Mafia Rules and Characters
Mafia Game Rules
Mafia is a survival game. There are many variations of this popular entertainment. The sports version, also known as Classic, involves a fixed number of participants (10) and a limited number of roles. The same applies to Kiev Mafia (where the number of participants is always 12). In the app Mafia, there are no such restrictions. There are various roles, and the number of players can be anything from 4 people. This allows you to enjoy the atmosphere of the game without being constrained by strict limits. The most important thing is Online Mafia with Video, which means you will see each other as if you are all in one large room (even if you might be from different countries). The host also participates in the game. Thus, there is no need for anyone to be bored — everyone can participate. In the app, the host can flexibly set the desired configuration: add or remove characters, set the mode to dark or open, disable chaos or nominations on the first day, and much more.
The entire game is divided into two recurring phases - day and night. The main phases of the day are: "chaos", "30 seconds", "voting". At night, active roles take their turns, for example, the maniac kills, the doctor heals, the sheriff checks, etc.
Phases of the Game Day
- Chaos — during the chaos phase, the video chat in the app is activated for all players, and everyone can talk, see, and hear each other. This is the time for discussion. During this time, you can conduct cross-examinations and find out from the players' answers and reactions what roles they have. Although chaos is a very important phase, it can be turned off by the host in the room settings.
- 30 Seconds — this is the most important time for each player, where they can express themselves without worrying about being interrupted. The app automatically disables the cameras and sound of other participants. All players speak in turn. An important function of this phase is the ability to nominate another player for voting. Nominating means that you suspect the person has a black card. Nominated players participate in the voting. The player with the most votes is eliminated from the game.
- Voting — this is the daytime phase when the town decides who will leave the game during the day. This is the only time when the citizens can collectively destroy organized crime in the town. And this is their only chance to win. Voting takes place if the number of nominated participants is greater than one. Each voter can select one candidate. The player who receives the most votes leaves the game. If in the Mafia voting is evenly split between two or more candidates, a re-vote is conducted.
- Re-vote — this phase is conducted only if the voting did not result in a determined player to be eliminated. Before the re-vote, each of those players has a chance to justify themselves (an additional 30 seconds). Limitation: if two players participate in the re-vote, they do not have the right to vote.
Mafia Night
At night, active players perform their roles. In the mobile app, all active players can act simultaneously at night. The algorithm automatically handles the order of nighttime events. After the night ends, all participants will receive the results. If a Citizen is killed at night, he is given the opportunity to say a last word. In his last word, the Citizen can tell who he suspects in his death. The right to the last word can be turned off by the host in the room settings. When playing in the dark, the last word feature is not available. More details about each player's role at night can be read in the description of the cards.
Mafia Cards
Below are the basic character cards of the Mafia game. Other roles are also available in the game, and their descriptions can be found in our application.Mafia Card
Mafia role is the main killing card in the game and the only mandatory card that is always in the deck. The number of mafias is determined by the formula: number of participants / 4. If desired, the host can add one additional mafia card to the deck.
Role Feature
If there are two or more mafia cards in the game, all mafiosos must make the same choice at night; otherwise, it is considered a miss, and no one dies. At night, mafiosos can see each other's choices and can correct their own choice, but they cannot talk or exchange messages during the game night. During the day discussion, it is dangerous for mafiosos to talk among themselves, as this will be immediately noticed by other roles.
Mafia Game Strategy
The first task of the mafia is to eliminate active roles. These roles include sheriff, serial killer, doctor, lady. The sheriff is especially dangerous for the mafia. If there is a spy in the game, the mafia's task is also not to accidentally kill the spy. During the day, it would be a good strategy for the mafia to support one of the red cards. This will help gain a vote in their favor, and if the mafia is revealed, it will also cast a shadow on the player who supported the mafia (this makes sense only if there are at least two mafias in the game). For a similar reason, mafiosos should not openly support each other.
