Before friends arrive

Use stable Wi-Fi or mobile data. Every phone maintains a lightweight live connection to the room. Guests do not have to use the same network.
Choose the main theme. Mafia and Werewolf use the same rules. The lobby host can switch the language and role names before starting.
Know the expected headcount. The game supports 4–16 players, but 6–10 gives beginners enough information to discuss without creating a very long table.
Pick a discussion style. Decide whether the host will call a vote naturally or after a loose time limit. The app deliberately does not force a day timer.

Do not create the room hours early. Rooms are temporary and expire after two hours without activity. Create it when people are ready to join.

Set up the room and phones

A circle or wide table works better than rows because the game depends on faces and reactions. Keep everyone close enough to hear normal speech, but avoid putting phones where neighbors can see private role cards.

The host opens Mafia Night, enters a display name, and creates a room.
Place the host phone where the QR code can be scanned, or share the invitation link.
Each guest joins on their own browser and confirms that their name appears in the lobby.
Ask everyone to keep the tab open and temporarily extend screen-lock time if their phone locks very aggressively.
Turn media volume up only if the group wants sound cues. The game remains playable without audio.

Choose the right first setup

Group	Use this setup	What to expect
4 players	1 Mafia, 1 Detective, 2 Villagers	Fast and swingy. Useful for learning the interface, not the richest deduction.
5 players	1 Mafia, 1 Detective, 1 Doctor, 2 Villagers	Introduces protection while keeping the suspect list manageable.
6–9 players	Automatic deck: 2 Mafia, Detective, Doctor, Villagers	The recommended range for a first proper game.
10–13 players	Automatic deck: 3 Mafia, Detective, Doctor, Villagers	More alliances and voting evidence; use firmer discussion pacing.
14–16 players	Automatic deck: 4 Mafia, Detective, Doctor, Villagers	A loud party format. Give quieter players space before each vote.

Leave the optional solo roles out of round one. The Jester changes how suspicious behavior is interpreted, the Serial Killer adds another source of night deaths, and the Vigilante can remove a player based on a single private decision. Those twists are fun only after the basic information economy is understood.

Explain Mafia in 60 seconds

You each get a secret role. A small Mafia team knows each other and chooses someone to remove at night. Everyone else is Town and tries to identify the Mafia. During the day we talk openly; then every living player votes privately. Town wins by removing all Mafia. Mafia wins when they equal the remaining Town. If your role has a night action, your phone will tell you exactly what to do. Never show anyone your screen, and eliminated players must not give hints.

That is enough to begin. Explain the Detective and Doctor only if they are in the deck: the Detective privately learns whether one target is Mafia; the Doctor protects one target from night death. Let the role card explain the rest to its owner.

Run the first round without over-directing it

In the lobby

Check that the player count matches the room. The first person listed is the host and controls Start, role customization, the move from dawn to discussion, and the opening of each vote.

During role reveal

Ask everyone to hold the card privately, read the goal, release, and tap “I'm ready.” Do not rush this screen; a new player who missed their role can poison an entire round through confusion.

During night

Conversation should stop. Players with actions use their phones; players without actions see a sleeping screen. Mafia choices from connected teammates appear silently to other Mafia members.

At dawn

Read the result aloud. If nobody died, do not announce whether that happened because of a Doctor save or because an optional attacker held back. Uncertainty is part of the deduction.

During discussion and voting

For a first round, invite each living player to make one short claim before free debate. The host opens voting when the room has reached real disagreement—not merely because the button is available. A unique leading suspect is eliminated only if their vote count also beats abstentions.

Agree on table etiquette

Bluff about your role; do not invent out-of-game emergencies or use someone else's private information.
Do not photograph, mirror, or deliberately read another player's screen.
Ghosts may watch but should not react to claims, votes, or night choices.
Avoid personal insults. Accuse the in-game behavior, not the person.
If a player must leave, the host can remove them. Treat the resulting information as a game event, not evidence about their role.

Adapt the same setup for remote play

Use a voice or video call for discussion and share the invitation link in the call chat. Headphones help prevent one device's audio cue reaching another participant. Ask everyone to mute during the night, then unmute when dawn appears. The host should confirm that all connected players see the same phase before opening a vote.

Fast fixes during a game

A player locked their phone

Reopen the same browser and room link. The locally stored reconnect token should restore that seat.

A code says “room not found”

Confirm ambiguous characters, then ask the host for the full invitation link. The original room may have expired.

The night moved on

The game waits only for connected actors so one dropped phone cannot freeze the group. Rejoin and continue from the current phase.

Something still looks wrong

Use the full troubleshooting guide or send a concise report from the contact page.

Create the room Read the complete rules