The Werewolves of Millers Hollow

The Werewolves of Millers Hollow (French: Les Loups-garous de Thiercelieux) is a card game created by the French authors Philippe des Pallières and Hervé Marly that can be played with 8 to 47 players.[1] The game is based on the Russian game Mafia. It was nominated for the 2003 Spiel des Jahres award.

The Werewolves of Millers Hollow

Designer(s)	Philippe des Pallières and Hervé Marly
Illustrator(s)	Alexios Tjoyas (Basic Game, New Moon and The Village); Misda and Christine Deschamps (Characters)
Publisher(s)	Asmodee Editions
Years active	2001: Basic Game ; 2006: New Moon ; 2009: The Village ; 2012: Characters ; 2014: The Pact
Genre(s)	Character game
Language(s)	French
Players	between 8 and 47
Playing time	half an hour
Age range	from 10 years old
Website	loups-garous-en-ligne.com lesloupsgarous.free.fr

Basic Game

Material

The game contains 24 cards:

• 4 Werewolves
• 13 Villagers (Ordinary Townsfolk)
• 1 Fortune Teller (Seer)
• 1 Little Girl
• 1 Witch
• 1 Hunter
• 1 Cupid
• 1 Thief
• 1 Sheriff

The rules

The Moderator preparing the cards

The debate

At the beginning of a game, one person is assigned the role of Moderator. The other players sit in a circle and the Moderator picks the roles for the game. When there are less than 12 players only 2 werewolves should be used and only 3 if there are less than "18 players".. The players are given one card each. The players look at their cards without revealing their roles and put them face-down in front of them. The game takes place in alternating phases:

• Night: all the players close their eyes. The Moderator calls the characters that have abilities, one at a time each person called will open their eyes, perform his/her role's special action, and close them again.
• Day: everybody opens their eyes. The Moderator gives the name(s) of the player(s) which have been killed during the night. Those killed aren't allowed to speak to the living for the rest of the game. Then, all the survivors debate and vote to lynch a player they think is a werewolf, or, the werewolves vote to lynch the villagers.

The groups

In the basic game, there are two different groups:

• the werewolves: their goal is to kill all the special villagers or kill all the normal villagers.
• the villagers: their goal is to kill all the werewolves.

Werewolves

Each night, the werewolves pick a player to kill. The victim can be anyone except the Moderator, including other werewolves. The next day, they pretend to be a villager and try to seem unsuspicious. The number of werewolves in a game varies depending on the number of players.

Villagers

They don't have any special power except thinking and the right to vote.

Seer/ Fortune Teller/ Oracle

Each night, she can discover the real identity of a player. She must help the other villagers but discreetly to not be found by werewolves.

Hunter

If he is killed by werewolves or eliminated by vote, he must kill a player of their choice.

Cupid

The first night, Cupid chooses two players and make them fall in love, then becomes a villager. If one dies, the other dies too. A lover can't vote against the other lover. If the lovers are a villager and a werewolf, their objective changes; they must eliminate all the players except them.

Witch

She has two potions:

• one to save the werewolves's victim
• one to eliminate a player

She can only use each potion once during the game. She can use both[2] potions during the same night. She can save herself if she has been attacked by the werewolves on the first night.

Little Girl

The little girl can secretly spy on the werewolves during their turn. If she is caught in the act, she dies instead of the victim. Because she will be scared to death, or depending on how you play the werewolves will kill her later on in the game. It is also possible for her to die immediately along with the victim and can not be saved.

Sheriff/Captain

This card is given to a player besides their card. They are elected by a vote. This player's vote counts for two instead of one. If they die, they will decide who will be the next Sheriff/Captain. The Sheriff/Captain can be of any role, including a werewolf.

Thief

If the thief is played, two cards more than the number of players need to be played. After each player receives a card, the two cards are put in the center of the table. The thief can, if they want to, during the first night, exchange their cards with one of those cards that they will play until the end of the game. If the two cards are werewolf, the thief has to take one of the two werewolf cards, until the end of the game.

1st Night Only

• Thief
• Cupid
• Lovers

Every night

• Werewolves
• Little Girl
• Seer
• Witch

1st Extension: New Moon

The idiot

If he is chosen by the village to be eliminated, he stays alive, but he cannot vote anymore.

