Mafia Roles Reference

The backbone of the Town. No special power — just your voice and your vote.

Villagers have no night action, but they are far from powerless. A sharp Villager who tracks voting patterns, asks the right questions, and builds pressure on suspicious players is often the reason the Town wins. Your job is to reason out loud, share your reads, and help the Town converge on the real Mafia before time runs out.

The hidden killers. Each night the Mafia agree on one player to eliminate.

During the night, Mafia members secretly vote together on a target to kill. During the day they blend in with the Town, voting and accusing like innocent players to avoid suspicion. Mafia know each other from the start and can coordinate in a private night chat. The Mafia win when they equal or outnumber the remaining Town.

The Mafia leader who reads as innocent to the Detective.

The Godfather plays like a Mafia member but with one crucial edge: when the Detective investigates the Godfather, the result comes back as Town. This makes a "clean" investigation unreliable and lets the Godfather build false trust. The Godfather is a premium role and coordinates the Mafia while hiding in plain sight.

Protects one player each night from the Mafia kill.

Each night the Doctor chooses a player to protect. If the Mafia target that player, the kill fails and the night passes with no death. Good Doctors think about who the Mafia most wants dead — often a suspected Detective or a strong analyst — and protect them quietly. Revealing you are the Doctor makes you a target, so most Doctors stay hidden and let their saves speak for themselves.

Investigates one player each night to learn if they are Mafia.

The Detective secretly investigates a player each night and learns whether that player is aligned with the Mafia (with the Godfather as the notable exception, who reads as Town). The Detective holds the most powerful information in the game — and the biggest target on their back. Timing when to share results, and how much to reveal, is the core Detective skill.

Guards a player at night, stepping in to take a kill meant for them.

The Bodyguard protects a chosen player during the night. If that player is attacked, the Bodyguard intervenes. The Bodyguard is a protective role that pairs well with a Doctor — together they can make the Town very hard to whittle down. Like other power roles, staying anonymous keeps the Bodyguard alive longer.

A Town role that can shoot a suspected player at night — at a cost.

The Vigilante may take a limited number of shots across the game, killing a chosen player at night. Used well, the Vigilante removes Mafia the Town would never have voted out. Used poorly, it kills fellow Townspeople and hands the Mafia free eliminations. Wait for a strong read before firing, because a wasted shot on Town is a serious setback.

A respected Town leader whose vote counts double.

The Mayor's vote carries the weight of two during the day. That extra influence can push a close trial toward the right outcome — but revealing you are the Mayor makes you a high-value night target. The Mayor must decide when the doubled vote is worth the exposure.

Wins by getting voted out. A wild card that can flip the game.

The Jester belongs to neither side. Their only goal is to get themselves executed by the Town during the day. A skilled Jester acts suspicious enough to draw a lynch but not so obviously that the Town realizes what they're doing. The Jester keeps everyone honest — you can never fully trust a snap decision to execute an oddball, because you might be handing them the win.