The game of the week this week was werewolf and personally, I really enjoyed this game. I thought it was very complex and I enjoyed all of the different elements to it. The storyline was fun, as well as the narrations from JS. I felt like it was a great way to get the class to engage with each other, and we seem to be more comfortable with each other now. I wasn’t sure how the game would work playing with a somewhat smaller group this time, but it seemed to go over well. I would like to play this game with people that I know very well, because I think it might break up the awkward tension in the beginning if everyone is already comfortable with each other. I like that the game is different for each person depending on which role you have, and you’re unlikely to get the same role each time you play, making it a game that never gets old or boring.
I’ve only played this game twice, and each time I’ve had different roles. The first time I was a werewolf, and this time I was cupid. It’s very interesting how different the game can be for each role involved. To be honest, I almost feel like I enjoyed this game a lot better when I had no idea how to play it because I didn’t feel a lot of pressure to do well. I needed to try my best because I was a werewolf but without a lot of knowledge, it’s hard for the werewolves to win the game anyway. I think the game is a lot more interactive for werewolves vs more general roles, and after cupid uses its ability, the cupid role is basically a villager. To be honest, I just don’t think I’m very good at this game because I don’t perform well under pressure and I’m not a very good liar. It’s tricky for me to remember all the roles and which ones have been eliminated once the game progresses, so I can’t really make a lot of accusations, or defend myself when accused because I feel a bit clueless compared to everyone else. The game is fun to watch and somewhat participate in. I enjoy watching the more seasoned players navigate their way through it.
When using my cupid ability, I wanted to try to make the game interesting so I chose players that I assumed would do a lot of talking during the game. Sometimes the players who do a lot of talking in the beginning of the game are the first eliminated because they are more noticed, whereas everyone else is just quiet and there’s not a reason to eliminate them if they haven’t said anything. I thought eliminating people that could be key players in the game would make it interesting, and sure enough Romeo and Juliet were the first to go. At that point my role was pretty useless, so I wanted to just watch the game play out. My role was silenced, and people wanted to know who had been silenced, but I didn’t know whether it would be in my interest to tell them or to just keep quiet, and when people found out, I inevitably looked suspicious. I knew I was at risk for elimination, and I panicked and showed a few people my card, which is totally against the rules of the game. I remembered incorrectly from the first time I had played, that you can tell people your role but not show them your card. After I made this mistake I realized that I messed up and felt bad about it, but it seemed like most people couldn’t read the card anyway and just assumed it was an act to prove my innocence. To be honest, I really didn’t have an idea who the werewolves were in this game. I thought they all did a pretty decent job protecting their roles. The last time I played this game I thought it would be beneficial for everyone to have a card that explains all the roles on it so everyone can keep that on hand and reference it during the game, and I still think this would be a helpful idea, especially for new players.I think this game ties to leadership very well by the idea of group think. Once one person said their case for believing someone was a werewolf, everyone else seemed to jump on board with that idea, rather than forming their own opinions. Even after the person tried to defend themselves, everyone still voted for them to be removed from the circle anyways. We didn’t necessarily have one leader, but we had about 5 people that were consistently talking, and I think they acted as leaders in a way. I think with games like this, some people kind of have to step up and speak more, otherwise the game won’t go anywhere. With the rounds needing to go quickly, we didn’t have enough time to go around the circle and ask for each individual opinion. Those who wanted to speak were free to do so, and I think we were all kind and respectful of each other’s opinions. I can see how some people might get frustrated during this game, but we all acted mature. I don’t think I really took on much of a leadership role in this game, and I’m okay with that.