How to Play Mafia: Rules, Roles by Group Size, a Moderator Script and Strategy

By The Rondovo team · Published September 9, 2026 · Updated October 11, 2026 · 17 min read

To play Mafia, a moderator secretly gives each player a role: a few are Mafia, everyone else is the town. The game then swaps between night, when everyone closes their eyes and the Mafia silently pick a victim, and day, when the survivors argue and vote someone out. The town wins by voting out every Mafia member; the Mafia win once they equal or outnumber everyone else. You need about 6 to 16 people, one way to hand out secret roles (slips of paper or playing cards) and 20 to 45 minutes.

In short

• Players: 6 or more plus a moderator works best. 8 to 12 is the sweet spot.
• Roles: Mafia (about one for every three or four players), a Detective, a Doctor, and Villagers for the rest.
• Night: the Mafia choose a victim, the Detective checks one player, the Doctor protects one player.
• Day: the moderator says who died, everyone talks, then the town votes one player out.
• Werewolf is the same game with werewolves instead of Mafia and a Seer instead of a Detective.
• No moderator? Use an app or a site that narrates, such as Nightfall on Rondovo, or play a one night variant.

What is the Mafia party game?

Mafia is a social deduction game: an informed minority hides inside an uninformed majority. The Mafia know exactly who their teammates are. The town knows nothing except what it can work out from how people talk, vote and react.

It was created by Dmitry Davidoff, a psychology student at Moscow State University, in the mid 1980s (sources give 1986 or 1987). It spread through Soviet dorms and summer camps, then across Europe and to the United States. In 1997 Andrew Plotkin rethemed it with werewolves and villagers, which is why you will hear both names for the same game. The Wikipedia article on Mafia) has the full history and a long list of optional roles.

The appeal is simple. Nobody needs to be good at games. They need to be good at reading people, and at keeping a straight face.

What you need to play Mafia

• 6 to 16 players. You can play with 5, but one bad vote ends it. Above 16, days get long and quiet players disappear.
• A moderator who knows the rules and does not play. They run the night, announce deaths and keep time.
• Secret roles. Folded slips of paper work. So does a deck of playing cards: for example, black aces are Mafia, the king of hearts is the Detective, the queen of hearts is the Doctor, and any other red number card is a Villager. Pull out exactly as many cards as there are players and shuffle.
• A space where people can sit in a circle and close their eyes. Some groups tap a rhythm on the table or play music at night to cover the sound of people moving.
• 20 to 45 minutes. A first game with 10 people usually takes about half an hour.

How many Mafia should there be? Role counts for 6 to 16 players

There is no official answer, and groups argue about this endlessly. Davidoff's original rules suggested roughly a third of the players be Mafia. Plotkin's Werewolf rules recommended exactly two werewolves and an odd number of people, moderator included. A 2006 maths paper found that, without investigative roles, the Mafia count should grow roughly with the square root of the player count to keep both sides even. In practice, live groups with a Detective and Doctor usually land on about one Mafia for every three or four players.

Use this table as a starting point (the moderator is not counted). If the Mafia win twice in a row, take one out. If the town keeps winning on day one, add one.

Two rules of thumb. Never let the Mafia be more than about a third of the table, or they can win by simply voting together. And never add special roles faster than you add players: every power role you give the town is one fewer plain Villager for the Mafia to hide behind.

For a first game with new players, play the plain version: Mafia, one Detective, one Doctor, everyone else a Villager.

Mafia game rules, step by step

1. Hand out roles

The moderator shuffles the slips or cards and deals one face down to each player. Everyone looks at theirs privately and hides it. Nobody may show their card, and nobody should react to it.

2. Night: everyone closes their eyes

The moderator calls each role awake in turn:

1. The Mafia open their eyes, recognise each other and silently point at one player to eliminate. They must agree; the moderator waits for a clear choice, then sends them back to sleep.
2. The Detective wakes and points at one player. The moderator nods for Mafia or shakes their head for not Mafia.
3. The Doctor wakes and points at one player to protect tonight. If the Mafia picked that same player, they survive.

The very first night is sometimes run as an introduction only: the Mafia wake to see each other but nobody is eliminated. That gives day one something to talk about without anyone dying before they have said a word.

