De Weerwolven van Wakkerdam rules

8 to 18 players · ages 10+ · 30 minutes · party game

A game master, role cards and at least eight players. That is all it takes.

Don't have the box yet? De Weerwolven van Wakkerdam (published in English as The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow) is in the shop.

Set up in one minute

1. Choose a game master. They do not play but guide everyone through night and day; for your first games, ideally someone who knows the rules.
2. Take the cards shown in the table. For a first game, werewolves, the seer and ordinary villagers are enough; the other roles come in later, replacing villagers.
3. Playing with the thief? Add two extra ordinary villagers; the two cards left over lie face down in the middle.
4. Shuffle, deal everyone one card and look at it in secret.

Players	Werewolves	Seer	Ordinary villagers
8	2	1	5
9	2	1	6
10	2	1	7
11	2	1	8
12	3	1	8
13	3	1	9
14	3	1	10
15	3	1	11
16	3	1	12
17	3	1	13
18	4	1	13

How to play a round

In short: at night the werewolves secretly choose a victim. During the day the village votes out a suspect. The villagers win as soon as all the werewolves are gone, the werewolves as soon as no villagers are left.

1. The game master says: "It is night, everyone close your eyes." On the first night, the thief, Cupid and the lovers take their turns first, if they are in the game.
2. The seer points to one player and the game master shows her that player's card.
3. The werewolves open their eyes and, without speaking, point to one victim. The little girl may now peek.
4. The witch sees who the victim is. Thumbs up: she saves them. Thumbs down: she poisons a player of her choice. Each potion may be used once per game.
5. Morning comes. Whoever died during the night turns over their card and is out of the game. The hunter takes someone down with him; if a lover dies, the other lover dies too.
6. The village discusses: who was acting strangely? On the first day, the village first elects a mayor; the mayor's vote counts double.
7. The game master counts to three and everyone points at someone at the same time. Most votes: turn over the card, out of the game. Then night falls again.

The roles

Role	What it does	When awake
Werewolf	Chooses a victim each night with the other werewolves. During the day he poses as a villager.	Every night
Ordinary villager	No special power. Talks, suspects and votes.	During the day
Seer	Sees one player's card each night.	Every night, first
Witch	One healing potion and one poison per game. She may use both in one night, and also on herself.	After the werewolves
Hunter	If he dies, he immediately takes one other player down with him.	When he dies
Cupid	Chooses two lovers; if one dies, the other dies too. If they are a villager and a werewolf, they can only win together.	First night only
Little girl	May peek while the werewolves choose. Caught? Then she dies instead of the victim.	During the werewolves' turn
Thief	Looks at the two cards in the middle and may swap. Two werewolves? Then he must take one.	First night, before everyone else
Mayor	Elected on the first day. Vote counts double, breaks ties, names a successor on death.	During the day

When does the game end?

The village wins as soon as the last werewolf is out of the game. The werewolves win as soon as they have devoured the last villager. If the lovers are the last ones left, they win, even if they are a villager and a werewolf.

Frequently asked questions

Can we play with fewer than eight?

The box says eight, and for good reason: in a small group the first werewolf is found in no time. If you want to try anyway, play with one werewolf and keep the special roles in.

What if the vote ends in a tie?

Then the mayor decides. If there is no mayor (any more), the village votes again. If it is still a tie, nobody is out that day.

Can the game master play too?

No, the game master sees all the cards. If you want a turn at suspecting people too, switch game master after each game.

What if the werewolves cannot agree?

Then there is no victim that night. The game master does not wait for ever: if they do not point to the same player, they go to sleep without prey.

Can I join the discussion once I am dead?

No, and that is the hardest rule of all. Once you are out of the game, you stay silent until the end, even if you know exactly who the werewolves are. Even a sigh gives away too much.

Tips for experienced players

For the game master:

• Keep walking round the table at night; if you stand still near the werewolves, everyone can tell from your voice where you are.
• Shuffle through the cards for a moment when the seer gets to look, so nobody can hear which card you pick up.

For players:

• Are you a werewolf? Vote against your partner once. Nobody expects that.
• The seer only reveals herself when she knows something the village really needs; after that, she will be the werewolves' next target.
• The witch saves her healing potion for the day the seer has revealed herself.

Do you play a house rule that is not listed here, or have you spotted a mistake? Let us know and we will update it.