The Mafia win
If the number of Mafia becomes equal to the number of Citizens left — nobody can stop them anymore.
Don't reveal your role!
How do you play Mafia?
A game of social wits and deception: the Mafia try to get rid of the Citizens without being exposed, and the Citizens try to unmask them through discussion and the vote.
Before the first round — what do you need?
Just three things: a group of 5 or more people (the sweet spot is between 8 and 15), a Godfather to run the round — and here the app takes on the hard part of the job: the dealing, the order and the reminders, leaving them the showmanship — and one connected device in Godfather mode, or one device per player in Diwaniya mode. No cards, no setup, no download: open jm3tmafia.com, create a room, and send the code. And if your group plays with traditional cards, we have a complete guide to Mafia with cards — and you'll see why most groups never go back to cards after their first digital round.
How a round goes
01
Dealing the roles
Every player receives their role in secret — in Godfather mode the host passes the device around in turn, and in Diwaniya mode the role appears on each player's own device.
02
Night
Everyone closes their eyes. The Mafia pick a victim, the Detective checks a player, and the Doctor protects someone — each in turn.
03
Day and discussion
Everyone wakes up and the night's events are announced. The discussion begins: who acted strangely? Who's defending a little too hard?
04
The vote
Everyone votes on the prime suspect. The player with the most votes is out of the game and becomes a Ghost who watches the rest.
And the nights repeat until one team wins…
How to win
The Citizens win
If they vote out every member of the Mafia before their own numbers run too low.
The roles and their powers
Mafia
They pick a victim every night, and their goal is to stay hidden until they outnumber the rest.
Act like an innocent Citizen
Citizen
No special power — your weapons are observation, discussion and a smart vote.
Your vote can flip the round
Detective
Checks one player every night and learns whether they're Mafia or a Citizen.
Don't expose yourself too soon
Doctor
Protects one player from being killed every night, and can protect themselves once.
Predict the next victim
Sniper
Has one bullet for the whole game — if it hits a Citizen, only that Citizen goes out; the Sniper stays in the game.
Only shoot when you're sure
Ghost
An eliminated player becomes a Ghost: they watch and chat with the other Ghosts without affecting the game.
Watching has its own fun
A Jm3a VIP subscription unlocks 7 extra roles: the Serial Killer, the Spy, the Joker, the Colonel, the Bomber, the Witch and the Fool.
See the subscription
Want to go deeper? Every role's strategy and fatal mistakes are explained role by role in the complete roles guide.
Roles guide
The five beginner mistakes
Every new player falls into them — learn them before your first round and save yourself two nights.
01
Revealing your role "just to your friend"
There's no "just". Any information that leaves you spreads through the group within two rounds — and the Mafia are listening. Secrecy is the rule of all rules; the details are on the game rules page.
02
Voting with the majority for no reason
Blind group voting is the easiest cover the Mafia can get. Before you raise your hand, ask yourself: what's my own evidence? If you don't have any — say so honestly.
03
A Detective who announces themselves on the first night
Announce yourself = you're the next night's target, and your team loses its eyes. Collect two or three pieces of information, then land one strong blow.
04
A Ghost who meddles in the game
A laugh, a sigh, a look that means something — they all spoil the fairness of the round for everyone. You're out? Just enjoy the show.
05
Discussion without questions
"I have a feeling so-and-so is Mafia" isn't enough. Ask direct questions and watch the answers — and if the conversation stalls, grab one of the ready-made interrogation question lists.
Tips to play like a pro
- Watch who votes for whom — the Mafia usually protect each other.
- If you're the Detective, don't announce your result on the first night; keep it as leverage.
- Too much silence is suspicious, and too much defending is even more so.
- If you're Mafia, sometimes vote against your teammate — the act earns you trust.
- The ideal number is between 8 and 15 players for a balanced round — the role distribution table by player count is here.
- Learn the players' patterns across rounds: who dodges an accusation with a joke, and who gets worked up when the discussion gets close to a certain person.
- Agree on the tie and last-defense rules before the first night — every argument mid-round is a point for the Mafia.
- Let the Godfather get into character: a creepy voice at night and a news-anchor tone by day take the fun of the evening up two notches.
Got it? Let's play
Create a room and send the code to your friends.