Blood on the Clocktower

The Pandemonium Institute • 2022

A social deduction game run by a Storyteller, designed for 5-20 players. Each player gets a character token with a unique ability — some are good Townsfolk, some are evil Minions, and one is the Demon trying to kill the town. During the night phase, the Storyteller taps players on the shoulder to use their abilities: the Empath learns how many of their neighbours are evil, the Ravenkeeper gets to check one player when they die, the Poisoner secretly invalidates someone's information. During the day, the town talks, accuses, and votes to execute someone. What separates it from Werewolf: dead players still participate. They can talk, argue, and vote (once). This single rule change fixes the biggest complaint about social deduction — nobody sits out for 45 minutes. The Storyteller isn't neutral. They tweak the game in real time, deciding how abilities interact and keeping things interesting. A good Storyteller makes the game feel like a story arc with rising tension. A bad Storyteller makes it feel arbitrary. There are three difficulty tiers of character scripts. Trouble Brewing is for new groups. Sects & Violets adds poisoned information and confusion. Bad Moon Rising is about damage prevention and healing. Each plays very differently. It's an event game, not a filler. Expect 60-90 minutes per game, plus 15 minutes of setup and explanation. But with the right group, it's the best large-group deduction game that exists.