Rules
How to Play Werewolf: Rules, Setup and a Sample Round
Learn Werewolf in five steps: secret roles, night actions, daytime discussion, voting and victory. Follow a sample round and prepare your first game with friends.
Werewolf is a social deduction party game: most players belong to a village, while a small group secretly plays the werewolves. The village tries to identify the wolves through conversation and voting. The wolves try to survive without revealing who they are. You play together in the same room, so the fun comes from what people say—and what they avoid saying.
How to play Werewolf in five steps
- Assign secret roles. Each player learns their own role. A human moderator who does not belong to either team, or a narrator app, guides the game.
- Play the night. Players close their eyes. The wolves and any special roles act only when called, following the chosen rules.
- Discuss during the day. Hear the night’s outcome, compare suspicions and let accused players answer.
- Vote. Apply your agreed voting procedure to decide who leaves the game. Check the rules for ties and whether eliminated roles are revealed.
- Check for a winner. In a common version, no wolves left means the village wins; wolves matching the remaining village team means the wolves win. Otherwise, play another night and day.
These are the basic stages. Editions differ in voting procedures, night order and special powers. For example, Stellar Factory’s rules use a nomination followed by a majority vote; do not assume every version uses that procedure.
Set up your first game
Seat everyone in a circle where they can hear each other. Choose a moderator to manage a traditional game, or use an app that provides narration. Our Werewolf Undercover app offers narration for friends gathered in person; check your platform’s store listing for the supported group size. Start with a simple role selection before adding several special abilities.
Explain the teams and winning conditions before revealing any secret roles. Everyone should learn their own role privately. Agree on how long discussions will last, how ties will be resolved, and whether eliminated players reveal their roles. These details vary between editions; when using the app, follow its instructions.
If you are moderating a homemade game with only Villagers and Werewolves, our read-aloud moderator script provides a complete set of prompts and explicit house rules.
Night: secret actions
The moderator announces night and everyone closes their eyes. The werewolves are called to act and choose a victim without speaking. Depending on the roles in play, a character such as the Seer may also take an action when called. Only open your eyes on your own turn, and avoid noises that give other players information.
The exact order of special roles depends on your rules. Let the moderator or app handle that order instead of inventing a new sequence midgame.
Day: discussion and a vote
At daybreak, the group learns the outcome of the night. Surviving players discuss who might be a werewolf, then vote to eliminate a suspect. An eliminated player normally stops participating in discussions and votes: giving hints from the sidelines spoils the deduction.
Make accusations specific. “You changed your vote after Jordan spoke” gives the group something to discuss. “You look suspicious” offers much less. A quiet player is not automatically a wolf; give beginners a chance to explain their reasoning.
How do you win?
In a common version, the village wins when all werewolves are eliminated. The wolves win when they equal or outnumber the remaining villagers. Special roles can introduce additional conditions, so confirm the conditions for your chosen version at the start.
For example, if two wolves and two villagers remain, parity ends many standard games in a wolf victory. Do not assume the group gets another vote unless your rules say so.
A sample round: see how the numbers change
Imagine a game already in progress with one Werewolf and four ordinary Villagers still alive. For this example, there are no protective powers, and the wolf wins at parity. This is a snapshot of a game, not a recommended starting setup. The moderator knows these roles; the players do not know everyone’s identity.
- During the night, the wolf eliminates one Villager. One wolf and three Villagers remain.
- During the day, the remaining players discuss and vote. If they eliminate the wolf, the village wins immediately.
- If they eliminate a Villager instead, one wolf and two Villagers remain. The game continues.
- If the wolf then eliminates another Villager the next night, one wolf and one Villager remain. Parity ends this example in a wolf victory, before another daytime vote.
The important habit is to check the win conditions after an elimination, rather than automatically starting the next phase. Special roles may require additional actions or a different check under your rules.
Make the first round welcoming
Use the first game to learn. Keep discussion focused, explain voting clearly, and save complicated role combinations for later. After the reveal, invite everyone to share one clue they noticed. A quick debrief helps new players understand how bluffing and deduction fit together.
Ready to set up? Read how to play without cards or explore the Werewolf roles guide.
For phone narration, get our app on the App Store or Google Play, then follow the instructions for your version.
Drawn a wolf role? Our wolf strategy guide explains how to join discussions, keep your bluff consistent and plan for the next day.
To prepare your role calls, read our Werewolf night order guide. It separates first-night steps from later nights and explains how to track choices before announcing their outcome.
Welcoming people who have never played? Our guide to hosting Werewolf for first-time players includes a practice vote and ways to share speaking time without exposing roles.
