Mafia Narrator Script: Word-for-Word Lines for Every Phase

A Mafia narrator script needs five parts: an opening, wake and sleep lines for every role in the right order, a morning announcement, prompts for the day and the vote, and an ending. Below is a complete script you can read word for word, with notes on delivery and a Werewolf version at the end.

Read the lines in the same flat, steady voice every time. The script only works if nobody can tell from your tone which roles are still alive or what just happened.

The opening: before the first night #

Read this once everyone has their role and has hidden it.

“Welcome to the town. It’s a quiet place, with one problem: some of your neighbours are in the Mafia. They know each other. You don’t know them. Every night, they’ll take someone out. Every day, you’ll get one chance to vote out the person you think is guilty. The town wins when every Mafia member is gone. The Mafia win when they outnumber you.”

“When you’re eliminated, you stay silent for the rest of the game. No hints, no faces, no sighs.”

“Night is falling. Everyone, close your eyes and put your heads down.”

Pause for three seconds and look around the circle. If anyone’s eyes are open, say so now, before the first role wakes.

Night script: wake and sleep lines for each role #

Call the roles in this order. Skip any role that isn’t in your game, but see the delivery note below about roles that have died. The order puts attackers before protectors, so the Doctor and Bodyguard never learn anything from the attack itself. Why each role sits where it does is covered in the Mafia night phase order.

First night only: Masons #

“Masons, wake up and look at each other. You are both loyal to the town.”

“Masons, go back to sleep.”

Mafia (and Godfather) #

“Mafia, wake up and look at each other. Choose someone to eliminate tonight.”

Wait until they agree on one target and one of them points clearly. Nod to confirm.

“Mafia, go back to sleep.”

Serial Killer #

“Serial Killer, wake up. Choose your victim.”

“Serial Killer, go back to sleep.”

Doctor #

“Doctor, wake up. Choose someone to protect tonight.”

“Doctor, go back to sleep.”

Bodyguard #

“Bodyguard, wake up. Choose someone to guard with your life.”

“Bodyguard, go back to sleep.”

Witch #

“Witch, wake up. Do you want to use your healing potion to save tonight’s victim?”

Point at, or silently mouth, the name of tonight’s target. The Witch nods or shakes their head.

“Witch, do you want to use your poison potion on someone?”

“Witch, go back to sleep.”

Detective or Seer #

“Detective, wake up. Point to someone you want to investigate.”

Give a thumbs up for innocent or a thumbs down for Mafia. Don’t whisper words, because voices carry.

“Detective, go back to sleep.”

Vigilante #

“Vigilante, wake up. You may choose to eliminate someone tonight.”

“Vigilante, go back to sleep.”

Morning announcements #

Choose one of these. Keep a few stock variations so the words themselves don’t give anything away.

Someone died:

“Everyone, wake up. The sun rises over the town, but not everyone made it. Last night, [name] was killed.”

Someone was attacked but saved (only if your group announces saves):

“Everyone, wake up. Last night, [name] was attacked, but they survived.”

Nobody was attacked, or you hide saves:

“Everyone, wake up. It was a quiet night. Everyone is still here.”

Two deaths (Mafia plus a Serial Killer or Vigilante):

“Everyone, wake up. It was a violent night. [Name] and [name] did not survive.”

Some groups add a short invented story for each death (“found at the bottom of the harbour, holding a bread roll”). That’s fun, but give every death a story of the same length. A long story for one kill and a short one for another tells people something.

Day discussion and voting script #

“You have five minutes to discuss. Who do you trust, and who’s lying?”

When the timer ends:

“Discussion is over. Does anyone want to nominate a player?”

“[Name] has been nominated. Is there a second?”

“[Name], you have thirty seconds to defend yourself.”

“Everyone who votes to eliminate [name], raise your hand.”

Count out loud. Then:

“[Name] has been voted out. [Name], please reveal your role.” (If your group reveals roles.)

“Night is falling again. Everyone, close your eyes.”

For ties and no-vote days, use the rulings in Mafia voting rules and announce your rule before the game starts, not in the middle of an argument.

Endgame lines #

“The last Mafia member is gone. The town is safe. Town wins!”

“The Mafia now control the town. Nobody can stop them. Mafia wins!”

“The Jester has been voted out, which is exactly what they wanted. The Jester wins!”

Then let everyone reveal their cards. The post-game story of who suspected whom is half the fun.

Werewolf version of the script #

The structure is identical. Swap a few words:

The Witch and Hunter come from the Werewolf tradition. Werewolf game rules has the full role list for that theme.

Delivery tips that make the script work #

• Call dead roles anyway. If the Doctor died yesterday and you skip their line tonight, everyone learns the Doctor is gone. Read the line, wait the same few seconds, then say “go back to sleep.”
• Keep the same pauses. Count to five for every role, whether they act instantly or take ages.
• Don’t look at who you’re waking. Look at the middle of the circle. Your eyes can point at a player without you meaning to.
• Speak from one spot. Walking toward someone to see their choice gives away where they sit. Ask players to point clearly instead.
• Set the rules in the opening. Tell people about announced saves, revealed roles and ties before night one.

Keep the script on your phone #

Reading from a printed sheet in the dark works until you lose your place mid-night. Mafia Helper puts the wake and sleep line for each role on that role’s card, in wake order, next to the buttons you tap to record their choice. An optional voice narrator can read phase changes and role calls aloud if you’d rather listen than read. The app only lists roles that are still alive, so if you use the “call dead roles anyway” trick, read those lines from memory.

For the rest of the moderator’s job, see how to moderate Mafia and what a storyteller does.

Frequently asked questions #

What does the narrator say in Mafia? #

The narrator opens the game, calls each role awake and back to sleep at night, announces who died in the morning, runs nominations and the vote during the day, and declares the winner. The script above covers each of those moments with lines you can read directly.

What order do you call roles in Mafia? #

A reliable order is Masons on the first night, then Mafia, Serial Killer, Doctor, Bodyguard, Witch, Detective and Vigilante. Killers go before protectors so the moderator can compare targets once everyone has acted.

Should the narrator announce if the Doctor saved someone? #

It’s a house rule. Announcing saves makes the game friendlier and gives the Doctor a moment of glory, but it also tells the Mafia their target was protected. Hiding saves keeps more information secret. Pick one before the game starts.

How do you narrate Mafia without giving anything away? #

Use the same tone and timing for every line, keep calling roles after they die, and don’t look at the players you’re waking. Most giveaways come from the narrator’s pacing, not from the words.