Citizen Card
The Citizen is a basic game card. All participants who do not receive another role automatically get a citizen card. Thus, the number of citizens is determined by the number of other roles in the game.
What should a citizen player do?
At night, the Citizen has no active actions. However, during the day, citizens form the majority, which determines the course of the game. Citizens, like others, can discuss, nominate, and vote. It is the citizens who determine the victory of the city.
Doctor Card
This is a basic role that requires only 4 players in the game. The host must include this role in the room settings.
Doctor Mafia Card. What does the doctor do?
The doctor's task is to guess the night choice of the killing role (mafia or serial killer) and thus save the victim. If at night the doctor chooses the same player as the mafia or serial killer, that player survives.
Role Features
The doctor can heal himself. The doctor cannot heal the same person (including himself) two nights in a row. However, by taking a break for one night, he can heal the same participant again. The doctor can save a person even if two shots were made at him during the night. The doctor can save a Lady, Sheriff, Citizen, or anyone at all.
Doctor Game Strategy
In the early stages, if there are no suspicions about who might be killed, a good strategy is to heal oneself. To guess the mafia's choice, one must carefully observe the course of the game and notice the details.
Sheriff Card
Also known as the police officer, cop, or commissioner. This is one of the most important citizen roles in the game. A minimum of 5 participants is needed to distribute this card, and the host must activate the sheriff card in the room settings.
Police Mafia Card. What does it do?
The role of the commissioner in the game is hard to overestimate. The sheriff can check one of the players every night and accurately determine whether he is mafia or not. Upon learning this information, the sheriff can inform the city the next day about who the checked player is.
Sheriff - Role Feature
Based on the results of the night check, the outcome is provided - mafia or not. Thus, the cop cannot know the exact card of the checked player. However, once all the mafiosos are eliminated from the game, the sheriff can also identify the serial killer. In this case, the sheriff will be informed in the results of the night check that a serial killer has been identified. The spy card, which also plays for the mafia team, cannot be revealed in the night check.
Commissioner's Role Strategy
The commissioner should check the participant who is under the most suspicion. If he turns out to be innocent, the commissioner should verbally defend him so that he is not mistakenly voted out during the day. If the check reveals a mafia member or serial killer, the commissioner should immediately inform the city about this. The police officer should not reveal himself, especially in the early stages (first or second day), otherwise he risks leaving the game quickly.
Spy Card
The role of spy in the mafia game is very interesting. The game reaches a new level when you play with a Spy especially when playing without revealing the cards. This creates a huge field for various kinds of bluffing. A minimum of 5 people is needed for this role to be distributed.
What does the spy do?
This card plays for the mafia and helps them win in the daytime phase of the game. The spy can divert discussion away from the mafia cards, shifting the focus to other citizen players. Since the spy is part of the mafia team, the spy can only win while at least one mafioso is alive. At night, the spy does not perform any actions.
Features of the Spy Role
The mafiosos do not know who the spy is. The spy, on the other hand, knows from the very beginning who the mafia is. The sheriff will never be able to detect the spy during a night check.
Spy Role Strategy
In the early game, the main task of the spy is to signal to the mafia that he is their spy in such a way that others do not figure it out. If the mafiosos cannot guess who the spy is, they may accidentally kill the spy at night. If the spy reveals himself to the citizen players, he may be eliminated from the game the next day during voting.
Lady Card
To deal the Lady card, 5 players are required, and the host must include the role in the deck.
What does the Lady do in the game?
The Lady is a role that plays for the city and helps the city win. At night, the Lady chooses one player who will not be able to speak or vote the next day, while remaining in the game. The Lady's action lasts for one game day, but she can repeat her actions with the same person multiple times.
Feature of the Lady Character
If the Lady get killed at night, the person she chose dies as well. This feature gives this card a special power that can be beneficial or harmful to the city.
