Werewolf is a moderator-led social-deduction game in which hidden Werewolves hunt at night while the village debates and votes during the day. The village wins by eliminating every Werewolf; the Werewolves win when they equal or outnumber the surviving non-Werewolves. This guide explains a simple classic format for beginners—not One Night Ultimate Werewolf, which uses a different one-night structure.
There is no single universal Werewolf ruleset. Player counts, role powers, tie procedures, role reveals, and victory conditions vary among homemade games and commercial editions. Agree on those details before dealing the first card.
What you need to play
- At least 7 playing participants is a practical starting point for the classic format.
- One moderator, who runs the game and does not belong to either team.
- One secret role card or paper slip per player.
- A player list for the moderator.
- Optional: a timer, written night-order script, and notes for tracking actions and eliminated players.
You can use a commercial deck, homemade slips, or ordinary playing cards with a role key. The core Mafia/Werewolf method is commonly treated as a public-domain game method, although the artwork, names, packaging, and particular wording of a published edition may be protected.
If you want ready-made cards and a larger, expandable version of the classic multi-round format, Ultimate Werewolf game is one commercial option. Use its own rulebook for edition-specific roles and procedures rather than assuming every boxed set follows the beginner rules below.
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For a first game, use:
- 2 Werewolves
- 1 Seer
- 1 Doctor
- Villagers for everyone else
The moderator is outside the playing count. This setup gives the village two sources of information or protection without burying new players under a long list of special powers.
| Playing participants | Suggested roles |
|---|---|
| 7–8 | 2 Werewolves, 1 Seer, 1 Doctor, remaining players as Villagers |
| 9–12 | 3 Werewolves, 1 Seer, 1 Doctor, remaining players as Villagers |
| 13–16 | 3–4 Werewolves, 1 Seer, 1 Doctor, remaining players as Villagers |
| 17 or more | Add Werewolves cautiously; use a written script and player list |
These are balancing suggestions, not official universal numbers. A common larger-group guideline is roughly one Werewolf for every four players, but the right balance depends on the roles, whether deaths are revealed, and how experienced the group is. Keep the Werewolf team clearly smaller than the village team, and add new roles gradually.
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What each role does
Moderator
The moderator knows the role distribution and runs every phase. They call players to wake, collect secret choices, resolve attacks and protections, announce deaths, control discussion and voting, and check victory conditions. The moderator must stay neutral: facial expressions, unusual pauses, a changed tone, or extra information in an announcement can reveal more than intended.
Werewolves
Werewolves usually recognize one another on the first night. Each night, the living Werewolves collectively choose one living player to attack. Their objective is to survive until they equal or outnumber the surviving non-Werewolves.
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Villagers have no private night action. Their tools are discussion, deduction, voting, and careful attention to claims and contradictions. They win when every Werewolf has been eliminated.
Seer
Each night, the Seer points to one living player. The moderator silently indicates whether that player is a Werewolf or not. The Seer can announce the information, conceal it, or reveal it indirectly. Claiming the role may help the village—but can also make the Seer an obvious Werewolf target.
Doctor
Each night, the Doctor points to one living player to protect. If that player is the Werewolves’ target, the attack fails and nobody dies that night. Before the game begins, decide whether the Doctor may protect themself and whether they may protect the same player on consecutive nights. Either policy is workable; changing it mid-game is not.
Agree on these rules before dealing
Many Werewolf arguments come from unstated house rules rather than from the basic game. Announce the following details in advance:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Role reveals: Will an eliminated player show their role immediately, or will roles remain secret?
- Ties: Will tied nominees have a runoff, will nobody be eliminated, or will all tied players die?
- Doctor restrictions: May the Doctor protect themself? May they repeat a protection?
- Voting: Will votes be simultaneous, open, or secret?
- Dead players: Can eliminated players speak, signal, or vote? In the classic format, they should normally remain silent.
- Werewolf communication: Can Werewolves speak during their night choice, or must they choose silently?
For beginners, reveal eliminated roles immediately and use a single runoff for ties. These choices make the information flow easier to understand.
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How to set up the game
- Choose a moderator.
- Count the playing participants.
- Select the role cards and remove unused cards.
- Shuffle and deal one card face down to each player.
- Have everyone secretly inspect their own role and keep it hidden.
- Seat the players in a circle so the moderator can see everyone.
- Explain the teams, role abilities, victory conditions, elimination policy, and tie rule.
- Begin with the first Night.
The first Night: moderator script
The moderator should use the same order and wording pattern every round. A written checklist prevents missed actions.
“Night falls. Everyone close your eyes.”
1. Wake the Werewolves
Say:
“Werewolves, open your eyes and identify one another. Choose one player to attack. When you have decided, close your eyes.”
In a small group, require a silent point or gesture if you want to prevent the moderator from identifying a Werewolf by voice. If the Werewolves disagree, keep them awake until they settle on one target.
2. Wake the Seer
Say:
“Seer, open your eyes and point to one player to investigate.”
Indicate silently whether the selected player is a Werewolf or not. Then say:
“Seer, close your eyes.”
3. Wake the Doctor
Say:
“Doctor, open your eyes and point to one player to protect.”
Record the choice if necessary, then say:
“Doctor, close your eyes.”
4. Bring on Dawn
Say:
“Dawn breaks. Everyone open your eyes.”
The order can change in variants with additional roles. The important principle is consistency: write the order down and use it every round. If a role has already been eliminated, skip its action without revealing unnecessary information, or announce the role name only if that is part of your agreed format.
