Werewolf Game Rules: Roles, Night Script and How to Play

Werewolf is a social deduction party game for a big group. A few players are secretly werewolves, and the rest are villagers. Each night the werewolves choose a victim, and each day the whole village argues and votes on who to put out of the game. The villagers win if they find every werewolf, and the werewolves win if they reach the same number as the villagers. It is the same basic game as Mafia, with a werewolf theme and a set of special roles that many groups love.

What you need

• At least 8 players, plus one moderator who does not play. It works best with about 10 to 18.
• A role card for each player, which you can make from paper or a deck of playing cards.
• A quiet room where everyone can sit in a circle and close their eyes.
• A fair way to deal the roles, such as shuffled cards or the random name picker.

The main roles

• Werewolves: know who the other werewolves are. At night they silently agree on one villager to remove.
• Villagers: have no special power. They must use the daytime talk and vote to find the werewolves.
• Seer: a villager who, each night, may point at one player and learn from the moderator whether they are a werewolf.
• Doctor or Guard: a villager who, each night, chooses one player to protect from the werewolves.
• Witch: has one potion to save the night’s victim and one to remove a player, each usable once per game.
• Hunter: when the hunter is put out, they immediately choose one other player to take out with them.

For a first game, use only werewolves, villagers and the seer. Add one new role at a time once everyone knows the basic rules.

Fair random roles

Roles must be secret and random. The simplest way is cards: for example, two black cards for the werewolves, one red ace for the seer and red number cards for the villagers. Shuffle and deal face down. If you have no cards, the moderator can number the players and use the random name picker or a random number generator privately to choose the werewolves and the seer, then tell each player their role with a tap on the shoulder during the first night.

How to play: the moderator’s script

1. Night falls. The moderator says, “Night falls. Everyone close your eyes.” Players may tap the table quietly to hide any sounds.
2. Werewolves wake. “Werewolves, open your eyes and choose a victim.” They point silently and agree on one player. “Werewolves, close your eyes.”
3. Seer wakes. “Seer, open your eyes and point at a player.” The moderator gives a thumbs up for a werewolf or a thumbs down for a villager. “Seer, close your eyes.”
4. Doctor wakes. If you use a doctor, they point at one player to save.
5. Day breaks. “Everyone open your eyes.” The moderator announces who was removed in the night, unless the doctor saved them. That player is out and may not speak for the rest of the game.
6. Discussion. Everyone debates who might be a werewolf. Anyone may claim anything, true or false.
7. Vote. The village votes. The player with the most votes is out and shows their card. If there is a tie, nobody is out, or hold a quick second vote between the tied players.
8. Repeat night and day until one side wins.

How many werewolves?

A common starting point is about one werewolf for every four players; adjust if one side keeps winning. The table shows suggested numbers, together with two simple calculations. “Vote” is the chance that the first day’s vote hits a werewolf if the village picks completely at random, after one villager is removed on the first night. “Win” is the chance that the villagers win if every vote all game is random and there are no special roles.

Random voting wins the village only a small share of games, which is why the seer and the daytime talk matter so much. Good questions, careful watching and a well-hidden seer can swing the odds towards the villagers. These numbers are exact for the simple model, but real games depend on how well people bluff.

Tips for moderators

• Speak in a calm, steady voice and use the same words every night, so nobody can guess roles from your tone.
• Walk around the circle while you talk, so nobody can tell where you are pointing.
• Give each day a time limit, such as five minutes, to keep the game moving.
• Make it clear that players who are out must stay silent. They can enjoy watching with their eyes open at night.
• Keep the story fun. A short line about how the night’s victim was found makes the game feel alive.

Variations and history

• One night: a short version where there is only one night and one vote, which suits groups with little time.
• Lovers: a Cupid role links two players at the start; if one is out, so is the other.
• No moderator: some apps or card sets let every player take part, with the steps read out by a phone.
• Village idiot: a player who survives being voted out once, but loses their vote.

The werewolf theme is usually credited to Andrew Plotkin, who suggested it in the late 1990s as a twist on Mafia. Many boxed editions followed, and the extra roles above come from different editions and house rules, so names and powers vary from group to group.

For younger players, try wink murder, a quicker hidden-role game. For a gentle bluffing game, try two truths and a lie.

FAQ

How do you play werewolf?

A few players are secretly werewolves and the rest are villagers. Each night the werewolves remove one villager, and each day everyone votes to remove a suspect. Villagers win by finding every werewolf; werewolves win when they equal the number of villagers.

How many werewolves should there be?

A common rule of thumb is about one werewolf for every four players. For example, two werewolves for 8 players and three for 12.

Is werewolf the same as mafia?

The basic rules are the same. Werewolf uses a village theme and often adds extra roles such as the seer, witch and hunter.

What does the seer do in werewolf?

Each night the seer points at one player and the moderator secretly shows whether that player is a werewolf.

How many people do you need to play werewolf?

About 8 or more, plus a moderator. It works best with 10 to 18 players.