What is Mafia?
Mafia is a hidden-role party game. The town splits into two teams: the Mafia, who know each other and eliminate someone every night, and the Town, who don’t know who is who and must find the Mafia through discussion and the day vote.
In Persian Spy the app itself is the narrator, so everyone gets to play and nothing leaks from the narrator’s face.
Players and Mafia count
You need at least 6 players. The Mafia count is automatic (a third of the players, at least 2):
| Players | Mafia | Extra town roles |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | Doctor, Detective |
| 7 | 2 | + Sniper |
| 8 | 2 | + Mayor |
| 9–11 | 3 | from 10: + Armored |
| 12–14 | 4 | All roles |
One Mafia member is always the Godfather; remaining seats are plain Citizens.
Mafia roles
- Godfather Mafia
- Leads the Mafia. Shows as “citizen” to the Detective and breaks ties in the Mafia’s night vote.
- Mafia Mafia
- Votes with the other Mafia each night on a town target. Mafia members see each other during the role reveal.
- Doctor Town
- Saves one player each night. Can save themselves only once per game.
- Detective Town
- Investigates one player each night: “Positive: Mafia” or “Clean: Citizen”. The Godfather reads as clean.
- Sniper Town
- Has one bullet per game. Shoot a Mafia member and they are out; shoot a citizen and the shot backfires.
- Mayor Town
- Once per game, can overturn the day vote and save the player who was voted out.
- Armored Town
- Survives the Mafia’s first night shot. Not protected from the day vote or the Sniper.
- Citizen Town
- No night action — just sharp eyes, good arguments and a vote.
The game cycle: night, dawn, day, vote
- Secret roles: each player taps “Show my role”. The Mafia see their teammates. The game starts at night.
- Night: the narrator says “The city goes to sleep”. The phone goes to every living player in turn — even those with no action, so holding time gives nothing away — and each player privately locks in their own action.
- Dawn report: the app announces everything at once: who was eliminated and their role, whether the Doctor saved someone, or a bullet bounced off the Armored.
- Day discussion: the town debates against a 2–15 minute timer.
- Secret vote: every living player votes for someone or abstains. The player with the most votes is out and their role is revealed.
- Night again — until one team wins.
Night resolution order
- Mafia target: the player with the most Mafia votes (the Godfather’s pick breaks a tie).
- The Doctor’s save is applied.
- If the target is the Armored with an unused shield, they survive.
- The Sniper’s shot (including a backfire on a citizen); the Doctor’s save also applies here.
- Win conditions are checked.
Voting, ties and the Mayor
- You can’t vote for yourself; “Abstain — nobody” is allowed. With no votes cast, nobody is eliminated.
- A first-round tie triggers a runoff between the tied players only. If that ties too, nobody is eliminated that day.
- If the Mayor is alive with their power unused, they secretly confirm or overturn the verdict before the elimination.
How to win
- Town wins when no Mafia member is left alive.
- Mafia wins when living Mafia equal or outnumber the living town.
The win is checked after every night and every vote and the game ends immediately. The result screen reveals everyone’s role.
Tips for a better game
- Town: remember earlier votes — Mafia members tend to defend each other or vote together.
- Detective: don’t reveal yourself too early; you will be the Mafia’s first target.
- Mafia: act like a worried citizen by day and occasionally doubt your teammate so the link isn’t obvious.
- At night everyone stays silent and doesn’t look at the screen — the golden rule of one-phone Mafia.
