By Peter Pavarini
Although I’ve never played it, I recently learned about a board game named “Werewolf: The Party Game for Devious People”.[i]
As all of my friends know, aside from an occasional Scrabble match, I’m not much of a gamer. But, for reasons stated below, I’m intrigued by the premise of Werewolves and Villagers.
Werewolves in Western Culture
Like ghosts, witches and vampires, werewolves have been important part of Western mythology since ancient times. Their very existence is meant to be a warning that the dark side of human nature can transform a person into a monstrous killer.[ii]
The Werewolf game is based on the notion that, in the absence of a sound defensive plan and benevolent leadership, ordinary people (“Villagers”) will succumb to unknown predators living among them. In order to win the game, the Villagers are required to eliminate every Werewolf, while the Werewolves only need to eliminate enough Villagers to outnumber them.
Typically, at the start of every game, the Werewolves are outnumbered by the Villagers by at least 2 to 1. While posing as Villagers, those selected as Werewolves must decide each night which of the Villagers they wish to kill. As the game unfolds, this smaller number of Werewolves must attempt to eat all of the Villagers without getting caught, and the Villagers must try to survive while catching Werewolves in the act.[iii]
Some of the game’s participants play other roles, such as Moderator, Seer or Medic, but the real battle is between the Werewolves and the Villagers. An individual Villager stands no chance against a Werewolf. Only by banding together can a community of Villagers save themselves. To make things even more interesting, Villagers know that every participant is allowed to lie in order to disguise his or her true identity; except for one Villager who is required to always tells the truth in order to save the entire village.
A Brief History of Minority vs. Majority Rule
Throughout recorded history, being ruled by a minority has been justified in a number of ways. Among these reasons are: “might makes right” (the threat of violence keeps a minority in power); “divine right” (religion compels people to be subservient to an anointed leader); and “benevolent dictatorships” (someone’s superior intelligence or enlightenment elevates them to being in charge of everyone else).
In contrast to minority rule, democracies have, at least in theory, placed governmental authority in the hands of those being governed. Most people assume democracy is the same as being ruled by the will of the majority; however, that is fundamentally wrong. For any group of people to rule themselves, a number of prerequisites must also be established and faithfully followed.
First among these democratic principles is the Rule of Law. It is the Rule of Law that stands between democracy and the tyranny of the masses.[iv] Our Founders understood this when they crafted the U.S. Constitution and selected a republican form of government – not a pure democracy.[v]
Secondly, even in a democracy, to protect the rights of minorities, majority rule is limited. Unlimited majority rule can be just as despotic as the unchecked rule of an autocrat or elitist minority political party. Those not in the majority must be given ways to express their views and defend their interests. Therefore, in any representative form of government, those entrusted with decision-making power must strike a balance between the rights of the majority and the rights of any minority. Beyond that, the culture of a democratic society must also be inclusive.
The people of ancient Athens are said to have been the first to experiment with the novel idea of democracy.[vi] They had the advantage of a common language, religion and culture, a shared history, and various shared rituals. Modern Americans have some of these prerequisites but, at the same time, we value our diversity – that is, people from various cultures entering American society at different times and under different circumstances. Consequently, today we have a fractured sense of what it means to be an American. We have also been challenged by the growing disparity between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, American-born and foreign-born.
The Authoritarian Playbook
The Latin expression argumentum ad populum, that is, appealing to the people, is the basis for arguing something is true or good because most people think it is. Whenever one hears something has “widespread acceptance”, watch out! Even before the Internet Age, it was well known that a lie could travel halfway around the world while the truth was still putting on its shoes. Today, misinformation can go viral worldwide in a matter of seconds.
Knowing this, in order to stop the rise of populism, those who claim to be “saving democracy” frequently engage in the same authoritarian tactics they’ve previously condemned:
- Politicizing independent institutions
- Spreading disinformation
- Enlarging executive power to undermine the checks and balances of the other branches of government
- Quashing dissent
- Marginalizing disfavored communities
- Corrupting the electoral process
- Stoking violence[vii]
Saying that they represent the majority, vocal minorities have proven adept at spreading propaganda which is popularly accepted but, in reality, represents a distinct minority viewpoint.[viii]
The Silent Majority
President Richard Nixon was credited with coining the term “silent majority” in his speech from the Oval Office on November 3, 1969.[ix] At the time, he was attempting to speak for the vast number of conservative Americans who weren’t protesting the Vietnam War. But as recently as 2017, Progressives have claimed that they are the new silent majority[x]. It seems that whenever a particular political party is out of power, it waves the silent majority flag.
Yet, despite the intense political polarization of the past decade or so, there’s always a bona fide silent majority. Many of these people rarely vote[xi] much less participate in the public debate over issues and candidates. They certainly don’t tweet or reveal their opinions on Facebook or TikTok. Others who do vote may still be “shy voters” – people who don’t broadcast their views in polls or interviews. Many pundits and celebrities in the media have the hutzpah to speak for these invisible people, but in truth the vocal minority fears the power America’s silent majority. These “unwashed masses” are the Villagers in our game – unassuming, generally content to stay out of the limelight – simply wanting to live quiet lives.
There Are Werewolves in Our Midst
Say what you will about the good character of most Americans, it’s hard to deny there are werewolves among us. Motivated by ideologies or instincts they consider virtuous, werewolves have no problem disrupting or destroying normal societal conventions in order to achieve their goals. For example, when a longstanding tradition stands in the way of desired socioeconomic change, they will often sweep aside such practice with little regard for the harm it causes others. Werewolves firmly believe that the sacrifice of individual rights is a small price to pay for what they see as the greater good.
Villagers, on the other hand, are generally non-confrontational and try to find peaceful ways to accommodate the will of the werewolves. Villagers are inclined to be tolerant of unconventional or even objectionable behavior in order to preserve the domestic tranquility. Even though Villagers almost always outnumber the Werewolves, they are not easily provoked and are very difficult to organize. In the absence of a leader willing and able to speak the truth, they are nearly defenseless against the Werewolves.
What It Takes to Win
As stated above, I’ve never played the board game version of Werewolves and Villagers, but I understand from those who have, Villagers lacking experience with this game rarely win. Only when they are organized under the leadership of someone who understands the deceptive and ruthless ways of the Werewolves do the Villagers have a fighting chance. Even then, they must be willing to eliminate each and every Werewolf, including friends and neighbors they thought were Villagers.
[i] “Werewolf” by Stellar Factory, www.playwerewolf.com.
[ii] Shape-shifter myths like this are also found in certain non-Western cultures such as the Navajo’s Skinwalker.
[iii] Kulpa Rules for Playing Werewolf.pdf, www.learningoutcomesassessment.org.
[iv] Attributed to Alec de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America (1835-40)
[v] James Madison, Federalist No. 39.
[vi] In 507 BC, under the leadership of Cleisthenes, the citizens of Athens developed a system of popular rule thought to be the first “democracy”. All adult male citizens (only 10-15% of the population) were allowed to vote.
[vii] The Authoritarian Playbook, United to Protect Democracy, June 15, 2022.
[viii] Richard A. Epstein, “A Dubious Commitment to ‘Saving Democracy,’” Hoover Institution, April 22. 2024.
[ix] The Great Silent Majority, Richard Nixon Foundation, www.youtube.com
[x] Bill Moyers, “Progressives are the new silent majority”, January 19, 2017, www.billmoyers.com .
[xi] About 66% of the voting-eligible population voted in the 2020 presidential election. See H. Hartig, A. Daniller, S. Keeter & T. Van Green, “Voting Patterns in the 2022 Elections”, July 12, 2023, Pew Research Center.
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