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Resolving the night
Compare the Werewolves’ target with the Doctor’s protection:
- If the Doctor protected the target, announce that nobody died.
- If the protection did not match the target, announce the attacked player’s death.
Do not add clues through your wording. “Nobody died last night” should sound as neutral as “Alex was attacked.” Do not explain whether the Doctor was successful unless the ruleset explicitly requires it.
Remove a dead player from all future actions. They should not vote, advise the living, or communicate through gestures unless the chosen variant specifically permits it.
The Day phase
- Announce the night result. State who died, or that nobody died. Follow the agreed role-reveal policy.
- Open discussion. Living players accuse, defend themselves, compare claims, and interpret the night’s events.
- Set a time limit. Five minutes is often enough for a beginner round; larger groups may need more time.
- Call nominations or identify the candidates. Avoid letting the discussion continue indefinitely.
- Vote. A simultaneous vote reduces bandwagon effects. Each living player votes for one nominee.
- Resolve the result. The player with the most votes is eliminated, subject to the pre-announced tie rule.
- Apply the elimination policy. Reveal or conceal the eliminated player’s role as previously agreed.
- Check victory conditions. If neither team has won, begin the next Night.
The moderator should enforce the process but never interpret accusations, confirm a claim, or argue about a player’s innocence. The moderator’s job is to make the rules clear—not to help either team.
A simple tie rule
If two or more players receive the same highest number of votes, hold one runoff vote among those tied players. If the runoff is tied again, eliminate nobody and proceed to Night. You can instead eliminate all tied players, but that is harsher and should be announced before play. The key is to choose one policy before seeing the vote.
How to win Werewolf
The village wins immediately after all Werewolves have been eliminated.
The Werewolves win when the surviving Werewolves equal or outnumber the surviving non-Werewolves. For example, if two Werewolves remain alongside two Villagers, the Werewolves normally win because the village can no longer outvote them under ordinary majority rules.
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Check for victory after every night result and after every elimination. Do not wait for another phase if a team has already met its condition.
Optional roles: add them carefully
Once the group understands the basic format, you can introduce roles such as the Hunter, Bodyguard, Witch, Tanner, Alpha Werewolf, or Village Drunk. Names and powers vary significantly by edition, so explain each role precisely before dealing it.
Do not add a large expansion of special roles to a first game. Every extra power changes the information balance and creates interactions the moderator must resolve. A good progression is to play first with Werewolves, Villagers, Seer, and Doctor; then add one role at a time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Classic Werewolf and commercial variants
Ultimate Werewolf
Ultimate Werewolf is a boxed, expandable version of the multi-round social-deduction format. The publisher describes an entry-level version supporting up to 25 players, with role cards including characters such as the Seer, Bodyguard, Hunter, and Tanner, plus moderator support for larger games. Exact components and recommendations can differ by edition, so follow the included rulebook when using the product.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a different game, not merely a shorter version of classic Werewolf. It is designed for approximately 3–10 players and about 10 minutes, uses one night followed by a single discussion and vote, and has no progressive player elimination. A free app can handle the role prompts and moderator function.
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Choose this version when your group is small or wants a fast, repeatable game. Do not combine its one-night rules with the classic format’s multiple night/day cycles unless you deliberately create a house variant.
Are You A Werewolf?
Are You A Werewolf? is a compact commercial version built around secret roles, Werewolves, Villagers, and a moderator. The publisher currently lists it in its Vault and says it is not available directly from the company, so availability may depend on secondary-market sellers. Treat it as an edition-specific product rather than as the universal rulebook for Werewolf.
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Hosting checklist
- Prepare the role cards and a written player list before people sit down.
- Write the night order in large type: Werewolves, Seer, Doctor, then any optional roles.
- Explain victory conditions and tie rules before the first card is dealt.
- Keep Werewolf choices silent or require a single clear target.
- Use a timer to prevent the first discussion from becoming endless.
- Use simultaneous voting where possible.
- Keep your announcements emotionally neutral.
- Record every night target, investigation, protection, and death.
- Remind eliminated players not to influence the game.
- Check victory conditions after every night and day resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play classic Werewolf with fewer than 7 people?
You can create a house rule for a smaller group, but 7 or more playing participants is a practical starting point for the moderator-led format. For 3–10 people wanting a short game with no moderator and no progressive elimination, consider One Night Ultimate Werewolf instead.
Does the moderator count as a player?
Not in the setup described here. The moderator runs the game but does not receive a role card or belong to the Werewolf or village team.
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That depends on the rules you choose. Decide before dealing cards whether self-protection is allowed and whether consecutive protection of the same player is allowed.
Should eliminated players reveal their roles?
For beginners, immediate role reveals make the game’s information flow easier to understand. Keeping roles secret creates a more deceptive advanced game, but the policy must be announced before play.
What happens if the Werewolves and villagers are tied?
Under the conventional victory condition, the Werewolves win when they equal or outnumber the surviving non-Werewolves, because the village can no longer outvote them.
The Bottom Line
To play the classic version, secretly assign Werewolves, Villagers, a Seer, and a Doctor; alternate moderator-led Night actions with Day discussion and voting; and eliminate players until either the village removes every Werewolf or the Werewolves reach parity with the remaining non-Werewolves. Agree on role reveals, ties, Doctor restrictions, and optional roles before the first Night.
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