Wake the Mafia first, then any other killer, then protectors like the Doctor and Bodyguard, then investigators like the Detective, and finish with roles that react to everything else. Every action counts as happening at the same moment. The moderator only works out who died once everyone has acted, so the order is about keeping the night easy to run, not about who “gets there first.”
Below is a full wake order for 13 common roles, the reason each one sits where it does, and how to resolve the conflicts that come up.
The night order at a glance #
| Order | Role | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masons | Wake together and see each other | First night only |
| 2 | Mafia (with Godfather) or Werewolves | Choose a kill target | Evil team wakes as one group |
| 3 | Serial Killer | Choose a kill target | Separate from the Mafia |
| 4 | Doctor | Protect one player | |
| 5 | Bodyguard | Guard one player | Dies instead of the target if attacked |
| 6 | Witch, heal | Save tonight’s victim | Once per game |
| 7 | Witch, poison | Kill any player | Once per game |
| 8 | Detective or Seer | Learn one player’s alignment | |
| 9 | Vigilante | Shoot one player | Limited shots |
| 10 | Custom roles | Whatever you designed | Last, so they don’t disturb the core order |
Why each role wakes where it does #
Info-only roles first #
Masons don’t do anything except see each other, so it’s tidiest to get them out of the way first. Once they’ve closed their eyes, the real night begins.
Killers before protectors #
The Mafia pick their target before the Doctor wakes. By the time the Doctor points, the moderator already knows if tonight’s pick matches the Mafia’s. That’s easier for the moderator, and it keeps a sleepy moderator from forgetting the kill.
Protecting doesn’t depend on knowing the target. The Doctor never learns who the Mafia chose, so going second gives them no advantage.
The Witch after the killers #
The Witch is the exception. Her healing potion only works if she knows who was attacked, so the moderator shows her tonight’s victim. She has to wake after every killer whose target she might save.
Investigators near the end #
The Detective’s result depends only on the target’s alignment. It doesn’t matter who else acted tonight. Putting the Detective near the end simply gives the moderator a steady rhythm. Some groups wake the Detective right after the Mafia, and that works too.
The Vigilante last #
Vigilantes act on suspicion, not on anything that happened tonight, so their slot doesn’t change the outcome. Waking them last reminds the moderator to check that they still have a bullet.
Resolving the night: common conflicts #
After everyone has acted, compare the night’s picks. These rules cover most situations.
The Doctor protects the Mafia’s target #
The target survives, and nobody dies from that attack. Whether you announce “was attacked but survived” or just “a quiet night” is a house rule. Decide before the game.
The Bodyguard guards the Mafia’s target #
The target survives and the Bodyguard dies in their place.
Doctor and Bodyguard both protect the target #
The target survives. Under most rules the Bodyguard still dies, since they stepped in front of the attack. If your group finds that too harsh, say so before the game starts.
Two killers pick different targets #
Both targets die unless each is protected. A Serial Killer and the Mafia act separately, so one Doctor save only covers one of them.
Two killers pick the same target #
That player dies once. A single Doctor protection usually saves them from both attacks, since the Doctor guards the person, not against one attacker. Some groups rule that one save blocks only one attack. Pick a rule and announce it.
The Mafia target the Detective #
The Detective still gets their result. Everyone acts at the same moment, so the Detective wakes, investigates and learns the answer, then dies in the morning. That’s why a dead Detective’s last clue sometimes shows up in a note, or in a claim they made the day before.
The Doctor protects themselves #
It depends on your house rules. See can the Doctor save themselves.
The Witch heals and poisons the same night #
Allowed in most versions. Treat the heal as a protection on tonight’s victim and the poison as a separate kill.
Why you should call dead roles #
If the Doctor died yesterday and you skip “Doctor, wake up” tonight, the whole table learns the Doctor is gone. Keep calling every role in your game, wait the usual few seconds, and send them back to sleep. It costs half a minute and protects the town’s secrets. Our Mafia narrator script has lines for every role in this order.
Night order for Werewolf #
The Werewolf order is the same, with different names: Masons, Werewolves, Doctor or Bodyguard, Witch, Seer. Some Werewolf boxes add a first-night Cupid who links two lovers, usually woken before the wolves. The rest of the theme is covered in Werewolf game rules.
Resolving the night without a notepad #
Most moderator mistakes happen in the resolve step: forgetting the Doctor’s pick, missing that the Bodyguard stepped in, or letting the Vigilante shoot a third time.
Mafia Helper runs the night in exactly this order. It shows a card for each role that’s alive, with the line to read aloud, and adds custom roles at the end. Masons appear only on night one, and the Vigilante and Witch potions disappear from the list once they’re used up. Tap Resolve Night and it applies the conflict rules above: protection cancels kills, the Bodyguard falls for the player they guarded, and two killers are resolved separately so nobody dies twice. The result screen names who died, who was saved and each victim’s role. If you want to keep calling dead roles, read their lines from memory, since the app lists only living ones.
For the rest of the moderator’s job, see how to moderate Mafia.
Frequently asked questions #
Who wakes up first in Mafia? #
The Mafia usually wake first, unless you have roles that only exchange information, like Masons, who can go even earlier on the first night. Waking the killers first means the moderator knows every target before the protectors act.
Does the Doctor wake up before or after the Mafia? #
After. The Doctor doesn’t learn the Mafia’s choice, so the order makes no difference to them, but it lets the moderator compare the two picks right away.
Do night actions happen at the same time in Mafia? #
Yes, in almost every rule set. The wake order is just the order the moderator collects choices. Deaths, saves and results are worked out once everyone has acted, which is why a Detective who’s killed still gets their result.
What happens if the Mafia can’t agree on a target? #
The moderator waits. If they still can’t agree, most groups use a rule announced before the game, such as the Godfather deciding or the moderator picking one of the two names at random. Don’t let the Mafia argue out loud.