The complete
Pro Mafia ruleset.

This document defines the core game procedure for Pro Mafia. Shared terminology is defined in glossary.md. Scoring consequences are defined in scoring.md.

Game Overview

Pro Mafia is a classic competitive hidden-role game played by ten seated players. Roles are assigned randomly before the game begins. The game is built around two hidden teams: the red team and the black team. Red players use speeches, nominations, voting, wills, and Sheriff information to identify and eliminate every black player. Black players use deception, coordinated night shots, nominations, voting, and table influence to shoot red players at night and reach parity or majority at the table.

Roles And Teams

The red team consists of six Civilians and one Sheriff. The black team consists of two Mafia and one Don of the Mafia.

Civilian

A Civilian is a red player without a night role. Civilians participate in the day discussion, nominate suspects, vote, leave legal wills, and work with the city to eliminate the black team.

Sheriff

The Sheriff is a red special role. In addition to ordinary red-player actions, the Sheriff may check one player at night and learn whether that player belongs to the black team.

Mafia

The Mafia role is held by black players without the Don role. They participate in the day discussion, nominations, and voting while concealing their team, and they take part in the black team's night shot.

Don

The Don is a black special role. The Don participates in the black team's day and night play and may check one player at night to determine whether that player is the Sheriff.

Table Setup

To be expanded.

Mafia Meet (Zero Night)

Before the zero day, the city sleeps and the black team meets. This phase is the zero night.

During the Mafia Meet, the black players have 60 seconds to recognize one another and agree on their night-shot plan. They may agree on target order for future nights, a signaling method, or any other legal coordination method that is not prohibited by the rules. The Don often coordinates this plan, but any legal agreement among the black players is allowed.

No night shot is resolved during the Mafia Meet night. After this phase, black players do not see one another at night. On each later night, every black player shows a target independently; if the shown targets do not match, the night shot is a miss.

Day Procedure

At the beginning of a day, the city wakes up and all players remove their masks. Players then speak in order and express their thoughts about the game. Each player has 60 seconds for a speech.

Any word spoken outside a player's own speech is an ordinary foul. A foul may be used to give information, but one foul does not give the player permission to speak for an extended time. One out-of-turn speaking episode may last no longer than 6 seconds. If the player continues speaking after that limit, the host may assign another foul.

Nominations

During their own speech, a player may nominate another player for the day vote. A player is nominated only through a valid nomination phrase.

The standard valid phrase is:

I propose / nominate player number X.

Shorter present-simple forms are also valid, such as:

I propose / nominate five.

The nomination phrase must be in the Present Simple form. Other forms, such as "I am going to propose," "I would like to propose," or "I am proposing," are not valid nominations and are not accepted.

The host normally confirms nomination attempts immediately. When the host says "Accepted," the named player has been added to the voting list. When the host says "Confirmed," the named player was already on the voting list. If the player's speech is still in progress, a confirmed nomination does not prevent that player from nominating another valid candidate.

A nomination attempt may name several player numbers. In that case, the first named player who is not already on the voting list is accepted. For example, if a player says "I propose player number 2 5 7," the host accepts the first available player among players 2, 5, and 7.

Voting

At the end of a day circle, the table votes among the nominated candidates. If there is only one nominated candidate, that candidate is automatically voted out. In this case, all players' votes are counted against that candidate, including the candidate's own vote.

If one candidate receives more votes than every other candidate, that candidate leaves the table.

A player may not refuse to vote. If a player does not choose a candidate during the vote, that player's vote is automatically counted against the last nominated candidate.

Vote Tie / Split

If two or more candidates receive the same highest number of votes, the table is in a Split state. Each tied candidate receives 30 seconds to argue their position and defend themselves. After those speeches, the table votes again among the tied candidates.

If the same candidates remain tied after the revote, the table decides whether to raise those tied candidates. A raise removes all tied candidates from the table at the same time. The raise passes only by majority; half of the voting players is not enough. If the raise does not pass, all tied candidates remain at the table and the game continues.

If the revote changes the tied candidate set, the table does not move directly to a raise decision. The table votes again among the remaining tied candidates according to the same Split procedure.

Night Procedure

At night, legal role actions are performed silently under the host's control. The host announces the night phases in the same order every night, even if the relevant role is no longer at the table. After the host announces that night has come, players may not communicate, show information, or attempt to signal anything to another player.

The night order is:

1. The black team makes the night shot.
2. The Don makes the Don check, if the Don is still able to act.
3. The Sheriff makes the Sheriff check, if the Sheriff is still able to act.

Night Shot

After the host's command, "Mafia, show the hit," each black player still at the table, including the Don, shows the number of the target player. The number must be shown toward the host with one or both hands.

If all black players show the same valid player number, the night shot is successful and that target leaves the table. If different black players show different numbers, or if the black team otherwise fails to show one valid shared target, the night shot is a miss and no player is killed by that shot.

