content by The Pandemonium Institute
editorial by LivFreeOrPie

Perspective from Steven Medway

"When explaining the rules to new players, stick closely to the rules explanation sheet https://wiki.bloodontheclocktower.com/Rules_Explanation   

The rules explanation sheet takes no more than 5 minutes to read, and it is intentionally structured as a three-step process: 1) The Theme; 2) The Goal; 3) The Rules

...

Explaining the rules can be done in two ways for most games: either all at once, or just enough to get you playing, and you can learn the rest as you go. Clocktower is designed to explain the rules to players piecemeal. They learn the rules about the basic structure of the game just before they get their character tokens. They learn the rules about voting just before their first vote. They learn the rules about how the characters work by talking amongst themselves during the game itself, and by asking the storyteller questions. Some players will want all the rules (and I mean ALL the rules) explained at the beginning of the game. I do not recommend doing this. If you explain the rules all at once, you satisfy the players that can learn a game’s rules all at once, but you put all the players who learn ‘as they go’ at a severe disadvantage due to information overload. If you explain the rules ‘as they go’, then you satisfy the players who learn as they go, and the ‘all-at-once’ players can still ask you all their questions as they come up..."

"It is easy to unintentionally be overbearing with new players. Fight the urge to tell them what to do, or to help too much, because doing so can easily feel smothering to them.

Let new players make mistakes. Let them be silent if they want. Let them learn at their own pace. Let them poison the Saint twice in a row, or kill a dead player. Let them not know about that wacky character’s special ability, until they ask. 

Find the balance between helping and watching. Being too involved can be irritating. Being just the right amount of involved can be wonderful."

Source: BotC Website | Explaining the Rules to New Players
Source: BotC Website | Including New Players

Perspective from Ben Burns

"Teaching a game is a skill of its own and what I've noticed over the years is that most people aren't very good at it. That's not some kind of attempt to dunk on others whilst kissing my own arse. The truth is that most people aren't good at teaching games because in order to be good at it, you kinda have to ignore all of your instincts and do the opposite of what feels sensible. In my experience, most people's instinct when teaching is to do the following:

• Cover as much as possible

• Pass on all of the knowledge that wasn't taught to you in your first game

• Anticipate all mistakes and eradicate them

• Minimise the amount of time it takes to get from noob to expert

This makes total sense when viewed from a surface level. After all, going above and beyond makes you a great guy, right? You've got the time and the desire to pass on all of your knowledge. Why wouldn't you? Well, the truth is, you can't. You can't force people to consume more of anything, be that food or medicine or whatever, than their fleshy forms can handle. And information is no different. When explaining the rules of any game you have, at most, about a minute before almost everyone has completely switched off and stopped taking in information... [Emphasis added]

...

> You should have a private chat with each new player after receiving their role to see if they understand it, and give them some basic strategy ideas!

On the surface, this seems like a great idea. you visit everyone, make sure they're happy and contented, give them all the personal treatment. What a wonderful and thoughtful suggestion. However, you've already lost a bunch of the newbies because what should have been an (at most) 5 minute first night becomes a 25 minute long period of nothingness. Anyone without a titan-level attention span is already checking out. Most of your players have started watching YouTube or browsing Reddit and nobody's mind is in the game anymore.

>You should have a private chat with each new player after receiving their role to see if they understand it, and give them some basic strategy ideas!

This one has been suggested by several commenters on this post and is particularly egregious for two reasons. First of all, I've heard dozens upon dozens of horror stories that go something like "my first game was three years ago and the ST spent 15 minutes explaining every single character, in intricate detail, and all of the edge-case interactions that can happen with them. I swore off the game forever but eventually was tempted to give it another try." For every person who gave it a second try, we have to assume there are probably a dozen who thought it was a complicated, boring nightmare. But worse than that is the fact that, by doing this, you rob the new player of what makes this game fun. The slow discovery of cool and interesting interactions. The fact that drunk Librarian can see a Drunk. The fact that the Spy can nominate the Virgin etc. These are what make the journey compelling. It's like offering to take somebody to see a movie and then spending 7 hours describing, in intricate detail, everything about the plot.

On the surface, this seems like a great idea. you visit everyone, make sure they're happy and contented, give them all the personal treatment. What a wonderful and thoughtful suggestion. However, you've already lost a bunch of the newbies because what should have been an (at most) 5 minute first night becomes a 25 minute long period of nothingness. Anyone without a titan-level attention span is already checking out. Most of your players have started watching YouTube or browsing Reddit and nobody's mind is in the game anymore.

...

At the beginning of your rules explanation, and at the end of it, say the following:

"The most important thing to remember, at all times, is that you can take me aside and ask me questions, in private, at any time. This is not suspicious. Even experienced players need to ask the Storyteller questions. Please don't sit there confused. Just come and talk to me."

That paragraph, right there, will eradicate 99% of your new player confusion. Most people would rather sit there and make assumptions about how things work than draw attention to themselves by asking questions. By dispelling that fear, you make it so that they approach you as and when they need you. Don't force feed your players every meal in the world. Let them come to you when they're hungry and request a sandwich, or a burger, or a bowl of pasta. Let them feel as though they're actively peeling back the layers of the game and learning how to wield the weapon that is their character. I promise you, it'll make for much more contented players. And most importantly, it'll keep up the pace. You retain players when they finish the game wanting more. Even a well-run game can overstay its welcome. Always, always leave them wanting more.

Source: reddit | r/bloodontheclocktower | The strange phenomenon of bad advice on this subreddit

Editorial

This advice applies to both Storytellers and experienced players. Storytellers are best positioned to communicate this advice gracefully to players in the moment.

As the Storyteller, you set the tone of the game and, for the most part, the room is your responsibility when it's your turn to run the game. 

