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Who are you tonight?

All Mafia Game Roles

Every role in Mafia has a power that changes the course of the round — and mistakes that burn it on the very first night. This guide explains the powers and strategies, role by role.

Two teams, one goal: survive

At its heart, Mafia is a battle of information: a minority who know everything (the Mafia) against a majority who know nothing (the Citizens and the special roles).

Team Mafia

The minority in the know

They know each other from the first night, agree on their victims in secret, and their weapons are acting and sowing doubt among the Citizens. They win if their number equals everyone else's.

Team Citizens

The puzzled majority

None of them knows anyone else's role. Their weapons are observation, discussion and the group vote — with the Detective, the Doctor and the Sniper as their trump cards. They win by putting out every Mafia.

The roles, one by one

The power, the strategy, and the mistake everyone keeps making.

Mafia

The enemy

Power: picks a victim with their team every night, and knows who the other Mafia are.

  • Target the special roles first — the Detective before anyone
  • Join the discussion with natural enthusiasm: the quiet one is the first suspect
  • Sometimes vote against an exposed teammate to win the Citizens' trust

Fatal mistake: defending your teammate to the bitter end

Citizen

You matter more than you think

Power: no night power — but their vote counts as much as any role's, and the votes are what decide the game.

  • Remember who voted for whom every round — the Mafia protect each other
  • Ask direct questions and watch who stumbles over the answer
  • Don't follow the herd: blind group voting is the Mafia's best friend

Fatal mistake: voting without a reason you can say out loud

Detective

The secret leader

Power: checks one player every night and learns: Mafia or innocent.

  • Start by investigating the loudest voices in the discussion
  • Don't announce your result on the first night — collect two or three cards, then strike
  • If you're exposed, reveal everything you have right away before you're killed

Fatal mistake: outing yourself to win a single discussion

Doctor

The guardian angel

Power: protects one player from being killed every night, and can protect themselves once per game.

  • Think like the Mafia: who's the most dangerous player in their eyes? Protect them
  • Don't protect the same person two nights in a row — the Mafia learn
  • Save your self-protection for the moment you feel you've been exposed

Fatal mistake: random protection without reading the discussion

Sniper

One shot

Power: one bullet for the whole game, fired on any night — if it hits a Mafia it's a knockout blow, and if it hits a Citizen, only that Citizen goes out; the Sniper stays in the game.

  • Patience is your first weapon: don't shoot in the early nights
  • Wait for the Detective's announcement or a clear slip of the tongue, then take the shot
  • A bullet at the end of the game is worth a whole round

Fatal mistake: the trigger-happy first-night shot

Ghost

The joy of watching

Power: an eliminated player becomes a Ghost: they see everything, chat with the other Ghosts, and are strictly forbidden from influencing the living.

  • No gestures, no hints, and no laugh that "means something"
  • Watch the game with your eyes open — you'll find out how exposed you really were
  • In Diwaniya mode you get a private Ghost chat where you can predict the outcome together

The rule: the dead don't talk

The Godfather — the role that doesn't play but makes the round

The Godfather (the game night's narrator) is the moderator of the game: they know everyone's role, put the players to sleep and wake them up, and announce the night's events in a voice that builds the suspense. The whole round is only as good as its Godfather.

  • How do you choose one? Someone neutral who doesn't play favorites, with a clear voice, who knows the night order by heart and has a theatrical streak that fires up the atmosphere.
  • Their job at night: wake the Mafia, then the Detective, then the Doctor, in the same order every night, and remember their picks without any comment that gives something away.
  • Their job during the day: announce the victim, run the discussion and the clock, and settle the vote without giving an opinion.
  • The easiest way: in Godfather mode on Jm3t Mafia, the app takes care of the dealing, the order and the reminders — and the Godfather is free to focus on the showmanship.

Special roles — for rounds where the classics aren't enough anymore

With a Jm3a VIP subscription, seven roles unlock that break every expectation: the Serial Killer kills alone, outside the Mafia's plans; the Spy listens in on the Mafia's secret conversations; the Joker wins by getting everyone to vote them out; the Colonel's vote breaks ties; the Bomber takes down whoever voted against them; the Witch has an antidote and a poison, each usable once; and the Fool doesn't even know which team they're playing for. Each one turns the way you read the round upside down.

Frequently asked questions about the roles

What are the basic roles in the Mafia game?
There are six basic roles: the Mafia (pick a victim every night), the Citizen (watches and votes), the Detective (uncovers one player's identity every night), the Doctor (protects a player from being killed), the Sniper (one bullet for the whole game), and the Ghost (an eliminated player who watches). On top of these is the Godfather, who runs the round.
Who is the Godfather in the Mafia game, and how do you choose one?
The Godfather is the round's moderator: they know everyone's role, run the night and the day, and announce what happens. Choose someone neutral, with a voice that carries, who knows the rules — or use Godfather mode on Jm3t Mafia, where the app handles all the running and the moderator only does the voice acting.
How many Mafia should there be compared to Citizens?
The golden rule is for the Mafia to be about a quarter of the players: one Mafia for five to six players, two for seven to nine, and three for ten or more. Fewer than that and the Mafia get crushed quickly; more and the Citizens lose their chance. The full distribution table is on the Mafia cards page.
What are the special roles on Jm3t Mafia?
With a VIP subscription, seven extra roles unlock and tip the balance of the round: the Serial Killer, the Spy, the Joker, the Colonel, the Bomber, the Witch and the Fool — each with a unique power and a different way to win.

Know the roles? Now master them

Go over the complete game rules or how to play — then try the roles yourself in the online Mafia game.

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