What The Werewolf Game Teaches Us About Us
The uninformed majority will lose against the informed minority.
For decades, the tobacco industry suppressed research on the harmful effects of smoking, misleading the public about the risks. Despite the eventual public awareness, their influence and lobbying efforts delayed regulations for many years. Arguably, the public lost.
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932–1972) saw the US Public Health Service deceived Black men into participating in a study on syphilis, withholding treatment even after a cure was available. This unethical experiment exploited the participants’ lack of knowledge and access to healthcare. Arguably, the community lost.
While hindsight is 20/20, these two events show us how the uninformed majority will lose against the informed minority. Yes, we can make the argument that policies today drive a more successful preservation of life. But that was not the case during the running of the event. Dimitry Davidoff had theorised this. In fact, he made a social deduction game to prove it.
Dimitry Davidoff’s social deduction game, Werewolf, was his creation. Some people are more fmailiar with the adaption of the game “Mafia.” While this article is not diving into the history of the game, it is focused on what the game shows us about humanity. Dimitry Davidoff wanted to show that an informed minority (the werewolves) when pitted against an uninformed majority (the villagers) will usually win. While the setup suggests an inevitable victory for the “knowing few,” a closer look reveals a more nuanced insight of trust, deception, and dynamics of groupthink.
Each player receives a secret role, and the game unfolds in two phases:
Night: The werewolves silently choose villagers to eliminate.
Day: Villagers gather to discuss, accuse, and vote to “kill” a suspected werewolf.
The game functions with deception, deduction, and cunning. These are key, as villagers strive to unmask the hidden threat before they lose.
The villagers win if they kill all the werewolves. The werewolves win if they kill all but two villagers.
This version of Werewolf is reliant on guesswork for villagers. With limited information, identifying the first targets feels random. Therefore, voting becomes a constant blind exercise, much like today in election cycles. Yet, this simplicity offers valuable insights into human behavior. It exposes the dangers of groupthink and highlights how fear and suspicion will snowball into mass hysteria.
This social deduction game serves to examine the two complex social phenomena of groupthink and mass hysteria. Here, “werewolves” manipulate an uninformed majority so they can win the game. Villagers attempt to make the right decisions so they can survive another round. Here, we observe dynamics that echo real-world instances of panic and decision-making.
Mass hysteria is a contagious phenomenon characterized by collective irrationality and panic. More specifically, mass hysteria, as leveraged by the werewolves, solidifies in their victory. Within the gameplay, we witness the human tendency to succumb to panic. When villagers rely on limited information to identify werewolves, it leads to blind accusations. This embodies the characteristics of mass hysteria. Dangerously, it is this mass hysteria where a fraction of the group is immune from the consequences. Here, it is the werewolves. Villagers’ fear spreads like wildfire, leading to irrational decisions. This collective blind mirrors common features of real-world mass hysteria. From witch hunts to contemporary online rumor mills, group behavior tends to be the same. As historical cases show, once fear and suspicion grip a group, the truth gets buried.
Groupthink is another insidious social dynamic mirrored in the Werewolf game. Group think refers to the tendency of individuals within a group to suppress dissenting opinions in favor of achieving group consensus. (Yousef A. Valine 2018) The game mechanics create fertile ground for this phenomenon. Villagers, lacking information and relying on each other for survival, will succumb to the majority’s view. This will occur even one villager is harboring doubts internally. Often, if most villagers suspect someone as a werewolf, others might join the suspicion out of fear of being ostracized. This also happens today. The desire for group acceptance and fear of isolation are key drivers of groupthink. There is very little immunity from it since the drivers usually act in our subconscious. This often leads to a loss of independent thinking and irrational decision-making. Groupthink often overlooks crucial information and diversity, leading to disastrous consequences.
The core mechanic of this game hinges on limited information and intuition to identify the werewolves. Those two features drive the problems of mass hysteria and group think. This leads to blind accusations and voting, mirroring the defining characteristics of groupthink. (Xiaoheng Bi et al. 2016) Just as villagers succumb to the loudest accusation, real-world groups are susceptible to manipulation and misinformation. Historical events like witch hunts and moral panics highlight the destructive nature of groupthink, where panic is exploited. (L. B. Liberati 2001)
Werewolf cleverly exploits our primal need for safety and belonging. Fear amplifies anxieties, obfuscates facts, and sows seeds of suspicion. Through familiarity, the community grows distrustful and they ostracize dissenters. A mere cough in the game can brand someone a werewolf. Real-world differences can lead to labelling and exclusion.
While the game exposes the darker aspects of behaviours, it also offers a reflection. We recognize the power of unchecked suspicion and the importance of critical thinking. Here, we can simulate the reactions of the uninformed majority.
Both mass hysteria and groupthink highlight the fragility of human decision-making. Especially in the face of fear, uncertainty, and social pressure. By studying these dynamics within the game it shows more about society that we would like. It shows the pitfalls of human behavior and the importance of critical thinking. The lessons learned from the Werewolf game extend beyond the game. It urges us to remain vigilant against the problems of mass hysteria and group think. For those two will distort judgement and lead to collective irrationality.
Or maybe there is very little in the way of collective irrationality when information is susceptible to manipulation.
Within its framework, hidden “werewolves” will manipulate an uninformed majority. This mirrors the dynamics of societal echo chambers where confirmation bias reigns supreme. Perhaps that drives groupthink. Villagers, lacking complete information, rely on selective clues and emotional responses to make a decision. Often, villagers will sway towards narratives that align with their preconceived notions. Concerningly, this will happen as emotions are easier to target than logic. Mirroring real-world tendency gravitates towards like-minded communities and fosters “filter bubbles” that reinforce existing beliefs and hinder exposure to diverse perspectives. (A Burns, 2021)
The game also highlights the tendency to succumb to emotions in the face of uncertainty. Villagers will prioritize safety and social acceptance over rigorous analysis. When time is limited, this tendency becomes more visible. This parallels real-world scenarios where emotional and factual manipulation sway collective opinion. This leads to irrational decision-making by the majority.
The human tendency to decide using subtle cues under pressure plays a critical role in werewolf dynamics. We can observe this mimicked in society. The first-round introductions often serve as a “stress test.” This is where inconsistencies in behavior might flag potential werewolves. However, this is easily manipulated. This highlights the value of standardized routines in identifying deviations that indicate deception. People employ similar tactics in the real-world. These include, but are not limited to, transparency and protective measures. But, like any protective measure, the effectiveness diminishes over time as individuals adapt to their behaviors. This underlines the arms race between deception and detection, where tactics constantly evolve and counter-adaptations are developed. (U Geezy, 2005)
While seemingly only a game, Werewolf serves as a rich platform for exploring complex social dynamics and behaviors. By analyzing these dynamics, we gain valuable insights into real-world scenarios where similar challenges and strategies come into play. This fosters a deeper understanding of human behavior in group settings. Considering these dynamics is important as they are reflected in society.
Perhaps the construct of this game was never meant to be just a game. It was meant as a reflection on group think mechanics, hysteria, and the select few.
It puts more meaning of “Wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
References
Xiaoheng Bi et al, 2016, Human-Side Strategies in the Werewolf Game Against the Stealth Werewolf Strategy
L. B. Liberati, 2001, Witch-hunts and Corriere della Sera : a conservative perception of American political values in Cold War Italy: The 1950s
Yousef A. Valine, 2018, Why cultures fail: The power and risk of Groupthink
A Burns, 2021, Echo chambers? Filter bubbles? The misleading metaphors that obscure the real problem
U Geezy, 2005, Deception: The Role of Consequences
