Werewolf FAQ: Rules Questions Answered

How many Werewolves for X players?

Roughly 1 Werewolf for every 3-4 players, including the Alpha Wolf. For specific setups, see the setup by player count guide.

Can you play Werewolf with 5 players?

Technically yes (3 Villagers, 1 Werewolf, 1 Seer, plus GM), but it's barely a game — one wrong vote and the Werewolves win immediately. Six players is the practical minimum.

What's the absolute minimum?

Six players plus a GM. That gives you 4 Villagers and 2 Werewolves, which produces at least two meaningful day phases. Five players is possible but fragile.

Can the Game Master also play?

No. The GM knows every role and every night action. Playing and moderating simultaneously is unfair and defeats the purpose. If you don't have enough people for a dedicated GM, use a game master app and have it run the night phase — then everyone can play.

What if someone arrives late or has to leave early?

If someone arrives late, they can observe the current game and join the next one. Don't add players mid-game. If someone has to leave, the GM removes them from the game (they "were eliminated in their sleep"). Adjust the balance check — if a Werewolf member leaves, the Werewolves are weakened and may need the game shortened.

How long does a game take?

A 7-player game takes about 15-20 minutes. A 10-player game takes 30-45 minutes. A 14-player game can run 60-90 minutes. Night phases are 1-2 minutes each; day phases are 3-5 minutes. The biggest variable is how much your group likes to argue.

What if the Doctor and Werewolves pick the same target?

The target survives. The Doctor's heal cancels the Werewolves' night action. The GM announces "nobody was taken out last night" without revealing that a save happened. The Doctor should not be identified by the announcement.

Can the Seer check the same person twice?

Yes, but there's no reason to. You already know the result. Use the check on someone new.

What order do night actions resolve?

Standard order: Werewolves choose a target, Alpha Wolf investigates, Seer investigates, Doctor protects, Courtesan blocks, Lover protects. However, resolution happens all at once at the end of the night. The Courtesan's block retroactively cancels actions — if the Courtesan blocked the Doctor, the Doctor's heal doesn't apply even though the Doctor "acted" earlier in the sequence.

Can the Werewolves eliminate one of their own?

In this app, no. Werewolf targets are restricted to non-Werewolf players — you cannot select a teammate as your night target. This is a common variant in live play where some groups do allow it as a strategic sacrifice, but here the restriction is always enforced.

What happens if the Courtesan blocks the Werewolves' elimination?

It depends on the variant. In most rules, the Courtesan blocks a specific player, not the whole team. If the blocked player is a Werewolf, the remaining Werewolf members can still carry out their night action. The block only prevents the night action if the blocked Werewolf is the only one left. Some house rules have the Courtesan block the entire elimination — decide this before the game starts.

Can the Doctor heal the same person two nights in a row?

In most variants, no. The Doctor must choose a different target each night. This prevents the Doctor from permanently shielding one player and forces strategic rotation.

Can the Werewolves target the Maniac?

Yes. The Maniac is not on the Werewolf team and has no immunity. The Werewolves can target them like anyone else.

What if there's a tie vote?

Three common house rules — pick one before the game starts:

1. Runoff: Hold a second vote between only the tied players.
2. No elimination: Nobody is voted out today. Night falls.
3. Both gone: Both tied players are removed. (Harsh, but fast.)

The GM should never break ties with their own vote. The GM is neutral.

Can you skip the vote entirely?

Yes. If nobody nominates anyone, or if no nomination gets enough support, the day ends without a vote. This benefits the Werewolves (they get another night action without losing a member), so Villagers should almost always try to vote someone out.

Can eliminated players talk?

No. Eliminated players are silent. No talking, no gesturing, no facial expressions, no mouthing words. Once you're out, you're out. This is one of the hardest rules to enforce, but it matters — a removed player pointing at who targeted them wrecks the game.

Are you allowed to show your role card?

No. Players cannot reveal their role card or any physical proof. You can claim to be any role, but you cannot prove it. This rule exists so that Werewolf members can lie about their role and Villagers can't just flash their card to prove innocence.

Can you whisper or have private conversations?

In most variants, no. All discussion happens publicly where everyone can hear. Some competitive formats allow a brief private conversation, but it's uncommon. Keep everything in the open.

Is there a speaking order?

Some competitive formats enforce a speaking order (each player gets 60 seconds in turn). Casual games usually have open discussion. Both work — structured speaking gives quiet players a voice; open discussion is more dynamic.

