Blood on the Clocktower Review

[@charlestheel2925]

Played this for the first time at Gen Con. We ended up playing for nearly four hours. It was so damn good.

[@davemeyer8627]

Same here! I had seen it played online and a lot of NRB KZbin and even then I bought the game without even playing it. But Gen Con and Deception Alley let me physically play for the first time and it was a blast. I do agree with Joel though, 7 is the minimum. We played one at the JW Marriot open gaming with 5 (this was first live game) and I was the Imp. Bad thing with 5? The demon doesn't know the minion and vice versa. That makes it REALLY difficult for the Imp to succeed. In fact, I had convinced my minion so much that I was the Monk that he poisoned me the first two nights. It didn't help that I came out and led others at the table to believe that "my power didn't work" last night so you died. I must be poisoned or drunk when in fact, I was the demon that killed him. So, my poisoner continued to poison me for another night before I was put on the block the next day by the fortune teller. (one of the VERY strong roles that isn't suited for 5). Still, we had a great time, and came out with stories to tell afterwards. Can't wait to play this one again.

[@rosskonopaski9824]

I've been playing this on zoom since 2020 - i have to have over 100 plays of it (yeah, i know, crazy) and I still can't get enough of it. I also love that it appeals to all different types of people. Artistic folks, logic puzzlers, the generally confused - this game has something for everyone (potentially). You're absolutely right Joel - it's a lifestyle game!

[@leehodgson1969]

wow , looks incredible . I had always thought this was a legacy werewolf type game ... i wish i had a chance to experience this in all its glory with a full player count .. unfortunately i will not ..

[@chrisdonovan8795]

I am generally not swayed by extras. However, this game not only looks great, but it's extremely well thought out. There are many token icons that help keep game details straight in complex situations. There are story teller aide sheets for setup and play. There are a couple of pounds(!) of beautiful, full page guide sheets for players, for each scenario. The felt book system works well to keep tokens in place. I would like to add that the game is designed to be played in a circle with no table in the center. A table makes it difficult to access players at "night" and it makes the circular voting rule a little more difficult. I'm sure it can be played with a table; it's just not ideal.

[@DriveThruReview]

Yep. We experienced that re: the table. I made it work though :)

[@elqord.1118]

I love the idea of this game but will never have a big enough group to play this with and repeatedly...also the fact that it requires a story teller makes it even more difficult.

[@Webhead123]

I really want to drive home agreement with you on several points. A) This is really a game for 8+ players (7 players + 1 moderator). I have played a 6 player game and everyone did enjoy it...but we recognized *immediately* that the game is very limited by a lower player count. The game dynamic changes so drastically below that 7 player threshold that I'd really rather just play a different social deduction game if I have fewer than a full cast of 7. B) It is absolutely the kind of game that is served best by a group that knows each other, plays it together multiple times and is fully invested in the style and tone of it all. A "lifestyle" game is probably a good way to put it. Not that it isn't friendly to newcomers but it is the kind of game where the richness emerges the more you play it. C) Understanding how to effectively moderate the game both in a rules sense and in how to manage your physical "game space" is important. Just a little bit of forethought and organization goes a long way toward making for a smoother, more enjoyable experience. But if you are the kind of player that likes this style of social deduction and hidden roles and you have access to a semi-regular group of 8+ members...this game is an absolute treat! I'm in the process of trying to get a regular group together to play it online via the official app, which makes getting larger gatherings together so much easier these days.

[@stbenc]

Sounds like you enjoyed your plays even though i think you should lose the table next time. Hard to understand from your review if you used a shrunken script of characters sometimes called Teensyville.. that is advised for 5-6 player games to allow a concentrated play of the game. Not so much bloat and guessing about what is in the game. This is currently my #1 game of all time, i ran 12 hours of games at local con with different groups of players and got overwhelming positive feedback.. i prefer 8-12 as the best player counts, games range from 60-90 minutes. As a Storyteller i agree i love the experience of watching my players try and figure out the world i have create. What narrative is in the selection of characters for the base script. My favorite part is after the ending of the game and we announce the winners and I get the request for a rundown. Then i reveal everyone’s characters for the final time along with some narrative elements of choices they made. The conversations this game creates afterward are wonderful as players see what was happening right before their eyes. As you said it benefits from a Storyteller who knows the game well and having a regular group whom you know will also help.

[@mikolajwitkowski8093]

One of the very few games where I am sure that I will never play it.

[@arthursimsa9005]

Because…? And how is that comment interesting enough to garner likes?

[@darbyl3872]

I skipped the first part, but excellent review. The game is "lifestyle", I guess, because it takes experience to get better at it, like chess. Unlike chess, there is enough randomness so that anyone can win or have small achievements along the way. Invest is a good term to describe how someone gets more from the game the more they learn about it. It takes playing or watching several games to get an idea of what to expect in future games. Some games can fall flat with a quick victory or new players just going through the motions, without adding their own tactics. Once you realize that you can steer the game by having more experience and speaking up more, the investment starts to pay off. Also, you can have fun and make it a social event, not just a cutthroat battle. For me, it's more about smiles and laughs, so that's what I try to stir up when I play.

[@lankatr]

The way you describe moderation is not how it works on BOTC. You don't need to calle very role like you do in WW, you wake up people silently by tapping them on the shoulder / knee when it's their turn to wake up. Wake up turn order also matters, you can't just go in a circle as you say. Also, I suggest playing without a table, and just people sitting in the circle - so you can walk in the middle. BOTC is my favourite game of all time now but I agree I almost enjoy watching / storytelling more than playing.

