How it plays

Each night you choose one player to protect. If the Mafia attack them, the kill fails and dawn is announced as quiet; neither you nor the town learns who was targeted. You may protect yourself, but not the same player two nights in a row.

The Doctor is in every game, from 5 players up, and is the town's only defence against the night kill, so staying hidden is part of the job.

Tips

• Protect the player the Mafia most want dead: a revealed Detective, or the person leading the day discussion.
• On night one, with no information, self-protect or cover the most vocal town player.
• A quiet dawn after you protected someone is confirmation they are probably town and definitely a Mafia target: use that.
• Never reveal unless the Detective already has and needs cover; a known Doctor is killed the next night.

Counter-play

Mafia beat the Doctor by attacking unpredictable targets, by killing the Doctor once found, and by running a Silencer so the saved player cannot organise the town.