Can Low Player Count Werewolf Games Work?
In this article we will explore the options for playing Werewolf, or at least a social deduction game approximating Werewolf with a low number of players. We will begin by looking at the 'base' game of Werewolf that most players know, explore what mechanics other social deduction games that aren't Werewolf use and finally consider the options we have available with the werewolv.es roles, items auras and other advanced mechanics.
Werewolf with low player numbers just isn't a game of Werewolf
Being blunt, the first problem is that a small game of Werewolf just isn't really a game of Werewolf in the sense that it doesn't 'feel' right. It speed runs the game, skipping early and mid game, landing right at the late game. It has skipped a core mechanic of Werewolf (or Mafia) of consistent player elimination. In larger games of Werewolf, the remaining players at the end game have had a chance to build trust or suspicion throughout many rounds, whether that be through in-game intel or good old social deduction.
Player Elimination is a Fundamental Mechanic of Classic Werewolf
Usually two players are eliminated each round, one in the night phase and one in the day phase. The Werewolves choice of night kill is a source of information, because they may feel the need to eliminate a strong voice in the village. Even if the village is picking its player elimination target poorly, it is still a source of information.
The Early-game and Mid-game of Werewolf Build Tension
These small tidbits of information sometimes are the foundations from which a flash of insight reaches a villager, or that a werewolf masterfully manages to talk their way out of.
Even if the earlier phases feel slower and less impactful than the final few days, they are an important part of the game atmosphere. Every day is an investment.
Will the werewolves target me tonight? Or will the village cotton on to my lies? The longer the game has been going on the more it feels like you have at stake.
The more time for differing narratives to emerge in the game, the more interesting, fulfilling and the results less random it feels.
Part of Werewolf Strategy is Spotting the Players Working as a Team
In setups with very small numbers, there may not be space for more than one Werewolf player, spotting who is reluctant to vote for another player is a core part of villager game player. In some respects being a solo evil player can stressful but in other, it removes a vital tool at the villagers disposal.
Early Game Werewolf Strategy is Different to Late Game Strategy
In the early game, it's often a good move to execute a villager on flimsy or non-existent evidence (we won't bother covering the reasons here, just trust me for now, okay?) but in the endgame of Werewolf making such a move is a bad sign for the village, it might mean that the werewolves have played well (or gotten lucky), but reaching the final three players as a villager with zero idea who you trust is never a fun place to be in.
What Game Balance Look Like at Six Players
Mountainous - village gets 2 executions, is this balanced? Automated example with random executions
Asymetric Teams - One Evil Knows the Other
Being careful of voting parity, you can never have more than 2 evil with this number
Adding in Extra lives to prolong the game
This could mention how doubles works in person, how the online version uses auras or items to achieve this