Mafia Setup

Roles

Mafia roles explained

Every game of Mafia has two teams: the mafia, who know each other, and the town, who don't. Roles give some players a secret ability on top of that. Mafia Setup deals four roles in every game, groups that play often add more, and most roles go by a different name in Werewolf.

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The four core roles

These are the roles Mafia Setup deals in every game: one Cop, one Angel, the number of mafia you choose, and villagers for everyone else. The rules page explains how a round plays out.

  • Mafia role card

    Mafia

    Mafia

    Wakes each night with the rest of the mafia. Together they silently agree on one player to eliminate. During the day they pretend to be ordinary villagers.

    Also called: Werewolf, Assassin

    • Settle on a target quickly. Long rounds of pointing make noise that sharp listeners pick up.
    • Vote against a partner now and then when the town already suspects them. It makes you look trustworthy later.
  • Villager role card

    Villager

    Town

    Has no night action. Villagers sleep through the night and win by finding the mafia through discussion and the daily vote.

    Also called: Townsperson, Citizen, Civilian

    • Remember who pushed each vote. The mafia often steer the first few eliminations.
    • Ask people to explain their vote. A guilty player's reasons tend to shift from one day to the next.
  • Cop role card

    Cop

    Town

    Wakes each night and points at one player. The narrator gives a thumbs up if that player is mafia and a thumbs down if they aren't.

    Also called: Detective, Sheriff, Seer (Werewolf)

    • Keep a mental list of everyone you have checked.
    • Wait to reveal yourself until your result can swing a vote, because the mafia will target you that night.
  • Angel role card

    Angel

    Town

    Wakes each night and points at one player to protect. If the mafia chose the same player, nobody dies that night.

    Also called: Doctor, Guardian Angel, Medic

    • Protect whoever is reasoning best. Those are the players the mafia most want gone.
    • Change your choice from night to night so the mafia can't predict it.

Extra roles you can add

Once your group knows the basics, extra roles make the game longer and less predictable. Town roles help the town find or survive the mafia, mafia roles help the mafia hide, and neutral roles play for themselves. Roles marked Werewolf come from that version of the game but work just as well in Mafia.

Mafia roles

  • Godfather

    Leads the mafia. When the Cop checks the Godfather, the narrator signals that they are not mafia.

  • Framer

    Picks one player each night. If the Cop checks that player the same night, they show up as mafia.

  • Roleblocker

    Picks one player each night whose night action fails. Also called the Consort or Escort.

Town roles

  • Vigilante

    Can eliminate one player at night, usually once per game. A wrong guess costs the town one of its own players.

  • Bodyguard

    Protects one player each night. If that player is attacked, the Bodyguard dies in their place.

  • Mayor

    May reveal themselves during the day. From then on, their vote counts twice.

  • Hunter

    Werewolf

    When eliminated, by night or by vote, immediately chooses one player to take down with them.

  • Witch

    Werewolf

    Has two potions, each usable once: one saves the night's victim and the other eliminates any player.

  • Cupid

    Werewolf

    On the first night, links two players as Lovers. If one Lover dies, the other dies of heartbreak.

Neutral roles

  • Jester

    Wins alone by getting voted out by the town, so they act suspicious on purpose.

  • Serial Killer

    Eliminates one player each night, separately from the mafia. Wins by being one of the last two players alive.

Mafia Setup currently deals the four core roles. To play with extras, deal a core game and have the narrator privately swap a few players into extra roles, or write the extras on paper slips.

Mafia and Werewolf role names

Werewolf is the same game as Mafia with a village theme, so most roles have a direct match. The rules work the same either way.

MafiaWerewolf
MafiaWerewolves
VillagerVillager
Cop / DetectiveSeer
Angel / DoctorDoctor, Guardian or Bodyguard
NarratorModerator

Role setups by group size

These setups keep the two sides fairly even. Optional roles can be added on top without changing the mafia count.

PlayersRolesOptional
4 to 61 to 2 Mafia, Cop, Angel, VillagersNone
7 to 92 Mafia, Cop, Angel, VillagersJester
10 to 133 Mafia (one is the Godfather), Cop, Angel, Vigilante, VillagersJester
14 to 184 to 5 Mafia (with Godfather and Roleblocker), Cop, Angel, Vigilante, Mayor, VillagersJester
19 and up5 or more Mafia (with Godfather, Framer and Roleblocker), Cop, Angel, Vigilante, Bodyguard, Mayor, VillagersJester, Serial Killer

For the exact mafia count at every group size, see how many mafia per player count.

Keeping the game balanced

  • Give the mafia a power role whenever the town gets one. The Godfather pairs with the Cop and the Roleblocker pairs with the Angel or Bodyguard.
  • Add one new role at a time so everyone learns how it plays before the next one arrives.
  • Save neutral killers like the Serial Killer for groups of 15 or more. In small games they end things too fast.
  • If one side keeps winning, change the mafia count by one before changing the roles.

Frequently asked questions

What roles are in the Mafia game?

The basic game has only Mafia and Villagers. Most groups add a Cop, who checks one player each night, and a Doctor or Angel, who protects one player. Larger groups often add the Godfather, Jester and Vigilante.

What does the Doctor do in Mafia?

Each night the Doctor chooses one player to protect. If the mafia target that player, they survive. Mafia Setup calls this role the Angel.

Is the Cop the same as the Detective?

Yes. Groups use Cop, Detective and Sheriff for the same role: each night they learn whether one player is mafia. In Werewolf it is the Seer.

What is the Godfather in Mafia?

The Godfather is a mafia member who looks innocent to the Cop. It is the usual counter to the Cop in games of 10 or more players.

What is the Jester in Mafia?

The Jester is on nobody's side. They win only if the town votes them out, so they try to look guilty without being too obvious about it.

How many special roles should a game have?

A Cop and an Angel are enough for most groups up to about 12 players. Above that, add roughly one extra role for every three or four players, and give the mafia a power role whenever the town gets one.

What are the roles in Werewolf?

The core Werewolf roles are the Werewolves, Villagers, the Seer and the Doctor. Popular extras are the Witch, Hunter and Cupid. Werewolf is the same game as Mafia with a village theme.

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