Do you have a large group of teens or adults you need to entertain? Is your teen having a birthday party with 20 of their best friends and they want a fun game to occupy their time? Do you have a large family gathering and want a game for many of the older family members to enjoy together? Ultimate Werewolf is the game for you!
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Ultimate Werewolf is a Card Game for More Mature Players
I will start out by saying that there is a reason Ultimate Werewolf states ages 14+ on the box. Younger players will almost certainly struggle with aspects of the game. Whether they have a hard time keeping their eyes closed, keeping secrets, moving or thinking quietly (as in, without any sound at all), reading, or just following the nuances of an intricate social situation, I don’t recommend this game for immature players. Ultimate Werewolf is like an offline Among Us.
All right, now that that’s out of the way. Ultimate Werewolf is a card game with a portable, small box. No table is needed, although it can be helpful. At the very least, a way to tell “dead” players from those still living is helpful.
How to Play
In order to play, you need one person to facilitate, that won’t themselves be playing. They need to begin by choosing cards to include in the game. The basic cards to include are werewolves, villagers, and a seer, but there are many more possibilities leading to endless game variations. The instructions provide details on how to balance the game.
After choosing cards, the facilitator shuffles all cards and hands one card, face-down, to each player. They all need to look at their card (and read/understand what it says), but not show anyone else or talk about their card in any way. Then it’s time for every player to “fall asleep” by closing their eyes.
The Facilitator has to Remember a Lot!
The facilitator will ask all werewolves to open their eyes and look at each other, then choose one villager to eat. The wolves then close their eyes and the facilitator asks the seer to open their eyes. The seer points to one player and the facilitator gives a thumbs-up if that player is a wolf and a thumbs-down if that player is not a wolf. If there are any other players that have nighttime activity, the facilitator will ask them to open their eyes in turn. All this must be done silently with only the facilitator speaking (but not giving any information about identities away).
After all nighttime activities are completed, the facilitator has all players open their eyes and begin their day. Each day, all players choose one player to kick out of their village. Discussion is encouraged here, but the decision must be by majority vote and if one is not able to be reached, no players are kicked out that day.
Ultimate Werewolf Works Best With 10-15 Players
When a player is either killed or kicked out of the village, they turn their card face-up, revealing it to all other players. Since one player will be eaten each night and one will be kicked out each day, it’s important to be able to keep track of who is still playing.
The werewolves win when all villagers have been killed or kicked out. The villagers win when all werewolves have been kicked out. Some other characters add some extra fun twists, like the Tanner who only wins when they are killed.
Ultimate Werewolf requires at least 5 players, but seems to work best with 10-15 players. Every group of teens I’ve encountered or heard of playing this game loves it. However, I tried to play it once with a group of younger kids, and it did not go well. But if you have a larger group of teens or adults, I strongly recommend Ultimate Werewolf as a very fun social game.