For the first week of class, we played the game Ultimate Werewolf. It is very similar to the game Mafia which I had played before. However, in this game the werewolves kill and not mafia members. There are also many different roles in this game compared to how I have played Mafia before with just villagers, mafia, a nurse, and a police officer. In Ultimate Werewolf there are many positions, such as werewolf, villager, mason, seer, and many more. I think the game was a nice ice breaker into the course and I am looking forward to playing more games.

For me the hardest part was the large number of players and the fact that I didn’t know anyone. I have never played Mafia with that many people, so trying to play Ultimate Werewolf with that many people and positions was hard to figure out. It was also hard because I didn’t know anyone’s names, so it made it hard for me to speak up because I found it very awkward, since I am shy around people I don’t know. I was also a mason, so I couldn’t even tell anyone what I was to defend myself.

In our game I was a Mason which didn’t have any benefit to me. I couldn’t defend myself by saying what I was. After the fact it occurred to me that maybe I could have said something like I was a MIAMI student and maybe people would have caught on. However, I’m not sure if that would be cheating… When we were playing I was voted out pretty early on, much sooner than I wanted to be. However, I knew that I came to class to play, so I wanted to play. For the first 2-3 rounds I said nothing, and I was mad at myself for not trying to speak up and suggest something. I ended up accusing the wrong person and the tables turned on me, but I at least wanted to do something instead of just sit there. I liked this game because it was a challenge with all of the different roles. It was more complex than just regular Mafia. Overall, the session went well for many people having never played before. The villagers won and I was on that team, so yay us! I can’t wait until I can play it again! My former youth group loves to play Mafia at our Church lock-ins, so I definitely think they would enjoy playing this game. It is very similar to Mafia. I am excited to introduce them all to this game at our next big gathering.

I can see how leadership strategies help in this game. Being able to lead people can help you get people on your side to trust you or get them to vote for who you suspect. I think it also shows a great deal of confidence and leadership if you are willing to speak up during this game. Having the skills to talk in front of a large group of people would definitely be an advantage in this game, especially when like us it was our first time all playing together and we didn’t know each other.

I think the biggest risks I saw taken were people talking. It seemed like for the most part those who spoke up were either immediately killed or voted out. I think anyone who tried to be a leader in the game was taking a risk. My biggest and really only risk, since I was voted out early, was accusing someone of seeming nervous. I am definitely shy around people I don’t know at first. So, for me I was sitting quietly, but annoyed with myself that I was just sitting and not really playing. I didn’t want to just sit there I wanted to speak up when others weren’t and offer accusations/suggestions. I am an ambivert meaning I am outgoing in a group of introverts, but introverted around extroverts. I am extremely extroverted around my family and close friends, but not strangers. So, I knew it would take a lot to step out of my comfort zone and speak up, but I wanted to. I think how I played is very similar to my leadership. When I am not elected/appointed as a leader I will not lead a group unless no one else steps up, then I will lead.