1 The roles at a glance
| Role | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Judge | Who may speak, which evidence stands, and the verdict |
| Prosecutor | The accusation itself, plus evidence cards and witness requests |
| Defense | The same toolkit, aimed the other way |
| Witness | Testimony, when the judge calls them forward |
| Journalist | News stories that enter the trial as fresh evidence |
| Bailiff | Order, by cuffing, stunning or transforming people |
| Jury | An advisory verdict, and a drawing board |
| Plaintiff and Defendant | Party roles added in 2.0, with phone messages and private attorney whispers |
Everyone plays in first person as a sock puppet, and the whole thing runs on voice, so the buttons below are only half of what a role does. The other half is what you say while using them.
2 Judge
The most consequential seat at the table. The judge has three operating modes and moves between them as the trial progresses.
On top of that, the judge decides which evidence is accepted and which is thrown out, and can stun a player by aiming the gavel at them. That last one is the enforcement mechanism, and using it sparingly makes it land far harder than using it constantly.
3 Prosecutor and Defense
These two operate identically, pointed in opposite directions. The prosecutor also starts the whole thing by customising the defendant, choosing their name, face and the crime they are accused of, which sets the tone for everything that follows.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Notepad | Keeping track of what has been claimed so far |
| Documents | Selecting an evidence card or requesting a witness |
| Bell | Ending your turn and handing the floor back |
| Paper balls | Thrown to distract, or folded into paper aeroplanes |
Both sides draw from randomly selected evidence cards, so you are arguing with whatever you happen to be handed. That is the source of most of the comedy, and it is also why preparing custom decks in advance changes how a session plays.
4 Witness
The witness waits until the judge calls them, then takes the centre position and receives a colour-coordinated sign. From there they answer questions from either side and play the character they have been assigned.
It is the role with the fewest buttons and, played well, one of the most disruptive. A witness who commits to an absurd but internally consistent story forces both lawyers to work around it, which is far funnier than one who simply agrees with whoever asked last.
5 Journalist
The journalist writes news stories, using a typewriter for the headline and a space for accompanying art, and those stories enter the trial as evidence. The store and April update currently describe different article limits; the update section below explains why a fixed three-article strategy is no longer reliable.
Mechanically the journalist also has a notepad and paper balls. Practically, this is the role that can change the direction of a case from outside it, because a well-timed headline lands as new evidence in the middle of an argument that was going the other way.
6 Bailiff
Court security, with three tools and no obligation to be fair about them.
Disable a player’s functions and emotes. The measured option, since it stops someone acting without removing them from the conversation.
Stuns and mutes, mirroring what the judge can do with the gavel. Strong, and worth saving for someone who is genuinely running over everyone.
Turns the target into a bird until it is switched off. The least practical and the most memorable of the three.
The bailiff is the role most likely to ruin a session if played without judgement, because muting people in a game that runs entirely on voice removes their ability to participate. Used at the right moment it is the funniest button in the game, and used constantly it is just a nuisance.
7 Jury
The jury are secondary judges whose verdicts are advisory only. They get two verdict buttons for guilty or not guilty, a notepad and paper balls, plus a drawing board that you activate by clicking and save with the Enter key.
Because the verdict does not bind anyone, the jury is where a group puts players who want to comment rather than drive. That is not a lesser role. A jury that visibly reacts, draws things and swings between sides gives the lawyers something to play towards, and a silent jury makes the courtroom feel empty.
Plaintiff, Defendant and updated news supply
Version 2.0 added Plaintiff and Defendant as playable roles, alongside the original positions above. Both can send anonymous phone messages and whisper privately with their attorney. They also have mini-games to use during the trial. They are participants in the case, so a party role is different from controlling the prosecutor or defense lawyer.
Decide whether the group wants hidden coordination before starting. An attorney can ask their client for a consistent account, while the other players only hear what is presented publicly. This is an improvisation suggestion, not a new rule that the game enforces.
For the Journalist, the April update advertises unlimited Breaking News while the store still describes three articles. The FAQ records that discrepancy. Do not build a strategy around a guaranteed three-use ceiling, or promise unlimited publication in every setup, without checking the room you are actually playing.
Sources: official new-role announcement, April news update, current store role text. Checked 26 October 2026.
The judge grants the floor with red and blue buttons, calls witnesses, accepts or rejects evidence and stuns with the gavel. Prosecutor and defense share a notepad, documents, a bell and paper balls, and their documents only work while the green siren says they hold the floor. The bailiff can cuff, stun and mute or turn someone into a bird, which makes restraint the difference between a great session and a ruined one.
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