This is a companion piece to a review of collaborative games.
Prior to the game, prepare a deck of cards which will determine the roles played. You need as many cards as there are players, with four cards being different from the rest.
Take an ordinary deck of playing cards and remove all the face cards except for two jacks, a queen and a king. Players who select these cards at random will play the werewolves, a seer, and the narrator, respectively. The players selecting the remaining number (non-face) cards will all play innocent townspeople. While the narrator identifies himself immediately to the group, no one else should reveal their identity. It’s recommended that players pocket their cards.
The game is played in rounds, day and night, moderated by the narrator. Players sit in a circle facing each other.
Beginning at night, the narrator instructs everyone to close their eyes, then tells the werewolves to open theirs. The game works best if the narrator embellishes and paints the scene for the players. For example, the narrator may say, “Night descends on our quiet little hamlet, and one by one, the villagers go to sleep.” When all eyes are closed, he instructs the werewolves to open their eyes.
While everyone else’s eyes remain shut, the werewolves, using hand signals, silently select their next victim and identify him/her to the narrator. Then the werewolves close their eyes and the seer is instructed to open his/hers. The seer points to anyone in the group, and the narrator indicates whether that person is a werewolf or not. Then everyone closes their eyes again until the narrator wakes them for the morning round.
The day begins with the narrator letting the townsfolk know which of them the werewolves have devoured. Again, some storytelling ability can enhance the game and tension terrifically at this point. Whoever has been eaten no longer plays a role in the game. They can leave or remain seated, but it’s essential that they remember they are dead and can say or do nothing. (Dead players can inadvertently ruin the game for everyone if they’re not careful to contain their reactions to the unfolding events.)
The remaining living townsfolk then need to decide which among them is a werewolf and take action (silver bullets work well).
The werewolves and the seer are townsfolk, too, and they take part in the deliberations. While it’s obvious why the werewolves want to keep their identities hidden, the seer can be in an even more challenging situation. While the seer may have discovered who the werewolves are, he/she still needs to convince the rest of the town. But admitting you’re the seer puts you in immediate peril. Only one player can be lynched each evening, and any remaining werewolf is going to have a strong hankering for the seer when night falls.
The game ends when either all the townsfolk or all the werewolves have been eliminated.
