JudgeSim

About

JudgeSim is a single-player, 2D text-based strategy game with around 6 hours of playtime. As a judge, you'll read cases, examine evidence, and make verdicts, with the difficulty increasing as you progress. Deal with litigation issues and make decisions based on real-life contradictions and dilemmas, all while trying to keep your integrity amidst corruption. The ending of the story will be affected by your decisions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 626 reviews

gameplay22 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Engaging and fun gameplay that keeps players interested with varied cases and moral dilemmas.
Great for casual play, especially with friends, and offers a unique simulation experience reminiscent of games like Papers Please.
Affordable price for the amount of content, with potential for replayability through different endings and choices.

The dice roll mechanic can lead to frustrating and random game overs, making it feel unfair and tedious.
Poor writing and grammatical errors detract from the overall experience, making some cases difficult to understand.
Repetitive gameplay with limited case variety and a lack of meaningful consequences for decisions can diminish long-term enjoyment.

gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing concept and engaging narrative, while others criticize its repetitive mechanics and lack of depth. Key issues include a poorly explained tutorial, a frustrating dice roll mechanic that disrupts gameplay, and a tendency for cases to feel monotonous over time. Despite these drawbacks, some players find the gameplay enjoyable and recommend it for its thought-provoking elements, particularly for fans of legal simulation games.
- “10/10 gameplay, makes you really reconsider your every decision.”
- “This variety keeps the gameplay interesting and challenging.”
- “With its entertaining narrative, complex moral dilemmas, and challenging gameplay, Judgesim offers a unique experience that stands out among its peers.”
- “This game has a rather intriguing concept and I really wanted to like it, but it falls flat due to a lack of care for its game mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is dull and lacks depth; it quickly becomes repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “But your arrest chance/assassination chance increases way too quickly after the most minor of mistakes, price increases are insane, the cases are always the same, so you can't play the game more than once or twice without it feeling repetitive.”
story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
4%
The game's story is generally engaging and immersive, with players appreciating its intriguing plot twists and character development, though some criticize its reliance on cliché themes and lack of replayability. While the narrative is compelling enough to encourage continued play, many feel it suffers from mechanical flaws and a short length, leaving them wanting more depth and variation in the storytelling. Overall, the game is seen as a solid experience for fans of narrative-driven titles, despite its imperfections.
- “The story is interesting and is definitely worth a play, especially at its sale price!”
- “Each decision impacts the outcome, offering multiple story paths.”
- “The game's portrayal of the banana republic and its inhabitants is believable and immersive, drawing players into its world and investing them in its characters and storylines.”
- “The story ends up being quite dull and boring, and really you have two very basic options: you either side with the mob and try not to get arrested or you side with the government and try not to get killed.”
- “This game could have been great if it had constructed better cases that scratch that detective-itch so many people have, or if the story was more captivating and not some cliche 'big government bad, anarchy good' story.”
- “But this game has also some flaws, the first one being that the story is short in my opinion, I completed the game in like 5 hours, and my brain wants more; this could be fixed if there is more variation in the stories and if you have to listen to the guy in court.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the minimalistic and comical art style that enhances the atmosphere and narrative. However, others criticize the simplicity and lack of detail, suggesting that improvements are needed. Overall, while the graphics may not be universally praised, they contribute to the game's charm and potential.
- “The atmosphere, the art style, and the soundtrack are all on the strong side.”
- “While its art style is minimalistic, it effectively complements the game's narrative and adds to the overall sense of place.”
- “I like the art style.”
- “I'm not the biggest fan of the graphics; I'd like the developers to work on improving that aspect.”
- “The art style is like MS Paint; your family is just portraits looking with a blank stare.”
- “It's such a good game with so much potential that I don't even care about how terrible and simple the graphics are.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's music has received mixed reviews; while the atmosphere and soundtrack are generally praised for their strong presence, the repetitive looping of a single background track can quickly become irritating. Additionally, there are technical issues with the music volume resetting unexpectedly, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, some players find the music engaging enough to enhance their enjoyment of the game.
- “The atmosphere, the art style, and the soundtrack are all on the strong side.”
- “This game is weird; not particularly memorable or something I'd be rushing back to play any time soon, but something about the simple visual style along with the soundtrack tickles my brain and has me watching videos on other people playing it and seeing how they handled cases differently than I did.”
- “I also liked the music of the game very much.”
- “There’s only one background song that loops endlessly, and within a few minutes, it becomes incredibly irritating.”
- “An issue has been identified wherein the music volume automatically resets to maximum (100%) upon completion of a case, but only when the volume has been previously lowered to the minimum (0%).”
- “This game is weird; not particularly memorable or something I'd be rushing back to play any time soon, but something about the simple visual style along with the soundtrack tickles my brain and has me watching videos on other people playing it and seeing how they handled cases differently to me.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating and tedious, particularly due to mini-games that rely on luck and trial-and-error mechanics, which can feel repetitive and unengaging. While the story elements are enjoyable, the necessity of completing numerous tedious tasks to progress detracts from the overall experience, leading to a sense of monotony. Many reviewers suggest that the grinding can become overwhelming, making it less enjoyable over time.
- “The cord matching and pipe turning ones are okay, but the block turning is tedious and boring. There are two mini-games that rely purely on trial and error and random chance, and that's completely miserable.”
- “There are a bunch of tedious mini-games you have to do in order to view evidence.”
- “While I do like aspects of it, the stories are fun and interesting, but the dice rolling to lose is just kind of tedious. The puzzles to unlock evidence can get repetitive (most of which have basically no effect on the cases), and despite frequent threats or possible precautions for your actions, your decisions rarely, if ever, affect anything.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The atmosphere in Judgesim is highly praised for its detailed and immersive courtroom setting, complemented by strong art style and soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the game's attention to detail, which enhances the overall experience and sets it apart in the simulation genre, making it particularly appealing to fans of legal dramas.
- “The atmosphere, the art style, and the soundtrack are all on the strong side.”
- “Atmosphere and presentation: the courtroom setting is detailed and immersive, with sound effects and a courtroom vibe that enhances the experience.”
- “One of the most striking aspects of judgesim is its attention to detail and atmosphere.”
- “It added a different atmosphere for simulation style games.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring diverse and amusing cases that keep players engaged, along with funny reactions from characters who lose their cases. It balances lightheartedness with mature themes, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking, though some content may be too intense for sensitive players. Overall, while it offers a cute and funny experience, some players may not feel compelled to revisit it.
- “This game is fun; it's funny to see the messages of the people who lose the case and they are mad at you.”
- “Diverse and funny cases keep it interesting.”
- “And as much as it is mentally stimulating, this game finds a great balance with humor with the folks you judge as well as the mature drama since it simulates real-world issues, some of it too much for the faint of heart.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to the repetitive nature of the cases, others appreciate the multiple endings that encourage experimentation with different strategies, offering a fresh experience in each playthrough.
- “Not replayable.”
- “And because the cases are the same, there's no replayability.”
- “The game's multiple endings encourage players to experiment with different strategies and approaches, providing ample replayability and ensuring that each playthrough remains fresh.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users experiencing frequent bugs that alter their decisions and force them to restart. Despite its interesting concept, these persistent problems have led to frustration and a recommendation for fixes to improve the overall experience.
- “Although I recommend this game, it is really buggy, and I've had to start over multiple times due to those bugs. I had a 90% chance of being arrested, and every single time I would play, I would get arrested and I was forced to reset my game. Please fix this bug; caseoh is not going to play your game any longer if you don't fix this.”
- “Definitely a neat idea, but the game is a bit buggy, and I had it on multiple occasions change my decisions for me.”