Playing Mafia Online with Friends: Rooms, Invite Links and Voice Chat
Mafia is a group game, but getting the group into one room is not always possible. Online, everyone joins from home, the system deals the roles and runs the night — all you have to do is argue. Here is the whole path, from creating a room to the first vote.
How many players you need
A room holds 5 to 20 players. The sweet spot is 8–12: the mafia has room to hide and the town has enough people to argue with. Rule of thumb — one mafioso per 3–4 players.
- 5–6 players: 1 mafia, commissioner, doctor and townspeople — a short, fast game.
- 8–9 players: 2 mafia (with the Don), commissioner, doctor and one extra role.
- 10–12 players: 3 mafia, commissioner and sergeant, doctor, escort or vagrant — the "classic" setup.
- 15–20 players: 4–5 mafia and every special role — long, but the richest game.
Creating a room
Sign in with your Google account — no password or phone number. In the lobby press "New room": name it, pick the player count and tick "Private". A private room is hidden from the public list — it can only be entered by link.
The role setup is suggested automatically for the player count; you can also pick the roles yourself. The room then waits for you — the game does not start until your friends arrive.
How the invite link works
The "Copy" button on the room card puts the link on your clipboard. Drop it in your Telegram group or chat — everyone lands in the room with one tap.
The link works even for a friend who has never visited the site: they sign in with Google first and are then taken straight to your room. The homepage greets them with "You have been invited to a game".
Voice chat
Voice chat is built in — no separate app. It is push-to-talk: hold the button to speak, release to go quiet. By day everyone talks, at night only the mafia hear each other, and the dead cannot interfere with the living.
- When the browser asks for microphone access, press "Allow" — otherwise nobody hears you.
- Headphones are recommended: speaker sound feeds back into the mic and echoes.
- Do not want to hear someone? Use the mute button on their card — it affects only you.
- Works on phones too: Chrome or Safari is enough, nothing to install.
Not enough people, or someone left
You can start with a partially filled room — the minimum is 5. If a player disconnects mid-game, the phase is extended once by 60 seconds; when they return, their role and seat are kept. On a second drop the game does not wait.
Rating and profile
Private games with friends count toward the rating too: every win and loss moves your Elo, activity earns XP and levels. See who in your group is strongest on the leaderboard.
House rules
- The dead do not advise the living — they have their own chat, and the game enforces it.
- Showing your role on screen or posting it in an outside chat ruins the game for everyone.
- The room owner can mute a rude player; there is a report button 🚩 for abuse — moderators review it.
Get started
Open the lobby and create a private room — your group will be at the table in two minutes. Roles are on the rules page; how to win is in the strategy guide.