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About Blood on the Clocktower
Blood on the Clocktower is Steven Medway's social deduction game for large groups, run by a storyteller who knows every role. Townsfolk try to find and execute the Demon; the Demon and its Minions kill at night and lie by day. Almost every player has a unique ability, the storyteller can feed misinformation, and dying does not remove you from the game. It is the most complete answer yet to Werewolf's problems.
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Is Blood on the Clocktower Right for You?
Best for
Blood on the Clocktower is for large groups who love social deduction and want a version that rewards careful reasoning as well as bluffing. It needs a confident storyteller and a table of at least ten to shine, and it is most rewarding with a regular group willing to learn the roles. Players who found Werewolf too random or too quick to eliminate them are the natural audience.
Maybe skip it if…
It needs a storyteller who learns a lot of rules, and a game can run close to two hours. Small groups and players who dislike lying or being lied to should skip it. It is also a poor fit for a casual crowd that wants a quick game between other things.
How to Play Blood on the Clocktower
Setup
The storyteller chooses a script and hands out character tokens in secret, recording everything in the grimoire.
On Your Turn
- At night, the storyteller wakes characters in order to use their abilities, and the Demon chooses a victim.
- By day, players talk in public and in private, then nominate and vote on executions.
- A nomination with votes from at least half the living players, and more than any other, sends that player to execution.
How to Win
Good wins when the Demon dies. Evil wins when only two players are left alive.
💡 Strategy Tips
Share information early, even if you suspect it is false. Dead players still talk and keep one final vote, so a first-night death is not the end of your game.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Keeping information to yourself. Good players win by sharing what they know, even if some of it turns out to be false.
- Assuming dead players are out. They keep talking and have one final vote, which can decide the game.
- Trusting every ability result. Some characters can be drunk or poisoned, and the storyteller can give them false information.
- Running a first game on a complex script. Trouble Brewing is the intended starting point for new groups.
Advanced Strategy
- As the Demon, choose night victims to protect your story, not just to remove threats.
- Private conversations are the core of the game. Talk to everyone at least once each day, and compare what different people tell you in private with what they claim in public.
- Build worlds, not just suspects. Ask which combination of roles would explain every claim at once.
- Save your ghost vote for the final days when a single vote can decide an execution.
Variants & House Rules
Travellers
Special characters for players who arrive late or must leave early. Everyone knows their character but not their alignment.
Bad Moon Rising and Sects & Violets
The two more advanced scripts in the base box, after Trouble Brewing. Each changes how the town finds the Demon.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Blood on the Clocktower fixes most of social deduction's old problems by keeping dead players in the game and giving everyone something to do. It needs a committed storyteller and a big group, but with both it creates tense, memorable evenings in which the final vote is argued over long after the game ends. For large regular groups, we think it is the best game of its kind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need?
The box is built for a large group plus a storyteller, and it is at its best with ten or more players.
Is the storyteller a player?
No. The storyteller runs the game, knows every role and does not win or lose.
Who designed it?
Steven Medway. It is published by The Pandemonium Institute.