The ancient

He can resist the first werewolf's attack, but if he is killed by the witch, the huntsman, or the villagers, the villagers lose their powers.

The scapegoat

If the village can't agree about whom to eliminate, the scapegoat is eliminated. Nevertheless, he can decide about who can vote the next day.

The guard

Each night, he can protect a player from being attacked by the werewolves. He can protect himself, but he can't protect the same player two consecutive nights.

The pied piper

His objective is to charm all the players alive except him (he can't charm himself). Each night, he can charm two players that wake up and recognise with those of the nights before.

New moon

Each morning, the animator can take a card in the 36 that makes something special. It can be for the rest of the game or for the following day and night.

Full Moon: effective immediately

• Miracle - The last victim of the Werewolves is not actually eliminated. She simply fainted of fright in the face of the lycanthropes, and that saved her. She regains her senses and returns to the game immediately, but as a Simple Villager.
• Good Manners - You are all courteous to the other villagers: Interrupting anyone is forbidden. Each of you speaks in turn under the supervision of the moderator. Any player who violates this rule loses her right to vote for this turn.
• Saint Philippe - In memory of the great Philippe the Lame, the village elects a truly charismatic leader. If the village already had a Sheriff, he is fired for incompetence and a new Sheriff is elected. The elected Sheriff recites the oath as follows: "The way of Philippe I shall follow, and the village I shall protect."
• Heads or Tails - Today, the village pays homage to the famous player Herve the One-Eyed. The moderator, immediately after the verdict of the tribunal, selects possible grace for the condemned with the flip of a coin.
• Tails: The village releases the condemned, who cries "Oh, many thanks, Herve!".
• Heads: The condemned is eliminated and cries "Oh I hate you, Herve!".
• Woodland Gathering - All the female players depart into the forest to gather mysterious plants, which are indispensable to the Witch. They will return at sundown. They participate neither in debates, nor in votes. The male players may not vote against them. The Witch recovers an extra potion just before nightfall.
• Radiant Sunday - Everybody benefits from the sun. Nothing in particular occurs. It is a normal turn unless the moderator decides to apply the “Lycanthropic Fascination” variant.
• Saturday Evening Ball - This evening, the youngsters of the village will dance, and won't return until dawn. Each player gives her age; the younger half of the village will form a clan of dancers. The dancers participate neither in debates, nor in votes. The seniors may not vote against them. Moreover, the youngsters can neither eat if they are Werewolves, nor be devoured by the Werewolves.
• Eclipse - This morning, there's a bad moon rising in Millers’ Hollow. The villager are gruff with one another. The player turn their backs towards the center of the circle, and debate without looking at one another. The moderator forbids anyone who disobeys from voting. The players will return to their usual orientation at the precise instant of the vote.
• Pact with the Devil - Immediately after the verdict of the tribunal, the condemned can make a pact with the devil. In this case, she is not eliminated by this vote. But take note! If at the end of the game, she wins the game, she will then be excluded from the potential next game.
• Flood - A flood transforms Millers Hollow into lakeside village. The female players are sheltered in the church; the male players, in the inn. There is no vote during the day. The next night, the Werewolves must eat in the building where they have taken refuge. Thus, there can be 2 victims of the Werewolves. This event only applies if at least 6 players remain.
• April Fools' - Certain characters exchange their abilities: Witch & Fortune Teller. Hunter & Little Girl. Defender & Elder. As for the Lovers, they hate one another, and each must vote against the other. This turn, if one of the lovers dies, the other remains alive, since they don't like each other any more.
• End of the Harvest - Everyone is a little tired; nothing special happens. It is a normal turn unless the moderator decides to apply the "Harvest Festival” variant.
• Great Distrust - Fierce distrust sweeps through the village of Millers Hollow. Each villager gets 2 votes she can use to designate her 2 best friends. The votes will be executed simultaneously with the players' 2 hands when the moderator gives the signal. If one or more players find themselves without any vote for them, they will be eliminated.
• Luncheon for Seniors - The veterans will pass their day at the seniors' banquet in a neighboring village, and will not return until the setting of the sun. Each player gives her age; the older half of the village forms the clan of seniors. Until their return, they participate neither in debates, nor in votes. The youngsters may not vote against them.
• Punishment - In order to make him pay for her disappearance, the player last eliminated designates a player. This player will be eliminated, unless at least 2 people attest to his integrity. The witness will come to kiss him on the cheek. If they are slow in appearing, the condemned has the right to plead to elicit the kisses.
• Gone Hunting - The male players leave to go hunting in the forest. They don't return until dawn. They participate in neither the debates, nor the votes. The players cannot vote against them. Moreover, they can neither devour if they are the Werewolves, nor be devoured by the Werewolves.
• Nor Me, Nor Wolf - Out of superstition, the villagers choose not to speak the words "wolf", or "me" any more. Any player who violates this rule loses her votes in the coming vote.
• Bleak Monday - It is a sad, uneventful day. Nothing in particular happens. It is a normal turn unless the moderator decides to apply the “In any case, it surely isn't him!” variant.
• Nightmare - A person of the village appeared in your dreams, exhibiting the traits of a lycanthrope assassin. Immediately the villagers awake, and without discussion, starting with the player to the left of the last one eliminated, each player must accuse 1 villager. The villager with the most accusations will be eliminated.

