Mafia Game Night & Host FAQ
Running a great game night takes more than reading the rules. Find host solutions for tricky table dynamics, tie-breakers, meta-gaming debates, and player dropouts—along with tips for running clean, fast-paced games for any group.
Playing with plain cards or index paper? Upgrade your table with The Final Witness Mafia Card Deck—featuring 28 custom illustrated cards, balanced setups, host scripts, and a zero-elimination mechanic that keeps every player alive and active until the end.
Mafia game rules
In what order do roles open their eyes?
Call the Mistress first when she is in the deal, because her cancel has to land before the night jobs it is meant to stop. Then wake the killers, the Doctor, and the Policeman. Any other night roles follow in the order you wrote down before the game — and that order stays the same every night.
Can the Doctor heal themselves two nights in a row?
No. The Doctor may pick herself, just not two nights in a row.
What does the Policeman see on the Mastermind?
A lie. The Mastermind acts as an assassin, but if the Policeman picks him, the moderator lies about his faction — so the check comes back wrong.
What happens if the Duelist is voted out?
The vote does not simply remove him. Night falls, and the Duelist duels one of the people who voted for him.
Who can the Ritualist bring back?
Any player who died within the last two nights. If nobody died in that window, the Ritualist has no pick that night.
What does burning a dead player do?
A burned player cannot vote at the Final Witness. Burning never kills the living — it only takes a dead player out of that final vote.
Does the Narrator play as City or Mafia?
No. Whoever draws the Narrator card becomes the moderator. They run the night, the day, and the votes — but they are not on a team, so they cannot win or lose with one.
Does a vote cancel the assassins if the Priest dies?
No. The Priest’s ability only fires if the assassins kill him. A day vote is not an assassin kill, so nothing is canceled.
Can we vote someone out more than once in a day?
That call belongs to the moderator. The printed rules do not forbid a second trial and a second vote on the same day.
Can two people be put on trial together?
Only if both of them agree to it. The vote then covers both players, and the day ends when that trial ends.
What if I saw someone’s card by accident?
Tell the moderator privately which player’s card you saw, and do not say the role out loud. The moderator may restart the game or sit you out.
I am dead with my eyes open and I saw a moderator error.
Wait until day, then speak to the moderator quietly, off to the side. Do not coach the living table during the night.
The moderator forgot a wake.
Do not open the day. Replay the missed wakes, and pretend to call a few extra roles as well, so the table cannot tell which one was forgotten.
Mafia card game
Buy the Mafia Game Cards Now
One box, up to 27 players, and a room that won't stop talking about it tomorrow. The Final Witness delivers the complete 1900 East London experience—featuring 48 premium 310gsm cards, a built-in Narrator script, and the Final Witness Vote to eliminate player downtime forever.
- 48 Cards Total — Complete deck on premium 310gsm casino stock
- 28 Character Cards — 27 playable London figures plus 1 Narrator
- 20 Final Witness Cards — Physical markers to track dead players
- Zero Player Elimination — Dead players stay active to vote until the end
- Digital QR Access — Instant rules, setups, and lore on every card back
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