FIIM Rules Simplified
Author: Vitaly - mr. Koteo (Brisbane Mafia Club)
This chapter is your survival guide for playing FIIM rules without accidentally breaking something important.
You do not need to memorise the entire official rulebook to start playing well. Instead, you need:
a few critical rules (this section),
a sense of what can be learned later,
a small vocabulary,
and a practical checklist.
Everything here is based on the official FIIM rules, July 2025 edition, translated and adapted into English.
Note on terminology: The official Russian rules call the mafia team “чёрные” (“black”). In this book we call them the dark team or dark players, to keep language neutral, while staying fully consistent with FIIM.
What You MUST Know
These are the rules you should know before you sit at a competitive FIIM table.
1. Game Setup & Roles
10 players total
7 red cards (civilians), including 1 Sheriff
3 dark cards (mafia), including 1 Don
Players sit at a numbered table: Seats 1–10.
A Judge/Game-master (we’ll mostly say “Judge”) runs everything:
announces phases,
controls time,
confirms nominations,
counts votes,
applies penalties.
2. Phases of the Game
The game alternates between Night and Day.
Night 1 — Role Assignment + Dark Team Meeting
Judge says: “Night falls” (or similar).
Everyone puts on masks.
Judge wakes each player one by one to receive a role.
After that:
Dark players wake together once.
Don shows themselves to the team and sets the future shooting order.
No kills. No checks. Night 1 is just “we meet and plan”.
Day (General Rules)
Judge announces Day.
Everyone removes masks.
Discussion happens in seat order:
1st Day starts from Seat 1.
Next Day always starts from the next seat after yesterday’s first speaker.
Each player gets 1 minute for their speech.
You must finish with “Pass” or “Thank you”.
You cannot wear your mask during the Day.
You speak only in your own minute:
Talking, whispering, obvious mouthing of words outside your minute = warning.
Nominations
You can only nominate during your own minute.
To nominate, say clearly:
“I nominate Player #X.”
Judge must confirm with something like:
“Accepted.” or “Supported.”
You may nominate only one player per Day.
If nobody nominates anyone, there is no vote and Day ends.
Voting
After all speeches:
Judge lists the nominated players in the order they were nominated.
Voting is done one candidate at a time in that order.
How to vote:
When Judge calls:
“Who wants to vote for Player #X”
If you want X to leave:
Immediately place a vertical fist on the table.
Keep it there until Judge says “Thank you”.
You may only vote for one candidate.
If you do not vote at all:
Your vote automatically counts for the last nominated player.
Result:
Player with the most votes leaves the table.
They get 1 minute of last word (final speech) before masking for the next Night.
Ties:
If two or more players get the same highest number of votes:
Only those tied players speak again (short speeches).
A second vote happens among them.
If it’s tied again between the same players:
In most cases → nobody leaves, Judge announces Night.
There are special cases at very low player counts, but:
At 9 players you can NOT raise three people together — FIIM explicitly forbids voting “all three out” at 9-handed.
(We’ll revisit critical-count behaviour in detail later in the book.)
3. Night 2 and Later Nights
From Night 2 onwards, real actions happen.
Dark Team Kill (“Shot”)
Judge: “Mafia, raise your pistols.”
All dark players keep their eyes closed.
All dark players raise one hand in pistol position (pointing upwards).
Judge calls:
“Player One… Player Two… Player Three…”
When the number of the chosen target is called:
All dark players press an imaginary trigger (a small downward wrist motion).
All dark players must shoot the same player.
If they shoot different players, or someone doesn’t shoot → misfire → no one dies.
Don’s Check
After the shot:
Judge: “Don wakes up and looks for the Sheriff.”
Don opens their eyes and shows a number (who they think is Sheriff).
Judge confirms or denies (with a gesture).
Don goes back to sleep.
Don gets one check per night.
Sheriff’s Check
Judge: “Sheriff wakes up.”
Sheriff opens eyes and shows a number to check.
Judge answers with:
Red check → head turn + thumb up
Dark check → nod + thumb down
Sheriff goes back to sleep.
Sheriff gets one check per night.
