Mafia Game Roles: Every Role Explained

The classic Mafia game has two teams and a handful of special roles. As the game evolved, dozens of new roles appeared — but most games use a core set of 6–8. Here is every common role, what it does, which team it belongs to, and when to include it.

Citizens are the uninformed majority. They don't know anyone else's role and must find the Mafia through discussion, observation, and deduction.

👤 Citizen (Civilian)

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: None
• When they act: Day phase only (discussion and voting)

The basic role. No powers, no protection. Citizens make up the majority of the table and win by identifying and voting out all Mafia members. Don't underestimate them — a sharp-eyed Citizen who reads body language well is more valuable than a special role that stays silent.

→ Full Citizen strategy guide

🔍 Sheriff (Cop / Detective / Commissioner)

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: Each night, checks one player — the GM indicates whether that player is Mafia or not
• When they act: Night phase

The most important Citizen role. The Sheriff gathers hard information in a game full of lies. The challenge: revealing yourself confirms your intel but makes you the Mafia's top target. Most Sheriffs share information indirectly, through accusations and voting patterns, before going public.

Common variant: In some versions, the Don appears as "not Mafia" to the Sheriff's check (Godfather immunity).

→ Full Sheriff strategy guide

💊 Doctor (Medic / Healer)

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: Each night, chooses one player to protect from the Mafia's kill
• When they act: Night phase

If the Doctor protects the same player the Mafia targets, that player survives. The Doctor usually cannot protect the same player two nights in a row, and in most variants cannot self-heal.

House rule variants:

• Self-heal allowed / forbidden / once per game
• No consecutive protection of the same player (most common)

→ Full Doctor strategy guide

💕 Lover

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: Each night, chooses one player to grant vote immunity the following day
• When they act: Night phase

The protected player cannot be eliminated by the town vote. This is a powerful defensive tool — but it also protects Mafia members if the Lover guesses wrong.

→ Full Lover strategy guide

The Mafia is the informed minority. They know each other and coordinate secretly during the night phase.

🔫 Mafioso (Mafia / Gangster)

• Team: Mafia
• Ability: Participates in the nightly Mafia kill
• When they act: Night phase (with the rest of the Mafia)

The basic Mafia role. Wakes up with the team, votes on who to eliminate. During the day, acts like a Citizen and tries to avoid suspicion.

→ Full Mafia strategy guide

🎩 Don (Godfather / Boss)

• Team: Mafia
• Ability: Leads the Mafia AND checks one player per night — the GM indicates whether that player is the Sheriff
• When they act: Night phase (first with the Mafia, then alone)

The Don is the Mafia's leader and investigator. While the Sheriff hunts the Mafia, the Don hunts the Sheriff. If the Don finds and eliminates the Sheriff, the Mafia gains a huge advantage.

In competitive play (Sports Mafia): The Don's investigation is the core of Mafia strategy. Finding the Sheriff quickly is often the difference between winning and losing.

→ Full Don strategy guide

💋 Courtesan (Escort / Hooker / Roleblocker)

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: Each night, chooses one player to block — that player's night action is cancelled
• When they act: Night phase

If the Courtesan blocks the Doctor, nobody is healed. If they block a Mafioso, that player's kill vote doesn't count (though the rest of the Mafia can still kill). If they block the Sheriff, no investigation happens.

The Courtesan creates uncertainty. Even if you know who the Doctor is, the Doctor's protection might not work because the Courtesan blocked them.

→ Full Courtesan strategy guide

🔪 Maniac (Serial Killer)

• Team: Solo (independent)
• Ability: Each night, chooses one player to kill — independently from the Mafia
• Win condition: Be the last player alive

The Maniac adds a third faction. The town now has to figure out who is Mafia AND who is the Maniac. The Mafia hates the Maniac too — the Maniac's kills reduce the Citizen count, but the Maniac can also target Mafia members.

→ Full Maniac strategy guide

These roles aren't in the classic Russian game but appear in Werewolf, Ultimate Werewolf, and other variants:

🎯 Hunter

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: When eliminated (by any cause), immediately takes one other player with them
• When they act: On death

A revenge kill. Even if the Hunter dies, they get the last word. Very popular in Werewolf variants.

→ Full Hunter strategy guide

🃏 Jester (Fool / Tanner)

• Team: Solo
• Ability: None
• Win condition: Get yourself voted out by the town

The Jester wins by being lynched. This creates paranoia — is that suspicious player really Mafia, or are they a Jester trying to bait a vote? Adding a Jester makes the town think twice before every elimination.

→ Full Jester strategy guide

🔮 Witch

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: Has one healing potion (saves tonight's victim) and one killing potion (eliminates a player). Each usable once per game.
• When they act: Night phase, after the Mafia acts

Two powerful one-shot abilities. The Witch usually learns who the Mafia targeted and can choose to save them or save the potions for later.

✝️ Priest (Vigilante)

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: Can kill one player per night
• When they act: Night phase

A Citizen who can kill. High risk, high reward — if they shoot Mafia, the town gains a huge advantage. If they shoot a Citizen, it's devastating.

🤝 Mason (Freemason)

• Team: Citizens
• Ability: On the first night, Masons wake up and see each other — they are confirmed Citizens to each other
• When they act: First night only

Masons know for certain that their partner is not Mafia. This gives them a trusted ally in a game full of liars.

🖼️ Framer

• Team: Mafia
• Ability: Each night, makes one player appear as Mafia to the Sheriff's check
• When they act: Night phase

The Framer poisons the Sheriff's information. If the Sheriff checks a framed Citizen, the result comes back "Mafia." This creates doubt about every investigation.

Beginner (6–8 players)

Citizens, Mafia (×2), Sheriff, Doctor. Simple, clean, teaches the core game.

Standard (8–10 players)

Citizens, Mafia (×2), Don, Sheriff, Doctor. Adds the Don vs Sheriff dynamic.

Extended (10–12 players)

Citizens, Mafia (×2), Don, Sheriff, Doctor, Lover. Introduces vote protection.

Full (12+ players)

Citizens, Mafia (×3), Don, Sheriff, Doctor, Lover, Courtesan, Maniac. All classic roles active.

Competitive (exactly 10)

Citizens (×6), Mafia (×2), Don, Sheriff. No extra roles — pure deduction and bluffing.

• How to Play Mafia: Complete Rules
• Game Master Script and Hosting Guide
• Setup by Player Count
• How to Read People in Mafia
• Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Start a game — roles are assigned automatically, night actions tracked, and morning summaries generated. Free, works on any phone.