Spiritualism

The village organizes a seance to invoke the departed spirit of the first victim of the Werewolves... A player is chosen and she ask one of the following questions to the departed. The departed can only answer honestly with yes or no.

First card:

• Are the 2 players I am going to point in the same camp?
• Does at least one Werewolf wear glasses?
• Is the Witch a man?
• Is the Sheriff a Simple Villager?

Second card:

• Is one of the Werewolves wearing jeans?
• Is one of the Werewolves wearing a black top?
• Are all the Werewolves men in real life?
• Are all the Werewolves women in real life?

Third card:

• Did the Fortune Teller discover at least one Werewolf?
• Are some Werewolves next to each other?
• Is a Werewolf wearing at least one visible piece of jewellery?
• Am I a Werewolf?

Fourth card:

• Am I a Simple Villager?
• Is one of the Werewolves the Sheriff?
• Does one of the Werewolves live where we are playing?
• Is one of the Werewolves a smoker?

Fifth card:

• Is one of the Werewolves a man?
• Is one of the Werewolves a woman?
• Is one of the 2 neighbors of the player I indicate a Werewolf?
• Is the player that I indicate a Simple Villager?

First Quarter: effective later

• The Little Rascal - The youngest person of the village will be the "Little Rascal", who leaves in search of aid in the neighboring village. He returns the next morning and he takes back his place, but his vote will be worth triple.
• Backfire - The next night, if the Werewolves designate a Simple Villager, she is not eliminated, but instead transforms into a Werewolf. Otherwise, the victim survives and the first Werewolf to her left is struck down.
• Dissatisfaction - Disappointed by their lousy results, the village gets carried away with their lust for justice. If the next player eliminated by the village is not a Werewolf, the village, vexed, votes a second time. The second vote proceeds immediately and without discussion, in order to eliminate a second suspect.
• Influences - The next vote is done in turn. The first voter designates a player and leaves her arm pointed. The player to her left proceeds in the same fashion, and so on.
• Full Moon Rising - The following night, the Werewolves become Fortune Tellers. Each one of them will awake in turn to check a player. The Hunter, the Witch, and the Fortune Teller become Werewolves; they awake together and eliminate a player during the night.
• Enthusiasm - Encouraged by their exceptional results, the village gets carried away with their lust of justice. If the next player eliminated by the village is a Werewolf, the village, over-joyed, voted a second time. The second vote proceeds immediately and without discussion, in order to eliminate a second suspect.
• The Specter - Discreetly touched by the moderator, the next player designated by the Werewolves opens her eyes. The Werewolves keep their eye open. She becomes a Werewolf, and designated 1 vote of the old Werewolves, who is immediately eliminated.

Crescent: effective till the end of the game

• Somnambulism - The Fortune Teller has become a sleepwalker. From now until the end of the game, the Moderator will announce the secret identity of the character that Fortune Teller reveal out loud. However, the rest still will not know on which player Fortune Teller was spying.
• Touch of Death - From now until the end of the game, in order to be devoured, the victim of the Werewolves must be touched by one of them. Otherwise, there will be no victim of the Werewolves.
• Executioner - In order to keep their hands clean, the villagers elect someone to the office of Executioner. From now until the end of the game, the identity of the victims of the vote will be known only to the Executioner; Executioner will never show the card of the victims.
• Burial - Once the Werewolves are sated, they bury the remains of their nocturnal victims. From now until the end of the game, the identities of the Werewolves' victim will never revealed to anyone.
• Double Agent - The village falls asleep, the first player eliminated designates a non-Werewolves player to open the eyes. The Moderator secretly points out the werewolves to the player, who becomes their secret ally.

