Werewolf
Werewolf is a social deduction game that sets a small informed minority, the werewolves, against an uninformed majority, the villagers. In alternating night and day phases the werewolves secretly remove a villager, and the whole group then debates and votes out a suspect, until one side has won. The game was created as Mafia by Dmitry Davidoff in 1986, and the werewolf theme was added by Andrew Plotkin in 1997.
Facilitation script
- 1
Explain the two sides, the roles and the night and day cycle. Stress that it is a game and that lying inside it is allowed and expected.
5 min - 2
Deal roles secretly and run a short check that everyone understands their role without revealing it.
3 min - 3
First night: werewolves, seer and medic act in a fixed order on the moderator's cue.
3 min - 4
First day: announce the result, run a timed discussion of about four minutes, then vote and reveal the eliminated player's role.
7 min - 5
Further night and day rounds until one side wins. Rounds get shorter as players leave.
20 min - 6
Reveal all roles and let people talk through the turning points. Close by clearly ending the game so accusations stay inside it.
5 min
Tips
The game depends on the moderator, so choose someone who can keep a steady voice, a clear order of night actions and a strict clock on the day discussion.
Play one open practice round with roles face up if most people are new.
Give eliminated players something to do, such as watching the night phase with eyes open, or they will drift to their phones.
Common pitfalls
An unprepared moderator mixes up the order of night actions or gives away a role by voice or position, and the game is spoiled in the first round
No time limit on the day discussion, so one round takes twenty minutes and the eliminated players check out
Eliminated players hint at what they know, which removes the uncertainty the game is built on
The same loud players drive every vote while quiet players are voted out early for saying little, repeating a pattern the team already has
No clear ending or debrief, so the teasing about who lied carries on into work the next day and somebody is hurt by it
Variations
Online, roles go out by private message; at night everyone turns off camera and microphone and the werewolves, seer and medic send their choices to the moderator privately, and votes are taken by poll or chat. For groups under ten use one or two werewolves and consider dropping the medic; above about fifteen the day discussion gets unwieldy, so run two games in parallel. Commercial card sets add further roles, but the basic four are enough for a team event.
Where it fits
When to use it
The evening of an offsite, when the group has an hour and wants something more involving than small talk
A remote team social where a quiz has been done too often
A team of eight to twenty people who know each other well enough to enjoy being accused
As a shared experience to refer back to in a later session on group decisions, since the village regularly votes out an innocent player with great confidence
A group with one person who would enjoy and be good at moderating
When not to use it
A team with real trust problems or an open conflict. A game built on lying and accusation gives people a licence to act it out, so choose a cooperative activity such as the Marshmallow Challenge
A slot shorter than 30 minutes; use a quick game such as Two Truths and a Lie
A group of strangers at a first meeting, where being publicly called a liar lands badly before any relationship exists
Groups in which several people are not fluent in the working language, because the game is won by fast verbal argument
More than twenty players in one game, since early eliminations then sit out for most of an hour; split into two games
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Werewolf?▾
Werewolf is a social deduction game for a group and a moderator. A few players are secretly werewolves who remove one villager each night, and by day everyone debates and votes on whom to eliminate. The villagers win by finding all the werewolves, and the werewolves win by outlasting them.
Is Werewolf the same game as Mafia?▾
Yes, in its mechanics. The game was created as Mafia by Dmitry Davidoff in 1986, and Andrew Plotkin gave it the werewolf theme in 1997. The roles have different names in each version, but the night and day structure is the same.
How many players does Werewolf need?▾
Around eight to twenty plus a moderator, and it tends to play better towards the smaller end. With more people, discussions get long and eliminated players wait a long time, so run two games side by side.
How do you play Werewolf on a video call?▾
The moderator sends each player their role by private message. At night everyone turns off camera and microphone, and the werewolves, seer and medic message their choices to the moderator. Day discussion happens on camera, and votes are taken by poll, chat or show of hands.
Is Werewolf suitable as a team-building activity?▾
It suits teams that already get on and want a shared, lively evening. It is a poor fit for teams with low trust, because the game rewards deception and public accusation. End it clearly and keep the tone light.
Plan your next workshop with AI
Workshop Weaver helps you combine methods like Werewolf into a complete, timed agenda in minutes.
Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Dmitry Davidoff (Mafia, 1986); werewolf theme by Andrew Plotkin (1997).