"Passion governs, and she never governs wisely." — Benjamin Franklin, one of America's Founding Fathers.
Ninety years later, the very government that Franklin helped create disregarded his wisdom and trampled the constitutional rights of its own citizens in order to feed what seemed an insatiable hunger for vengeance. Now you, as the prosecution or defense, must convince a nine-panel jury that Mary Surratt, one of eight people put on trial for conspiring to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln and other members of his cabinet, is guilty...or innocent.
Unforgiven: The Lincoln Assassination Trial is a two-player game that takes place during the May 9 - June 28, 1865 trial of the first woman, Mary Surratt, ever to be executed for treason by the United States. The game begins amidst the chaos of Lincoln's assassination as the country struggles to heal over the wreckage of the American Civil War. Each player must persuade the jury to convict or acquit the accused and thereby win the game. To do so, players draft and play cards that help them strengthen their case with the jurors and recruit them to their side, while also finding overwhelming evidence for or against the accused.
In one of the most high-profile trials in U.S. history, will Mary Surratt again face the hangman's noose of American justice — or can you stop the trap door from falling?
- Unique legal-history theme
- Engaging narrative potential
- Strong historical flavor and immersion
- Potentially heavy for brand-new players
- Legal drama, political tension, and historical intrigue
- Post-Civil War United States; Lincoln assassination trial context
- Story-driven courtroom experience with historical framing
- Seven Wonders Duel
- Red Flags Over Paris
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven narrative and negotiation — Use event cards and dialogue-like mechanics to influence outcomes.
- juror/decision flow — Decisions and scoring hinge on jury-style mechanics tied to cards.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- production is absolutely top-notch
- hot for teacher
- the event deck and the action selection mechanic
- this is the core of all the coin games I've played
- we're all about games here that tell stories
- do not be intimidated by this game