Mafia Game Rules — Complete Guide

Mafia is a classic social-deduction game where one team secretly knows the others and must eliminate them through night actions, while the rest find the impostors through deduction and voting. This page covers the full Mafia rules: role composition, game phases, how voting works, how a round ends, and how teams win. At the end — how we implemented Mafia online in Mafia de los Muertos: play directly in your browser with friends, with AI players, or in any mix.

Ciudad de los Muertos by day — the setting of the game

Game overview

Six players on one table. Two are Banditos (mafia) — they know each other and want to eliminate the rest. Four are Citizens — they don't know who's who. The game runs in rounds: day phase (discussion and execution vote) and night phase (secret role actions). It continues until one team wins.

Role composition — two teams, six players

Six roles in Mafia: citizens, seer, widow, banditos

In our version, 6 players split into two factions:

Citizens — 4 players:

  • Citizen (×2) — no special abilities
  • Seer (×1) — investigates one player each night to learn their role
  • Widow (×1) — protects one player each night. Can't protect the same player twice in a row

Banditos — 2 players:

  • Bandito (×2) — choose a target each night. Kill only succeeds if both choose the same target. They know each other

These are the classic Mafia roles in our implementation. Traditional Mafia also features the Sheriff (Commissioner), Don, Doctor, Maniac, and Mistress — we don't use those, but many functions overlap: our Seer investigates roles like the Sheriff, the Widow protects like the Doctor.

All Mafia roles in detail →

Game phases — how a Mafia round runs

The game runs in rounds. Each round: Day (speeches → voting) → Night (role actions). If neither victory condition is met after voting or night, a new round begins.

Day phase: speeches and discussion

The cantina — where day-phase discussions take place
  • All living players take turns giving a speech
  • Speaking order rotates each round
  • Humans type or use voice input
  • AI players respond automatically

Day phase: secret voting

  • After speeches — secret vote. Everyone votes simultaneously
  • Votes are hidden until all are cast
  • You can abstain

• If a candidate gets more than half the votes of living players → eliminated

• Abstaining effectively counts against elimination

• If no majority is reached — no one is eliminated

Last words of the eliminated

The eliminated player gives a final speech. After that, they are silenced forever. Dead players don't participate; their roles stay hidden until the end.

Night phase: role actions

Ciudad de los Muertos at night — secret actions phase
  • Banditos — each independently picks a target. Kill succeeds only if both pick the same. Solo Bandito kills freely
  • Seer — picks a player and learns their exact role
  • Widow — protects one player (not the same as last night)
  • Citizen — sleeps

In the morning, the town learns who died — but not who killed or who saved.

Victory conditions

  • Citizens win — all Banditos eliminated
  • Banditos win — Banditos alive ≥ Citizens alive

If your faction wins, you win too — even if your character is dead.

After the game — Chronicle

Connection diagram, all roles revealed, all night actions visible.

Navigate by round and phase.

Connection diagram in the post-game Chronicle

How to play Mafia online in Mafia de los Muertos

  1. Click «New Game» — you enter the Cantina (lobby)
  2. Click «Invite Friends» — send the link. Friends pick the open slots themselves
  3. Enter access code and click «Start Game»

• Host — game creator. Can start, configure, replace disconnected players with AI

• Voice input — mic button, up to 30 seconds

• Timer — guidance for human players. If you don't respond in time, the host can replace you with AI

• If you can't continue — you can replace yourself with an AI character at any point in the game

Strategy tips

For Citizens

  • Watch voting patterns — Banditos protect each other
  • If the Seer reveals, their info is critical

For Banditos

  • Don't defend your partner too obviously
  • Vote differently — matching votes expose the pair

For Seer

  • Don't reveal without useful info
  • Reveal if you found a Bandito or are about to be eliminated

See also:

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