Best of Werewolves

01Game presentation

Best of Werewolves is a game of deduction and bluff. Some residents hide a dangerous identity. At night, characters act in secret. During the day, survivors discuss and vote to eliminate a suspect. A leader drives the game without receiving a role.

The overall difficulty is difficult: persuading, deducing and managing the interactions of powers requires experience. The leader has a more demanding task than the players of a simple first game.

Reference edition: Compilation of 28 Role cards and 19 character types, July 2017 booklet, third edition. This content is documented; the exact correspondence with your box bearing Best of Werewolves is not confirmed by a personal reference or inventory. If its content differs, do not add an absent role and do not assign it the powers of another. The name used in this book remains Best of Werewolves.

02Equipment requirements

• 28 cards Role: 3 simple Wolves-Garous; 1 Infect Father of the Wolves; 1 Grand-Méchant-Loup; 7 simple Villagers; 1 Cupid; 1 Voyante; 2 Sisters; 1 Little Girl; 1 Fox; 1 Knight in the Rugged Sword; 1 Ancient; 1 Witch; 1 Bear Showr; 1 Hunter; 1 Wild Child; 1 Dog-Loup; 1 Wolf-White; 1 Flute Player; 1 Angel.
• 1 captain's medal. The 2017 booklet also mentions 1 blank card, which is not a predefined role and does not serve here.
• For the leader: a follow-up sheet and a pencil are very useful.

Choose as many role cards as there are participants in the character of a resident. The leader remains in addition, without a card: the compositions shown below always distinguish the players on their own and the total number of people. The catalog announces 8 to 28 players; this chapter interprets this range as the players on their own and therefore provides for 9 to 29 leaders included. The exact counting agreement on your personal box remains to be confirmed.

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03The purpose of the game

Villagers seek to eliminate the Loups-Garous. Loups-Garous seek to eliminate the other inhabitants. Some characters have a solitary goal; lovers of opposing camps can form their own camp. The leader does not try to make anyone win: he enforces the powers and announces the end as soon as a condition of victory is fulfilled.

04Preparing the game

1. Choose a leader who has read this chapter, especially the selected roles. Set up the players in circles to see their neighbours clearly.
2. Prepare only the chosen roles and publicly explain all their powers. Do not use the 28 cards at once for a first part.
3. Mix them and give each inhabitant a hidden card. Everyone looks at it and then the guard faces hidden in front of it. No one shows it to prove what he says.
4. The leader draws a map of the squares and notes the identities during their calls. He keeps the information hidden.
5. You can elect a Captain now or later. It is a function added to the role, not a separate character. His voice is worth two; he slices the equities and designates his successor when he dies.
6. Without Angel, start with the first night. With Angel, start with a day of debate and an eliminatory vote, then the first night if the game continues.

Learning compositions

These proposals are editorial, not official compositions guaranteed balanced. The following numbers exclude the leader; always add one person. The booklet recommends, for the beginnings, many simple Villagers and at most a quarter of Loups-Garous.

• 8 players, so 9 people: 2 simple Loups-Garous, 1 Voyante, 1 Witch, 4 simple Villagers.
• 10 players, so 11 people: 2 simple Loups-Garous, 1 Voyante, 1 Witch, 1 Hunter, 5 simple Villagers.
• 12 players on their own, 13 people: 3 simple Loups-Garous, 1 Voyante, 1 Witch, 1 Hunter, 6 simple Villagers.
• 16 players on their own, 17 people: 3 simple Loups-Garous, 1 Voyante, 1 Witch, 1 Hunter, 2 Sisters, 1 Fox, 7 simple Villagers.
• 20 players on their own, 21 people, experienced group: 3 simple Wolf-Garous, 1 Infect Father of the Wolves, 1 Voyante, 1 Witch, 1 Hunter, 2 Sisters, 1 Fox, 1 Bear Shower, 1 Sword Knight, 1 Ancient, 7 simple Villagers.

For other people, start from a nearby composition and adjust especially the simple Villagers, without exceeding the seven of the box. For the very large groups, it takes more special roles: add them gradually and re-evaluate the real strength of the camps, including the possible conversions of the Dog-Loup and the Wild Child. Do not add an improvised map to reach a staff.

05How to play?

Night, day and elimination

At night, everyone closes their eyes. Only the people called open their eyes, designate their choices without speaking, then close them before the next call. The leader clearly indicates when a group goes to sleep.

In the morning, he reveals the victims, applies the effects triggered by their deaths, and eventually causes the Bear to grow groan. Survivors discuss: they can lie about their identity and suspicions, but do not show their card. The eliminated remain silent and help no one with eyes or gestures.

