Mafia is a game of talking, so the first thing an online version needs is real voice. On AsNard, voice chat runs inside the game room itself: at night the roles make their decisions in silence, and by day everyone argues and votes around one virtual table — with no third-party app involved.
This guide covers the structure of the game, the roles, the five scenarios now available and a few practical techniques for both teams.
Game specifications
| Players | 5 to 16, depending on the scenario |
| Game length | 15 to 40 minutes |
| Phases | Night (secret actions) and day (discussion and vote) |
| Session control | A moderator role with its own panel |
| Voice | Voice chat inside the room |
| Modes | Quick and ranked |
The two teams and how each one wins
- Citizens: more players, less information. They win by identifying and removing every member of the mafia team.
- Mafia: fewer players, but complete information about each other. They win once they are level with the town in numbers or hold the controlling share of the vote.
Those two conditions shape the entire strategy: the town has to generate information, and the mafia has to generate false information. Anything you say during the day either pushes one of those two forward or it is aimless.
The roles
Beside the plain citizen, the special town and mafia roles pull the game away from a blind vote:
- Godfather — leads the mafia team and names the target each night.
- Detective — checks one player's identity during the night.
- Doctor — saves one player from being removed that night.
- Bodyguard — protects another player, at their own risk.
- Sniper — one elimination during the whole game, without any confirmation of identity.
- Reporter and Lookout — track movements and who spoke to whom.
- Mayor, Veteran and Bulletproof — each carries a one-off or conditional advantage.
- Joker and the scenario-specific roles — these change the rules of the session itself.
The important point: your role is secret. Claiming a role is only worth anything when it breaks a rival claim or shifts the vote; a claim with no purpose simply hands the game to the mafia.
One full cycle of play
- Role distribution: each player privately sees their own role and team.
- Night: the active roles act in order — the mafia pick a target, the doctor makes a save, the detective runs a check.
- The results are read out: the morning opens with the names of the dead, or with a quiet night.
- Day: a time-limited discussion, with players defending themselves and making accusations.
- The vote: the suspect is voted on and removed from the game by a majority.
- End condition: every mafia member removed (a town win), or numbers level and the vote under mafia control (a mafia win).
The five mafia scenarios on AsNard
| Scenario | Players | Recommended | Good for |
| Classic | 5 to 12 | 8 | First games and friendly groups |
| Pure Classic | 5 to 12 | 8 | Anyone who wants the simple version, with no extra roles |
| Professional | 7 to 14 | 10 | Experienced groups, with more roles in play |
| Night Mafia | 9 to 16 | 12 | Big tables and eventful nights |
| Joker Night | 8 to 14 | 11 | When you want the rules shaken up a little |
If it is your first time, Classic at eight players gives the most balanced session: few enough special roles to keep the night tidy, and a discussion that never becomes confusing.
Day techniques for citizens
- Do not let the first word be a definition: a player who only ever reacts has produced no information.
- Write down the contradictions: compare last round's vote with this round's accusation. The mafia usually changes which way the wind blows.
- Ask open questions: "Why did you suspect him?" breaks rehearsed answers.
- Beware the costless vote: someone who always votes with the majority leaves no trace to work with.
Night and day techniques for the mafia
- Keep your behaviour consistent from the first night: a player who suddenly becomes active draws suspicion.
- Pick the target so that the blame moves, not just so that one more player leaves the table.
- Keep your distance from your teammate: defending another mafia member burns both of you.
- Claim a role only with a plan: a detective or doctor claim has to neutralise a real claim, not create noise.
What the online version changes
- Voice instead of text: tone and hesitation are precisely what Mafia is worth.
- The moderator panel: one person can run the session so the discussion does not collapse.
- Filling empty seats: if the table does not reach the scenario's number, practice players take the spare seats.
- Ranked mode: the result is recorded on this game's own separate rating.
To begin, enter the lobby from the online Mafia page. You can also open a lobby with a single command in a Telegram group so your friends arrive with one tap.
