Mafia game rules: how to play online and at the table
Mafia is a legendary team deduction game combining bluff and psychology. By day, the town debates and votes to eliminate someone; by night, the mafia secretly kills townies. Victory depends on logic, observation, and persuasion. This bot handles all the hosting duties, so you can focus on playing.
🎯 Who wins
🏙️TownWins when all mafia are identified and eliminated. Weapons: voting and deduction.
☠️MafiaWins when mafia equals townies in number. Weapons: night kills and day bluff.
🔪Serial KillerThird faction. Plays solo and wins by being the last one standing.
🌙 How a game flows
🪑LobbyPlayers gather at the table, the host chooses mode and roles. Short on people? Fill seats with AI bots.
🌙NightThe town sleeps. Mafia picks a target, and role players (Sheriff, Doctor, Escort, etc.) secretly act. All living players vote—even townies indicate suspects.
☀️DayThe town wakes, learns of the night kill, and debates. Then all living players vote to eliminate someone.
⚖️TieIf votes split evenly, a revote happens between tied candidates. Another tie? The host decides: execute or pardon.
🏁EndNight and day alternate until a faction wins. Then: full game breakdown, points, and rating updates.
🎭 All roles (16)
☠️ Mafia
☠️MafiaPick one target each night. Mafia see each other (except in Blind Mafia) and coordinate kills.
👑DonMafia boss. Picks a kill target and investigates who the Sheriff is. His call overrides others.
🏙️ Town
👶🏻CivilianNo night action. Strength: observation and voting to spot mafia.
🕵️SheriffCheck a player at night: mafia or town? Key figure—but revealing is risky.
💊DoctorHeal a player at night to save them from mafia. Can't heal the same person twice in a row.
💋EscortProtect from mafia and block their night action. But dies if you pick the Serial Killer.
👨🏼🎓StudentStarts as Civilian. Becomes Doctor or Sheriff if either dies. Hidden reserve.
🐺WerewolfStarts as town, but if mafia die, you become mafia and switch sides.
💣BombExplode when killed: take one attacker (night) or voter (day) with you.
💥KamikazeWhen killed, take a pre-chosen target—separately for day/night death.
♾️ImmortalCan't be killed at night by mafia or Serial Killer. Vulnerable only to day vote, Bomb, or Kamikaze.
👀PeeperTarget someone at night and watch them. Tell town what you saw at day.
🍷SwingerSwap targets of two role players (one chosen by day, one by night). Triggers if at least one has an active role.
💄Drag QueenDress as a day target and play their role at night; they sit idle. Role returns at dawn.
🏰The UntouchableCan't be voted out by day—only killed at night. Even then 25% chance to survive (double). Very durable.
🔪 Third faction
🔪Serial KillerKill anyone at night—even mafia. Doctor can't save from you. Win by being last.
🎮 Game modes
🎯ClassicFlexible setup: host toggles any roles. Mafia roughly a third of table. Best mode to try everything.
🥟Blind MafiaChaos and fun: mafia don't know each other, roles random (~77% get a role). No customization.
🏆SportClassic competitive mafia: fixed roster—3× ☠️ Mafia + 👑 Don + 🕵️ Sheriff, all others off. Pure deduction.
⏱7 minutesNight lasts 30 seconds, day 60: the timer closes each phase, and whoever hasn't acted skips the turn. Seven seats, no speech round. The quick tables behind the «Play» button run in this format: bots fill empty seats, and a newcomer takes a bot's place.
🏆 Points and rating
Points are awarded for useful moves only — for what you did, not for how it ended.
- A useful move — a check, a save, an accurate shot, a correct read on someone's role
- Price = difficulty — guessing right out of 8 suspects pays more than out of 2; bots don't count
- Roles are equal — an average game is worth the same in ANY role: the Civilian's rare move is expensive, the Escort's frequent ones are cheap
- A blunder — healing the same player twice in a row, visiting yourself — roughly minus one average move
⚠️ Winning and surviving earn NO points. Sitting in a corner until your side wins — zero. Dying on night one after playing strong — your points stay. That way the game rewards playing, not hiding.
📈 Rating = average points × ln(games played) — formula with no veteran handicap: play few, play strong, catch up. Separate ratings per role (adjusted for newcomers, so one lucky game won't top the board) for week, year, and all-time, plus your city's rating.
❓ Frequently asked
How many players do I need?
Minimum 5. Short on humans? Fill with bots in the lobby.
Do I need Telegram?
No. Play by nickname. Telegram login just locks your profile, picks your emoji, and builds rating.
What if my internet drops mid-game?
You won't get kicked. Bot waits—just refresh or come back, you're back in.
Can anyone see my role?
No one. Only you. No human host means no one can peek or leak.
Is it free?
Yes, completely. No download, no signup, no payment.
Can I play in person around a table?
Yes! One of the best ways: everyone grabs a phone, joins the same table—bot runs it instead of a human host. No mistakes, no peeking.