From Pop. 1280 to The Werewolf Game

The werewolf game.

Also known as the Mafia Game.

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟲.

The game models a conflict between two groups: an informed minority (the mafiosi) and an uninformed majority.

𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹.

The game has two phases: night and day.

At night, certain players secretly perform special actions.

During day, players discuss and vote to eliminate one player. 

These phases alternate with each other until all mafiosi (Werewolves) have been eliminated or they reach numerical parity with the innocents (Villagers.)

What strikes me about this game is the parallels to life.

𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁.

𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀.

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

When parity or majority has been reached, the Werewolves move in and establish order.

The order THEY want established.

Very reminiscent of current society.

With most of the population reacting to social media and news negatively.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀.

Before Dmitri Davidoff, there was Jim Thompson.

Jim Thompson published the novel Pop. 1280 in 1964.

In Pop 1280, the Sheriff of the town of Pottsville, Nick Corey, has the residents believing he simple minded and incompetent.

Nick Corey is very smart, and cunning and calculated. And he’s slowly maneuvering certain residents of Pottsville toward certain events like chess pieces,for an outcome I won’t spoil for you. You need to read this outstanding crime novel to appreciate what Jim Thompson accomplishes here.

But I mention it here to draw paralells between the Werewolf game and Nick Corey, who preys on a town of people ignorant of Nick’s true intentions, who refuse to look beyond the surface image he presents.