Night Council

Name and Purpose

Night Council is a social deduction game that builds reading of social cues, persuasion, and group decision-making.
Players practise listening carefully and thinking critically about who to trust.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Materials

Quick-Run Card

One player is the Narrator. All others are Villagers in the circle.
Narrator quietly taps two players: one becomes the Shadower, one becomes the Protector.
Night phase: all Villagers close their eyes. Shadower wakes and points to a target. Protector wakes and points to someone to save.
Day phase: Narrator announces the result. If the Shadower and Protector chose the same person, no one is affected.
The affected player makes one guess about who the Shadower is. Correct guess ends the round. Wrong guess, the game continues.

Setup and Boundaries

Seat everyone in a circle where the Narrator can walk around the outside.
Signal: Narrator saying “Night falls” = all close eyes. “Day breaks” = all open eyes.
Remind players before the game: the Narrator’s word is final on all outcomes.

How to Play

One player volunteers to be the Narrator and sits or stands outside the circle.
All Villagers close their eyes. The Narrator announces: “One tap means Shadower. Two taps mean Protector.”
The Narrator quietly walks around and taps two different players to assign roles. All other Villagers remain untapped.
Night phase: Narrator says “Shadower, wake up.” The Shadower opens their eyes and silently points to a target. Narrator notes the choice. Narrator says “Shadower, sleep.”
Narrator says “Protector, wake up.” The Protector opens their eyes and silently points to someone to save. Narrator notes the choice. Narrator says “Protector, sleep.”
Day phase: Narrator says “Day breaks. Everyone open your eyes.”
If the Shadower and Protector chose different people, the Narrator announces that the chosen Villager had an eventful night and now takes a rest as an Advisor.
The Advisor does not leave the game. They sit just outside the circle and may whisper one hint or observation to the Narrator each round.
The affected player may guess who the Shadower is before becoming an Advisor. A correct guess ends the round. An incorrect guess, the game continues.
If the Shadower and Protector chose the same person, the Narrator announces a quiet night. No one is affected.
The round ends when the Shadower is correctly identified, or when the Narrator decides to wrap up.

Second Circle / Re-entry

Advisors remain seated at the edge of the circle. They stay engaged by whispering hints to the Narrator each round. No player is ever truly out of the game.

I-OPt Options

A (Active): Take on the Shadower or Protector role and play strategically.
S (Support): Play as a Villager focused on listening and helping the group decide.
Q (Quiet): Play as a Villager without speaking up in group discussions.
O (Observer): Sit with the Narrator as a co-Narrator or scorekeeper and learn the mechanics before joining as a Villager next round.

Inclusion Adaptations

Stewardship Moment

No materials used, no cleanup required.
Prompt: “This whole game ran on conversation and listening. What does that tell us about what we are capable of together?”

Consent

Pre-brief: “This game involves secret roles and social guessing. For those not comfortable with being in the spotlight during guessing rounds, the Narrator or co-Narrator role is a great option where you guide rather than guess.”
Mid-game check: After the first round, pause. “Does everyone understand the flow? Anything to adjust?”
Opt-out/re-entry: Any player may pass their turn to guess. Players may re-enter as a Villager at the start of a new round.

Risks and Mitigation

Narrator making up gruesome or overly dramatic elimination stories: brief the Narrator beforehand to keep announcements simple and light. “A Villager had an eventful night” is enough.
Players feeling singled out or embarrassed when affected: frame it as joining the Advisor team, a valued role, not a loss.
Dominant players controlling all group discussion: Narrator may call on quieter players directly. “Let’s hear from someone who has not spoken yet.”

Warm-Up Suggestions

“Who Changed?”: one person steps outside; the group changes one small thing about their appearance. The person returns and guesses what changed. Builds observation.
“Two Truths, One Story”: each player shares two true things and one made-up thing. Group guesses which is made up. Builds social reading skills.

Debrief Questions

What? “What clues did you use to figure out who the Shadower might be?”
So What? “How did trust and suspicion play out in the group? Did anyone surprise you?”
Now What? “When do you use these observation skills in everyday life?”

Cleanup and Reset