Betray your friends - and lie your way to victory. In the multiplayer social deduction game Eville you find yourself in a village riddled by a series of murders. Some say it might have been you - or was it? Convince others you're not a murderer to stay alive. Each day the Villagers can decide on suspects and execute them until all evil-doers are found. Each night however the Conspirators gather and decide to murder another innocent Villager until they take over the village. You play as a random role and have no idea who is on your side. You must use your abilities and social skills to find out...

Eville casts players into randomly assigned roles

Inspired by popular social-deduction party games such as Mafia and Werewolves this is a new take on the concept with realtime game play and interaction. In Eville you take on the role of a Villager or Conspirator, embarking on your deeds when no one is watching. Place wards to observe other players or tread through the village to visit any house and go on a killing spree. It is your task to communicate with other players and prove your innocence. Use your unique role abilities to your advantage and make sure your team survives.

I was really looking forward to playing Eville. I bought Werewolves Within for the PSVR many moons (see what I did there?) ago but the lack of players meant that getting into a game was near impossible. And that was one of my concerns here. What if there were not enough players to get a game going? Thankfully not only is the game cross platform, but it's also free for Xbox players via Game Pass.

Betray your friends - and lie your way to victory

The day and night cycle is a fundamental game play mechanic; during the day, villagers mill around town, going about their business before tucking in for a nice restful evening in their snuggly bed... Unless you’re the murderer, of course, where nighttime is the right time - to hack people to death while they sleep.

Eville casts players into randomly assigned roles with unique abilities, skills and advantages as they look to either commit their dastardly deed or avoid becoming the Conspirators’ next victim. Everyone has a role to play, be that a Smuggler, Thief, Trapper, Detective or even a Barbarian or Slanderer, it all makes for a colourful mix of possible characters to play, each of which have their own distinct traits and abilities.

Nighttime is the right time - to hack people to death

Citizen roles include: The Mayor, Ghost Whisperer, Detective, Seer, Trapper and Guard. The Conspirators include: Barbarian, Thief, Smuggler and Slanderer. And getting your head around each role is part of the fun and longevity of the game.

For under £13 you really can't go wrong. Play with friends and/or strangers for a highly enjoyable social game.

8

Nick Smithson