Are You A Werewolf is a game by Andrew Plotkin, published by Looney Labs. It is for 7-16 players. In this game, players take on the role of villagers in a small town that is being terrorized by werewolves. However, their sleepy little town has already been infiltrated by these monsters and will be trying their best to kill off the other characters. The players that can figure out who’s who the best will be declared the winners.
To begin, two werewolf cards and the seer card are shuffled together with enough villager cards so that each player has a card. If no one voluntarily takes the moderator card, it is shuffled in as well. Each player is then dealt a card which they must keep secret. Players then secretly look at their card and may not reveal it until they are killed. Once everyone is ready, play now begins.
The game is played over a series of rounds, which are separated into alternating night and day phases. In the night phase, the werewolf players will select someone to kill and the seer player will find out the truth about one of the other players. The Moderator reads a script that will lead the villagers through the events of the night. In the day phase, players will discuss their thoughts on which player is a werewolf. They will then determine who to lynch through voting. Once the player has been chosen and lynched, they reveal their card and can then say nothing else for the rest of the game. This continues over and over again until either all the werewolves are dead or the number of villagers and werewolves is equal. In the last case, the werewolves overrun the village, killing everyone else off openly. The players that are still alive at the end of the game are the winners.
COMPONENTS
The game comes with a small deck of cards that are black and white. Each one is about the same size and style as a Fluxx card. They shuffle easily and are great quality. The artwork is more of a rough sketch design. It conveys the simple feel and look of the game without bombarding you with lots of text and color. I have to say, I’m not a big fan of the art style. While I like the simplicity of it, especially the old school black and white design, I wish the art had been more on par with the art that is used for the Fluxx cards. I will say, that you will only be looking at the card for a minute anyway so it’s not like it’s that big of a deal. Still for a classic design, I won’t complain too much.
8 out of 10
RULEBOOK
The rules for this one come in a small black and white booklet. It’s really simple to read and understand. It’s not long either. It only takes a minute to read through and you’re ready to play. There aren’t really any pictures. It’s just mainly text but that’s really all you need. It has a section for the moderator to read through for each night of the game. Of course, the moderator can put more emphasis and flair into than just what’s here. The rules also have a section for recommendations. These are ways to make the game a bit different. It tells you how to accommodate 3 werewolves and for timing your days. Of course these are just recommendations and nothing that you have to go with unless everyone agrees to them. There’s also a section for different types of hunters. It fits with the black and white style of the cards and the game itself. All in all, it’s well done.
8 out of 10
GAMEPLAY
This is a really enjoyable game. The theme is really great and comes through quite well. The main mechanics of the game are deduction, voting and bluffing. The villagers will be trying to determine who the werewolves. The werewolves on the other hand will be trying their best to throw the others off their track and hopefully kill off some innocent villagers in the process. The seer will be given the benefit each night of guessing who is a werewolf and who isn’t but they’ll have to be careful not to make the villagers suspicious of them or they might get lynched in the process. This is a really simple and easy game that is great for parties or large gatherings. It’s one that players get to really act out their characters. Natural born actors will really enjoy being able to throw themselves full force into this one. The younger players may not completely understand what’s going on and so this might be better for teens to adults. In any case, it’s one that I enjoy a good bit.
8 out of 10
OVERALL
Are You A Werewolf is a light deduction style card game of who’s who. It’s not a long game to play. Most game sessions last around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how long the moderator allows the players to debate. It’s a great game for large groups. The artwork has this classic horror style feel to it. It’s really simple to play and is one that most anyone can play. The theme and rules might be difficult for the younger players to understand and so it works best with teens to adults. Fans of deduction games like Coup and Mafia should enjoy this one as well. Players with a flair for acting should really enjoy getting into character with this game. I recommend it as a great party game. Just make sure that you have a few silver bullets with you when you play.
8 out of 10
For more information about this and other great games, please check out Looney Labs at their site.
GAMING BITS 
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