MM2 Beginner's Guide to Roles - Innocent, Sheriff, Murderer

Updated 2026-10-26 · 4 min read

New to Murder Mystery 2? Every round is like hide-and-seek with a twist. One player is secretly the Murderer, one is the Sheriff and everyone else is trying to survive. Here's what each role does and how to play it well.

How a round works

Players in the lobby vote for one of three maps.
The round starts and everyone gets a secret role.
The round ends when the Murderer is shot, when the Murderer eliminates everyone or when the timer runs out.

Each round has one Murderer and one Sheriff, and everyone else is an Innocent. Before a round you can see your chance of becoming the Murderer. That chance slowly goes up for every round you don't get the role.

Innocent

Innocent is the role you'll get most often. You start without a weapon, so your job is to stay alive, collect coins and help figure out who the Murderer is.

Innocent tips

Listen. A stabbing sound nearby means trouble. Peek out carefully to see who did it.
Keep moving. Murderers check the obvious hiding spots first. Moving between rooms makes you harder to track.
Don't trust anyone. If you're not sure about a player walking toward you, go the other way.
Watch out for fakes. The Murderer can carry a fake gun to look like the Sheriff.
Stay quiet. A playing radio can give away your hiding spot, and a big pet can stick out in tight spaces.
Grab coins. You can collect coins during each round, up to a limit, and spend them in the shop on boxes and other items.

Sheriff

The Sheriff starts with a gun and is the only player who can take down the Murderer at the start of a round. Your goal is to find the Murderer and shoot them before they eliminate everyone.

Here's the catch: if you shoot an Innocent, both of you die. That's why patience matters more than fast reflexes.

Sheriff tips

Keep it secret. If the Murderer figures out who the Sheriff is, they'll usually go after them first.
Wait for proof. Watch groups of players from a safe distance and only shoot when you see someone pull out a knife or catch them in the act.
Mind the reload. The gun has to reload after every shot, so a miss leaves you open for a moment.
Give yourself space. Don't let players you're unsure about get close behind you.

Hero

If the Sheriff dies, their gun drops where they fell. Any Innocent can pick it up and become the Hero. The Hero plays just like the Sheriff: shoot the Murderer, and don't hit an Innocent, or you'll both be out.

Be careful, though. Smart Murderers often wait near the dropped gun, so don't rush for it unless the coast is clear.

Murderer

The Murderer gets a knife a few seconds after the round begins. Your goal is to eliminate everyone before time runs out without getting shot by the Sheriff or a Hero.

Murderer controls

PC: press 1 to equip the knife, click to stab, and press E or right-click to throw it.
Mobile: tap the knife to equip it, tap the screen to stab and use the throw button to throw.

Powers

Powers, which used to be called perks, give the Murderer a special ability. Everyone starts with Footsteps, which lets you see other players' footprints. Other Powers, such as Ninja (silent stabs), Trap and Fake Gun, can be bought in the shop with coins or diamonds.

Murderer tips

Act normal. Walk around like an Innocent and keep your knife hidden until you're ready.
Find the Sheriff first. Once the gun is out of play, the round gets much easier.
Don't just camp. Guarding the dropped gun can help for a bit, but you need to eliminate everyone to win, and the timer keeps running.
Throw wisely. Thrown knives are great for catching players who run, but a miss can give you away.

Game modes

Standard is the default mode and uses all four roles. In Disguises, everyone looks alike and gets a code name, so you can't tell players apart by their avatars. In Assassin, every player gets a knife and a target to hunt. You can switch between modes inside the game.

Do weapon skins matter?

Not for winning. Knives and guns in your inventory change how your weapon looks, not how well it works. A rare Godly or Chroma is about style and trading value. Playing rounds earns XP, and leveling up is also what unlocks trading. If you have your eye on a certain skin, you can unbox it, trade for it or buy it from GetPets, which delivers through the in-game trade window.

Quick recap

Innocent: survive, collect coins and help find the Murderer.
Sheriff: find the Murderer and only shoot when you're sure.
Hero: an Innocent who picks up the dropped gun and finishes the Sheriff's job.
Murderer: eliminate everyone without getting shot.

The more rounds you play, the better you'll get at reading other players.