3. Day: the town wakes up

Everyone opens their eyes. The moderator announces what happened: who was eliminated, or that nobody died. In most groups the eliminated player's role is revealed, which gives the town real information to work with. Eliminated players stay silent for the rest of the game.

4. Discussion

The survivors talk. Who was quiet? Who pushed hard against someone last night's victim trusted? Anyone may claim any role, truthfully or not. Give this phase a time limit: three to five minutes keeps it lively.

5. Vote

Players nominate suspects, then vote. Groups use one of two counts:

• Majority: a player is out only if more than half the living players vote for them. This is the classic rule and it makes "no elimination" days common.
• Most votes: whoever has the most votes is out; a tie means nobody goes. This is quicker and more common in casual play.

The player voted out reveals their role and leaves the game. Then night falls again.

6. Repeat until one side wins

Night, day, vote, over and over, until a win condition is met.

Winning conditions

• The town wins when every Mafia member has been eliminated.
• The Mafia win when the number of living Mafia equals or exceeds the number of living town players. At that point the Mafia control every vote, so the game is over.

Check this after every night and every vote. Games often end at dawn, when a night kill tips the numbers.

A moderator script you can read out

New moderators freeze because they do not know what to say. Read this, word for word if you like. Swap "Mafia" for "werewolves" if you are playing Werewolf.

Setup: "Look at your card. Do not react. Put it face down in front of you. If you are Mafia, you will meet your partners tonight. If you are anything else, you are the town."

Nightfall: "Night falls. Everyone close your eyes and keep them closed until I say so. Tap the table softly with both hands." (The tapping hides the sound of people moving.)

Mafia: "Mafia, open your eyes. Look around and find each other. Choose one person to eliminate. Point at them together." Wait until they agree. "Thank you. Mafia, close your eyes."

Detective: "Detective, open your eyes. Point at the person you want to investigate." Nod or shake your head. "Detective, close your eyes."

Doctor: "Doctor, open your eyes. Point at the person you want to save tonight." Wait. "Doctor, close your eyes."

Morning, someone died: "Everyone, open your eyes. Morning comes, and the town is one short. [Name] was found this morning. [Name] was a [role]." Add a one line story if you like: the funnier or darker the better.

Morning, the Doctor saved them: "Everyone, open your eyes. Something happened in the night, but everyone woke up alive." Whether you hint at the save is a house rule; decide before the game.

Discussion: "You have four minutes. Who is lying to you?"

Vote: "Time is up. Who do you nominate?" Count the votes out loud. "[Name], the town has decided. Show us your card."

End: "The last Mafia member is gone. The town wins." Or: "The Mafia now control this town. The Mafia win." Then let everyone flip their cards. That reveal is half the fun.

Moderator tips

• Keep a written note of each night's choices. You will forget by night three.
• Say the same words in the same voice every time, especially for the Detective and Doctor, so your tone gives nothing away.
• Call roles even after they are dead. If the Doctor has been eliminated, still say "Doctor, open your eyes", wait a few seconds and send them back. Otherwise the town learns the Doctor is gone.
• Walk around the circle at night so nobody can track where you are pointing your attention.

Classic Mafia roles

Popular extra Mafia party game roles

Once your group knows the basics, one or two of these add a lot. Add them one at a time.

• Godfather (Mafia): shows as "not Mafia" when the Detective checks. Makes the Detective much less reliable.
• Vigilante (town): may eliminate one player at night, once per game. A bad shot kills a teammate.
• Jester (on their own): wins only if the town votes them out. They act suspicious on purpose, which makes every loud player harder to read.
• Mayor (town): their vote counts twice, but only after they reveal themselves, which makes them an obvious night target.
• Hunter (town, common in Werewolf): when eliminated, takes one other player with them.
• Lovers or Masons (town): two players who know each other are on the same side. A safe pair the town can build trust around.
• Miller (town): innocent, but shows as Mafia to the Detective. Cruel, funny, and best saved for experienced groups.
• Roleblocker (Mafia): visits one player at night and stops their action. Good with a strong Detective.
• Traitor (on the Mafia's side): a town player who wins if the Mafia win but does not know who they are.