[@DriveThruReview]

Ya... we found that we can do it a few different ways honestly, mostly dependent on the layout of the room and how much we want to mess with the meta.

[@dhunter703]

It'd really be worth checking out some of the Teensyville (5-6 player only) scripts. They definitely have a different feel than the bigger scripts, but are lots of fun as well

[@DriveThruReview]

We basically started with that but the Investigator and Empath should NOT be used in a five player game imo... unless you want it to only go one night :)

[@ifuj]

@@DriveThruReview There's specific scripts that are only for playing teensyvilles. Check them out. They aren't included with the game.

[@stbenc]

@@DriveThruReview But just having the two characters you mentioned on the script is huge. If you don’t have them as the characters handed out Investigator or Empath would be awesome bluffs for evil to point the finger.. so there’s the balance. Also with the ever looming threat of Drunkeness and Poisoning how can those players who become Empath or Investigator trust there info. Maybe an experienced player as an evil role could tear that info apart. ;) As said in my own reply, i love this game and will defend it to the end lol. I can see how it isn’t for everybody, but I have also seen players come around over time. Really think you should play this at higher player counts before putting the final review on this… perhaps revisit it at a later date

[@DriveThruReview]

@@stbenc Review-wise there's really no need. Our group has played easily 100 games of Werewolf style games. A lot of our discussion made into the final thoughts. I think my review was actually pretty favorable to be honest. Right now, it's real tough for us to field 7+ people that will play a game like this. But, I do think this is best with a dedicated group. This isn't something you can just pick and play once in a while and get everything it has to offer.

[@simonpryor877]

@Drive Thru Games I can see how empath could be strong, but I struggle to see how Investigator would be overpowered in a 5p game. Investigator sees two players one of which is a minion. Even if the info is good it doesn’t point to a demon, or necessarily away from one. Empath is strong but of course can be bluffed, can be Drunk so with enough plays you’ll likely find it loses its power

[@mrdarlok]

Nice review/walk through. What was the most you ended up playing with? i wasn't sure if u only ended up playing with 5 or you were ever actually a player? I think your thoughts/review likely wouldn't change too much but i've run a handful of games online and played it about 3x's in person. I enjoyed all of the games, but ultimately i've found two things, when i played online i chose the roles for the players in my group which i think set us up for a more interesting game. I also found that playing with a larger group and thus many more roles def made it a lot more interesting, you wanted to have chats with folks during the day phase but given time/numbers constraints you couldnt meet with everyone and that also was a fun strategy that i used. 'ah we didnt get to chat today, let's hopefully chat 'tomorrow!'. I was the imp in one game and quickly aligned with the groups trusted empath would was well positioned between my two minions which i had to throw under the bus. It all made for a really fun experience. I 100% agree this is a lifestyle game and i think ultimately if you love the resistance and social deduction games as well as have a group willing to invest the time to play this then i think it's a great experience. It's kind of like when i see people investing a ton of time/money into boardgame versions of d&d, my recommendation would be to just play d&d, this imo is that d&d experience of social deduction games. Lastly, we've used a bag in the beginning to have users draw their role.

[@DriveThruReview]

We capped out at five and I've still only played as moderator. I actually am still of the mind that I just want to keep being the moderator. We theory crafted the heck out of our last two games, and everyone around the table was really excited to play with more... but for our group currently, it's hard to get a head count that high all at once.

[@rosskonopaski9824]

There are resources for custom scripts and script builders if you want them. I can pass them along if you like!

[@DriveThruReview]

Sure! I've seen a few on their website. But, I've not seen the creation tools. If you want to send them to "eekamouse" on BGG, I'll appreciate it.

[@rosskonopaski9824]

@@DriveThruReview Sent!

[@burglekutt23]

I hope I get to play this at a con or something. As much as I want to get a copy for myself I know it would be an extreme long shot I’d ever get at least 7 people who would be in enough to ride it out and get the full experience over multiple plays

[@davemeyer8627]

It's also tough if you do get the game that you'll have to get the rules down and be the Storyteller for quite some time before getting someone else comfortable enough to do it. I've never been a DM or run a game of Werewolf so it is a bit intimating to give this one a shot and worry about messing up something during the night. But if there's a game to get me to try it, it's this one..

[@KabukiKid]

Poor Billy. ;-)

[@DriveThruReview]

He's the Imp IRL.

[@ewm7347]

the trick is finding the Billy

[@Caratacus1]

I've watched a few of the No Rolls Barred gang's BOTC KZbin vids. If you wanted to learn some more moderating skills they might be useful. They also do prove your theory that it's just fun watching. However I've no idea how you can knock a game out in half an hour - the NRB ones seem to go on for three hours minimum! Although I enjoy the NRB vids I can't see me ever playing BOTC because it's just too much social deduction for my tastes. There's a limit on how much effort I want to put into lying and also on maybe accusing a dozen people. I still get flashbacks from a 5+ hour game of Battlestar Galactica where I had to lie from minute 1 😁 BOTC is convoluted and definitely seems like social deduction turned up to the max!

[@simonpryor877]

The NRB videos are actually edited in a way that makes them last longer (I.e. multiple conversations happening simultaneously are played one after another). Also their way of playing is designed around content rather than just gameplay, so they are given vastly more time to discuss, engage in banter and bits (sock-puppets etc.) and so veers a lot from how the game is intended to be played, with fairly strict time constraints set by the storyteller.

[@toddhunter123]

This is now my favourite game of all time. … Good times

[@Valcurdra]

This game always just seemed like too much for me, cool concept, but realistically never going to reach its peak in my gaming lifestyle, great to see people are enjoying it though.