Werewolf
A village hides wolves. Find them before they find you.
5-15 players20-40 min
Best with a TV
Werewolf is the hidden-role party game also known as Mafia. A few players are secretly werewolves; the rest of the village has to find them by talking, bluffing and voting. GatherPlay runs the night on the shared screen, so nobody has to sit out as the moderator.
How to play Werewolf
Goal
- The village wins when every werewolf is out. The wolves win when they match or outnumber everyone else still in.
Roles
- Werewolf. Each night, agree with your pack on someone to eliminate. By day, blend in.
- Seer. Each night, inspect one player to learn whether they are a werewolf.
- Bodyguard. Each night, protect one player from the wolves. Not the same player twice in a row.
- Villager. Find the wolves by talking, watching, and voting.
Optional roles
- The host can add these in the lobby settings.
- Hunter. A villager. When you die, you shoot one player straight away.
- Witch. You see the wolves' victim. One healing potion and one poison per game, one per night.
- Elder. A villager who survives the first wolf attack.
- Idiot. A villager. If the village votes you out, you stay in once but lose your vote.
- Raven. A villager. Each night, mark a player: they start the next vote with two votes against them.
- Cupid. On the first night, pick two lovers. If one dies, so does the other.
- Tanner. You're sick of village life. You win alone if the village votes you out.
- Minion. You're on the wolves' side and know who they are, but they don't know you. The Seer sees you as a villager.
- White Wolf. A wolf who plays alone. You hunt with the pack, and every second night you may kill a wolf. Be the last one standing.
- Serial Killer. You play alone. Each night, kill one player. The wolves can't kill you. Be the last one standing.
- Piper. You play alone. Each night, charm one or two players. You win once everyone else alive is charmed.
Night
- Everyone closes their eyes. The shared screen calls each role in turn, out loud: the Bodyguard protects a player, the wolves open their eyes and agree on a victim, the Witch decides, and the Seer checks a player. Only the role being called opens their eyes and taps their phone.
- If the wolves split their votes evenly, the game picks one of the tied victims at random. A protected player survives.
- The Witch sees who the wolves are after. She has one healing potion and one poison for the whole game, and uses at most one a night. A poisoned player dies like any night death.
- The Elder survives the first wolf attack. Nobody is told.
- On the first night Cupid links two lovers, who learn each other's name. If one dies, the other dies too. Lovers from two different sides play for themselves: they win as the last two alive.
- The White Wolf, the Serial Killer, and the Piper play alone. The wolves can't kill the Serial Killer. While a White Wolf or Serial Killer lives, the village and the wolves can't win.
Day
- Talk it over, then vote for a player or abstain. You can change your vote until time runs out.
- A player is out only with more votes than anyone else and more than the abstains. A tie means nobody goes.
- If the village votes out the Idiot, they are revealed and stay in, but can't vote again.
- When the Hunter dies, they shoot one player of their choice straight away.
- If the village votes out the Tanner, the game ends and the Tanner wins alone.
- The Raven's mark is shown at dawn and counts as two votes against that player.
- Players who are out keep watching. Don't give away what you know.
Keep it secret
- Keep your eyes closed at night until your role is called, and keep your screen to yourself. Phones stay silent at night, so nobody can hear who is awake.
- When the game ends, everyone sees what happened each night and day.
Learn to play: How to play Werewolf: rules, roles and tips
Questions and answers
Is this the same game as Mafia?
Yes. Werewolf and Mafia are the same game with different themes: wolves and villagers instead of mobsters and townspeople.
Do we need a moderator?
No. The shared screen deals the roles, runs the night and counts the votes, so everyone plays.
How many werewolves are there?
One for 5 or 6 players, two for 7 to 10, and three for 11 to 15. The host can change it in the lobby settings.
Can other players see my role?
Only if they peek. At night everyone keeps their eyes closed except the role being called, and your role is hidden behind a press-and-hold card.