How to play Mafia: rules, roles and strategy

8 minute read

Mafia is a social deduction game about reading people, hiding information and persuading the group. A small Mafia team acts in secret while the Town tries to identify and vote them out.

What you need

You need at least 3 players, although 6 to 10 creates a more balanced discussion. In Bazimoon, one player creates a table and shares its link or code. Voice chat, role assignment, timers and voting are handled inside the game.

• 3 to 12 players
• One private role for every player
• A quiet place to talk
• About 15 to 40 minutes

The teams and win conditions

Most players belong to the Town. Their goal is to remove every Mafia player. The smaller Mafia team knows each other and wins when its surviving members equal the number of Town players. Independent roles such as the Joker can have their own win condition.

Set up the game

Choose a Classic setup for a straightforward first game, or customise the roles and table rules. Each player joins the table, checks their secret role alone and marks themselves ready. Never reveal the role screen to another player.

• For a first game, use one Mafia member for roughly every three players.
• Keep advanced roles limited until everyone knows the day-and-night rhythm.
• Agree whether eliminated roles are revealed and whether night victims receive last words.

Night phase

During the night, players with actions use them privately. The Mafia choose a target. The Doctor may protect one player, the Detective may investigate someone, and other enabled roles act when prompted. Players should not describe or react to secret information until daytime.

Day discussion and voting

The result of the night is announced, then the surviving players discuss suspicions. Look for stories that change, votes that protect a teammate, and confident claims unsupported by earlier behaviour. When discussion ends, everyone votes. The player with the most votes may defend themselves before the final decision.

• Ask specific questions instead of only making accusations.
• Explain why you suspect someone so other players can test your reasoning.
• Track who voted together; voting patterns often reveal more than speeches.
• If the vote is tied, follow the table’s defence and re-vote rules.

Common Mafia roles

Exact abilities depend on the selected setup, but these roles appear often in Bazimoon games.

• Citizen: no night action; observes, discusses and votes.
• Mafia: knows the Mafia team and helps choose the night target.
• Godfather: leads the Mafia and may appear innocent to investigations.
• Detective: investigates one player at night.
• Doctor: protects a player from the Mafia attack.
• Sniper: can attempt to eliminate a suspected Mafia member.
• Joker: wins by persuading the Town to vote them out.

Beginner strategy

Town players should share useful reasoning without giving special roles away too early. Mafia players need a believable view of the game, not silence. A good bluff includes ordinary uncertainty; perfect certainty can be as suspicious as avoiding every opinion.

• Town: compare claims with votes and earlier statements.
• Special roles: reveal only when the information is worth the risk.
• Mafia: participate consistently and avoid defending teammates automatically.
• Everyone: focus on game behaviour, never personal traits or knowledge outside the game.

Questions