This is a child-friendly social deduction game based on the Greek traditional “Πέφτει η νύχτα στο Παλέρμο.” It’s a cooperative card-based game and like cooperative games in general players work together to achieve a common goal rather than competing against each other, emphasizing teamwork, communication, and collective success or failure. In this specific game players form a village community. Most players are Lambs (community members). Two players are Wolves (a Hidden Wolf and a Visible Wolf). One player is the Shepherd, who secretly learns who the Visible Wolf is and tries to help the lambs.

The game alternates between Day (discussion + voting to remove someone) and Night (wolves “steal” a villager). The village wins by removing both wolves; wolves win by outnumbering lambs. In the special end case where only the Shepherd and one Wolf remain, the village wins because the Shepherd can “free the lambs.”

Connectedness-first adaptation: even though teams can “win/lose” the round, the class also plays for a Community Win: staying respectful, including voices, managing emotions, and repairing after mistakes.

Skill focus

Primary Skill Focus

• Connectedness

Complementary/Secondary Skill Focus

• Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
• Valuing people and nature
• Critical Thinking

Age group	Student number	Duration
8–10 years old (possible 7+ only with strong class bonding + very short rounds)	8–28 (best: 10–18) (or you can divide class into groups).	25–40 minutes (10–15 min. per round)

How to play – brief game rules

Roles (beginner set)

Lambs (majority)

• Goal: protect the village by identifying and voting out both wolves.
• Rule: lambs do not reveal cards.

Hidden Wolf (minority)

• Known only to the Visible Wolf during night.
• Goal: take over the village by “stealing” lambs at night and surviving votes.

Visible Wolf (minority)

• The Shepherd knows who this is.
• Goal: same as wolves, but must also watch out for the Shepherd’s influence during the day.

Shepherd (1 player)

• Learns who the Visible Wolf is during the first night signal.
• Goal: guide the community toward a wise decision without revealing identity.
• Key skill practice: calm leadership, careful language, protecting belonging.

Game phases (exact flow based on your rules)

0) Setup (Narrator/Teacher)

• Students sit in a circle.
• Narrator gives one secret role card to each student.
• Everyone silently looks at their own card.

Narration cue:

“Roles are costumes. People are always worthy. We play the role, but we respect the person.”

1. First Night (special: wolves meet + Shepherd learns Visible Wolf)

Narration cue (slow, calm):

“Night falls in the village. Everyone closes eyes. No talking, no moving.”

• Narrator: “Hidden Wolf and Visible Wolf, open your eyes and see each other.”
• Wolves silently follow instruction (acknowledge each other).
• Narrator: “Wolves, close your eyes.” (everyone still closed)
• Narrator: “Visible Wolf, carefully raise one finger.” (eyes still closed)
• Narrator: “Shepherd, open your eyes.” (Shepherd looks and sees the raised finger)
• Narrator: “Visible Wolf, lower your finger.”
• Narrator: “Shepherd, close your eyes.”
• Narrator: “Day begins. Everyone opens eyes.”

2. Day Phase (every round starts with Day)

Students discuss who the wolves might be.

Connectedness rule for Day:

• No “You are bad.”
• Use observation language: “I noticed…” / “I’m wondering…”
• Everyone belongs, even if suspected.

Narration cue:

“We protect people, we question ideas. Speak kindly. Listen fully.”

Discussion (2–5 minutes):

• Narrator can use a simple talk rule: each person speaks once before anyone speaks twice.

Voting:

• Each player puts one finger up for who they vote out.
• Players give a short reason (one sentence).
• Most votes = removed from the village.
• If tie, vote again only between tied players.

Removed player rule:

• They do not reveal their card.
• They stay in the circle but cannot speak to the village anymore.

Connectedness adaptation for removed players (recommended):

 They become Silent Guardians: still included, still important, but silent. Their job is to:

• hold a “community token” (or just a hand signal) when they notice respectful talk
• model calm body language
• at the end, they speak during debrief

(This keeps belonging without breaking your “no speaking” rule.)

3. Night Phase (wolves steal)

Narration cue:

“Night falls again. Everyone closes eyes.”

• Narrator: “Wolves, open your eyes.”
• Wolves silently point to who they “steal.”
• Narrator: “Wolves, close your eyes.”
• Narrator: “Day begins. Everyone opens eyes.”
• Narrator reveals who was stolen.

Stolen player rule:

• They stay in the circle.
• They cannot speak.
• They do not reveal their card.

4. Win conditions (unchanged)

• Village wins if both wolves are voted out.
• Wolves win if wolves are more than lambs or if all lambs are removed.
• Special case: if only Shepherd + one Wolf remain → Village wins.

End of game:

• Narrator announces the result.
• Everyone reveals cards.

Narration cue (very important):

“Game over. Roles off. We are classmates again.”

Teacher narration cues (quick cheat-sheet)

Start: “Roles are costumes. People are worthy.”

Day: “Observations, not attacks. Include everyone.”

 Before voting: “One breath. Be kind.”

After a mistake: “Repair, not blame.”

End: “Roles off. Classmates on.”

Indoor: chairs in a circle, calm environment, visible timer for discussion.

