—has been eliminated.
Mafia victory
The Mafia clan wins when its living members equal or outnumber all other living players. The game may also end one step earlier when Mafia is certain to reach parity on the following night and no surviving protective or disruptive role can prevent it.
Respect the table
Conduct and fair play
Keep your role secret
Players must not disclose their role until the moderator invites them to do so. This normally happens when a player leaves the game after being killed, voted out or expelled, or when the game ends.
Do not influence the game after leaving
Eliminated players become silent spectators. They must not discuss the game in progress or give the remaining players clues of any kind—whether through words, gestures, facial expressions, emotional reactions or any other signal.
Play honestly
Cheating is prohibited. During the night, players must keep their eyes closed and their faces concealed unless the moderator invites them to wake. Players must also remain silent during another player’s individual speech and must not interrupt or interfere with it.
Respect players and the moderator
Everyone must remain polite, ethical and tolerant throughout the game. Players are expected to follow the moderator’s instructions promptly and to treat the other people at the table with respect.
Penalties
Any breach may be penalized at the moderator’s sole discretion. A penalty may take the form of an additional vote against the offending player during the day. Serious or repeated misconduct may result in the player’s immediate expulsion during either the day or the night.
Speak without words
Gesture guide
Special-role players communicate silently with the moderator during the night. A shared set of clear hand signals ensures that targets and roles can be identified without waking the rest of the table. Ordinary Citizens may also choose to use gestures at night, signalling to a player invited to wake that they are an ally. During the day, a discreet gesture can likewise help deliver a message to someone a player believes may be the right person with whom to form an alliance.
Indicating a player number
Use the gestures below for numbers 1–5 and 10. To indicate a number from 6 to 9, make two gestures in quick succession: first show 5, then the remainder. For example, player 7 is shown as 5 followed by 2. For a number greater than 10, first show 10, then the remainder: player 11 is 10 followed by 1, and player 12 is 10 followed by 2.
Indicating a role
These shared signals allow a player to identify a role without speaking. Point the thumb down for Mafia and give a thumbs-up for a Citizen. Hold two joined fingers upright for the Godfather and raise the little finger for Courtesan. Make an “OK” sign for Sheriff, cross two fingers for Doctor, and mime holding an imaginary knife for Maniac.
Other gestures
A curved raised index finger is a question sign, used before silently asking something such as “Who is Mafia?”, “Whom did you investigate?” or “Why?”. Two level palms request that tied players’ votes be equalised—usually to save both players or hear them speak again. Two inward-facing fists mimic revving a motorcycle: this requests a Sheriff check or indicates that a player should be investigated. Two fingers crossed horizontally over the other hand indicate an active special role—Sheriff, Doctor or Maniac—when the exact role is not specified.
