A Fun Guide to Playing Mafia With Your Friends

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An easy play-by-play for the perfect murder mystery game
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Trying to spice up your party? Mafia could be the perfect game for you! Mafia—also called Assassin, Werewolf or Village—is a group role-playing game that tests your powers of deduction. Set in an imaginary small village, players take on the roles of local townspeople and mafia in an all-out battle for survival. Keep reading and we’ll give you an easy guide to playing this lively, entertaining competition of kill or be killed!

Things You Should Know

  • In mafia, there are 2 teams: the mafia and the townspeople. The mafia try to eliminate the townspeople while the townspeople try to guess who’s in the mafia.
  • Each mafia game includes a detective and a doctor. The detective can guess a mafia member each turn while the doctor can save a townsperson each turn.
  • Mafia is played in night cycles and day cycles. In night cycles, mafia members eliminate (or “kill”) townspeople while everyone’s eyes are closed.
  • In day cycles, players accuse and eliminate people they think might be a part of the mafia. Accused players are allowed to give defenses and a vote takes place.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Setting up the Game

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  1. Have your players sit around a table, on sofas and chairs, or on the floor. Choose a space that is large enough for everyone to comfortably occupy without outside noise or distractions. [1]
    • 12 to 16 is the ideal number of people to play mafia. [2]
    • If you have a group of 20+ people, consider playing 2 separate games.
  2. Select a moderator (or “mayor”) from your group to mediate the game. While the mayor does not partake in any official rounds of gameplay, they oversee each round and add unique stories to explain players’ actions. Choose a moderator with a knack for organization and storytelling. Other moderator duties include:
    • Distributing cards
    • Telling people when to “sleep” and “wake”
    • Timing discussions
    • Informing people if they have been eliminated
    • Declaring the winner
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  3. Use a deck made up of as many cards as there are players. Set aside 1 king, 1 queen, 1 card of a certain suit for each mafia member, and enough additional cards of another suit to represent the remaining townspeople.
    • Set aside 1 “mafia” card for every 3 townspeople. For example, when playing with 12 people, use 3 mafia cards, 1 king, 1 queen, and 7 regular cards. When playing with 16 people, use 4 mafia cards and so on. Always round down when assigning mafia cards [3]
    • You may assign any suit to be the mafia suit, such as hearts, clubs, or spades.
    • If you don’t have a deck of playing cards, assign roles by writing them on pieces of paper and letting players draw out of a bag or hat.
    • The mayor can also hand-pick the various roles by telling players to close their eyes and tapping them a certain number of times on the shoulder.
  4. Shuffle the deck and hold it out face down to each of the players. After players have each grabbed a card, instruct them to look at their cards, but to keep their cards hidden from the other players. Once players have read their roles, remove all cards from sight or let the mayor collect them back [4]
  5. All players who draw cards of a different suit from the rest of the deck are the mafia. The player that draws the queen card is the doctor. The player that draws the king card is the detective, and all remaining players are townspeople. [5]
    • The mafia is responsible for killing 1 player every round, after players close their eyes.
    • The doctor may point to 1 person who they wish to save each night cycle. If the mafia tries to kill the person the doctor chooses, that person is saved for the round. The doctor is allowed to save themself.
    • Throughout the game, the detective is allowed to guess if players are members of the mafia. If the detective guesses correctly, that mafia member is eliminated. If the detective guesses incorrectly, nothing happens.
    • The detective should be allowed a number of guesses equal to the number of mafia players. For example, if there are 3 mafia members, the detective gets 3 guesses per game. If there are 4, the detective gets 4 and so on.
    • Townspeople do not have any special abilities.
    • If you only have 5-6 players for Mafia, consider cutting all other non-mafia roles like the detective and the doctor.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Playing the Night Cycle

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  1. The night cycle is the round of gameplay that takes place when players close their eyes. (This cycle simulates the townspeople in the imaginary village going to sleep.) To begin a night cycle, have the moderator instruct all players, no matter their role, to close their eyes and put their heads down. [6]
  2. Have the moderator instruct all mafia members to open their eyes and see what other players are a part of the mafia team. Give the mafia a set amount of time (ideally about 60 seconds) to silently decide who they want to “kill” (eliminate from the game.) When they reach a decision, have them point out their choice to the moderator. [7]
    • All players who are not mafia members must keep their eyes closed while the mafia makes their selection. Any non-mafia players who open their eyes are eliminated.
    • If the mafia cannot come to a unanimous decision about who to eliminate, then they forfeit their turn and no one will be eliminated during that round.

