Jury.exe: Assessing Juror Reasoning and Decision-Making in a Serious Game

Abstract

Serious games can transform complex processes into interactive experiences that require critical and creative thinking. However, most courtroom-based games cast players as attorneys or investigators rather than showing how jurors evaluate evidence, resolve conflicting testimony, and reach a verdict. Jury.exe addresses this gap through a single-player, text-based murder-trial simulation. Built by a four-person team using React, TypeScript, and Vite, the prototype allows players to hear testimony from five witnesses, review physical and digital evidence, take notes, submit questions through the judge, identify contradictions, and deliberate with simulated jurors. The study examined whether interactive reasoning features and cognitive bias affected participants’ decisions. Participants were divided into two groups: one played the original version, while the other used expanded note-taking, contradiction-identification, and questioning tools. Researchers compared the groups’ ability to identify inconsistencies, weigh evidence, and revise conclusions. In-game metrics included evidence viewed, questions submitted, notes recorded, confidence changes, and final verdicts. By making evidence evaluation and deliberation interactive, Jury.exe introduces players to juror decision-making while testing which mechanics promote careful reasoning, resistance to premature conclusions, and consideration of alternative interpretations