2nd Extension: The Village

New Characters

This extension contains 3 new characters.

The white werewolf

His objective is to be the only survivor. He wakes up every night with the werewolves. But one night out of two, he wakes up and kills a werewolf.

The raven

Each night, he can choose a player that will have a penalty of two voices for the vote.

The pyromaniac

Once in the game, he can burn a building. If the owner of the building is the target of the werewolf's attack, the owner survives and the werewolf to the right of the owner dies instead.

The buildings

Those are other roles that are given to some players by the choice of the animator or by draw that are visible for all the players.

The farmers

This is the only building of which there are several present. The farmers choose between them and the captain.

The bakery

The baker can wake up when the animator says "The werewolves are going back to sleep."

The Mistress

The Mistress can't vote. Every day, she can also forbid two players from voting.

The manor

Once during the game, the lord can save the village's victim.

The Bartender

Werewolves can't kill him and villagers can't vote against him. He votes before the other players. But if he votes for somebody that gets eliminated, he loses the immunity.

The bonesettler

Once in the game, the bonesettler can give back the power to somebody that already used it.

The Bailiff House

When players die, they can give their building to the other players.

The Barber's House

Once in the game, he can eliminate a player. But, if he isn't a werewolf, he is also eliminated.

3rd Extension: Characters

The villager-villager

On the two faces of the cards, there is the illustration of a simple villager. So, everybody knows that it's a simple villager.

The two sisters

They wake up on the night and exchange signs to decide of the decisions to take to save the village. They know who is her other sister and so can trust her.

The three brothers

The same thing as the two sisters, except they are three.

The angel

His objective is to be killed by the villagers on the first day of vote. If he doesn't, he becomes a simple villager. If he/she does die on the first night, they win against the other players.

The stuttering judge

Once in the game, he can decide that there is a second village's vote by a sign that he had shown to the animator during the first night.

The knight with the rusty sword

If he dies during the night, the first werewolf to his left dies the following morning.

The fox

Each night, he can choose three players. If in these three players, there is at least one werewolf, the animator gives the fox a positive sign and he preserves his power. But, if there aren't werewolves in these three players, the animator gives the fox a negative sign and he loses his power.

The bear tamer

If one of his two neighbours is a werewolf, the animator informs the bear tamer that he is next to a werewolf.

The actor

If the actor option is played, three extra cards are added more than the number of players, which won't be distributed. The actor can, during the three first nights, exchange his card with one of these three cards. After the third night, he becomes a simple villager.

The devoted servant

The devoted servant can, whenever during the game, exchange her card with the village vote's victim's. She plays this character until the end of the game.

The abominable sectarian

At the beginning of the game, the animator divides the players in two groups (for example: men/women). Its objective is to kill all the players of the other group than its.

The wild child

The wild child is a villager who, at the beginning of the game, chooses a player. If during the game this player dies, the wild child becomes a werewolf.

The dog-wolf

At the beginning of the game, he can choose if he wants to be a simple villager or a werewolf.

The big bad wolf

It's a werewolf. But, until no wolf, wild child or dog wolf died, he wakes up again and eats another villager.

The vile father of wolves

It's a werewolf. Once in the game, he can transform the werewolves's victim into a werewolf. This one preserves his powers.

The Digan gypsy

Five times in a game, she can use her power and the following day a spiritism card instead will be taken instead of the policeman's package.

The policeman

He is chosen by the captain, and he is in charge of the event cards.

The Variants

Moonlight

The eerie atmosphere ideally emphasizes all the variants we offer below. Set yourselves up outside under the starry sky, and from a circle around the moderator. Wear period clothing, listen to music appropriate to that ancient time.

In this arcane environment where one can almost hear the howl of the wolves, set a small lit candle in front of each player.

From now on, each morning the moderator blows out the candle in front of the victim of the Werewolves, and each evening after the vote, the victim of the village extinguishes her own candle. It will make the mood increasingly darker in the village, and the survivors will be the only ones visible, ready to be devoured.