    Tip : If you want to make the game a little more kid-friendly, give the mafia another, less violent action like stealing a player’s cookie jar or sending them on a trip out of town.

  3. Once the mayor has confirmed who the mafia wishes to kill for their turn, have the mayor tell the mafia to go back to sleep and close their eyes again. Wait until all mafia members have closed their eyes to continue the game. [8]
  4. Have the mayor say out loud that it’s time for the detective to wake up. Detective: Once you’ve opened your eyes, point at someone you think is a member of the mafia. Since there is only 1 detective in the game, you will have to rely on your instincts and any other hints you’ve received. [9]
  5. Have the mayor silently indicate if the person the detective identified is a member of the mafia, such as by nodding or shaking their head. Have the mayor instruct the detective to go back to sleep after they make their selection. [10]
    • If the detective was right, the person will be eliminated. However, if the person was wrong, then the detective knows who another one of the townspeople is and can choose someone else on their next turn.
    • For an alternate, more difficult style of gameplay, do not automatically eliminate the mafia member if the detective guesses correctly. Have the mayor confirm or deny the detective’s choice, but make the detective convince the townspeople the next day who the mafia member is.
  6. After the mafia and detective have made their choices, have the moderator tell the doctor to wake up. Have the doctor point at the player they wish to save. If the person the doctor saves is the same person the mafia chooses, they will survive this round and not be eliminated. Otherwise, nothing will happen to the person saved and the mafia’s choice will be eliminated. [11]
    • If the doctor dies, the townspeople can no longer be saved from the mafia in subsequent rounds.
  7. Once the doctor has pointed out someone to save, have the mayor note who it is and then tell them to go back to sleep. Once their doctor closes their eyes, the night cycle is complete.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Playing the Day Cycle

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  1. Have the moderator instruct everyone to open their eyes and tell a short story about the choices made during the last night cycle. Mention who the mafia selected, if the detective caught a mafia member, and if the doctor chose the right person to save. The moderator can add details to their story or keep it short and simple. [12]
    • For example, the moderator could say something like: “The mafia attacked John last night, but the doctor was able to save him, so John is still alive. Unfortunately, however, the detective was unable to catch any of the mafia members in the act. They’re still on the loose!”
  2. Once the night cycle has been described, let players (including the doctor, detective, and mafia members) discuss what happened and try to pinpoint mafia members. Mafia members can try to convince the other players that they are townspeople or accuse other players to throw them off the scent. Have the mayor set a timer for 5 minutes to ensure that the discussion doesn’t get out of hand or go on too long. [13]
    • For example, players may say something along the lines of “Joey hasn’t said much, which seems pretty suspicious.” Then, Joey might say something like, “I don’t feel the need to say much because I haven’t done anything wrong. However, if I was guilty of something, then I might point fingers at other people.”

    Tip : You may set a longer time limit for the discussions if desired, such as 10 or 15 minutes.

