Thief
A village role that, on the first night only, secretly swaps roles with one player. After the swap you are their role — and they are the Thief. (Close kin to One Night Ultimate Werewolf's Robber — but MAFIA's swap happens inside a full-length game, and only on the first night.)
At a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Faction | Village (after a swap, you follow your new role's faction) |
| Night action | First night only — choose one player to swap with |
| Resolution order | First among the night abilities (before divination and the attack) |
| Divination result | 'Not' (not a werewolf) |
| Disclosure | Everyone is told "the Thief swapped roles with someone" (who swapped with whom stays hidden) |
How the swap works
- The moment the swap resolves, you inherit the other player's ability and faction in full. Swap with a werewolf and you're on the werewolf side; swap with the Seer and you divine.
- The other player becomes the Thief — but a post-swap Thief has no ability (the swap is first-night only).
- From Night 2 onward the Thief has no night action. If you didn't swap, you play on as a village member with no ability.
When the swap fizzles
If you are attacked and die on the night of your swap, the swap does not happen — you die as the Thief. If the Knight's guard, the Witch's revive, or the Trapper's trap saves you, the swap goes through.
Edge cases
- Swapping with the Princess: her power moves to you — and the original Princess dies.
- Swapping with the Fox: if you had already been divined before the swap, the Fox's divination-kill applies retroactively — you die.
- Divination on the swap night resolves against the pre-swap role (divining "the player who was the Thief" reads their old self).
- With multiple Thieves in a custom deck picking the same target, only one swap succeeds.
In the standard decks
No standard deck includes the Thief — it's a custom-deck role.
Strategy & Tips
Choosing a swap target, playing your new role, and how this differs from the One Night Robber are covered in the strategy column.