How to play
GUILTY or NOT?
One real court case every day. You read the facts, you hear both sides, and you decide. Then the game shows you what the court actually did.
Every case in GUILTY or NOT? is a genuine decision from a real court, reproduced from the record rather than invented for the game. The names are replaced with neutral descriptors while you are deciding, so nothing gives the answer away. The real style of cause and the citation appear only after you have rendered your verdict.
It takes about two minutes. It is free, there is nothing to install, and it runs in any browser on your phone or your desktop.
Play today's caseThe five steps
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Read the brief
You get the facts of the case as the court had them. No verdict, no outcome, no hints in the framing.
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Weigh both sides
The prosecution's argument sits on one side and the defence's on the other, laid out position by position so neither is dressed up as the stronger one.
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Read the issue
One sentence, stated neutrally, naming the question the case actually turns on. It is the last thing you read before you rule, and it never tells you which way the court went.
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Render your verdict
Guilty, or not guilty. Your time is recorded quietly while you decide, and you can see how the rest of the bench voted once you have committed.
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See what the court did
The actual decision, the court's reasoning, and the citation, so you can go and read the case yourself if it interests you.
Scoring, streaks and rank
Every case is worth the same: one hundred points. What moves your total is the streak. Each consecutive day you get right adds to the bonus, up to twenty days, so a long run is worth three times a cold start — and a single miss resets it. Enough correct calls and you are promoted up the judicial ranks, working toward an appointment as Chief Justice.
Your trial record also keeps your verdict accuracy: the share of every case you have heard that you called the same way the court did. It is the harder number to move, and the more honest one.
There is no easy pile and no hard pile. Every case is chosen the same way — for cases where a careful reader could reasonably go either way. If the answer were obvious from the facts, it would not be in the game.
Where the cases come from
Cases are drawn from published decisions: Supreme Court judgments, appellate rulings and trial decisions from courts of record. Every case is real. Nothing is fictionalised, composited, or written for effect. If a case is in the game, a court decided it and the decision is on the public record.
A built-in glossary explains the terms of art as they come up, so you do not need a legal background to play. Tap any highlighted term for a definition, or browse the full glossary from the footer of the game.
Other ways to play
The Court Archives
Past cases stay playable. You can work back through cases you missed, replay one you got wrong, or use the archive to quiz someone else. Archive verdicts do not touch your score or your streak, but they do count towards how the bench voted on that case.
Bet! GUILTY or NOT?
A different problem entirely. Instead of a case that has already been decided, you are given a real case that has been argued and is still under reserve — the court has not ruled yet. You set your line and wager play-money Gavels, and the board settles when the real court actually rules.
Take the bench at Bet! GUILTY or NOT?, or browse the case library for the brief and sources on every case, decided or still pending.
GUILTY or NOT? CDN version
The same game, Canadian caselaw. A real Canadian criminal case every day, decided under Canadian law by Canadian courts — currently running a Criminal Code firearms docket. Play the Canadian edition.
Sober As A Judge
The multiplayer version, built for a room full of people rather than one person on a commute. Everyone decides the same case on their own phone and the court's ruling settles the argument. Play Sober As A Judge.
Common questions
Is GUILTY or NOT? free
Yes. A new case every day is free to play, permanently. A paid subscription unlocks the full back archive of past cases beyond the free window, but you never have to pay to play the daily case.
Do I need to know anything about law to play
No. The brief gives you everything the court had, the issue is stated in plain English, and the glossary explains any term of art as it appears. Most players have no legal training.
Are the cases real
Every one. Each case is a genuine decision from a real court, and the citation is shown at the reveal so you can look it up yourself.
How long does a case take
Around two minutes. It is built to be a daily habit, not an evening's commitment.
When does the new case appear
A new case is published every day. Your streak carries as long as you keep playing each day's case.
Do I have to give a name to play
No. You can hear the case and rule on it without naming yourself. You are asked to take the bench after your first verdict, and naming yourself is what puts that verdict on the record and starts your streak, your rank and your trial record.
Can I install it on my phone
Yes. It is a progressive web app, so you can add it to your home screen from your browser and it will open like any other app. There is no app store download required.
Is this legal advice
No. GUILTY or NOT? is a game built for entertainment and general interest. Nothing in it is legal advice, and playing it does not create a lawyer-client relationship with anyone. If you are facing a charge, speak to a lawyer.