  3. Once the discussion is complete, allow players to accuse each other of being a member of the mafia. Once an accusation has been made, it must be seconded by another player to move into the defense phase. [14]
    • For example, someone might accuse another player by saying, “I think Jennifer is in the mafia!” If someone else seconds the accusation, then it goes forward to the defense phase.
  4. The accuser gets 30 seconds to explain why they think the person they accused is in the mafia. After they’ve made their case, the accused also gets 30 seconds to defend themselves. The accuser may draw on their observations or invent reasons why they think the person is guilty. [15]
    • Players can lie about their roles to prove their innocence. However, players are not allowed to show their cards to confirm these statements.
    • To make the game more fun, players might consider adding accents or creating silly backstories to develop their character. The more seriously players take their parts, the higher the stakes!
  5. After an accused player has given their defense, the mayor asks who thinks that the accused is guilty and instructs everyone to vote. Players indicate their vote by a thumbs up (for guilty) or thumbs down (for not guilty). If the majority of players vote thumbs up, then the person is considered guilty and eliminated from the game, even if their card proves they were not part of the mafia. If the majority votes thumbs down, then the person is saved. [16]
    • The vote may take place anonymously (with players closing their eyes) or openly (with players’ eyes kept open).
    • Everyone gets to vote, including the accused and the accuser.
  6. Each day cycle must have a player declared guilty and eliminated. So, if there is not a majority vote of not guilty (thumbs down), the accusations begin again. Allow someone else to make an accusation and progress through the accusation, defense, and voting as before. [17]
  7. Once a player has been declared guilty, the accused shows their card and is now considered killed. They are eliminated for the rest of the game and may no longer participate in discussions or votes. After this happens, the night round begins again.
    • The person who is eliminated may keep their eyes open and observe the rest of the game, but they must do so silently and they cannot interfere or give the players any information.
    • The game continues until all of the townspeople or the mafia are eliminated. The team with players left is declared the winner by the moderator. [18]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Rule Variations

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  1. In a leftist version of the game, the detective is replaced by a revolutionary hero of the people such as Assata Shakur, Emma Goldman, or Ernesto Che' Guevara. Likewise, the Mafia is replaced by the FBI and winning the game involves eliminating all the FBI agents.
    • Folks that play these versions of the game generally call the game "Emma" or "Assata" instead of "Mafia".
    • For a less political, more fantastical twist, you can also change the name of the game to “Werewolf” and play with the same rules. [19]
  2. Extra roles are optional, but they can make the game more complex and interesting. Have the moderator assign different cards to indicate additional roles they want to incorporate into the game. Some options you might try include: [20]
    • The Informant , who gets to know who the mafia is without them knowing who they are.
    • The Lawyer , who chooses someone to defend. The person who the lawyer defends cannot be voted out the following morning.
    • The Peeping-Tom , who is allowed to open their eyes at any moment. This person may find out who plays each role in the game, but this makes them more likely to be killed by the mafia.
    • The Grandma With a Shotgun. If the Grandma with a shotgun is visited by anyone during the night cycle, that person dies, but the Grandma cannot be killed.
    • The Mafioso who works with the mafia. Every night, they reveal a townsperson's role to the mafia.
    • The Jailer who, once every game, can put any person in jail. The jailed player is unable to perform their role for the night.
    • The Vigilante who, once every game, can shoot anyone. If their victim is not the mafia, the vigilante dies of guilt.
    • The Mayor who is allowed to reveal their card whenever they want. Once they reveal their role, their vote is doubled. Revealing their role may make them a target for the mafia.
    • The Jester whose whole objective is to be voted off by the players. If they are voted off, they may choose to kill a player who voted to execute them in the following night.
    • Cupid can make 2 players fall in love, which will put both of them at a higher risk of being eliminated. On the first night cupid picks 2 people to be the lovers. If 1 of the lovers dies, the other dies of a broken heart instantly. [21]
  3. For large groups of 20 or more players, create 2 separate, competing groups of mafia members and play the game with 2 night cycles. These 2 sets of mafia will be working to kill the townspeople as well as their rival mafia members.
    • You can give them names like East Side and West Side Squad, or Blue and Red Team Mafia.

    Tip : The larger the group you have, the more roles you will want to include. This will make for a more complex game and give more players interesting roles and abilities to use.