At the signal of the vote, each person simultaneously designates a suspect. The person having the most votes is eliminated and shows his role. Without Captain, a tie leads to a new vote limited to ex æquo; if equality remains, no one is eliminated. With Captain, his voice counts double and he designates the victim among the ex æquo. After any consequences, the night starts again if no camp has won.

The 19 character types

Simple Wolf-Garou. Every night, all the pack members together identify a non-Wolf-Garou victim. They recognize themselves during this call. During the day, they participate in debates and votes like the others.

Infected Wolf Father. He takes part in the pack. Once in the game, after his sleep, he can ask to infect his victim instead of devouring her. The leader secretly warns the victim: she joins the pack from the following calls. A character with night power keeps him in addition to his new camp, unless exception specified by his role. The healing of the Witch does not remove the infection.

Grand-Méchant-Loup. He participates in the pack and then wakes up a second time to devour another non-Wolf-Garou victim, as long as no other Wolf-Garou has been eliminated. As soon as one of his congeners has died, this second attack disappears; he remains a member of the pack.

Simple Villagers. He has no night calls. His power is to compare words, defend innocent people and vote. He wins with the village, even if he was eliminated before the victory.

Cupid. On the first night only, he designates two lovers, including himself if he wishes. The leader warns them and wakes them together so that they recognize each other. They must never harm each other. The death of one immediately causes the death of the other. If their camps are opposed, they must survive alone to win against all the others.

Seeing. Every night, she designates a person; the leader shows her her role card. A map may not show a change of camp due to infection: do not replace the map reading with an invented ad from the current camp.

Two sisters. The two holders open their eyes together the first night to recognize each other. They defend the village. The booklet proposes to the experienced to remind them from time to time for a short silent concertation; to begin, use only the initial recognition.

Little girl. She can keep her eyes open during the Wolf-Garous collective appeal only. If the pack surprises her, she can choose her as a victim instead of the intended victim. She can't open her eyes wide by pretending to be a wolf and does not receive an individual call.

Fox. On his appeal, he may designate a person and his two neighbours still at stake. The leader indicates whether this group contains at least one Loup-Garou, without showing a map or specifying which one. Positive answer: he retains his power. Negative answer: he cleared this group at this moment, but loses his power for the rest of the game. He may choose not to probe one night.

Knight in the Rugged Sword. If it is devoured, it dies, but contaminates the first responsible Wolf-Garou met to its left around the circle. This wolf dies at the beginning of the next night; the leader reveals this death the following morning. It is not an immediate elimination the same morning as the Knight.

Old. He survives the first devouring attack of the pack and dies at the second. The leader secretly keeps the number of remaining lives. The vote, the poison of the Witch or the shooting of the Hunter kill him immediately and deprive the villagers of their special powers for the end of the game. Death by grief does not cause this loss. A cure only makes him one life. The Infected Father of the Wolves does not infect him.

Witch. It has a cure and poison for the whole part, each usable only once. The leader indicates to it the victim(s) of the wolves; a cure saves a person, including himself. The poison eliminates a person of his choice. He can use his two potions during the same night. Note the expenses: they do not recharge at each turn.

Bear Showr. Every morning, after the victims, the leader grunts if at least one of his two still alive neighbors is Loup-Garou. The places of the dead no longer count. If the Montreur is infected, the leader grunts every morning as long as he lives. The grunt is public, but does not identify the suspect neighbour.

Hunter. When he dies, whatever the cause, he immediately designates another player to be eliminated, subject to not having lost his power by the Elder. This shot can trigger other consequences. Infected, he seeks to favor wolves. If the chain kills everyone, no camp wins.

Wild child. On the first night, he secretly chooses a model. As long as he lives, he defends the village; when his model dies, he becomes Loup-Garou and joins the pack the next night. The role of the model does not change it. He can help eliminate his model.

Dog-Loup. On the first night, he definitely chose to stay a village or join the wolves. The leader took this choice secretly before the first call of the pack, to know if he had to participate. He could not change his mind later.

White Wolf-Garou. He hunts every night with the pack, but wins only if he remains the only survivor. From the second night, one night out of two, he is awakened alone after the pack and can kill another Wolf-Garou. He is an enemy of both sides; do not announce a joint victory with wolves as long as he pursues his goal.

Flute player. Every night, he designates two new people to be charmed, or the last still uncharacterized if there is only one left, never himself. The leader warns them and then wakes up all the charms so that they recognize themselves. They keep their powers and their camp. As soon as all the other survivors are charmed and the Flute Player is alive, he wins alone. The charm is not transmitted between lovers and the Witch does not heal him. Infected, he loses this goal and becomes simple Loup-Garou.

Angel. His presence requires him to start with one day. If he is eliminated during the first round by the vote, wolves or poison, he wins alone immediately. If he survives this first cycle, he becomes simple Villagers. If he falls in love, his goal of Angel disappears: he must survive with his partner.