Outdoor: quiet area, still a circle, avoid loud distractions.

Connectedness layout tip:

Place a small poster visible with 3 rules:

• “Roles are costumes. People are worthy.”

• “Observations, not insults.”
• “We repair after mistakes.”

This game creates a strong experience of community membership: every decision affects everyone, and students learn how groups handle uncertainty together.

• Sense of belonging: sitting in a circle, shared story, shared responsibility for the village.
• Mutual respect: children practice disagreeing without harming relationships (a core community skill).
• Interdependence: the village can only succeed if students listen, share ideas, and think together.
• Collective responsibility: voting is powerful; students learn to use it carefully, not impulsively.
• Emotional awareness/regulation: suspicion, pressure, and being doubted create real emotions. The game becomes a safe place to practice naming feelings, calming down, and communicating respectfully.
• Valuing people (and lightly nature): the village is a “shared home.” Protecting it means caring for one another and the community environment.

After this game, students should be able to:

• Use respectful community language under pressure (“I noticed…”, “I might be wrong…”, “Can you explain?”).
• Listen to others and allow multiple perspectives before deciding.
• Experience belonging even when suspected or removed (no shaming).
• Show supportive behaviour after mistakes (wrong vote, wrong suspicion).
• Regulate strong feelings (frustration, embarrassment, anxiety) using simple strategies.
• Understand that community problem-solving works best when people stay calm, humble, and solution-oriented.

Best practice: “Warm-up round” for unfamiliar classes

Round 0: Practice discussion (no wolves)

• Everyone is a lamb.
• Narrator invents a “mystery problem” (“Something went missing in the village”) and students’ practice:

• “I noticed…”
• “I’m wondering…”
• voting gently
• This teaches them how to talk before the real roles begin.

During play: one-sentence argument frames (on board)

• “I noticed ___.”
• “I think ___ because ___.”
• “It could also be ___.”
• “I’m not sure yet.” (humility is allowed!)

Connectedness “Community Win”

Give the class a shared goal alongside the normal win/lose:

• The class earns a “Community Star” when:

• everyone stays respectful during voting
• someone includes a quiet voice
• someone admits “I could be wrong”
• someone calms down instead of reacting
• If the class collects 3–5 stars, the class “wins together” no matter who wins the round.

• Role cards: Lamb, Hidden Wolf, Visible Wolf, Shepherd
• Timer (for discussion rounds)
• “Community Rules” poster (3 simple rules)
• Optional: Community Stars/Tokens (stickers, paper stars)
• Optional: emotion cue cards (calm / nervous / frustrated / proud)

(These are narrator cues that support connectedness without stopping the flow.)

Day Phase (discussion)

• “What did we observe (not assume)?”
• “Who hasn’t spoken yet?”
• “Can we hear one different idea?”
• “Is that a fact, or a guess?”
• “How can we say that kindlier?”

Emotional regulation cues

• Quick check: are we calm, nervous, frustrated?” (thumb signal)
• “One breath together before voting.”

Community responsibility cues

• “How do we protect the village without hurting innocent people?”
• “Are we being solution-oriented?”

• Challenge: Suspicion spilling outside the game.
  Tip: End with a clear ritual: “Roles off, classmates on.”
  Optional: everyone says one kind sentence to the circle.
• Challenge: Kids taking accusations personally.
  Tip: Keep language rules visible. Narrator repeats: “We question the role, not the person.”
• Challenge: Quiet students not participating:
  Tip: Use “talk tokens” or require: one idea per person before second turns.
• Challenge: Emotions escalating (tears, anger):
  Tip: Pause the round. Do a reset: “Stop—breathe—kind voices.”
  Remind: “It’s a story game.”
• Challenge: Eliminated players feeling excluded:
  Tip: Keep them in the circle as Silent Guardians with a meaningful job (tokens / modelling calm / debrief voice.

Beginners (6-7 years old): (focus: belonging + safe discussion):

Roles: Lambs, Hidden Wolf, Visible Wolf, Shepherd only.

• Short day discussions (2-3 minutes).
• Use sentence stems on the board.
• Community Stars are emphasized more than “winning.”

Advanced learners (8-9 years old):

Add one new role that supports community (not chaos):

Guardian Dog (optional)

• Once per game, can protect one player from being stolen at night.
• Teaches responsibility and care (“I protect someone vulnerable.”)

Experts (9–10 years old): (older / emotionally ready group):

Add:

Healer (optional)

• Can bring back one stolen player once per game (still doesn’t reveal roles).
• Or “Mediator” who can allow two players to speak calmly after tension.
• These roles are chosen to strengthen connectedness, not increase betrayal.

• When did you feel most like you belonged to the village?
• What helped the discussion stay respectful?
• Did anyone show humility (e.g., “I might be wrong”)? How did that affect trust?
• How did it feel to be suspected? What helped you regulate your emotions?
• How did the group handle a wrong vote or mistake? Did we repair or blame?
• What is one thing we can take from this game into real class life (group work, conflicts, new students)?
• How is a healthy community similar to a healthy “shared home” (classroom/playground/nature)?