The Zodiac Trial

About

"The Zodiac Trial" is a visual novel adventure game where you play as a rookie lawyer defending a client accused of murder. Uncover the truth through investigations and courtroom debates, using the client's zodiac sign to unravel the mystery. With intricate cases and multiple endings, your legal skills and intuition will be tested in this immersive and suspenseful game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 131 reviews

story49 positive mentions

graphics5 negative mentions

Engaging and complex branching storyline with a compelling cast of characters.
Offers a large number of endings and routes, providing significant replay value.
Clever writing that keeps players guessing and encourages deduction.

Lacks a flowchart or clear navigation system, making it difficult to track choices and endings.
Some characters and routes feel underdeveloped or less interesting compared to others.
Occasional typos and low production quality in visuals and sound can detract from the experience.

story
166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
4%
The story of the game is a standout feature, praised for its engaging and complex narrative, well-developed characters, and a variety of branching paths that keep players invested. While some reviewers noted issues with pacing and occasional confusion, the overall consensus is that the writing is strong, with intriguing mysteries and satisfying plot twists that resonate with fans of the death game genre. Despite its low budget, the game successfully delivers a compelling experience that encourages players to explore multiple routes and uncover the intricacies of its storyline.
- “A gripping story with highly memorable characters that at some points is genuinely scary.”
- “The zodiac trial rewards mental effort immensely, and I applaud the developer for putting together such an enormous story that flows so well and remains both charming and mature in each of its 12+ storylines.”
- “Great writing, compelling characters, a healthy dose of humor, and a well-crafted plot with a complex mystery that you can solve yourself.”
- “Sometimes it felt like the protagonist whose perspective you witness the story from was miles ahead of me, pulling out complicated deductions from thin air that I hadn't even begun to grasp.”
- “The game became such a slog near the end of the last path I went through I was pretty sure I wasn't even reading every line as a lot of it was rehashed backstory/subtext information I'd already figured out through other paths.”
- “Story/plot: this game gets kind of annoying in the whole 'this part of the story is pretty much exactly the same up to a certain point, but you can't skip it despite having read very similar dialogue because it's a technically different path' issue.”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
57%
7%
The music in the game is generally described as serviceable, with some tracks effectively setting the mood, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of variety. While some players found the soundtrack engaging and fitting for the narrative, others criticized it for being generic and poorly balanced, with occasional issues like awkward looping and inconsistent volume levels. Overall, the music enhances the experience but does not stand out as exceptional.
- “The soundtrack does its job well.”
- “The music emotionally grabs me and never got dull throughout my playtime.”
- “The soundtrack of the game is also excellent in my opinion and really adds to the atmosphere of this being a cryptic death game with lots of mystery, suspense, and unknowns.”
- “Music/sound gets a 2/10.”
- “If it weren't for the loud noises, the music and sound effects are royalty-free things, which is cool but nothing remarkable, and could have benefited from audio balancing as the sounds overtop detract from the experience.”
- “The soundtrack, while effective, didn’t contain any real standout tracks and didn’t have a lot of variety.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
72%
20%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting the low-budget visuals and subpar artwork, particularly in backgrounds that are often blurry and lack detail. While character designs are generally praised for their uniqueness, the overall aesthetic feels inconsistent and reminiscent of a fan-made project. Players express a desire for more polished visuals and additional artwork to enhance the experience, indicating that the game's narrative strength is somewhat undermined by its visual shortcomings.
- “Characters' design is great and probably the best part of the story; each person is easily identified and personalized both in graphics and text.”
- “The character's artwork is not bad; I especially liked the tiger, dog, ox, and dragon.”
- “The only downsides of the game are the low-budget graphics and UI.”
- “Some of the artwork in this visual novel is subpar; not Umineko potato quality but maybe 2-3 notches above that in some of the rendering.”
- “Visuals are very hit and miss - character sprites are good but backgrounds are somewhat bland.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
76%
14%
The gameplay is primarily a visual novel experience with limited mechanics, featuring word puzzles and choice-making that some players found restrictive and unenjoyable. While the storyline and character interactions are praised, the overall gameplay loop is short and lacks the depth and production quality expected from more polished titles. Despite some structural issues and low production values, the writing and unique scenarios provide a compelling experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “I especially enjoyed how the major trinkets' mechanics create unique situations which characters have to face.”
- “At some point in the game, there is a portion where a certain type of mechanic is added to the game to introduce conflict and tension, with people who will work against you.”
- “Because of the mechanics of some of the routes, it might have been a bit challenging, or it might not have been included for budgetary reasons, but either way, I think a visual graph of some kind would have been helpful.”
- “The number of CGs used is limited and there's no mechanical flair of the sort a player accustomed to full studio productions like Danganronpa or Zero Escape might have grown to expect.”
