I bought this game because I thought it would be fun to play around Halloween last year. (I use any excuse to buy a game. 
) Over the past 3 months, it has become our favorite game to play as a family. The kids love it, because it is hilarious and fun. Their dad and I love it because one round only takes 5 minutes, so we can squeeze in some family time without it being a huge time commitment. The only downside is that it is more fun the more people you have. Three people could play it, but to be really enjoyable, it’s best to have at least 4 or 5. On the other hand, it is perfect for big families!
One Night Ultimate Werewolf Details
Product: One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Company: Bézier Games
Website: beziergames.com/products/one-night-ultimate-werewolf
Recommended Age Range: Box says 14 and up. In terms of difficulty, our 6-year-old understands all the rules and can play independently. Some may find the dark, werewolf-hunting theme inappropriate.
Price Range: ~$20
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Review
The primary reason why I personally love this game is that it rarely lasts long enough to devolve into tears. You can set the length of the round, but I set it for either 2 or 3 minutes. There is a timer going, so it can’t last longer than what you set. Even with setup and the part of the game that happens before the time, it takes no more than 5 minutes. Games are so great for family bonding. Being able to squeeze in a round or two into a little pocket of time makes this game golden in my opinion.
On the downside, I’m not sure the game itself can be said to have any redeeming qualities whatsoever. It does not teach math or reading skills. Reading isn’t even required, which means non-readers can play too. I think this game is marketed as being for ages 14+ solely because of the content and not because of the difficulty. My 6-year-old can play just fine. The issue is that the primary skill promoted in this game is lying and deception. Each player draws a card showing them what character they are and it is the job of the group to locate and kill (by pointing at) the werewolf (or possibly werewolves). The werewolves, of course, need to lie convincingly to avoid being discovered.
Rather than teaching a skill, this game is really just fun. This makes kids want to play over and over and over again. The two other skills that this game encourages, besides deception, are cooperation and deductive reasoning skills. The non-werewolves have to cooperate with each other to figure out who is lying and actually the werewolf.
Some other points that you should know about this game is that it is best played using an app on your phone. In the first part of the game, everyone closes their eyes and takes turns opening their eyes and performing an action. You don’t NEED to use the app. The first several times we played, I wasn’t part of the game and read the script instead, so that we could figure out how to play and also so that I could make sure no one was opening their eyes and peeking. However, after a few rounds, I downloaded the app so I could play too and it is so much more fun that way.
The second thing you should know is that there are some cards that you may or may not want to use. For example, one character is a drunk and changes his card at random on his turn. Another character is a tanner that hates his life and wants to die. His job is to try and convince everyone that he is the werewolf. However, you only need all the cards if you have 10 people playing, which we never have. If you are not playing with the maximum number of people, then you can choose which cards to leave out.
If you are not turned off by the idea of werewolf-hunting and have 4 or more people to play, I say give this game a go. It is perfect for Halloween, but honestly, I know my kids are going to want to keep playing it year-round!
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