Lady Game Strategy
The Lady character has the most weight at the end of the game, as with her correct choice at night, the Lady can eliminate or silence the Mafia. The value of a vote increases at the end of the game, so the ability to take away one vote also becomes especially important. At the beginning of the game, a wrong choice can harm the city. If the Lady is killed, the person she choose also dies. Thus, by eliminating the Lady at the beginning, the mafiosos have a good chance of eliminating two red (peaceful) cards at once. Therefore, in the first or second day, this role should be handled with caution. Revealing one's role immediately after the cards are dealt (intentional or accidental) almost always leads to the character's death.
Serial Killer Card
A minimum of 6 people is required for this role. There can be only one serial killer in the game.
What does the serial killer do in the mafia game?
The serial killer is a lone murderer. His goal is to kill everyone. At night, the serial killer chooses a victim who dies. The Doctor can save the serial killer's victim. At night, the mafia can kill the serial killer, and the serial killer can kill the mafia. If both the serial killer and mafia are in the game, two people can die in one night.
Feature of the Serial Killer Role
The police officer cannot detect the serial killer during a night check, while at least one mafioso is alive.
Serial Killer Game Strategy
In the early stages, the greatest danger for the serial killer is the mafia (since they can kill him), so in the early game, it is beneficial for him to cooperate with the citizen roles to identify and eliminate competitors. Later, the greatest danger for the serial killer is the sheriff, who can check him. Throughout the game, it is important for the serial killer to remain unnoticed. When playing in the dark, it is very important for the serial killer to pretend to be one of the killed roles ("steal the role") so that he is not suspected. Since the police cannot detect the serial killer while the mafiosos are alive, it may be a good strategy to be checked by the sheriff at the beginning of the game to create an alibi.
Bulletproof Card
At least 4 players are required to deal this role. There can be only one Bulletproof in the game.
What does Bulletproof do?
If you receive the Bulletproof card, your role is the same as that of a regular Citizen. The only difference is that, unlike the Citizen card, you have a bulletproof vest that protects your character from attack at night. Once Bulletproof has been attacked at night, their armor breaks, and they can be killed the following night.
Features of the Bulletproof role
It is worth noting that as long as Bulletproof's vest is active, they can withstand an unlimited number of attacks during one night. However, the vest does not protect the player if they are nominated and lynched (hanged) during the day. Additionally, the vest will not save Bulletproof if they are chosen by the Lady, who was killed that same night (see Lady's character features).
Bulletproof game strategy
Bulletproof's strategy is similar to that of a regular Citizen. Bulletproof can sometimes put themselves in harm's way from the Mafia or Serial Killer, as they have two lives, if it can help the city (for example, protecting an important role from danger).
Behavior Rules
Behavior rules in public rooms in the MAFIA app:1. Insults
Direct or indirect insult during the game and in the lobby are prohibited.
2. Discussions
The following topics are prohibited: Race, Nationality, Religion, Politics, and Gender.
3. Role reveal
It is prohibited to reveal your role or the roles of other player's using chats such as Telegram, "code words", or other methods.
4. Vows
Vows, arguments and other provocative ways to find out the player's Role are prohibited, including pledging, swearing, thanking God, or making bets.
5. Cheating
It is forbidden to cheat with game rankings, currency, season goal, etc.
5.1. Cheating game points is prohibited.
6. Disruptive Behavior
Joining the room without intentions to play, only to insult other players in the room is prohibited.
7. Violent content
Any demonstration of erotic or violent content is prohibited.
8. Threats
Any form of threats, such as kicking out of the room, or threats outside of the game are prohibited.
9. Language
It is prohibited to use a foreign language that is not specified as the main language of the room and is not understood by other players.
10. Nicknames
Nicknames containing profanity, unpronounceable, or contain words such as "Admin" or "Doctor" are prohibited.
11. Exit room
It is prohibited to exit the room during a running game without prior getting public approval from the host.
12. Reports
Reports that do not contain any claims about the Rules violation, false and/or contains profanity are prohibited.
