A Very Werewolf Christmas

This year, we're taking Christmas-themed Werewolf to the next level. It's going to be a veritable Christmaspalooza, which is, I suppose, like Christmas but louder and more intoxicated. Bottom line: there are new Werewolf roles, and we are chronicling them here for the good of all mankind.

We will be covering such battle-tested classics as Santa, Krampus, and The Muffin Man, as well as fifteen new ideas for 2016.  

Gift-Oriented Roles

A quick word about Presents. We use the Ultimate Werewolf Artifact deck, which is just a bunch of cards that give the bearer a special ability. I'm sure there are alternatives though, and you could even make your own. If you do go with the Artifact deck, here are a few guidelines:

  • Remember to pare the artifact deck down. Some of those cards can really break the game.

  • We have a rule that Presents enter play face down, and you don't have to look them or activate them. But if you do "open" one by looking at it, you have to use it.

  • optional: At any time, you can give your Present to another player, as long as they agree. This is mostly for Scrooge, certain Krampus games, and Dark Rudolph.

Santa Claus

Wakes each night and gives a Present to one player.

(good team) 


Variants and Modifiers

  • Krampus: Wakes each night and gives a Present to one player... But the presents are always harmful. (evil team.)

  • North Poll Elf: When you die, whoever killed you gets a Present, and Elf chooses two others to get Presents.

  • Dark Rudolph: Once per game, everyone with presents dies. (evil team)

  • Mall Santa: acts like Santa and has to wear a special Santa hat, but has no actual powers.


On the good team, but only wins if he gets two Presents. 

If he does get two Presents, Tiny Tim and Bob Catchit die.




  • Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit: dies when Scrooge gets his third Present, unless Scrooge sacrifices all of his Presents, and with it, his chance of winning.

Dark Frosty

On the evil team, but if he gets a Present, he will become Jolly again, reverting to a normal Villager on the good team.

optional: but then he melts to death in 3 days.



A normal villager, but when Narwal dies, the next Present given out is Horn of the Narwal, which allows its bearer to survive one nightkill attempt of any kind. 



Misc. Christmas Roles

Elf on the Shelf

Like the Seer (wakes and night and searches for a Werewolf), but cannot openly state that anyone is definitely a Werewolf, and cannot start a nomination.




Wakes at night and chooses a player who has a Present. Grinch can either destroy that Present or move it to another player, including himself.

(evil team)


Variants and Modifiers

  • Cindy Lou Who: wake at night and search for the Grinch. If you find him, his heart grows three sizes, everyone gets their powers back, and the Grinch turns good.

Charles Dickens

Wakes at night and chooses a player to join the carolers. All carolers must sing Christmas songs at night, or die. Charles Dickens wins if all players in the village sing at the same time (for any reason). 

Note: it's best to continue the game even if Dickens wins.

George Bailey

Must successfully Champion two players by the end of the game to win with the village.  (good team)


Note: This is for the "Guilty by Association" rules, when using the Champion variant of a Double-Nomination Trial.

Sweet Baby Jesus / Avenging Messiah

A normal villager, but if He dies at night, He becomes Avenging Messiah. Avenging Messiah wakes each night and smites one player.



Food Roles

The Muffin Man

Wakes at night and gives a muffin to a player. If that player eats the muffin, and is a Werewolf, his role is revealed. 

Note: this is a fun-but-overpowered alternative to Seer. It's best to tell everyone ahead of time what happens if they eat the muffin, and to include non-Werewolf evil players in the game to balance how strong this role is against Wolves.


The Gingerbread Killer

Wakes at night and chooses a target. That player receives the calling card of the Gingerbread Killer: a delicious treat, perhaps a gumdrop or a severed gingerbread man head. 

The targeted player lives through the following day, but dies at nightfall, unless the Gingerbread Killer is lynched.


A huge, sincere thanks to the Brandon Boardgamers community for this one. A lot of these ideas were brainstormed on the EatVillagers Facebook group, or come from the twisted imaginations of Jason Greenleaf, Rob Yates, Mitch Resor, Amber Savoie, Amy McLaughlin, or Jesse Mathis. Sorry to anyone I missed who contributed, there are at least 40 of us! I'm grateful to be a part of such a creative, kind, inherently treacherous band of probably-humans.