You can also adopt a more stressful variant for the Werewolves: it is they who, in one way or another, will have to extinguish the candle of each of their victims. If more than one candle dies out, there is no victim.

Community of Hamlets

When you gather many friends to play Werewolves of Millers Hollow, you can create several villages. The ideal in this variant would be to have one room per village - if you are playing outside, you can play by separating the groups by about sixty feet.

Each village needs to be a complete game. It is recommended to have one moderator per village, but you can orchestrate the executions of day/night simultaneously for all the villages.

The games proceed normally, but the players can decide to leave their village at any moment of the game, except during the night and if they are designated to be eliminated by popular accusation.

A player that decides to change villages for personal convenience leaves the table with her card, which she keeps secret. She goes to another village of her choice during the day, and knocks on the door or waits until someone authorizes her to move into the new village.

In order to avoid excessive disorder, the organizers may decide to limit the comings and goings from one village to another (for example, not more than 2 departures per village).

It is possible that there will be several identical characters in a village. It's even possible that the Werewolves desert a village they consider to be too dangerous. In this case, the Villagers of the village win their game.

Note that by moving too often, you are taking an additional risk: The Villagers of the region of Millers Hollow are often narrow-minded. A stranger is always suspect... We witnessed villages in which every newcomer was systematically condemned by the popular tribunal.

In any case, it surely isn't him!

Here is a new way of voting to designate the victim of the popular tribunal. It is a mini-variant to use from time to time in a game.

All the Villagers still in the game rise. Then the neighbor to the left of the last eliminated player designates a Villager whom she guarantees to be innocent. The first voter remains standing: She will have to be proven innocent if she wants to survive.

The Villager who was declared innocent sits down, and then in turn designates a Villager whom he wishes to save who will then sit down as well. Continue like this until one player is left standing.

The last player is the victim of the village vote.

Of course, debate is still welcome during the vote. Caution: In this variant, the Werewolves can easily declare one another innocent, and thus escape their just punishment. Pay very close attention to who clears whom. The village will only be sure to eliminate one of the Werewolves if the Werewolves are the very last to vote.

The Writings on the Wall

This variant can be used along with the others. Before nightfall, the inhabitants of Millers Hollow have the habit of coming to read the small, anonymous graffiti written on the little wall behind the town hall.

Each Villager still in the game writes a short phrase of her choice on a slip of paper, and gives it to the moderator. The author of each graffiti must remain anonymous, but each one is free to write whatever she wants: suspicious, warnings, comments, denunciations, compliments, declarations of love...

When they've all been gathered up, the moderator reads all the graffiti in random order. The Villager can then fall asleep, their minds still troubled by these short messages.

The Small Complication

This variant permits each player to portray a true role, her character being visible to all: the Fortune Teller, the Hunter, the Witch, Cupid, the Defender, the Elder, the Scapegoat, and up to 2 Simple Villagers are the characters whom you will portray. Deal each one player one of these cards face-up.

Then deal to each player a second card face down, called the alignment card, from the following: 2 Werewolves and 5 to 7 Simple Villagers, according to the number of players.

Each player keeps the alignment card she received secret as long as she is not eliminated.

This alignment card tells the player to which camp she belongs: Werewolves or Villagers.

The goal of the players whose alignment card is a Werewolves is to eliminate the players whose alignment card is Villager, and vice versa.

Do not use the following characters: Thief, Little Girl, Idiot, Piper.

The Great Complication

Prepare the cards as before, shuffle them, then deal two cards face-down to each player. These cards will remain secret.

What can be done without making any changes: The Witch can be the Fortune Teller, the Hunter can be the Defender, and the Elder can be the Scapegoat.

When a player has at least one Werewolf card, she is a Werewolf. If this player has a special ability on the other card, she can use it as well.

