Overview
In On Trial, you will roleplay a courtroom scenario. However, these cases you will participate in are so ridiculous that no lawyer will assist you, regardless of if you are the prosecutor or the defendant. Therefore, you must take up these roles yourselves. As the prosecutor or defendant, you will use your cards to construct elaborate and bizarre arguments for the defendant’s guilt or innocence as you attempt to persuade the other players in the jury. Your goal: be the first player to get a credibility score of 25 or more. If you win, you will have the pleasure of watching your opponents get locked away while you are set free!
Development
On Trial was designed by Manics, a team of first-year games students from Swinburne University. As one of Manics’ designers, I helped research for, design, prototype, and playtest On Trial. My work on On Trial contributed to me earning a High Distinctions in the Principles of Game Design unit On Trial was developed for.
The game was originally designed in response to a brief supplied by Swinburne’s law faculty. As such, it was tailored to their specifications. Its gameplay was inspired by roleplaying games and party games like Cards Against Humanity, while the reminder text for various mechanics was adopted from trading card games like Magic: The Gathering. Once that unit was completed, with the other designers’ permission, I did further tinkering with the cards and leaned a bit more into the Cards Against Humanity influences, so the final version of On Trial is a little less classroom-friendly.
Lastly, while this game is inspired by real legal systems, it is not an accurate reflection of them. The scoring system for the game has vast differences from the real-life consequences of a particular case. You should also not engage in corruption, or plead not guilty due to insanity in an effort to get out of prison; you will be caught if you’re faking. On Trial is just a game and meant to be for fun, but if it does contribute to an interest in law or games, then awesome.
Details
Development: August 2017 – November 2017
Made For: Swinburne University (GAM10002 Principles of Game Design)
Game Genres: Card Game, Role Playing Game, Party Game
Narrative Genres: Comedy, Legal Drama
Credits
Our thanks to our lecturer Troy Innocent for his professional input and feedback.
Sam Huffer 