Witch Trial

About this board game

Witch Trial is a humorous, pseudo-Colonial courtroom trial card game for 3–7 players, with games lasting about 45 minutes. Each player takes the role of a lawyer seeking to earn the most money by prosecuting cases and defending the cases brought by other lawyers.

To create a case, a lawyer pairs a Suspect card with a Charge card. When that case comes to court, the lawyers compete to influence the outcome. Players add Evidence cards and use Motions and Objections to sway the jury and affect the case.

• Pair Suspect and Charge cards to represent cases.
• Play Evidence, Motions, and Objections during courtroom proceedings.
• Earn money through both prosecution and defense.
• Resolve cases through plea bargains or a jury decision.

A case may be settled through a plea bargain, in which the lawyers agree to divide the case money. If no agreement is reached, the jury decides the result with a 2D6 dice roll of 13 or more, including all card modifiers played on that case.

The competition rewards lawyers who can find opportunities on both sides of the courtroom. Prosecution can bring in money, but defending another lawyer’s case offers another route to profit, making each trial a contest of timing, tactics, and courtroom interference.

With its playful legal theme and card-driven trials, Witch Trial delivers a lighthearted contest for the lawyer who can accumulate the greatest fortune. It was nominated for the 2001 Origins Award for Best Abstract Board Game and was listed in GAMES Magazine’s GAMES 100.