Mafia Game Roles List: Doctor, Detective, Jester & More

Mafia Game Roles Explained: All 8 Roles & Powers

The four familiar Mafia game roles are Mafia, Villager, Detective and Doctor. Find the Imposter also offers Mastermind, Jester, Serial Killer and Lookout. Lookout belongs to the Village; Jester and Serial Killer are neutral. You choose which roles to include before dealing.

This guide describes the rules implemented in our free Mafia game. Other Mafia and Werewolf editions use different powers, so agree on the version before you start. Our game uses 4–15 active players, one shared phone and a separate human narrator. Do not add the narrator to the player list: they see the private night choices and run the vote.

Mafia roles list at a glance

Mafia parity counts all other living roles, not just players holding a Villager card. Two Mafia against a Doctor and a Jester is already parity. One Mafia against a Doctor and a Serial Killer is not.

How many Mafia roles for your group?

These are the Balanced presets in this game, before optional extra roles. The narrator is additional and does not receive a card.

For your first game, use the four core roles. Adding a Jester or Serial Killer changes the win conditions, not just the role names. A Mastermind replaces a Mafia team member; do not count that replacement as an extra night kill.

Set up roles on one phone

1. Open Mafia setup and add the active players' names.
2. Tap Balanced for a suggested distribution, then review the counts. At eight players it selects two Mafia, one Detective, one Doctor and four Villagers.
3. Leave Extra Roles off for a first game. Add one twist at a time once everyone understands the basic loop.
4. Optionally set a narrator PIN, then tap Deal Roles & Start.
5. Each player privately reveals their role, taps Hide & Pass, and hands over the phone. After the final reveal, give it to the narrator.

Actual local game screenshot. The eight names used for this walkthrough are examples.

The Balanced button includes a Doctor from five players. Four players receive one Mafia, one Detective and two Villagers. Counts remain adjustable; these roles are not compulsory in every custom setup.

Only the player holding the phone should see this screen. Do not project role cards or screen-share them.

The four core roles

Mafia: coordinate at night, blend in by day

Living Mafia wake together and agree on one target outside their team. Having two Mafia does not give them two separate kills. The Mastermind joins this same team action. The narrator records the target and asks them to close their eyes.

During discussion, use explanations you could plausibly give as a Villager. A sudden change of story or defending the same person without a reason gives the town something concrete to question. Mafia allies identify each other during the night wake-up; the private role card itself does not list teammates.

Villager: compare claims and votes

A Villager has no night action. Track what people actually said: who accused whom, why they changed their vote, and whether a later claim contradicts an earlier one. Being quiet, nervous or unfamiliar with the game is not proof of a hidden role.

A useful accusation is specific: “You defended Adam before hearing his explanation. What convinced you?” That gives the group evidence to discuss instead of judging personalities.

Detective: an investigation is information, not a full role reveal

The Detective picks one living player. The narrator privately reveals whether they appear as Mafia and communicates the result discreetly. An ordinary Mafia reads as Mafia; the Mastermind reads innocent. So do neutral roles such as the Serial Killer and Jester.

“Not Mafia” therefore does not mean “definitely a Villager.” Before publicly clearing someone, remember which extras were enabled. Decide when sharing your result helps more than keeping your identity private; there is no universally correct night to reveal yourself.

Doctor: protect one player, including yourself

The Doctor chooses one living player. Protection cancels any Mafia or Serial Killer attack on that target for the night. If both killers choose the protected person, the person survives both attacks; if they choose different people, only the protected target is saved.

The app allows self-protection and repeated protection. It does not enforce a once-per-game self-save restriction. A group may agree on that house rule, but the narrator must apply it manually. Consider which player is likely to be attacked rather than automatically saving the same person.

Optional roles and the rules that are easy to mix up

Mastermind: replaces one Mafia

Enabling Mastermind converts one existing Mafia slot into a Mastermind. It does not add another killer or consume a Villager slot. The Mastermind participates in the team's single night attack and shares the Mafia win condition.

Their advantage is the innocent investigation result. The town can still vote them out; this power does not make them immune to accusations or elimination.

Lookout: information for the Village

Lookout replaces one Villager and wins with the Village. Each night, they watch one player. The narrator can reveal the names of visitors whose actions targeted that person: Mafia team members, the Serial Killer, the Detective or the Doctor. The watched player is not listed as their own visitor.

A visit alone is not proof of an attack. A Doctor saving someone and a killer attacking them both produce visits. Compare the report with the morning outcome and other claims before accusing anyone.

Jester: win the day vote, not a night death

Jester replaces one Villager. If the town votes them out, the Jester wins immediately and the game ends. The Jester can be killed at night in this app, and a night death does not award a Jester win. There is no automatic night immunity or revenge kill.

Their challenge is to attract a day accusation without becoming an obvious night target. As a Villager, ask for an explanation before voting out someone merely because they are acting strangely. See the Jester strategy guide for a worked example.

Serial Killer: an independent attack

Serial Killer replaces one Villager and chooses a separate target each night. The narrator records this after the Mafia choice. Both attacks resolve at dawn, so a killer chosen for death still gets that night's action. Two attacks on the same unprotected person cause one death, not two.

The Serial Killer needs to be the only survivor. Killing the last Mafia does not give the Village victory while a Serial Killer remains. The Doctor can block the Serial Killer's attack just as they can block the Mafia's.

How the night and day fit together

The narrator sees the script and target choices. Keep this screen private throughout the night.

The app guides the narrator through Mafia → Serial Killer → Detective → Doctor → Lookout → dawn, skipping roles that are absent or dead. Mastermind wakes with Mafia; Villager and Jester have no night action.

After dawn, living players discuss and vote aloud or by pointing. The narrator enters the chosen elimination. The app does not collect individual Mafia day ballots. Agree beforehand whether a tie means a revote or no elimination, then record the final decision. The Reveal role on death setting controls disclosure; it is on by default.

For example, in the eight-player setup, the Mafia target Sara and the Doctor protects Sara. Nobody dies. The next day, the group votes out one Mafia. One Mafia and six other players remain, so play continues. If the group had enabled a Jester and voted them out instead, the Jester would win immediately.

Common questions

How many Mafia roles should beginners use?

Start with the four core role types and use Balanced as a starting point. Try six to eight active players plus the narrator if you can; this leaves room for discussion without introducing several competing powers. Optional roles are available for variety, not required for a complete game.

Is Lookout neutral?

Not in Find the Imposter's Mafia game. Lookout belongs to the Village and shares its victory. Role names and alignments may differ in other editions.

Can the Doctor save a Jester or Serial Killer?

Yes. The Doctor chooses a living player without knowing their role. A valid save protects that player even if it helps another faction.

Can this Mafia game run online on separate phones?

This version is a local narrator-led game on one phone. The site's online Imposter rooms are a separate game. For the complete sequence, use Mafia game rules; for read-aloud help, use the narrator script.

Set up your Mafia roles and play.