How to Play Mafia

By eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor

Rate: (3 Ratings)

The game of Mafia is all about the power of bluffing and knowing when other people are bluffing themselves. You can be a member of the Mafia, a townsperson, the Inspector or the Moderator in this elimination and guessing game. You will vote out other players and try to avoid being murdered in the middle of the night by the Mafia!

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Odd number of players from 9 to 13
Deck of cards

Play Mafia

Step1

Deal out one card to each of the players. Players who receive a black card (either spades or clubs) are in the Mafia, those who receive red cards (hearts or diamonds) are townspeople, and the person who receives the king of hearts is the Inspector. It is best to play with at least three black cards so that you will have at least three members of the Mafia in play.

Step2

Allow each person to give a statement as to why he should not be kicked out of town. At the end of the statements, a vote is called and whoever is chosen is eliminated from the game. This person is now the Moderator.

Step3

Close your eyes if you are still in the game. The Moderator will instruct you when the first day has ended and will now ask only the members of the Mafia to open their eyes. The Mafia silently vote on one player to kill and then close their eyes again.

Step4

Open your eyes when instructed if you are the Inspector. The Inspector should point to one player he suspects is in the Mafia. If he is correct the Moderator will nod accent. He must then close his eyes again.

Step5

Announce the name of the unlucky victim and invite the players to open their eyes again if you are the Moderator. The players now try to oust a member of the Mafia after each player gives their statement of innocence by taking another vote.

Step6

Give points to the townspeople when they eliminate all the members of the Mafia. The Mafia wins if there are equal numbers of Mafia and townspeople left.

Tips & Warnings

Your statement during the first round of play is perhaps the most important of the entire game. During this first round, no one knows who is in the Mafia and who is not, so it's essential that your statement of innocence be as convincing as possible.