Solve the consequences without mistake

After each elimination, check the lovers, the Hunter, the model of the Wild Child and the Captain's transmission. Set the consequences triggered before continuing the phase. Then check the conditions of victory. Do not call a dead person to make him use a later power.

Some very rare interactions of simultaneous deaths or cross-infections are not entirely arbitrated in the reference booklet. Do not present them as official decisions: the leader must agree to an announced arbitration before bringing together the relevant roles. To learn, the simple compositions above avoid these conflicts.

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06An example of a game

Nine people come together: Nora leads, eight embody inhabitants. Alice and Bob are Wolf-Garous; Chloe is Voyante; David is Witch; Emma, Farah, Hugo and Inès are simple Villagers. The list is known only from Nora.

First night: Nora closes her eyes. She calls Chloe, who designates Bob and sees his wolf card. Chloe goes to sleep. Nora calls the two wolves; they designate Emma, then go to sleep. She wakes up David and tells Emma: he spends his cure. Her poison remains available.

In the morning, Nora only announces that there is no victim. She does not say that Emma was saved. Chloe wants to accuse Bob without making herself too visible: she evokes a suspicion. Bob contradicts her and accuses Farah. Everyone chats, then votes simultaneously. Bob gathers the most voices, reveals his wolf and then remains silent.

Second night: Chloe sees that Alice is a wolf. Alice, alone in the pack, designates Hugo. David cannot heal a second time; he does not use his poison. Hugo dies in the morning. Chloe clearly explains his two observations. If the vote eliminates Alice, there is no wolf left: the village wins, Hugo included.

If the village had eliminated Chloe on the first day, it would have lost its source of information. It would be a misdeduction, not a fault of rule. The leader must leave this possibility without secretly helping the village.

07How can I win?

The village wins as soon as all Loups-Garous are eliminated, if no particular goal has already ended the game. Wolves win when they have eliminated their opponents. The reference booklet calls for the elimination of the other inhabitants: a simple numerical equality with the village does not replace this condition as long as powers can still change the result.

The White Wolf-Garou must remain alone; the Flute Player must have charmed all the other survivors; the Angel must accomplish his original goal; lovers of opposing camps must remain the only two survivors. The particular goals interrupt the game as soon as they are fulfilled. The victory of a camp is shared with its members already eliminated, according to their actual camp. There is no score of cards. If no one survives, no camp wins.

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08Errors to avoid

• Lanceur: changing your voice, looking at a place at length or touching a victim loudly reveals information. Keep the same way to speak and move.
• Forgetting the Angel: starting with one night makes its initial goal false.
• Make a potion to the Witch, remind a dead person or let the Fox probe after a negative response.
• Groaning the Bear by counting an eliminated neighbour; killing the rusty wolf too soon.
• Automatically declare a win with digital equality; forget solitary goals and conversions.
• Use all roles to "do more comprehensive": their full description does not require them to be combined.

09Tips for starting

Players: Compare votes and changes of opinion, not just the volume of the vote. A charge can be honest and false. Lead: Prepare the list of calls that match exactly the cards distributed and check the resources for single use. A former eliminated can become your silent assistant after receiving your explanations.

Special Aide-mémoire leader : installation and first night

• Before departure: seating plan; roles; camps; resources of the Witch; infection available; Captain possible. With Angel, debate and vote before any night.
• Provide the secret choice of Dog-Loup before the first pack wakes up.
• First night, in the order of the booklet, omitting the absent: Cupid ; Lover ; Voyante ; Two Sisters ; Child Wild ; Identification of the Bear Showr ; pack ; Infect Father of the Wolves ; Grand-Méchant-Loup ; Wizard ; Fox ; Flute player ; all the charms.
• During the group call of the pack, the Little Girl can spy. She does not open her eyes during the other calls.
• The White Wolf-Garou does not receive a solitary attack on the first night.

Special Aide-mémoire leader : next nights and day

• Early night: remove the wolf condemned by the Sword if its delay arrives; do not allow it to hunt. His death will be announced in the morning.
• Night : Voyante ; pack with new wolves ; Wolf-White Garou one night out of two from the second ; Infect Father of the Wolves if he retains his power ; Grand-Méchant-Loup as a permit ; Wizard ; Renard if he can still probe ; Flute player ; charmed.
• Morning: reveal the dead; resolve the consequences and verify the victories; grunt of the Bear according to the living neighbours; debate; simultaneous vote; equality according to Captain or second vote; consequences; new verification of the victories.
• After each death: lover ? Active hunter ? model of the Wild Child ? Captain ? Ancient and loss of powers ? solitary victory ?
• Follow-up sheet: healing used; poison used; infection used; first attack on the Elder; Fox deprived of power; charmed; rusty wolf and maturity; evenings pairs of White Wolf-Garou.