Blood on the Clocktower
Modern social-deduction game (2022) by STEVEN MEDWAY / THE PANDEMONIUM INSTITUTE. 5-20 players in a fictional village where the Good team (villagers) tries to identify + execute the Demon before nightly kills eliminate them; Evil team tries to bluff their way to the last night. Uses a live STORYTELLER (game master) + hidden character sheets + intricate day/night phases + ~30 unique roles per script. Considered by many the deepest party/social-deduction game ever made — a Werewolf/Mafia successor that even allows DEAD players to keep playing. 60-120 min.
What is Blood on the Clocktower?
BLOOD ON THE CLOCKTOWER is a MODERN SOCIAL-DEDUCTION party game (Kickstarter 2019; retail release 2022) by STEVEN MEDWAY, published by THE PANDEMONIUM INSTITUTE. Widely regarded as one of the DEEPEST + MOST INNOVATIVE social-deduction games ever created — a spiritual successor to WEREWOLF / MAFIA / ONE NIGHT ULTIMATE WEREWOLF but with far more depth, replayability, + design elegance. GAMEPLAY: 5-20 players in a fictional VILLAGE of the town of RAVENSWOOD BLUFF. A dedicated STORYTELLER (game master, does not win/lose) hands out character cards randomly. Players are split into TOWNSFOLK (good, ~most players), OUTSIDERS (good but disruptive), MINIONS (evil), + one DEMON (evil). The GOOD team wins if the Demon is executed; the EVIL team wins if only 2 players remain alive (or specific alt conditions). DAY/NIGHT CYCLE: Each round has a NIGHT phase (players close eyes; Storyteller wakes character abilities individually) + a DAY phase (public discussion + private conversations + one player is NOMINATED + voted for execution). Executed players die but CONTINUE PLAYING as GHOSTS with limited voting power — a signature BOTC design decision that keeps everyone engaged. INFORMATION: Character abilities give players PARTIAL INFORMATION that may be TRUE or FALSE (Storyteller decides which information to give based on script + game state to keep games balanced). This creates deep BLUFFING, DEDUCTION, + STORYTELLING dynamics. SCRIPTS: The game ships with 3 official scripts — TROUBLE BREWING (25 characters, beginner), BAD MOON RISING (25 characters, intermediate — demon kills each night), + SECT & VIOLET (25 characters, advanced — information manipulation). Custom scripts + community scripts add hundreds more characters. GAME LENGTH: 60-120 min depending on player count. BEST AT 8-15 PLAYERS. WEIGHT: BGG weight ~2.7/5 but STRATEGIC DEPTH is enormous. RECEPTION: Widely praised by the social-deduction community as the DEFINITIVE modern game in the genre. BGG top-500 (peaking ~#200); massive online community; regular tournaments + streamed play. Online version at bloodontheclocktower.com. Physical box (~$150) is deluxe with wooden pieces + storyteller screen.
Quick facts
Category
Party Games
Type
Team sport
Players
5–20
Duration
~90 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Circle of chairs + Storyteller area
Country of origin
🇦🇺 Australia
Estimated origin
Kickstarter 2019; retail 2022 (Pandemonium Institute)
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Good team: identify + execute the Demon. Evil team: survive until only 2 players remain alive.
Rules
Basic rules
Storyteller distributes character cards (Townsfolk/Outsiders/Minions/Demon)
Randomized roles.
Day/Night alternating phases; discuss during day, roles act at night
Core game loop.
One execution per day via public nomination + vote
Community decision.
Executed players continue playing as ghosts with 1 vote remaining
Signature BOTC mechanic.
Storyteller feeds information (true or false) to characters per script + balance
Adaptive game master.
Good wins by executing Demon; Evil wins when 2 players remain
Multiple win conditions.
Scoring
Team-based win: Good executes Demon OR Evil reduces players to 2.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Good team executes the Demon | Good wins |
| Only 2 players remain alive | Evil wins |
| Specific character-triggered win conditions | Alternate wins |
Win condition · Whichever team achieves their objective first.
Playing area
Called
Circle of chairs + Storyteller area
Dimensions
Living room / social space
Players sit in a circle; Storyteller sits outside with grimoire (game info screen).
Equipment
Blood on the Clocktower physical box (deluxe, ~$150)
Wooden tokens + storyteller grimoire + character cards
3 official scripts (Trouble Brewing, Bad Moon Rising, Sect & Violet)
Character rosters
Character sheet handouts
Player role info
Voting tokens
For daytime execution votes
Online version at bloodontheclocktower.com
Digital play
Strategies
Good: share info liberally to build consensus
Info-sharing is the good team's edge.
Evil: bluff a good role convincingly
Claim roles + provide plausible info.
Storyteller: balance the game via info + kills
Adaptive GM keeps games close.
Track claim consistency across days
Bluffers slip on details.
Terminology
- Storyteller
- The game master; does not win/lose but runs the game.
- Grimoire
- Storyteller's information screen tracking all character states.
- Townsfolk / Outsider / Minion / Demon
- The 4 character types.
- Script
- A curated set of ~25 characters (Trouble Brewing, Bad Moon Rising, Sect & Violet).
- Ghost
- Executed player who continues playing with 1 vote remaining.
- Nomination
- Public accusation triggering an execution vote during day.
Major competitions
Online BOTC tournaments (community)
periodic · Global · since 2020
Streamed play (Twitch/YouTube)
ongoing · Online · since 2020
Where it is played
Governing bodies
The Pandemonium Institute (publisher)
Founded 2019 · Australia
Blood on the Clocktower online community
Founded 2020 · Online
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Steven Medway (Australian designer)
- The Pandemonium Institute team
- No Rolls Barred (BOTC streamers/content)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play Trouble Brewing script; experienced Storyteller helps
Simplest 25-character roster.
- 2
Watch streamed BOTC games (No Rolls Barred, others)
Learn the rhythms.
intermediate
- 1
Try Bad Moon Rising + custom scripts
Deeper roles.
Frequently asked
What is Blood on the Clocktower?+
Modern social-deduction game (2022) by STEVEN MEDWAY / THE PANDEMONIUM INSTITUTE. 5-20 players in a fictional village where the Good team (villagers) tries to identify + execute the Demon before nightly kills eliminate them; Evil team tries to bluff their way to the last night. Uses a live STORYTELLER (game master) + hidden character sheets + intricate day/night phases + ~30 unique roles per script. Considered by many the deepest party/social-deduction game ever made — a Werewolf/Mafia successor that even allows DEAD players to keep playing. 60-120 min.
BOTC vs Werewolf / Mafia — which is better?+
Both are social-deduction, but BOTC is FAR DEEPER + modernized. WEREWOLF/MAFIA (1980s Russian design): Simple; player-elimination-based; game ends for eliminated players (they sit out). BOTC (2022): 25-100+ unique characters per script; STORYTELLER-driven info (adaptive); dead players CONTINUE playing as ghosts (huge engagement boost); way more strategic depth. Werewolf is faster to teach + play (10-20 min) + great for casual groups. BOTC needs 60-120 min + a committed Storyteller but rewards with the DEEPEST social-deduction experience currently available. Serious social-deduction fans → BOTC. Casual groups → Werewolf/ONUW.
Sources & provenance
- Official — bloodontheclocktower.com— Pandemonium Institute
- BoardGameGeek — Blood on the Clocktower— BGG