Every player gets a secret Role card and a one-time Action card. One person runs the table as Godfather. From there it's silence, suspicion, and a city that only sleeps at night.
Before the first round begins, every player is dealt exactly two things.
This decides which side you're on — Civilian or Mafia — and what special power, if any, you use at night. Keep it hidden for the whole game.
A one-time trick unrelated to your role — a vote-swap, a save, a sabotage. Play it whenever it suits you, then it's spent for good.
One player sits out as narrator and referee. The Godfather runs the night in total silence and never plays to win or lose.
The Godfather sits outside this count. Doctor "saves" scale up as the table gets bigger, since there's more ground to cover each night.
| Players | Civilian | Mafia | Detective | Terrorist | Jailer | Doctor saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 7 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 13 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 15 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 19 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 20 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Every lineup above includes exactly one Godfather (not counted in "Players") and one Doctor.
Night is silent and gestural. Day is loud and argumentative. They alternate until someone wins.
Every Role card locks you into one side and, for most roles, one power you use only at night.
Runs the table, calls the phases, and delivers every silent signal at night. The Godfather referees only — they don't play for either side and can't win or lose.
Know each other from the start and choose a victim together every night. They win once Mafia numbers equal or outnumber the surviving Civilians.
Aligned with the Mafia but working alone. During the Day Phase, the Terrorist can choose to sacrifice themselves to take one other player down with them, whoever that may be.
No night power, no inside information — just a vote and a voice. Civilians win by voting out every Mafia member and the Terrorist.
Sees who the Mafia is targeting each night and can save that one player — but only a limited number of times across the whole game, so timing matters.
Investigates one player per night through the Godfather, learning whether that person is Mafia. Staying quiet about it is often safer than announcing what they know.
Locks one player up each night, cancelling whatever night action that player would have taken — including a Mafia kill, if they guess right.
Independent of your role, every player (except the Godfather) holds one Action card that can be played once, whenever they choose, for the rest of the game.
Shields you from elimination by vote for the current round.
Your vote counts twice in the next round of voting.
Pick a player who can't speak or join discussion for one round.
Pick a player whose Action card is locked out for the current round.
Sit out the vote entirely for one round, without penalty.
Force another player to vote exactly how you choose.
Cancel the entire current Day Phase — all talk, cards, and votes — and start it over.
If the vote ends in a tie, you alone decide who's eliminated.
Name a player who cannot be voted out this round, no matter how the vote goes.
Pick a player whose role power is switched off for the next Night Phase.
Reverse a vote-elimination the instant it happens, bringing that player back in.
Take another player's Action card at random, without either of you knowing what it does.
Privately ask the Godfather whether a chosen player holds a specific role.
If you're the one facing the most votes, play this to save yourself on the spot.
Pass a message to another player through the Godfather without anyone else hearing it.
Cancel any other Action card the instant it's played against you or the table.
Once used, an Action card is gone for good — there's no reloading mid-game.
The Underboss is a bonus Action card you can deal to one random player at your table before the game starts — enter your players and find out who gets it.
No. The Godfather is a neutral moderator who calls the phases and delivers silent signals. They sit outside both factions and don't factor into the win condition.
They stay safe from any night action — including a Mafia kill — but they also can't use their own role power that night. It's a trade-off, not a free pass.
The rulebook doesn't single this out — most tables allow it as long as the Doctor still has saves remaining, so confirm the house rule with your Godfather before play starts.
Civilians win once every Mafia member and the Terrorist have been eliminated. The Mafia wins once their numbers equal or outnumber the remaining Civilians.
Yes — "Just Say No" exists specifically to nullify another Action card the instant it's played, so timing and reading the table matters even for card powers.