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The Mafia Boss — Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Mafia Boss?
The Mafia Boss (TMB) is a free, browser-based multiplayer online mafia strategy game that has been running since 2004. With over 2 million registered players worldwide, it is one of the longest-running browser games of all kind. No download required — play from any device directly in your web browser.
Is The Mafia Boss free to play?
Yes, The Mafia Boss is completely free to play. You can sign up, build your criminal empire, join a family, and compete for prizes without spending a single dollar. Optional supporter packages are available to enhance your experience but are never required to be competitive.
How do rounds work in The Mafia Boss?
Each round lasts approximately 10 days. At the start, all players begin with equal resources. You spend the round committing crimes, building your army, attacking rivals, and accumulating net worth. At the end, in-game credit prizes are distributed to the top-ranked individual players and families.
What are the player roles in The Mafia Boss?
There are three main competitive roles: Killer (ranked by kills — attacks enemies for kills), Looter (ranked by looted cash — attacks for money), and Collector (ranked by net worth — accumulates resources without direct fighting). Each role requires a different strategy to reach the top.
What are Families and how do I join one?
Families are groups of players that compete together as a team. You can join a family by accepting an invite from a Don or by applying to open family. Families coordinate attacks, share strategies in the family chat, and compete for the top family prize at the end of each round. A Don and Underboss lead the family structure.
What can I win?
At the end of each 10-day round, top-ranked players and families win in-game credit prizes — the premium currency that powers faster progress in future rounds. Prizes are awarded across multiple categories (networth, kills, and families), so there are many ways to win.
What are Turns and how do I get more?
Turns are your primary resource — they power every action (crimes, attacks, scouting, producing). You receive turns automatically over time. You can also earn bonus turns by committing crimes, buying turns with credits, or receiving turns from your family. Using turns efficiently is the key to success.
Is The Mafia Boss mobile friendly?
Yes! The Mafia Boss is fully playable on mobile phones and tablets. Simply open your browser — Safari, Chrome, Firefox — and navigate to themafiaboss.com. No app download is required. The interface adapts to your screen size automatically.
How do I contact support?
You can reach our support team via the Support page. For community help, the Forums are also a great resource where experienced players and staff can answer questions.
What are the promotion ranks in a family, and what do they mean?
You can organize your family using an authentic Mafia hierarchy. The Boss can promote members to:
- Consigliere — the Boss’s confidant; same powers as the Boss except cannot fire the Boss or disband the family. Only one per family.
- Bruglione — can change family media and send member invites.
- Underboss — trusted veteran, next in seniority.
- Captain — leads a section of the family; focused on making money.
- Soldier — lowest made-rank; does the “dirty work.”
Where is the game chatbox?
The web chat is located on the Main Menu page. It is periodically disabled during maintenance windows — if you see it off, check back shortly.
How do you invite a player to join your family?
In the Family Options page, type or paste the player’s name in the invite section, then press Update.
Can you leave a family?
The Main Round rules are generally set to no leaving or disbanding families once the round is underway. There are exceptions — check the Main Menu page for the specific rules for the current Main and Turbo rounds.
How do I promote someone in my family?
In the “Promote Mafioso” section of Family Options, select the player you want to promote, choose the rank, and press Update.
How come the game says my planes / automobiles are “too well guarded”?
You need to own some planes or automobiles before you can steal them from others (you need at least 4 Gulf Stream jets or one Boeing to steal planes). You must also kill all of the target’s defensive units before attempting to steal their vehicles.
Can I change my player name?
Once you pick a name at the start of a round, it stays for that round. You can choose a new name at the beginning of each new round.
Who is the best defensive unit?
Hitmen are stronger killers than Thugs; Thugs are stronger than Bodyguards. For pure defense, prioritize Hitmen.
What are the best guns?
AK-47s outperform Uzis, Uzis outperform Shotguns, and Shotguns outperform Glocks. Guns are automatically assigned to your best units first — so your Hitmen get AK-47s, Thugs get Uzis, and Bodyguards get Shotguns. Buy the best guns you can afford in proportion to your units.
Can you have family alliances?
Yes. Coordinate privately with allied families — the game has no built-in alliance display, so it’s your responsibility to inform your members. The Boss can also create a Union of unlimited families via the Family Settings page (Main Round only).
How can someone be worth so much, so early in the round?
They may be a Supporter who purchased credits for extra turns, or they may be using an efficient money-making build. The “Buy Turns” link is available at the bottom of every game page.
Explain the protection timer: “this mafioso is protected for XX seconds.”
When you hire, produce, or collect, you receive protection proportional to the turns used — up to a maximum of 60 seconds. This gives you time to finish preparing (e.g., equip newly hired units with guns) without being attacked mid-action.
Is that short protection from attacks?
Yes. It’s a brief shield designed to let you get ready — hire units and arm them before enemies can strike. It is not long-term protection.
If I post a complaint on the Support page, will other players see it?
No. Only staff members can view support tickets. You can also message any online staff member directly from the Main Menu.
Can I change my password?
Yes. Go to My Account in the top-right of the site. There is a section to change your password.
Why can’t I swear on message boards if the game itself has some mature language?
There is no swearing on the Recruiting or Help Forums. Other boards and the FreeForAll chat room allow it in moderation. Family chat and family message boards are private and unmonitored. Profiles or media that receive complaints will be reviewed by staff.
If I quit or get banned, can I get a refund on purchased turns?
No. There are no refunds. If you break the game rules, you are responsible for the consequences.
How do I use my reserve turns?
From the Main Menu, click “you have X reserve turns” above the Game Announcements. Enter the amount you wish to convert to active turns and press Apply.
What is the attack range and how does revenge work?
Your attack range is from ½× to 4× your net worth — you can only attack players within that range. Revenge is unlocked when someone attacks you: you can hit them back regardless of range (via drive-bys), an unlimited number of times, and you can also target their business if they attacked yours.
What does “This mafioso has been attacked too much” mean?
This is the maxing protection. Once you lose roughly 10% of your net worth in one hour from attacks, you cannot be attacked again for the rest of that hour. The exact percentage varies by round — check the round-specific rules. All players start the first hour of a round already “maxed.”
How do I cancel my PayPal subscription?
Log in to your PayPal account and go to My Account → History → Subscriptions. Find the TMB subscription, click its Status, and on the Transaction Details page select Cancel. Cancelling stops all future scheduled payments immediately.
How do the tiers / levels work and what are the stars for?
Each star represents a credit-usage tier that determines which prize pool you compete in:
- 1 star — up to 999 credits used or won this round → Level 1 prizes
- 2 stars — subscription active OR 1,000–24,999 credits → Level 2 prizes
- 3 stars — up to 99,999 credits, OR Titanium Black subscription → Level 3 prizes
- 4 stars — 100,000+ credits → Jackpot & Level 4 prizes
Please explain the Union Notoriety feature.
Union Notoriety adds an automatic net worth bonus to a union’s total based on each member’s play history:
- Players with less than 3 months of playtime: +$15 Billion auto-value to union net worth
- Players with more than 3 months of playtime: +$5 Billion auto-value to union net worth
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