Mafia is a party game in which a small secret team, the Mafia, tries to eliminate everyone else before the town works out who they are. Play alternates between night, when the Mafia silently choose a victim, and day, when everyone argues and votes someone out. One person doesn’t play a role at all: the moderator, who runs the night and keeps the secrets.
You need no board and no special equipment. Seven to twelve people, a way to hand out secret roles, and a moderator willing to keep a straight face will carry you through your first game.
What you need to play Mafia #
- Players. The game works from about 6 people up to 20 or so. With fewer than 6, a single wrong vote can end it in a few minutes. We cover small tables in how to play Mafia with 5 players.
- A moderator. One extra person who knows every role and runs the game. They don’t win or lose.
- Secret roles. Role cards, a deck of playing cards, folded slips of paper, or a phone passed around the circle.
- A circle. Everyone sits where they can see each other’s faces during the day and close their eyes at night.
- Time. Most games take 20 to 60 minutes, depending on group size and how long people argue.
The two teams and how each one wins #
Mafia pits what Wikipedia’s history of the game calls “an informed minority” against “an uninformed majority.”
- The Mafia know exactly who their teammates are. They win when they equal or outnumber the rest of the town, because at that point they control every vote.
- The Town (also called civilians or villagers) don’t know who anyone is except themselves. They win when every Mafia member has been eliminated.
Everything else in the game follows from that imbalance. The Mafia have information and the town has numbers. The town’s only weapon is the daytime vote, so every discussion is really about who to vote for and why.
How a round of Mafia works #
A round is one night followed by one day. Most groups start with a night so the Mafia get to meet each other before anyone speaks.
Night #
- The moderator tells everyone to close their eyes and put their heads down. Some groups tap on the table or play music to hide the sound of movement.
- “Mafia, wake up.” The Mafia open their eyes, see who their partners are, and silently point at one player to eliminate. The moderator notes the target.
- “Mafia, go to sleep.”
- “Doctor, wake up.” The Doctor points at one player to protect tonight. If it’s the Mafia’s target, that player survives.
- “Detective, wake up.” The Detective points at one player, and the moderator answers with a thumbs up (innocent) or thumbs down (Mafia).
- “Everyone, wake up.”
The order matters more than new moderators expect. See the Mafia night phase order for the full sequence when you add more roles.
Morning #
The moderator announces what happened: “Last night, Priya was killed,” or “The town wakes up and everyone is still here.” An eliminated player is out. They stay quiet for the rest of the game and don’t signal anything to the living players. Whether their role gets revealed is a house rule. Revealing makes the game easier for the town, and hiding it keeps the tension up.
Day discussion and the vote #
Now everyone talks. People share suspicions, defend themselves, and sometimes claim to have a role. After a set time, the town votes. The most common method:
- A player nominates someone (“I nominate Dev”).
- Someone else seconds it.
- The accused gets a short defense.
- Everyone votes. If a majority votes yes, that player is eliminated and the day ends.
Then the next night begins. Ties, no-vote days and nomination limits are where groups argue most, so we collected the common rulings in Mafia voting rules.
Roles for your first game #
Keep the first game simple: Mafia, one Doctor, one Detective, and plain townspeople.
| Role | Team | What they do at night | Why they’re in a starter game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mafia | Mafia | Choose one player to eliminate | The whole game is about finding them |
| Doctor | Town | Protect one player from being killed | Gives the town a way to survive a night |
| Detective | Town | Learn whether one player is Mafia | Gives the town real information to argue about |
| Civilian | Town | Nothing | Most of the table. They win by voting well |
Once your group knows the basics, add a Bodyguard, a Godfather or a Jester for more twists. Our Mafia roles explained guide walks through 17 of them and when each one fits.
How many Mafia should you have? #
A good starting ratio is about one Mafia for every three or four players. Too few Mafia and the town wins by the second vote. Too many and the Mafia win before the Detective gets two looks.
| Total players | Mafia | Suggested town power roles |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 7 | 1 | Doctor, Detective |
| 8 to 12 | 2 | Doctor, Detective, maybe a Bodyguard |
| 13 to 20 | 3 to 4 | Doctor, Detective, Bodyguard, Vigilante |
The game’s creator, Dimitry Davidoff, originally suggested that a third of the players be Mafia, according to Wikipedia. Most modern groups run fewer because they add power roles for the town. The full breakdown, including the math of how fast each setup reaches the end, is in how many Mafia for 10 players.
Tips for a smooth first game #
- Pick an experienced moderator. The moderator makes more decisions than anyone else, and a mistake at night can’t be undone.
- Cover the noise. Soft music or everyone tapping the table hides the sound of the Mafia pointing.
- Enforce eyes closed. Peeking ruins the game faster than anything else. Heads down, hands in laps.
- Dead players stay silent. No sighs, no knowing looks, no “I told you so” at the reveal.
- Put a timer on the day. Five minutes of discussion before nominations keeps the pace up. Stretch it later in the game, when the votes matter more.
Running the game from one phone #
The hard part of Mafia belongs to the moderator. They have to remember who the Mafia targeted, whether the Doctor picked the same person, and what to whisper to the Detective, all without a flicker on their face.
Mafia Helper is built for that seat. It deals roles by passing the phone around, with a two-step reveal so nobody sees their neighbour’s card. At night it shows each waking role in the right order with the line to read aloud, and you record each choice with one tap on a name. Tap Resolve Night and it tells you who died and who was saved. During the day it counts votes and checks for a winner after every elimination. It handles 5 to 20 players, works offline with no account, and is free with ads (a one-time Pro purchase removes them).
Frequently asked questions #
How many people do you need to play Mafia? #
Six is a practical minimum, and 8 to 12 is where the game feels best. You can go up to about 20 before the days drag. You also need one extra person to moderate, or an app that helps someone run the game.
Does the moderator play Mafia too? #
No. The moderator knows every role, so they can’t be on a team. Many groups rotate the job so everyone gets to play. Some small groups let the moderator play by using an app, but the moderator still sees the night’s results.
What happens when you die in Mafia? #
You’re out of the game. You stop talking, stop voting and keep your eyes shut at night, though you can still watch the day unfold. In most groups dead players must not react to anything, since a raised eyebrow can tell the town who the Mafia are.
Can you play Mafia without cards? #
Yes. Folded slips of paper work, as does a regular deck of playing cards with a key like “ace means Mafia,” or a phone passed around to show each person their role. See how to play Mafia with playing cards for a card key.
How long does a game of Mafia take? #
A 7-person game usually finishes in 15 to 25 minutes. A 15-person game with several power roles can run close to an hour. Day timers are the easiest way to keep a big game under control.