Mafia

What is Mafia?

Mafia is the original social-deduction party game: a town of villagers, a few secret mafiosi who “eliminate” one villager each night, a detective who can check one player, a doctor who can save one. This page is the narrator. Add the players, pick the roles, pass the phone round so each person secretly sees their role, and the screen then runs every night and day — who to wake, who was found, who is on trial — so nobody has to sit out as the moderator.

The Werewolf page is the same engine in the village-and-wolves skin with its own flavour text; the rules are identical. Four players is the minimum the phone allows, six is where it starts to work, twelve to sixteen is the sweet spot, and a game takes twenty to forty minutes.

🕵️ Read the full guide: Mafia Game: History, Roles and Rules

Role set-ups by group size

• 6 players: 1 Mafia, 1 Detective, 1 Doctor, 3 Villagers — fast and forgiving
• 8 players: 2 Mafia, 1 Detective, 1 Doctor, 4 Villagers — the classic
• 10–12 players: 3 Mafia, 1 Detective, 1 Doctor, the rest Villagers
• 14+ players: 4 Mafia; consider a second Doctor so nights are less deadly
• First-timers: skip the Doctor so the game is easier to follow
• Experienced table: the Mafia must agree silently — no pointing, only looks
• Office social: short day phases (two minutes on the Countdown Timer) so it fits a lunch break
• Sleepover: play two games back to back; the second with the roles the phone deals fresh

Game setup

How to play Mafia

1. Add every player and choose how many mafia.
2. Pass the phone: each player taps to see their secret role, then hides it.
3. Night — the host taps through: mafia choose a victim, doctor saves, detective checks.
4. Morning — the screen reveals what happened; everyone discusses.
5. Vote: tap the accused player to eliminate them.
6. Repeat night and day until one side wins.

What the screen does for you

Mafia on AllPartyGames.com is the referee, not the whole game: it gives the host Deal roles, Wake the mafia / doctor / detective, Morning reveal, Discussion timer, Vote, Undo an accidental tap from the vote screen, while you bring one phone to pass around (this screen). Tap the ? button inside the game for these rules at any time, or 📺 for TV mode on a big screen.

How many players?

Mafia works with 6–20 players and a typical round takes about 20–45 min. Recommended age: 10+.

Best occasions

Variations

• 🐺 Werewolf

Tips

• The narrator phone stays face-down in the middle during the day; only the narrator touches it at night.
• Insist on eyes closed and no talking at night — the game lives or dies on it.
• Ban “I’m the Detective” claims in the first round for new players; it makes the game better.
• Let a non-playing host hold the phone for the smoothest game; otherwise pass it face-down between screens.
• Ask everyone to put their hands on their knees during the night so nobody can tap the phone unseen.

Mafia FAQ