In Werewolf, a few players are secretly werewolves who kill one villager each night, and everyone else is a villager trying to find and vote them out during the day. The werewolves win when they equal or outnumber the villagers, and the village wins when every werewolf is dead. A moderator who doesn’t play runs the nights and keeps every secret.
Werewolf is the same game as Mafia with a village-and-monster theme. According to Wikipedia, Andrew Plotkin added the werewolf theme in 1997 to the game Dimitry Davidoff created in Moscow in 1986. The rules below work with any Werewolf card set, or with none.
What you need #
- 6 to 20 players, plus one moderator. With 5, see our small-group guide.
- Secret role cards, slips of paper, or a phone to deal roles.
- A circle where everyone can close their eyes.
- 20 to 60 minutes.
How the village and the werewolves win #
| Team | Knows | Wins when |
|---|---|---|
| Werewolves | Who the other wolves are | Wolves equal or outnumber the villagers |
| Village | Only their own role | Every werewolf is dead |
How a round of Werewolf works #
Night #
- “Everyone, close your eyes.” The whole village sleeps.
- “Werewolves, wake up.” The wolves open their eyes, recognise each other, and silently agree on one villager to kill.
- “Werewolves, go to sleep.”
- The special roles wake one at a time: the Doctor or Bodyguard to protect, the Witch to use potions, the Seer to look at someone’s card.
- “Everyone, wake up.”
Day #
- The moderator announces who the wolves killed. That player is out and stays silent.
- The village debates. Players accuse, defend and sometimes claim roles.
- The village votes. The player with a majority is eliminated. In many groups their card is flipped so everyone sees what they were.
- Night falls again.
The game repeats until one team wins. Our narrator script has a Werewolf version of every line the moderator needs.
Werewolf roles #
The essentials #
- Werewolf. Kills one villager each night with the rest of the pack.
- Villager. No power. Wins by discussion and voting.
- Seer. Each night, learns whether one player is a werewolf.
Roles that add depth #
| Role | Team | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Village | Protects one player from the wolves each night |
| Bodyguard | Village | Guards a player and dies in their place if the wolves attack |
| Witch | Village | Has one healing potion to save the wolves’ victim, and one poison to kill someone. Each works once per game |
| Hunter | Village | When killed, immediately takes one other player down too |
| Mason | Village | Masons wake together on the first night and know each other are villagers |
| Miller | Village | An innocent villager whom the Seer sees as a werewolf |
| Jester or Fool | Neutral | Wins if the village votes them out |
Commercial sets add many more. Cupid, who links two players as lovers, and a village Sheriff whose vote counts double show up in some well-known boxes. The Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow, for example, has a Sheriff whose vote counts as two. For a comparison of the major boxes, see the best Werewolf card game sets.
The Witch and the Hunter, explained #
These two cause the most rules questions.
The Witch wakes after the wolves. The moderator shows her who was attacked, and she decides whether to spend her one healing potion to save them. Then she may use her one poison on any player. Once a potion is used, it’s gone for the rest of the game. A Witch who saves the wolves’ first target and poisons the right player on night two can win the game alone.
The Hunter has no night action. When the Hunter dies, by the wolves or by vote, they immediately name one player who dies with them. The moderator should check for a win only after the Hunter’s shot lands, since that shot can change the outcome.
Werewolf setups for 5 to 20 players #
| Players | Werewolves | Village power roles | Villagers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 to 7 | 1 | Seer, Doctor | The rest |
| 8 to 12 | 2 | Seer, Witch, Hunter | The rest |
| 13 to 20 | 3 | Seer, Doctor, Witch, Hunter, 2 Masons | The rest |
These are the presets the Mafia Helper app uses for its Werewolf mode. They follow the common rule of one wolf for every three or four villagers. If your group finds the village winning too easily, add a wolf before you remove a power role.
Night order for Werewolf #
- Masons (first night only)
- Werewolves
- Doctor
- Bodyguard
- Witch: heal, then poison
- Seer
Killers before protectors, and the Witch after the wolves so she knows who to save. The Seer can go anywhere, but last keeps the rhythm predictable.
How Werewolf differs from Mafia #
Almost nothing changes mechanically. The themes differ, a few roles are traditional to each (the Witch and Hunter in Werewolf, the Godfather and Vigilante in Mafia), and some Werewolf boxes add village-wide roles like the Sheriff. We compare the two in Mafia vs Werewolf. If you want a Werewolf game with no moderator and no elimination, look at One Night Ultimate Werewolf vs classic Werewolf.
Running Werewolf without a card set #
You don’t need a boxed set. Mafia Helper has a Werewolf mode with the wolves, Seer, Doctor, Bodyguard, Witch, Hunter, Masons, Miller, Jester, Survivor, Serial Killer and Villagers. It deals roles by passing the phone, wakes each role in order with the line to read, and tracks the Witch’s two potions for the whole game. When the Hunter dies, it asks you who they take down before checking for a winner. It supports 5 to 20 players and runs offline.
Frequently asked questions #
How many werewolves should there be? #
One werewolf for 5 to 7 players, two for 8 to 12, and three for 13 to 20 is a balanced starting point. Adjust by one after a few games if either side keeps winning.
Does Werewolf need a moderator? #
The classic game does, because someone has to run the night and keep secrets. One Night Ultimate Werewolf from Bezier Games is designed to play without a moderator, and some apps narrate the night for you.
Can the Seer check the same person twice? #
The rules allow it, but it wastes a night. A good Seer checks a new person each night and remembers every result.
What happens when a werewolf is voted out? #
They’re eliminated like anyone else, and in most groups their card is revealed. The remaining werewolves keep hunting until they’re all gone or they outnumber the village.