When Christmas break is around the corner, my friends and I prepare for the ultimate group activity—an all-nighter for board games!

I'm a diehard board-game lover. I've delved into all kinds of games: Monopoly, Clue, Poker, Mahjong, Avalon, all sorts of card games, etc. 

My favorite game is Werewolf. It's a social deduction game between an informed minority and an uninformed majority—4 colluding wolves versus 8 innocent civilians. It's a little different from the typical American version of Mafia; this version has more roles, more abilities, and more complexity. Check the complete rules here.

My favorite role is, of course, a tricky, cunning wolf. By night, my secret hand signs fly across the room, conveying tactics to fellow wolves (which they half the time don’t understand). By day, I masquerade as a seer, luring innocent players to my side. Cue the evil laughter.

I love every part of this game. It’s a clash of logic, a slew of deduction, a flurry of misdirects, a crash course in storytelling, a builder of friendships, all accompanied by debate, laughter, and Hot Cheetos. 

Party games allow me to more deeply understand my friends, their playing styles, thought processes, personalities. In playing, I make bonds, share laughs, and maybe outsmart a friend or two.