1 What the game is, and is not
A group of players take courtroom roles as sock puppets and run an absurd trial. Someone accuses, someone defends, someone judges, and evidence cards get waved around in support of arguments nobody would make in a real court. The store description is upfront that talking over each other, throwing paper and general mockery are part of the intended experience rather than bad behaviour.
What it is not is a game with progression. There are achievements but no levels, no unlock ladder and no meta to grind. Every session starts from the same place, which means the quality of an evening depends entirely on the group and the setup, not on how many hours anyone has put in.
2 How a trial flows
Understanding the shape of a case makes the first session far less confusing, because the buttons available to you change depending on where in that shape you are.
The prosecutor customises the defendant, choosing a name, a face and the crime. This sets the tone for everything after it, so a specific and slightly ridiculous charge works better than a generic one.
Red and blue buttons hand the floor to one side or the other. Only the side holding it can play evidence or request a witness, signalled by a glowing green siren.
Cards are presented, witnesses are called to the stand, and the journalist can publish stories that enter as new evidence. The judge decides what is accepted.
The jury gives an advisory opinion and the judge delivers the actual ruling. Then you start another case with different roles.
3 Getting the group right
Check the room capacity in the current client when inviting the group. Choose speaking roles for people who want to improvise and quieter roles for people who want to react.
That third column is a genuinely useful piece of scheduling. The jury verdict is advisory, so a player there can enjoy the trial and contribute reactions without having to carry an argument. Putting a reluctant speaker in the prosecutor seat is how a first session dies.
4 Being good at this
There is no mechanical skill ceiling, so what separates a memorable trial from a forgettable one is how people handle the material they are handed. Three habits do most of the work.
The last line on the right is the most practical. An evidence card on its own is a picture. The same card with one sentence of confident nonsense explaining exactly why it proves guilt is the entire game, and it costs nothing to say.
5 Custom decks
You can build your own evidence decks, usable by either the defense or the prosecution. Cards are made by uploading square JPEG images and adding a short title and description, which means a group can bring its own running jokes into the courtroom as playable evidence.
Preparing more than one deck is worth the effort, because what works depends on which seat you land in. A deck of believable, forensic-looking material strengthens a case you are trying to argue seriously, while a deck of nonsense is better when your job is to derail. Having both means you can pick to suit the role you drew.
6 Why sessions fall flat
If a session stalls, check both the group setup and the controls. The following are useful things to try before assuming one particular cause.
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Long silences | Too many reluctant speakers in speaking roles. Move them to jury |
| Nobody can finish a sentence | The judge is not using the floor buttons. That is what they are for |
| One player muting everyone | A bailiff without restraint. Agree that mutes are punchlines, not policy |
| Trials drag on | No one is pressing the bell. Ending a turn early keeps momentum |
7 If you are the judge
The judge is the closest thing this game has to a host, and a session lives or dies on how that seat is played. You control who speaks, which evidence stands, and when the case ends, plus a gavel that stuns whoever you aim it at.
The instinct for a first-time judge is either to grant the floor constantly or to sit on it. Neither works. Move it at a steady rhythm, let a side finish the argument they started, and use the gavel rarely enough that it still means something when you do. A judge who cuts everyone off is as bad for the trial as one who lets four people talk at once.
Set up for the expanded courtroom
The original role list is no longer the whole setup. The December 2025 version 2.0 update introduced Plaintiff and Defendant as playable roles. If your group uses those seats, agree who is arguing as an attorney and who is the party to the case before the first accusation. The role guide explains their extra communication tools.
Courtrooms also gained themed witnesses and evidence. The December follow-up confirms additional sets for the School and TV courtrooms. Use the selected setting as a shared starting point rather than assuming every table receives the same pictures and characters.
The April 2026 update announces infinite evidence and Breaking News. A longer supply does not make a better trial by itself. Agree on turn length and when the judge will move to a verdict, and check the active room options before planning around a card or article limit.
Sources: version 2.0 roles and themed content, December follow-up, April update. Checked 26 October 2026.
The trial depends on the group and setup, while cosmetic rewards are separate from arguing a case. Put reluctant speakers on the jury where reacting is the whole job, and let the judge move the floor at a steady rhythm instead of granting it constantly or never. Always explain why your evidence proves the case, and keep custom card titles short enough to read at a glance.
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