13. Ban bypass
It is prohibited to attempt bypassing the ban by creating alternative accounts.
14. Cosmetics
Frames, avatars and other cosmetic items may not violate any of the listed game rules.
15. Game ruining
Deliberately ruining the game for other players:
15.1. It is forbidden to claim to be police on a citizen card and state that another non-mafia player is mafia.
15.2. Deliberately voting with mafia to ruin the game is prohibited.
16. Host features abuse
The host is prohibited to abuse his features in order to gain advantage in the game:
16.1. It is prohibited to stop the game or kick out a player solely because the game situation is undesirable for the host (for example, when the host is nominated for voting, jailed, killed etc.)
16.2. It is prohibited to threaten to kick out a player or stop the game because the game situation is undesirable for the host (for example, when the host is nominated for voting, jailed, killed etc.)
17. Clan Admin features abuse
Clan admins are prohibited from abusing their abilities.
18. Abusing the Newbie Incubator
It is forbidden to take players into the incubator who are not actually beginning players.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to play Mafia with cards?
In our app, the cards are dealt automatically. The host determines which cards will be in the game, but they do not influence their selection. The method of dealing cards is entirely random and cannot be predicted. The host participates in the game like everyone else.
What are active roles?
Active roles are roles that perform some special function during the game night. Regardless of what role you have, you actively participate during the day, speak out, express your opinion, nominate, and vote.
What does a black card mean in Mafia? A red card?
Red cards are the roles that play for the city, while black cards are those that play against the city. For example, the Sheriff card is red, while the Serial Killer card is black.
How to play Mafia without cards?
To play through the app, you need nothing but a mobile phone and a good internet connection capable of transmitting game video. 4G, LTE, or WiFi mobile connections with a minimum speed of 15 Mbps are ideal for online Mafia app.
Mafia game rules in brief
You can start playing immediately in the app and figure it out as you go. If you don’t understand your role, you can click the "Explain my role" button when you receive and turn over your card.
What does it mean to play in the dark or open?
The term playing in the dark refers to a game where the roles of participants are not revealed when they are eliminated. In a dark game, eliminated players do not have the right to the last word. The host can set the game to dark or open in the room settings. An open game will be more understandable for beginners. Playing in the dark, on the other hand, opens up many new bluffing opportunities for the black cards and makes the game more interesting.
How many cards are in Mafia?
There can be many different roles in the game. We are working on the app and adding new roles. You can see the current list of roles here.
How to play Mafia with regular cards?
To play Mafia with regular playing cards, you need to assign a role to each card. For example, black jacks, kings, and queens are the Mafia, while all red cards are Citizens. You can also decide that small diamonds and hearts without pictures represent regular Citizens without active roles, designate the Doctor as a red queen, and the Sheriff as a red king. If there are other roles in the game, their designations should be discussed in advance. But why complicate things when you can play in the video chat app without any props at all? You will only need your phone. An important advantage nowadays is that you can play with friends all over the world while staying safe at home!
Mafia rules for the host. What does the host do?
Although the host cannot play in an offline game, we do not have such a restriction. The host is just as much a player as everyone else. However, they do have additional non-game functions. The host is responsible for order in the room, has the right to kick any participant for non-game behavior, and can end the game prematurely. The host sets the room parameters and determines which roles are in the game.
Mafia card dealing. How are cards dealt?
In the app, cards are dealt automatically. No one, including the host, knows who will receive which card. The algorithm for dealing cards is completely random and unpredictable.
Can the Mafia vote against the Mafia?
At daytime voting, the Mafia can vote against the Mafia, for example, to secure an alibi.
Can the Mafia vote against the Mafia at night?
Yes, the Mafia can shoot another Mafia member or even themselves (self-shoot).
Can a killed player vote?
No, after a player is killed, they are out of the game and can no longer vote or participate in the discussion. However, they can observe the game.