We found that this variation is easier for new players to get into, plus it eliminates the problem of being bored because you were an innocent villager killed off on the first night by the wolves or by the town for no good reason. Since there's only one vote, it becomes much more interesting to reveal your special role or, if you're a wolf, make a claim as a special role. There are always three cards face down in the middle, so you have a chance of getting lucky, and if not you'll put your acting/lying abilities to the test.
It's best if you have an hour or so to play, because the games really get interesting when everybody starts to learn each other's strategies and tells.
I've also found another recently created game [1], Secret Hitler, which seems to be heavily based on Mafia, except in this case the informed minority / bad guys are Hitler and the Nazi party. It looks really good. Designer Max Temkin (whose Kickstarter account owns the linked page) apparently worked on Cards Against Humanity. I haven't personally tried Secret Hitler.
I made my own Secret Hitler deck, and have been playing it for a few months with both adult and teen groups for whom I usually run Werewolf games. SH has been really well received, keeps everyone more involved with the game (both because of fewer deaths, and the basic mechanics), and is well on its way already to supplanting Werewolf as the social game of choice.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147949/one-night-ultimat...