Mafia strategy for the town

• Talk about votes, not vibes. Who voted for whom is the hardest evidence Mafia leave behind. After each elimination, look back at who pushed for an innocent player and who quietly avoided voting for a Mafia member who was caught.
• Watch the first night victim's friends. The Mafia often remove the person who would have defended a Mafia member, or the sharpest talker in the room.
• Do not reveal your power role on day one. A Detective who claims early is dead that night. Claim when you have a confirmed Mafia result, or when you are about to be voted out anyway.
• Ask direct questions. "Who would you vote for right now, and why?" is hard to answer smoothly when you know the truth.
• Avoid tie days. Losing a day with no elimination usually helps the Mafia, who are guaranteed a kill every night.
• Count the numbers out loud when the game is close. If one more wrong vote hands the Mafia the win, everyone should know.

Mafia strategy for the Mafia

• Act the way you would act as a Villager. Most people are caught for changing their behaviour, not for anything they say.
• Do not always defend your partner. Voting against a teammate who is already doomed earns you trust for later.
• Pick night targets with a story. Removing someone who just accused your partner points straight at your partner. Removing a quiet player confuses everyone.
• Claim a role if you must. A fake Detective claim can work, especially if the real Detective is dead or hiding. Have a fake result ready.
• Split your votes early, join together late. When it counts, Mafia votes decide close games.

Common mistakes in Mafia

• Too many Mafia. With more than a third of the table, the Mafia win on the first day's vote. Use the table above.
• Too many special roles in the first game. New players need to learn the basic loop first.
• No time limit. Endless day discussions are the number one reason people stop wanting to play.
• A moderator who gives things away, by hesitating on the Doctor's turn or saying "the Mafia, um, chose" in a different voice.
• Eliminated players hinting. Dead players stay silent. A wink from the dead ruins a game.
• Peeking. Sit back to back for nights if your group cannot help it, or use an app that keeps actions on each player's own screen.

Werewolf game rules and other variants

Werewolf

Werewolf rules are almost identical: werewolves replace the Mafia, the Seer replaces the Detective, and the Doctor is sometimes called the Bodyguard or Protector. Werewolf groups often add the Hunter, the Witch (who has one healing and one killing potion), and Cupid (who links two Lovers on the first night). Commercial boxed versions exist, such as The Werewolves of Millers Hollow and Ultimate Werewolf, with dozens of extra roles and art cards, but you do not need one to play.

Mafia without a moderator

• One night variants. One Night Ultimate Werewolf, from Bezier Games, has no moderator and no elimination: a single night where roles swap and look at cards, then one vote. The publisher lists it for 3 to 10 players and about 10 minutes a game (as of October 2026). It is a different game in feel, more logic puzzle than long con.
• A narrating app or website. The app runs the night, keeps time and announces deaths, so everyone plays. Nightfall on Rondovo works this way (more below).
• Rotating moderator. The first player eliminated becomes the moderator for the rest of the game. It saves someone from sitting out, but the new moderator has to be told every role, so only do it with a group that trusts each other.

Other quick variants

• Open roles: every role is announced at the start, but not who has it. Good for teaching.
• Secret ballot: votes are written down and counted by the moderator, which stops people waiting to copy the majority.
• Speed Mafia: one minute days, one minute votes. Chaotic in a good way.

How to play Mafia online with friends and on video calls

Mafia travels well to a video call, with a few changes:

• Use a moderator who messages privately. Roles go out by direct message. At night, the moderator messages the Mafia as a group chat and the Detective and Doctor individually.
• Everyone mutes and turns their camera off at night, or keeps the camera on and closes their eyes, so the timing of a camera switching on gives nothing away.
• Use the chat or a poll for votes, so the moderator can count them fairly and people cannot change their vote after seeing others.
• Watch reactions on video. Faces in a grid are easier to read than in a circle. Use that.
• Keep the group smaller, 7 to 12, because people talking over each other is worse on a call.

A narrating site removes most of this work: every player opens it on their own screen, and the moderator's job happens automatically.

Nightfall: Mafia on Rondovo with no moderator

Nightfall is our version of Mafia. One person hosts a room, friends join on their own screens with a four letter code, and the game narrates itself instead of a moderator: on the TV if you connect one, otherwise on every player's screen. Everyone plays. Nobody needs to download anything or make an account to join.