Night Behaviour
During Night (including technical pauses):
Sit in night posture:
straight back
arms crossed on shoulders
head slightly tilted forward
No talking, humming, singing, dancing, touching, eating, drinking, etc.
Mask must fully cover your eyes.
No hats, hoods, glasses, reflective items.
Breaking night behaviour rules is usually a foul (serious violation) and can lead to immediate removal.
4. Last Word and Best Move
Last Word
Any player who:
is voted out during the Day, or
is killed at Night
…gets 1 minute of last word, with very few exceptions (e.g. disqualifying foul).
Best Move
The player killed in Night 2 (first “real” shot night) has a special right:
while still at Night, before the Day starts, the Judge wakes them briefly and lets them name three players they think are dark.
They have up to 20 seconds to say their three numbers.
Judge confirms: “Accepted.”
This is recorded in the protocol and can give them bonus rating points if they named 2 or 3 dark players correctly.
(We’ll talk about scoring later. For now, just remember: Night 2 victim gets one last analytical shot before their actual last word.)
5. Warnings, Fouls, Disqualification, and Leaving the Game
FIIM has a disciplinary system, which we slightly re-name in this book for clarity.
What FIIM calls basic “фолы” we will call warnings.
Severe violations we call fouls.
Warnings (Minor Infractions)
You receive a warning for things like:
talking outside your minute,
over-gesturing,
touching others during the Day,
banging the table, insulting players or Judge lightly,
interfering with voting (gestures, shouting, etc.),
pulling your hand away during vote before “Thank you”.
Warning count:
3 warnings → you lose your next speech minute, but can still nominate.
4 warnings → you are removed from the game (no last word).
Fouls (Major Infractions)
A foul is a serious violation, such as:
night cheating (peeking, signalling Don/Sheriff),
heavy or repeated insults,
explicit attempts to get non-game informational advantage,
night talking or shouting,
using strong non-game manipulations (e.g., threats, explicit bribes).
A single foul usually means instant disqualification:
You are removed from the table immediately.
You do not get last word.
Voting that Day may be cancelled depending on timing.
Victory of the Opposite Team (PPK)
In extreme cases, a player’s non-game behaviour (threats, oaths, bribes, aggressive off-topic pressure) can lead to a forced victory for the opposite team, often called Victory of the opposite team (in Russian documents this is known as ППК).
You don’t need every legal detail now. The idea is simple:
Don’t cheat, don’t be toxic, don’t use non-game pressure to “prove” your role.
6. Win Conditions
Red team wins when all dark players (including Don) are eliminated.
Dark team wins when:
the number of dark players is equal to the number of red players at the table,
or dark players outnumber red players.
The ending is often decided by:
a critical vote,
a last night kill,
or a disqualification that changes parity.
The Rules You Can Learn Later
These are important, but not required for your first games. You can grow into them.
1. Detailed Scoring System
FIIM has a very precise rating system:
Base points for win/lose/draw.
Small penalties for destructive play.
Big penalties for very bad decisions.
Extra points for:
Best Move (correctly naming dark players when killed Night 2),
Being the Sheriff/Don and playing well,
Judge-awarded “best player” bonuses.
Compensation points for being killed early as a red player (especially Night 1).
You can be a strong player without knowing every coefficient.
2. Advanced Penalty Types
Beyond simple warnings and immediate fouls, there are:
Small penalties (for destructive but not catastrophic play),
Big penalties (for major destructive actions),
Victory of the opposite team (PPK) — when your behaviour logically forces your team to be given a technical loss.
These matter more when you play serious tournaments.
3. Technical Edge Cases
There are dozens of rare scenarios:
What exactly happens if someone leaves mid-vote with a 4th warning or a foul.
Different types of ties late in the game (4 players, 3 players).
Situations of a split (pre-agreed equal votes).
Special behaviours allowed or forbidden in tournament regulations.
You do not need to know all of these to play your first season. Judges handle it; this book will cover key strategic ones later.
4. Appeals and Protests
Players can file formal protests within 10 minutes after a game.
Main Judge can review video, adjust scores, or order a replay.