- “The main issues of the game lie in some structural gameplay choices and in the low production aesthetics that some players will understandably not be able to look entirely past, but the base content is good enough to more than make up for those trappings.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it clever and engaging, while others feel it falls flat at times. Overall, the writing is praised for its wit and the characters are described as both funny and compelling, contributing to a consistently entertaining experience. Highlights include absurd moments and memorable interactions, particularly with a character named Rooster, which add to the game's charm.
- “Sometimes clever, sometimes absurd, but almost always engaging and hilarious.”
- “It's consistently hilarious, and each character is well written both motivation and drama wise, as well as just interest wise.”
- “I also feel the need to point out that this game, though serious for the most part, is also hilarious.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game boasts high replayability with an impressive 52 possible endings, encouraging players to explore different story paths. However, some users feel that the lack of accessible commentary and community support may hinder the overall replay experience, making it challenging to fully appreciate the multiple outcomes. Despite these setbacks, the engaging narrative and intriguing puzzle elements contribute positively to its replay value.
- “Despite its small batch of setbacks, the grand story, cast, and high replay value definitely overshadow them.”
- “The stories are interesting, and the fact that each one gives you a tiny piece of the puzzle to solve what's going on is a nice reward, as replayability is encouraged, since the game has an astounding 52 possible endings (most of them are gruesome deaths or pyrrhic victories).”
- “I don't know if that's the word I want to use, but either way, some profile bling along with the piece of the puzzle I've mentioned before might be a dealbreaker when it comes to the overall replayability experience and premise.”
- “At the very least, the hints that accompany each ending should be replayable. As far as I could see, you only had the option to see which endings had been unlocked and could not re-read the commentary or advice.”
- “Sadly, I think it aims too high. I recall reviewing another visual novel that had a similar premise to this one, which also faced issues with replayability and multiple outcomes due to the lack of a community or a guide to help find all of them.”
- “I don't know if that's the word I want to use, but either way, some profile enhancements along with the piece of the puzzle I've mentioned before might be a dealbreaker when it comes to the overall replayability experience and premise.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Character development in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the phenomenal character designs that effectively convey personality, others criticize certain characters for having unappealing designs and odd proportions, which detracts from their overall impact.
- “The character designs are absolutely phenomenal, and the characterization shown just in those designs was great.”
- “That is to say, the character designs are good.”
- “Lastly, the true mastermind is obviously a super important character, but their character design is just so bad.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively engages players emotionally through its compelling music and well-crafted narrative, which evokes a range of feelings, including emotional pain for beloved characters. Reviewers appreciate its ability to explore strong emotional themes while maintaining an intriguing and enjoyable experience. Overall, it offers a satisfying emotional journey at a reasonable price.
- “The music emotionally grabs me and never got dull throughout my playtime.”
- “The best writers usually need to be minor masochists so as to not shy away from making players feel emotional pain for the characters they have grown to love.”
- “Bottom line, the game is intriguing, fun, and can explore strong emotional beats at times, all for a rather good price.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its intriguing mysteries and strong character dynamics, creating a sense of suspense and cryptic tension, although it may not reach the intensity of similar titles. The excellent soundtrack further enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable despite some critiques regarding the overarching plot and budget limitations.
- “I wish this game had more budget since the writing and the atmosphere in the game is truly amazing.”
- “Realistically, it's the characters, the tense atmosphere, and the intriguing mysteries that make this game worth picking up and enjoyable, not necessarily the total overarching plot, even if said plot is in no way bad.”
- “Atmosphere-wise, this game definitely isn't as tense as something like 999, and there's less of a focus on the actual death game than I expected.”
- “The soundtrack of the game is also excellent in my opinion and really adds to the atmosphere of this being a cryptic death game with lots of mystery, suspense, and unknowns.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is marked by some bugs, particularly with controller support, which can lead to issues in cycling through options. While these bugs are noted, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience for some players.
- “There is controller support, but it is buggy and does not always cycle through the options correctly.”
- “It can feel a bit buggy at times, but that never really bothered me.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect somewhat tedious, particularly when searching for the last routes, but opinions vary based on individual playstyles. The inclusion of a 'skip' function helps alleviate some of the frustration, making the experience more manageable.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I spent hours doing the same tasks over and over again, which quickly became frustrating.”
- “The grind is so monotonous that it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization could have been more effective with higher production values, indicating that it could have justified a premium price point of $40 or $60 if it featured AAA art and music, along with appropriate advertising.
- “If this game had AAA art and music with some advertising and hype, it could have been sold for $40 or $60 and been worth every penny.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it pushes players to spend more to enjoy the game fully.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending money.”