Here is exactly how it runs:

• 4 to 16 players. Roles are Mafia, Detective, Doctor and Villager. The host picks the number of Mafia; the default is one Mafia for every four players (1 for 4 to 7 players, 2 for 8 to 11, 3 for 12 to 15, 4 for 16), and the lobby caps it so the Mafia always start as a clear minority. The Detective is on by default from 5 players and the Doctor from 6, and the host can switch either off.
• Your role appears on your own screen, covered until you tap it. Mafia see their teammates and, at night, which target each teammate has picked.
• The game opens on night one. At night, every living player makes a move on their screen: the Mafia pick a target, the Detective checks a player, the Doctor protects someone (themselves included, even the same player every night), and Villagers pick who they suspect. That last part matters: because everybody taps something at night, nobody can spot the Mafia by who is busy with their screen. Your own notes, such as the Detective's results, are shown back to you by day.
• If the Mafia pick different targets, the player with the most Mafia picks is the target. The night ends after 45 seconds by default, or as soon as every living player has made their move.
• Dawn: the TV reports the night. A victim gets a short story ("pulled from the canal at dawn"), a save is announced as an attack the Doctor stopped, and a quiet night is called a quiet night. By default, the dead player's role is revealed; the host can turn that off.
• Day: three minutes of discussion by default (four with 10 or more players), adjustable from one to ten. The night (45 seconds) and the vote (45 seconds) can be set from 15 seconds to two minutes. Players tap ready when they are done talking, and the vote opens early once everyone is ready.
• Vote: each living player picks a name or Skip on their screen, and can change their mind until the vote closes. The TV shows who has voted, not who they voted for. The player with the most votes is out and their role is shown. A tie, or as many skips as the leader has votes, means nobody is eliminated. After the verdict the TV shows the count for each name.
• Winning: the town wins when no Mafia remain; the Mafia win when they equal or outnumber the other living players. Eliminated players keep watching but cannot vote.

Where it is weaker than a human moderator: there is no flavour text tailored to your friends, no house roles beyond the four, and nobody to make a judgement call on a disputed rule. If your group loves a Jester or a Godfather, a good human moderator is still the better choice.

Other games for a Mafia crowd

If your group loves the bluffing in Mafia, these play in a similar spirit and take less time:

• Odd One Out: everyone gets the same secret word except one or more players, who get a related one. Trade hints, then vote out the bluffer. 4 to 12 players, about 15 minutes.
• Two Truths: everyone writes two truths and a lie, then the room guesses. See our two truths and a lie guide and examples.
• Most Likely To: a lighter warm up where the room votes on who fits each prompt.

For a one round bluffing game with a single spy instead of a team of Mafia, see our guide to games like Spyfall.

For more ideas for bigger groups, see party games for large groups.

Questions people ask

How many people do you need to play Mafia?

At least 6 plus a moderator for a proper game, and 8 to 12 is best. With 5 or fewer, one wrong vote usually decides it. Nightfall on Rondovo allows 4 to 16 because the screen replaces the moderator.

How many Mafia should there be?

About one for every three or four players. For 8 players use 2 Mafia, for 12 use 3, and for 16 use 4. See the full table above for 6 to 16.

Can the Doctor save themselves in Mafia?

It depends on your group, so agree before you start. Many groups allow a self save but ban saving the same person two nights in a row. In Nightfall the Doctor may protect themselves, and may pick the same player every night.

Can you play Mafia with 5 people?

You can, with 1 Mafia, 1 Detective and 3 Villagers, but it is short and swingy. A one night variant or a smaller deduction game like Odd One Out often works better with 4 or 5.

What is the difference between Mafia and Werewolf?

Theme, mostly. Werewolf replaces the Mafia with werewolves and the Detective with a Seer, and Werewolf groups tend to use more extra roles. The structure of night, day and vote is the same.

Can you play Mafia without a moderator?

Yes. Use an app or site that runs the night, like Nightfall, or play a one night variant where nobody needs to run the game.

How long does a game of Mafia take?

About 20 to 45 minutes. Smaller groups and strict day timers make it shorter. A 16 player game with long discussions can run an hour.

Ultimate Werewolf, One Night Ultimate Werewolf and The Werewolves of Millers Hollow are trademarks of their owners. Rondovo is not affiliated with them.