August 31, 2001

10:11 AM

Someone is a werewolf. Someone ... in this very room.About six months ago someone sent me the URL for this terrific party game called Werewolf, and my friends and I have been playing it regularly ever since. The rules are simple, it doesn't require any equipment (except for some cards) and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't truly enjoy the game. It's only drawback: after an hour of so of play, you will no longer trust any any of your friends. Print out the rules, stick 'em in your pocket, and if you find yourself in a group of 7+ people this Labor Day Weekend give 'em a whirl -- you won't be disappointed.
posted by Shadowkeeper (22 comments total)

I've played this game before in its Mafia form, and I concur. Its barrells of fun.
posted by howa2396 at 10:15 AM on August 31, 2001

It's a great game... thanks for the link! It's always nice to see the "cannonized" rules!
posted by silusGROK at 10:23 AM on August 31, 2001

That looks like a blast! Too bad I don't have that many friends.
posted by frykitty at 10:57 AM on August 31, 2001

frykitty, no problem! Just walk up to random strangers on the street and say "Hi! I don't know you, but how would you like to come over to my house tonight so I can pretend to be a werewolf and eat you?"

If that doesn't work, tell them they'll get to say "lycanthropy" a lot.

k
posted by Kafkaesque at 11:05 AM on August 31, 2001

Sounds like fun. Anyway to play this online? If anyone wants to play, let me know! Grr...
posted by misanthropy at 11:32 AM on August 31, 2001

Unfortunately, it doesn't work at all online. The whole game comes down to looking other players in the eye and trying to figure out who is lying based on body language and speech (or looking them in the eye and lying yourself). It pretty much a in-person game only ... which is part of it's appeal, frankly.

Maybe I'll propose a Seattle-based MeFi / Werewolf gathering on Metatalk.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 12:01 PM on August 31, 2001

My latest web search has turned up the highest quota of Mafia mentions from... wait for it... the event lists of Christian youth camps.

That's weird. We used to play "Christians" at Mafia youth camp.
posted by chino at 12:05 PM on August 31, 2001

Absolutely addictive. I've played for 4 hours non-stop, and it's always fun.. especially good with ~10 people. I did a search a while back for "Mafia" (what we call it), but couldn't find ANY related information. Great link, Shadowkeeper! I especially like the variations at the bottom. Keeps the game interesting.
posted by gramcracker at 12:12 PM on August 31, 2001

Someone is a werewolf. Someone ... in this very room

A good way to start out any given meeting at work, too.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:35 PM on August 31, 2001

Damn, wish I had known about this when my friends and I were all at a new, completely unfurnished house. Without video games, we tried to make up a game involving our keys and shoes and turning the lights off randomly; it really wasn't very much fun at all. I'll have to try this...
posted by kevspace at 12:38 PM on August 31, 2001

I bet this game would get really interesting if everyone involved was drunk or wasted. But I wouldn't know...
posted by nyukid at 12:43 PM on August 31, 2001

Maybe I'll propose a Seattle-based MeFi / Werewolf gathering on Metatalk.

Hey, I'm there! (uh... or here, as the case may be.) Sounds like a blast.
posted by cakeman at 1:04 PM on August 31, 2001

Someone should start an online games or "ways to waste time online" thread. God knows I need more ways to waste time. There's just so much of it!!! Arghhh!
posted by Johannahh at 1:20 PM on August 31, 2001

Isn't a "ways to waste time" thread on MeFi redundant?!

But I kid

k
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:00 PM on August 31, 2001

dangit, i need more friends who would be willing to play this game with me...

Maybe I'll propose a Seattle-based MeFi / Werewolf gathering on Metatalk.

why are the get=togethers always in seattle! (that's my bitterness from living in cincinnati.)
posted by lotsofno at 4:50 PM on August 31, 2001

isn't this game called Murder?
posted by th3ph17 at 5:52 PM on August 31, 2001

I play this game under the name Mafia every Sunday at Rice University where I used to go to school. The Rice Mafia group is pretty large -- we usually play with between seven and fourteen people -- and we always have a lot of fun. We play a variant on the rules set forth in the link: we have three mafia members (rather than two werewolves), a policeman (exactly like the seer), and a healer (this is the wolfsbane-sprinkled-at-other-people's-doorsteps variant mentioned at the bottom of the link). It's really a blast.

posted by jacobm at 6:15 PM on August 31, 2001

"Well," said the girlish girl with dangerous eyelashes, "there's not going to be two mafia left in the game at this stage, right?" "Yes! Yes!" I clamoured, still not quite drowning out the less-than-stifled giggle from the shifty-looking fellow across the room. He shifted shiftily. "And it's either Jow Scissorfish or the shifty-looking fellow, right?" "Oh, believe me, girlish girl! What can I do to win your favour?" "Since we definitely have at least two more rounds in which we're safe, we might as well kill Jow Scissorfish this round, because we can always kill the far shiftier and far more suspicious character with whom I'm exchanging knowing glances in the next round, right?" "That seems eminently sensible, girlish girl! I will sacrifice myself to the systematic common sense of your innocent sweetness, howsoever red your eyes may be glowing, howsoever deep the laugh in your belly as your head twists like a top . . . oh . . . whip me with your shiny eyelashes . . ."
posted by scissorfish at 6:45 PM on August 31, 2001

Maybe I'll propose a Seattle-based MeFi / Werewolf gathering on Metatalk.

I'd like to apologize in advance for the following: Me too... me too! :) All Seattle-ish based MeFi folks playing "Werewolf". *Nice*... but where would we play?

This whole thread reminds me of all of those silly camp/sleep over games I'm sure we all played as a kid ("Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board", "Bloody Mary", etc.). Of course, most of those games didn't involve the virtual consumption of another player, but what the hell do kids know?! :)
posted by crankydoodle at 6:57 PM on August 31, 2001

I can't but feel like a loser on a friday night staring at my computer screen, imagining how fun this game would be. hoowwwwwl.
posted by kant breathe at 7:12 PM on August 31, 2001

I haven't fully thought this through (and won't either) but could one not play this on IM or a chat room - with a pre-elected moderator.

And if somebody does get round to working out how to do it, can I play.
posted by johnny novak at 1:19 AM on September 1, 2001

oh yeah and send me the royalty cheques when the money starts rolling in
posted by johnny novak at 1:20 AM on September 1, 2001