The Thinking Game

Human

As human, your role in The Thinking Game is to figure out who the wolves are. You read and consider posts, ask yourself and possibly the poster the reasons behind the post, get their answers off the cuff via IM/Chat (and note any differences), and make a decision based on these factors as to the alignment of the poster. In old and new players alike, this is considered the most important aspect of a TWG; without your own opinion, you will inevitably either thoughtlessly jump on the hot bandwagon of the day (which could be orchestrated by the wolves) or be a dead weight. Along with the simple reading of behavior, The Thinking Game also, controversially, includes reading into the meta of the players, the theme or "flavor" of the game, and even the host. They're not the most reliable methods of gathering information (especially that last, since hosts have become immunized to any trickery designed to glean information that you’re not supposed to have), but they are options. Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of The Thinking Game is considering what is not there as much as what is; a complete picture includes empty space. Figuring out what is impossible or improbable lowers the confusion level, which is always advantageous to humans.

Wolf

The Thinking Game is a bit less important for wolves, but certainly just a bit. You already know who's who and, as such, you don't have to actually analyze alignments. You have to look like you do, mind you, but that's more of The Social Game. Its main use for you is trying to figure out the human power roles; looking for things like weird choice of words, unusual knowledge or conviction, a break from someone’s usual townie play, etc. to determine who is most deserving of getting ripped to bloody shreds. As LLF TWG traditionally allows OC, the Thinking Game is elevated in importance compared to more conservative Werewolf/Mafia variants, due to the trusty human alliance. Alliances are remarkably similar to wolves in behavior; they’re a secret informed group of players that employ deception and trickery to hurt the other team. Therefore, in games with potential for alliances, you have to participate in your own private little “reverse” TWG; alliance-hunting instead of wolf-hunting. Of course, sometimes setups are run which are not conducive to the formation of alliances, or can introduce doubt to the proceedings, so make your mental adjustments accordingly.

The Social Game

Human

Many humans don't give as much thought into The Social Game as they do The Thinking Game. This is a mistake; it's foolish to expect the other townspeople to come to the same conclusion as you given the same information, as they have different experiences in TWG and different ways of processing information. This is where The Social Game comes in; after you have played The Thinking Game and have a person you absolutely nailed as a wolf, it's important that you be able to convince others of it. Unless you’re a Vigilante, your opinion alone isn't going to get someone killed. It takes the votes of many, and therefore persuasion, to give your suspect the noose. Also of key note is the image you let off; too many times does a vanilla human do or say whatever they want and expect the virtue of their role pm carry them away from Lynchville, population 'a few wolves and thousands of innocents'. Hint: Unless a Seer has read you, or your card has been flipped, they're not going to know your alignment for certain. While the other person should be playing The Thinking Game and be figuring out you're town, it's up to you to give the pieces needed to solve that particular puzzle. Otherwise you're going to end up dead with a few frustrated fellow townies sighing about how wolfy you were. And a few wolves, too, which brings me to the next part;

Wolf

The Social Game is the most important game for a werewolf. Oh, sure, the scampering paranoid lemmings of the town may not individually be able to match your vast intellect and resourcefulness, but if you just go around snacking on their babies, the town is going to put two and two together, which equals your lynch. 90% of a wolf game is making it look like you're not playing a wolf game. Not only do you need to mask your alignment, but you need to mask your mask. Even total neophytes to the game aren't foolish enough to announce their wolfhood, and the humans know this, so what they typically look for is not those with fangs, but those who never open their mouth. On top of the already stressful situation of concealing your concealment, you must get townspeople to believe that one of their own is actually a baby snacking monster so you can dispose of them. Many of the convenient paths for doing so, such as jumping on the first town wagon to pass by, or playing off a particular player's distrust for another, have a nasty habit of revealing your true intentions. Instead, you have to do it just like humans would; grab some quotes, do some questioning, and go to town. Perhaps less mentioned, although still important, is The Social Game with your fellow wolves; assuming they play well with the others and don't die horribly, you get to chat with them and scheme. You need to work with them so you can all come to an agreement as to the kill target, other abilities, and the plan for the next day; if you don't work together, you're throwing away the main wolf advantage. Multiple minds working together can cover each other’s weaknesses and become greater than the sum of their parts.

The Power Game

Human

So you have an ability; congratulations! It is now up to you to use this ability to its fullest potential. Say you're a Guardian. When you're selecting who gets to assuredly wake up in the morning breathing, you've a few things to consider. Is this person likely to be a target? Is this person a wolf? How much information will be provided if I successfully save them? To answer these questions is the heart of The Power Game, and as such is similar to The Thinking Game. Unlike The Thinking Game, however, these questions don't concern you as a normal human, since your only power is your vote.

Wolf

The Power Game for wolves blends into The Thinking Game. A lot. It includes the nightly kill, plus any unique ability you may have. Every night, you must consider the best target for the kill; is this person a strong player, are they likely to be protected, are they a power role – this is where it overlaps with The Thinking Game – and what information will the town glean from the kill choice? Will you choose to make the 'best' kill and eliminate the six year veteran with an 80% human win rate who thinks you're a wolf, or will you even use your wolf kill as a misdirection tool, offing the newbie who suspects a random townie? After you consider these important questions, it's imperative that you play The Social Game and discuss it with your buddies; they might cover an angle you may have missed.