Sheriff And Don Checks

The Don and Sheriff checks are performed during their assigned night phases. The host invites each role to act with a clear command, such as "Don of the Mafia, wake up" for the Don or "Sheriff of the city, wake up" for the Sheriff.

When invited by the host, the player removes their mask and silently shows the number of the player they want to check. The number is shown to the host with fingers. To reduce mistakes, the host repeats the shown number back to the player. If the repeated number is correct, the player confirms the check by nodding to the host.

For the Don check, the host gives a silent sign showing whether the checked player is the Sheriff. For the Sheriff check, the host gives a thumbs-up sign if the checked player is red and a thumbs-down sign if the checked player is black.

A player may remove their mask only when the host invites that player's role to act. If a player removes their mask without the host's invitation, or during a different role's phase, that player is removed from the table for violating the night procedure.

Wills

When a player leaves the table by vote or by night shot, that player receives 60 seconds for a farewell speech. The player's role is not revealed to the other players until the game ends.

During the farewell speech, the leaving player may leave a will. There are two main will situations: the will of the First Out player and the wills of players who leave later. Will choices affect individual scoring according to scoring.md; they do not reveal the leaving player's role to the table.

First Out

The First Out player may leave a First Color Will or use Pass the Helm.

In a First Color Will, the First Out player may name up to 3 players who remain at the table and declare each named player as red or black. Order does not matter in a First Color Will.

With Pass the Helm, the First Out player chooses one player still at the table and gives that player control over the First Out player's remaining game contribution.

Later Departures

A player who leaves after the First Out may leave a Last Will Ordered or use Pass the Helm.

In a Last Will Ordered, the leaving player names an ordered list of target players who remain at the table. The order matters: the list is treated as that player's proposed elimination path.

With Pass the Helm, the leaving player chooses one player still at the table instead of leaving an ordered list.

Conduct And Discipline

Players must follow the table procedure and maintain sporting conduct throughout the game. The host may assign an ordinary foul, assign a technical foul, disqualify an offender, or stop the game with DD when the violation requires it.

The host is not required to solve complex questions of hidden intent. Each player is responsible for behaving in a way that does not create a borderline or ambiguous disciplinary situation. If a player's words or actions reasonably appear to violate the rules, the host may treat them as a violation.

Ordinary Fouls

An ordinary foul may be assigned for procedural or table-behavior violations, including:

• any word spoken outside the player's own speech;
• continuing an out-of-turn speaking episode for more than 6 seconds;
• shouting outside the legal speech structure;
• touching another player by hand during the day phase;
• other ordinary violations announced by the host or tournament rules.

A player with three ordinary fouls has their next speech limited to 30 seconds. A player who receives a fourth ordinary foul is removed from the table.

Technical Fouls

A technical foul may be assigned for unsporting or improper conduct that does not by itself require immediate disqualification or DD. Examples include:

• loud or aggressive shouting;
• loud striking of the table;
• aggressive or excessively active gesturing;
• jokes, words, or gestures that are improper or close to the boundary of acceptable conduct;
• speaking in a language other than the language of the game;
• using out-of-game personal context as an argument, such as family relationships, friendship, or life circumstances.

Example: "If I were Mafia, I would never shoot my brother on the first night" uses out-of-game context and may be punished with a technical foul.

A player who receives two technical fouls is disqualified.

Disqualification

Disqualification removes the offender from the table. It may result from two technical fouls, a fourth ordinary foul, or a serious conduct violation. When the host decides that a player must be disqualified, the disqualification must be applied before the end of the current phase. It does not have to happen at the exact second of the violation.

Disqualifying violations include:

• directly insulting another player;
• threats or attempts to continue a conflict after the game;
• obscene gestures;
• severe profanity;
• oaths, promises, wagers, or attempts to propose or make a bet as part of game argumentation;
• using religious language to prove a role, card, check, or team;
• deliberately and demonstratively refusing to follow the rules;
• provoking the host or challenging the host's authority in a way that disrupts the game;
• leaving the game table without permission;
• removing a mask at night without the host's invitation or outside the player's role phase;
• communicating, showing information, or signaling to another player after night has been announced.

Examples of prohibited religious proof include statements such as "I swear to God I am the real Sheriff" or "Thank God I have a red card."

Declared Defeat

DD is a game-ending disciplinary decision. The host may declare DD when one player gives the opposing team an unfair decisive advantage or makes fair continuation of the game impossible.

DD violations include:

• receiving hints or game-relevant information from spectators or other people outside the table;
• communicating with players or spectators outside the legal table procedure;
• using messages or other outside communication during the game;
• revealing hidden role, team, check, or night-action information outside a legal speech, will, check, or host-confirmed event;
• any external information leak or serious misconduct that materially changes what the table can know.

If DD is assigned to a black player or the Don, the red team wins. If DD is assigned to a red player, the Sheriff, the black team wins.

Victory Conditions

The red team wins when no black players remain at the table. The black team wins when the number of black players at the table is equal to or greater than the number of red players at the table.