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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can you give me an example of a short story for a victim killed by mafia?
    Community Answer
    He was walking down the street, minding his own business. A black car came and someone shot him. No one knows who did it.
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    Not Helpful 28 Helpful 127
  • Question
    If there is one mafia person and one healer left, is it a draw?
    Community Answer
    No, this is mafia win. Any time there are equal numbers of mafia and town members left alive, the win should go to the mafia. There are no draws in this game.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 17 Helpful 69
  • Question
    What happens if the officer is killed?
    Nicolas
    Community Answer
    Then the officer is killed. Keep playing the game.
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      Tips

      • Don't try to resort to random accusations in the first round. This is the best time to judge people's behavior. Also, look at who seems to be sure of the identities of certain people– they might be the mafia.
        Thanks
        Helpful 24 Not Helpful 2
      • When you look at what card you have, glance quickly at it, keeping your expression completely neutral. A good strategy is to watch the expressions of others when they look at their card. Many people may look slightly disappointed if they don't end up being a mafia member.
        Thanks
        Helpful 17 Not Helpful 2
      • Sitting in a circle, without fancy tables or music, gives a chilling "witch-hunt" air to the game. Don't forget, getting immersed in this game is what makes it fun.
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        Helpful 13 Not Helpful 3
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      Warnings

      • This game can take a while to play, especially if you have a large group. The first round of a game can last longer than an hour. The average round is around 10 - 45 minutes and a whole game can last well over 3.5 hours.
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        Helpful 10 Not Helpful 4
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      References

      1. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwJaNNV5KTE&feature=youtu.be&t=21
      3. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/aAJZqWiWk9I?t=28
      5. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      6. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      7. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/f4O-6dCmgvM?t=111
      9. ↑ https://www.alphr.com/play-mafia-zoom/
      1. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      2. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      3. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      4. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      5. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      6. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      7. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      8. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwJaNNV5KTE&feature=youtu.be&t=14
      10. ↑ https://valleyadvocate.com/2010/12/16/werewolf-rules/
      11. ↑ https://icebreakerideas.com/mafia-game/
      12. ↑ https://werewolf-the-game.fandom.com/wiki/The_Cupid

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To play a game of Mafia, also known as Werewolf, Assassin, or Village, you just need 12 to 16 players and a deck of cards. Choose one person to be the moderator. They’ll assign everyone’s roles and make sure the game runs smoothly. Next, grab your cards and decide which suit will represent the mafia members. For instance, the mafia cards could be hearts or clubs. You’ll need 3 mafia members for every other player, or townsperson, so choose as many mafia cards from that suit as you need. Set aside a king card and a queen card of any suit as well. Whoever gets these cards will take the roles of detective and doctor. Then, pull enough random cards from non-mafia suits for all the remaining players. The moderator will then shuffle the cards and distribute them randomly to all the players. Instruct the players not to show anyone their cards—they have to keep their roles secret. Once the cards are assigned, the moderator should tell everyone to go to sleep, meaning they must look down and close their eyes. Next, they will ask the mafia members to wake up. Any player with a mafia card opens their eyes, silently identifying themselves to the moderator. The moderator then asks the mafia members to choose another player to “kill.” The mafia members can communicate with each other and the moderator about their choice silently, for example, by pointing at the chosen victim. If they can’t unanimously decide on who to kill, no players will be eliminated during this round. After the mafia members make their choice, they go back to sleep. Then, the moderator will ask the detective to wake up and point to someone they think may be mafia. At this point, the detective will just have to use their instincts and make their best guess. Once they’ve done that, they go back to sleep. Finally, the moderator asks the doctor to wake up and choose someone to save. They can either save themselves or another player of their choosing. If the doctor happens to pick the mafia’s victim, that person will survive and won’t be eliminated during that round. Otherwise, they will still be eliminated from the game. Now the moderator wakes up the rest of the players and briefly explains the events of the night. For instance, if the detective guessed wrong, they might say that the mafia attacked Susan during the night, but unfortunately the killer escaped from the detective. The players still won’t know who any of the mafia are, but the detective will now know that the first person they selected was innocent. If the detective guessed right, the player they chose will be identified as mafia and eliminated from the game. Whatever happens, have all the players debate for 5 to 10 minutes, then ask them to vote to eliminate one player from the game. Once a player is voted guilty, they must then reveal their role and sit out the rest of the game, whether or not they were actually mafia. The moderator will now ask all the players to go to sleep again, and the mafia will choose a new victim. Keep repeating the process until either all the mafia or all the townspeople are eliminated. To learn how to start the day cycle once the night cycle is complete, read on!

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