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One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a fast-paced, social deduction game that is perfect for a night in with friends or family but comes in a nice small box and has reasonably robust card tiles which means it is also a great game to take to the pub.
The goal of the game is for the villagers to find the werewolves, or for the werewolves to blend in and avoid detection so that they do not get executed.
The game is easy to set up, place three cards in the middle of the table and deal each player a card that shows their hidden role.
Open the app and select the characters in play and you are done. With such a quick and simple setup process Ultimate Werewolf is the perfect gateway game. Not only is the set-up quick each round only lasts for 5 to 10 minutes which means playing in a pub or a café won’t be the focus of the entire evening as you have a quick game or five.
Roles
Ultimate Werewolf is all about the conversation. You will have to talk but you may want to keep your information close to your chest initially.
The game begins with the night phase, everyone’s eyes are closed and you only open them to take the action when your role is announced.
During the night some roles have actions whilst others are there just for bluffing purposes. One of the key aspects of One Night Ultimate Werewolf is the variety of roles that players can take on and the information those roles gather will be vital to winning, however, give too much away at your peril because if the wolves know who you are, they could make you a target of suspicion.
I should explain that further, the roles that you will play are the driver behind your actions in each day phase.
If you are the Seer for example then you will have information that could confirm another player’s innocence or be the profit of their doom, but, and it’s a big but, the game will change after you gather your information.
When will you reveal what you know? Immediately, but that could let the Werewolves adjust their bluff or will you wait till later and risk becoming the aforementioned “Target of Suspicion”?
There is only one role that doesn’t have anything to do at night, and that is the role of the villager but depending on the number of players you can choose to omit them.
Doing so will make it easier to spot bluffs as roles will need to be claimed so we always keep the villager in our games.
And even villagers can become werewolves if the troublemaker is in play.
All the roles are detailed here.
- Villager: A simple townsperson with no special abilities.
- Werewolf: A player who is trying to blend in with the villagers and avoid detection.
- Mason: A villager who knows the identity of another player who is also a Mason.
- Drunk: A villager who randomly swaps cards with another player.
- Minion: A werewolf who is trying to help the werewolves win.
- Tanner: A player who is trying to lose the game.
- Doppelganger: A player who takes on the identity of another player’s card.
- Seer: A villager who can peek at another player’s card.
- Troublemaker: A player who swaps two other players’ cards.
- Robber: A player who swaps their own card with another player’s card.
- Hunter: A villager who, if they die, can take down another player with them.
- Insomniac: A player who wakes up in the middle of the night and discovers their new identity.
Gameplay
In One Night Ultimate Werewolf, three to ten players each receive a face-down card that only they can see.
They then discover their identity, which will be one of the roles mentioned above. This places you on one of two teams, the villagers or the werewolves.
There is only one “night phase” after which players have a town meeting to discuss what they know. This adds to the speed of the game but does make One Night Ultimate Werewolf less involved than a game like Blood on the Clocktower.
Blood on the Clocktower is an event, it takes planning and time, One Night Ultimate Werewolf can be played at the drop of a hat so in truth you should have both games for each occasion however, Ultimate werewolf will get played more if you like to drink in groups.
After the night phase, the real game begins. Players can, if they choose, divulge information that they have learned in the night, this leads to questions and accusations to try and uncover the werewolves.
Watching faces and reading body language, checking facts and looking for any hint of deception is intoxicating.
If you play with friends in a pub you will attract strangers who want to play with you. There is a lot of fun and laughter while playing. Whilst this is a “light” social deduction game there is a decent amount of depth to the play.
Body language, tone, the questions you ask, and the cross-referencing and analysis can make a 10-player game a brain-numbing experience when you try to follow everything. I think the bigger games are the most fun and generally provide the most laughter.
With that said the most fun is when you get fooled by someone you least expect. For example, my 13-year-old niece is a good girl and doesn’t lie. She is one of those people that is so easy to read she learned early on that lying was not worth it.
She was the least suspicious person at the table, she claimed Villager and then sat looking innocent asking questions and diverting blame until she revealed her werewolf card. The rest of us broke out in spontaneous disbelief, riotous laughter and shock. From the smiles and laughter, I knew that everyone around the table was having fun but better than that, there were some of us not playing and they had wandered over to watch, and casually join in.
How to Win
Winning at One Night Ultimate Werewolf requires a mix of deduction, observation, and psychological tactics. Here are some strategies that you could employ to increase your chances of winning:
Pay attention to other players’ behaviour: Observe how other players act and respond to certain events. This can help you determine if someone is lying or hiding their true identity.
Be aware of who is playing what role: Knowledge of each role’s abilities can help you guess who the werewolves are. Familiarize yourself with the abilities of each role and try to match the abilities with the players who have them.
Use psychological tactics: Players may reveal their true identity through body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions. Try to intimidate or flatter others to make them reveal their true identity.
Build alliances: Form alliances with other players who you think are villagers. Together, you can pool your knowledge and resources to deduce who the werewolves are.
Stay calm and composed: If you’re accused of being a werewolf, stay calm and composed. Confession and panic can give you away.
Be aware of your tone and body language: Be aware of how you’re speaking and what your body language is revealing. Make sure you’re not revealing too much information through your tone or body language.
Don’t stick out too much: If you’re a villager, try to blend in with the group and avoid drawing attention to yourself. Werewolves tend to target the blame towards players who stand out or act suspiciously.
In Summary
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a fantastic party game that is easy to learn and quick to set up. The quick games and exciting gameplay make it suitable for players of all ages and is a great way to bring people together for a fun night.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf may be a test of a player’s intuition and deduction skills but even young children can join in and you will be surprised at the sophisticated lies your children can tell.
With its unique cast of characters, each game is sure to be different and full of surprises. Whether you’re a fan of party games, social deduction games, or are not a gamer, One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a must-play for people with more than two friends.