What if a player accidentally reveals their role?

Accidents happen — someone says "as the Seer, I think..." before catching themselves. Most groups play on and treat the slip as unconfirmed (the player could be bluffing about the slip). In competitive formats, the GM may penalize the player or declare the game compromised. Use your judgment based on how badly the information leak affects the game.

Can eliminated players watch the game?

Yes, but they must be completely silent. No facial reactions, no gasps, no eye-rolling, no mouthing words. Eliminated players who leak information ruin the game for everyone still playing.

Can the Doctor heal themselves?

Depends on the house rule. Most competitive formats say no — the Doctor cannot self-heal. Some casual variants allow one self-heal per game. Decide before the game starts and announce it.

Does the Alpha Wolf appear innocent to the Seer?

It depends on house rules. In casual and party play, the Alpha Wolf often has immunity — the Seer's check returns "not a Werewolf." In competitive/tournament play (including Sports Werewolf), the Alpha Wolf is detected as a Werewolf. Clarify this before the game starts.

Can the Maniac win if the Werewolves are still alive?

No. The Maniac wins when all Werewolves are gone and at most one Villager remains alive. Both conditions must be met — if Werewolves are still in the game, the Maniac cannot win regardless of how few players are left. The Maniac needs the town to vote out the Werewolves first while surviving long enough to be one of the last standing.

What happens when the Hunter is eliminated at night?

The Hunter's ability triggers immediately on elimination, regardless of cause. If the Werewolves take out the Hunter at night, the Hunter (with the GM's help) chooses someone to take down with them. That second player is also removed before the next day begins. The GM wakes the Hunter secretly during the night to make this choice.

Does the Jester win if eliminated at night?

No. The Jester wins only by being voted out during the day phase. If the Werewolves or Maniac target the Jester at night, the Jester loses. This means the Jester needs to be suspicious enough to get voted out but not so suspicious that the Werewolves go after them first.

What does the Lover's protection actually do?

The Lover chooses one player per night. That player cannot be voted out during the next day phase. The protection does not prevent night actions — only day-phase voting. If the town votes for the protected player, the vote fails and nobody is eliminated (unless a runoff targets a different player).

Can the Courtesan block the same player every night?

No. Like the Doctor, the Courtesan cannot block the same player on consecutive nights. You must choose a different target each night before returning to a previous one. This is a common variant elsewhere, but in this app the restriction is always enforced.

If the Seer is eliminated, does the town find out who they checked?

Not automatically. The Seer's investigation results are lost with them unless the variant allows last words. This is why experienced Seers share their reads indirectly through accusations and voting patterns — so the information survives even if they're gone.

Can two Doctors exist in the same game?

Not in standard variants. You can house-rule it for very large games (15+), but it dramatically tilts the balance toward Villagers. If you want more Villager protection at high player counts, the Lover is a better second defensive role.

When exactly do the Werewolves win?

The Werewolves win when the number of living Werewolf members equals or exceeds the number of living Villagers and no Maniac remains. This check happens at two points: after the night phase resolves (before the day begins) and after the day vote resolves (before the night begins).

What if Werewolf and Villager numbers are equal?

The Werewolves win immediately. If two Werewolves and two Villagers are alive, the game is over — the Werewolves control the vote (they'll vote together) and can't be outvoted.

Can the game end at night?

Yes. If the Werewolves' night action brings them to parity with the remaining Villagers, the game ends at dawn. The GM announces who was lost and declares a Werewolf victory. There is no final day phase.

What if the last Werewolf member is voted out and a Maniac is still alive?

Villagers do not win yet. In this app, Villagers win only when both the Werewolves and the Maniac are gone. If the Maniac is still alive after the last Werewolf falls, the game continues — the Maniac is still an independent threat that must be dealt with before the Villagers can claim victory.

What if the Doctor saves someone and that changes the endgame math?

If the Doctor's save prevents the Werewolves from reaching parity, the game continues. The save is resolved before the endgame check. This is one reason the Doctor is so important in small games — a single save can swing the entire outcome.

• Complete rules guide
• All roles explained
• Setup by player count
• Game Master script
• Your first game

Many of these questions resolve themselves when the game master uses the app. It knows the rules: won't let the Doctor self-heal (if prohibited), automatically processes double night actions from Werewolves and Maniac, and shows the morning result without errors.