Again: useful to know existence of this, but details are mostly for judges and tournament organisers.
Terminology Glossary
A quick vocabulary for FIIM-style Mafia, with English terms used in this book.
Red team / Reds Civilians, including the Sheriff.
Dark team / Dark players Mafia team, including the Don.
Sheriff Special red role that checks one player per night to learn whether they are red or dark.
Don Leader of the dark team, who checks one player per night trying to find the Sheriff.
Judge/Game-master (“Judge”) Neutral person running the game according to FIIM rules.
Day Open discussion phase where players speak and vote.
Night Closed-eyes phase where dark players shoot and Don/Sheriff check.
Night posture Official body position at night (straight back, arms crossed on shoulders, head down slightly).
Mask Eye-covering mask worn at night.
Nomination Formal act of putting a player up for vote: “I nominate Player #X.”
Vote Fist placed vertically on the table when a candidate’s number is called; kept until “Thank you.”
Last word One-minute final speech of a player who leaves the game (by vote or night kill).
Best Move Special privilege of the Night 2 victim to name three suspected dark players.
Warning Minor infraction. Three warnings → no next speech; four warnings → removal from the table.
Foul Major infraction (serious rule-breaking) that usually leads to immediate removal.
Technical pause Judge-initiated pause: everyone masks up, night rules apply, music may play; used to restore order.
Critical Day Informal term: a day where a wrong elimination leads directly or almost directly to victory of the mafia team.
Split / Split table A pre-agreed split of votes to create an equal, tied result on purpose.
Victory of the opposite team (PPK) Forced loss assigned to a team due to a player’s non-game action (oath, bribe, heavy offside).
A Beginner’s FIIM Safety Checklist
This is the practical part. If you follow this checklist, you will:
avoid most penalties,
respect FIIM rules,
and let everyone enjoy the game.
✅ Before the Game
Arrive on time and sit at your assigned number.
Put away your phone when asked by the Judge.
Remove hats, hoods, reflective accessories before Night.
✅ During Night
Mask fully on, no gaps.
Sit in night posture.
No talking, humming, laughing, sighing loudly, or touching.
If you are dark:
shoot only when told (“raise pistols”),
remember who your team agreed to kill,
press the “trigger” only on the chosen number.
If you are Sheriff or Don:
wake only when called,
show the number clearly,
don’t speak.
✅ During Day — Speaking
Speak only in your own minute.
Do not whisper, “hmm” loudly, or comment during other people’s speeches.
Finish with “Pass” or “Thank you.”
Address others by seat number or nickname.
Do not swear, insult, or bring religion into arguments.
✅ Nominations & Voting
Nominate only in your minute and only one player.
Use the correct phrase:
“I nominate Player #X.”
During vote:
Put fist down immediately if you support the candidate’s removal.
Keep your fist until the Judge says “Thank you.”
Don’t change your mind mid-vote.
If you stay completely still, your vote will go to the last nominated player — make sure that’s what you want.
✅ When You Leave the Table
If you are killed or voted out:
Wait for the Judge to announce it.
Take your last word seriously — it matters.
Do not shout.
If you are removed after 4 warnings or by foul:
You do not get last word.
Leave calmly — arguing further can worsen penalties for the tournament.
✅ General Behaviour
Remember: Mafia is a mind sport, not a shouting contest.
Attack logic, not people.
Do not use:
oaths (“I swear on … I’m red”),
threats,
bribes,
appeals to religion to prove your role — all of these can technically cause a Victory of the opposite team (PPK) against your side.
With this chapter, you now have:
the skeleton of FIIM rules,
the minimum required knowledge to play correctly,
and a language to talk about rules with judges and other players.
Next, in Local Club Variations, we’ll look at how the “pure” FIIM rules live in the real world:
when and why small changes are made at club level.
how FIIM rules are translated, phrased, and explained at English-speaking tables.
specific examples from one club, showing what was changed and why.
what must stay strict at tournaments, and what is usually relaxed in casual games.
This way, you’ll see the difference between official FIIM rules and house rules, and understand how to stay compatible with the global standard while keeping your local games fun and playable.
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