The Official BotC Rules Explanation covers the preparation and pre-game onboarding for new players. In the main rulebook almanac, under the chapter titled "Growing Your Group," there are multiple sections which involve making the in-game experience palatable to new players:

• Be a leader

• Encourage veterans

• For new players, keep it simple.

• Give strategy advice to new players only if they really need it.

I strongly recommend reading the Almanac to prepare and improve your next storytelling experience.

The key theme throughout these subheadings to let the new players play and individually experience the game unfolding for them. Welcome them enthusiastically. Try not to overwhelm them with enthusiasm and game details.  

Endeavor to give players a genuine experience with the mechanics and social activity of the game. Some will enjoy the game and come back for more. Some will love the game and get hooked for life. Some will learn that the game may not be for them, and that's OK.

Source: BotC Base Almanac, pages 37-38
Links: https://botclinks.page/MainRulebook | BGG | Base Rulebook Almanac

editorial by LivFreeOrPie

Editorial

When playing with friends, and especially when playing with strangers, it's important for Storytellers to monitor the mood of the room and individual players for signs of fatigue and exhaustion.

Player fatigue can come from a number of sources:

• Hunger from nearing a meal time without having eaten

• Physical exhaustion after an active day

• Dehydration

• Mental exhaustion after a long or difficult prior game

• Emotional exhaustion after a difficult prior game or unknown external circumstances

• Overall lack of sleep, especially in a convention setting

• Side effects of prescribed medications or legal recreational substances. 

Late night games ("Witching Hour") are more prone to see players breach the understanding to kill with grace and die with dignity. This comes from a confluence of physical fatigue on top of multiple potential sources of exhaustion. Players may be more prone to trespassing over other players, or vulnerable to receiving/processing communication from others during this time.

Sometimes players may overestimate their own ability to play in or finish a game. A player that cannot actively participate for the 60 minutes to 2 hours with a an adequate level mental acuity runs the risk of hindering their team and ending the game in a unsatisfying way, especially if they fall asleep or abruptly exit the game.

Before a game launches, it's a good idea to do a check-in with players publicly or privately to give them the opportunity to take themselves out for the game to take care of their own needs. Here's the phrase I use:

"If you feel like you will not be able to stay alert and awake for the entire game for any reason, let me know now and we’ll find a solution."

If you need to have a serious conversation about somebody who appears too weary to start or finish a game, it's best to handle it with a private conversation and avoid embarrassment.

editorial by LivFreeOrPie

Editorial

It's a great idea to explicitly remind players that you are open for private conversations at any time and visiting the Storyteller may be helpful for your team to win the game.

This benefits new players who are totally lost and need a small nudge of direction.

This benefits the good team because it allows players to clarify information they received in the night and telegraph their intended moves in the night.

This benefits the evil team because they can tell the Storytellers which each character each evil players are bluffing and telegraph their next moves in the night.

This benefits the group culture because it gives license for players of both teams to approach the Storyteller at any time and all players to do emotional check-ins with the Storyteller and acknowledge if they are particularly having fun (or not particularly having fun).

Storytellers should avoid indicating the specific characters in the game and instead answer question with non-suggestive rules clarifications or hypotheticals:

• "The [character]'s role works like this..."

• "If the [character] is in the game, then..."

• "If the hypothetical world you are describing is true, then..."

• "If what you've described is true, then this would happen, barring any disruption from outside forces..."

• "To repeat your received information..."

• "To confirm, no Storyteller mistake has been made."

• "I can't explain this right now. I will address it after the game..."

content by The Pandemonium Institute
editorial by LivFreeOrPie

Perspective from the Almanac

"Players may talk to the group, whisper to each other, or even leave their seats to talk in secret with other players. Encourage them to stay in the circle as they’re doing this, though."

Source: BotC Base Almanac, page 14

Editorial

It's occasionally a good idea to remind players that private conversations are permitted and encouraged and both teams have incentives to whisper to each other and not immediately share their information publicly. 

In the Almanac and Baron's Storyteller Roundtable, there is an explicit suggestion to have players stay "within the circle" for private conversations. If your circle is wide enough and your space permits it, you could make it a requirement that the players whisper and not wander outside of the circle.

Keeping players in the circle makes calling them back to their seats easier. It also facilitates Storyteller monitoring for Madness. 

If your circle is in a constrained space, giving your players designated wandering limits may be a good idea. As the person in charge of the game, if you see your players unconsciously wandering into places where they're intruding on others, direct them out of the way and be a good neighbor to the other folks using the space.

recommendation from the Social Contract of Social Deduction Games Panel at Final 3 Con 2025
recorded for posterity by LivFreeOrPie

Editorial

If a game's emotional intensity reaches a point where players are getting uncomfortable, something shocking happens, and you feel "the air leave the room," consider using the following tool: stop the game and take a timed 10 seconds of silence for everyone.

"We will take ten seconds of silence, then I will speak and address what's been perceived as happening. Then we'll restart the game."  

This will allow players to breathe, gather themselves, and address the problem immediately.

If the issue in interpersonal, start with private discussions with the individual(s) involved before bringing it to the group to address. Consider taking one or more players aside to privately clarify if the issue is a misunderstanding between two players or a tool in the game.

If you decide to handle the breach of decorum publicly, try not to embarrass or humiliate the cause(s) of the breach. Consider charitability attributing unwanted behavior to stress, anxiety, or exhaustion. If the same breach happens a second time, after intervention, a larger conversation is needed and game should be deprioritized and potentially ended early.

Remind the group that we're all here to have fun and Rule 4: "Kill with grace, and die with dignity."

For additional information about player conduct management, see Player Conduct Resources.