Mafia Party Game: Rules, Roles and How to Play
Mafia is a party game of secret roles, bluffing and accusations. A few players are secretly the Mafia; everyone else is an innocent townsperson trying to work out who they are before it is too late. It needs nothing but a group of six or more and a deck of cards, and it works for teenagers, adults and older children. Here are the roles, the rules, a quick setup table and the story of where the game came from.
The Roles
- Narrator: runs the game, knows every role and does not play for either side.
- Mafia: know each other. Each night they secretly choose one player to eliminate. They win when they equal or outnumber the rest.
- Townspeople (civilians): know only their own role. They win by eliminating all of the Mafia.
- Detective: a townsperson who may ask the narrator about one player each night and learns whether that player is Mafia.
- Doctor: a townsperson who chooses one player to protect each night. If the Mafia pick that player, nobody is eliminated.
How Many Mafia?
A common rule of thumb is about one Mafia member for every three to four players. These numbers are a good starting point; adjust them if one side keeps winning.
| Players | Mafia | Special roles |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 7 | 2 | Detective |
| 8 to 10 | 2 or 3 | Detective, Doctor |
| 11 to 14 | 3 | Detective, Doctor |
| 15 or more | 4 | Detective, Doctor |
Dealing the Roles Secretly
The fairest and most secret way is a deck of playing cards. Take one card per player: black number cards for the Mafia, red number cards for townspeople, the king of hearts for the Detective and the queen of hearts for the Doctor. Shuffle and deal face down. Players look at their card, remember it and hand it back to the narrator.
Do not deal roles with a shared screen, since everyone would see the result. Random tools are still useful for the open parts of the game: the Random Name Picker can pick the narrator for each round, and it is a fair way to decide who goes first in the day's discussion.
How to Play
- Night falls. The narrator says "Everyone close your eyes". Players can tap their knees or hum softly to cover any sounds.
- The Mafia wake. "Mafia, open your eyes." They silently agree on a target by pointing, then close their eyes.
- The Doctor wakes and points to one player to protect, then closes their eyes.
- The Detective wakes and points to one player. The narrator nods if that player is Mafia and shakes their head if not.
- Day breaks. Everyone opens their eyes and the narrator announces who was eliminated, or that the Doctor saved them. Eliminated players do not reveal their role and stay silent for the rest of the game.
- Discussion. The town argues about who might be Mafia. Anyone can accuse anyone, and the Mafia join in, pretending to be innocent.
- Vote. Players vote to eliminate one suspect. If a majority agrees, that player is out. Then night falls again.
Repeat until all the Mafia are out (the town wins) or the Mafia equal the remaining townspeople (the Mafia win).
Tips for a Good Game
- For the narrator: tell each night as a short story. "The Mafia crept through the bakery..." makes the game far more fun.
- For townspeople: watch who pushes hardest to eliminate someone, and who changes their vote at the last moment.
- For the Detective: do not reveal yourself too early, or you will be the Mafia's next target.
- For the Mafia: act exactly as you would as an innocent player. Too quiet or too loud both look suspicious.
- Set a time limit for each day, such as three minutes, so discussions do not drag on.
Werewolf and Other Versions
The best-known variant is Werewolf, where werewolves replace the Mafia and villagers replace the townspeople. The rules are the same. Many groups add extra roles, such as a Bodyguard or a Jester, but it is best to learn the basic game first.
For a group that is too young for elimination games, try gentler bluffing games such as Two Truths and a Lie or 20 Questions, or pick from our list of kids party games.
Where Mafia Came From
Mafia was created in 1986 by Dimitry Davidoff, then at the psychology department of Moscow State University. He designed it as a game about a small informed minority against an uninformed majority, and it spread through Soviet schools, universities and summer camps before reaching the rest of the world in the 1990s.
In 1997 the American game designer Andrew Plotkin suggested the werewolf theme, and Werewolf became the name many players know today. Both versions are still played everywhere from classrooms to large online tournaments.
FAQ
How many players do you need for Mafia?
At least six, including the narrator, but the game works best with eight to fifteen players.
How many Mafia should there be?
A good rule of thumb is about one Mafia member for every three to four players, for example two Mafia with seven players and three with eleven or more.
What is the difference between Mafia and Werewolf?
They are the same game with different themes. In Werewolf the Mafia become werewolves and the townspeople become villagers. The rules are the same.
How do you assign roles in Mafia secretly?
Use a deck of playing cards, for example black cards for the Mafia, red cards for townspeople and two picture cards for the Detective and Doctor. Shuffle, deal face down and collect the cards again after everyone has looked.
Who invented Mafia?
Dimitry Davidoff created the game in 1986 at Moscow State University. The werewolf version was suggested by Andrew Plotkin in 1997.