Harvest Festival

It is suggested to have more Werewolves than usual. All the abilities are disrupted until the end of the game by excessive drink, according to the following indications:

• The Werewolves can only devour someone next to one of them.
• The Fortune Teller is drunk, and cannot distinguish between the visions that appear in her mind: The Fortune Teller as usual, designates a player whose personality she wishes to probe, but in response, the moderator gives her the identities of 3 players: the designated player and his 2 neighbors. The moderator should not specify which player portrays which character.
• The Hunter must choose his victim from one of his two neighbors.
• The Little Girl has a hard time managing her slumber. She awakes too late to spot Werewolves and can only spy on the Witch.
• The Thief, if she has the Thief card all day, must during the first night, with the help of the moderator, exchange it with the card of the player of her choice. Each player will have to check his character the following morning.
• The Sheriff will have to vote before all the other players.
• The Scapegoat is no longer eliminated in the event of tie, but rather in the place of one of her two neighbors, should they be eliminated by village vote.
• The Idiot drunk is no more (or less) idiotic that usual; nothing change for her.
• The Witch is distracted, she has mislaid one potion (thus can only use her ability once), and furthermore, when she uses her ability, she is sometimes mistaken about the bottle.

After the Witch has designated a player, the moderator tosses the lid and bottom of a Werewolves box, and according to their disposition on the ground, announces aloud the result of the potion:

• Inner Lid + Inner Bottom = Cured
• Inner Lid + Outer Bottom = Cured and transformed into a Simple Villager
• Outer Lid + Inner Bottom = Cured and transformed into a Werewolf
• Outer Lid + Outer Bottom = Eliminated
• Cupid chooses the two Lovers, who see each other and fall asleep again, just like normal: they are the True Lovers. After that, however, he points at one of the True Lovers and one other player.

The moderator awakens them so they can see each other. The True Lover becomes the Deceitful Lover, the new lover become the Secret Lover, and they fall asleep again. The True Lover who wasn't selected become the Jilted Lover.

From then on:

• If the Jilted Lover is killed, neither of the other Lovers die.
• If the Deceitful Lover is killed, both of the other Lovers die.
• If the Secret Lover is killed, then only the Deceitful Lover dies, the Jilted Lover realizes he has been Jilted and does not die.

The Jilted Lover may not vote against the Deceitful Lover, though she can do it to him.

It is forbidden for the Secret Lover and the Deceitful Lover to vote against one another.

• The Defender can only protect herself or one of her 2 neighbors.
• The Piper charms only one player at a time.

Black Death

This is a surprise from the moderator which is used once in several games.

When disturbing the cards at the start of the game, do not add any werewolves cards.

Each night, the moderator calls the werewolves as usual. However, in fact, the victim is not chosen by the werewolves, but by the moderator. After that, resolve other special characters as usual.

The moderator’s objective is not to be discovered by the players that he uses this variant. The players need to tell everyone that this is a Black Death, to avoid the sad fate. The moderator can secretly clue that the victims are died because of Black Death, but not the werewolves.

Lycanthropic Fascination

So that their crimes remain as discreet as possible, the Werewolves develop their faculty to mesmerize their victims, rather than devour them.

Each victim of the Werewolves is no longer eliminated from the game, but immediately loses all her abilities.

Each night, the Werewolves designate one victim who must keep her eyes closed. In order to let her know that she was fascinated, the moderator discreetly touches her head. In the morning, she remains anonymous.

Therefore, as the night pass, there will be more and more mesmerized victims.

Note, if one of the mesmerized victims gets lynched, all the other Werewolf victims are immediately eliminated as well...

The Werewolves win if they mesmerize the second-to-last Villager.

New Moon

The magnum opus of this expansion, 36 events that modify the dramatic nature of your adventures each morning with awakening of the Villagers.

Online adaption

Since 2011, the Werewolves of Millers Hollow has an online adaptation. This adaptation has 5 special characters and different types of games can be played:

• Fun game: to game to relax or to use special rules
• Carnage game: a fast fun game
• Normal game: a mix of the fun and serious game
• Serious game: to play a very serious game

The shaman

Each night, the shaman can see the dead's messages.

The puppeteer

Once during the game, he can take the place of a werewolf.

The white rabbit

His objective is to give two chocolates to each surviving player except himself. Each night, he can give two chocolates to players.

The ankou

Once the ankou dies, he can continue to vote for up to two turns from the cemetery. His vote will not be visible to players but will be counted and will participate in the elimination of a day player while seeing the dead speak.

The night owl

Each night he must choose a player to sleep with. The player then knows the identity of the night owl but he cannot use his powers at that night.

References

1. "The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow (2001)". Boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
2. https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/47750/english-translation