Crime and Punishment

IBM CGA version of Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment is a courtroom simulation released by Imagic in 1984. In the game a criminal has been found guilty, and the player (taking on the role of a judge) needs to determine the defendant's punishment based on information learned about the case. The goal is to determine a punishment that is in line with the one from the real life case; after a decision is made, the game presents the actual punishment and compares it to the one selected by the player.

The game begins at a trial with the defendant being found guilty; at this point, as the judge the player can select menu options to review the known facts of the case, read about details of the crime, read about the defendant's criminal history, and more. Players can additionally ask questions in six different categories. Players can request as much information as necessary, but will have their score reduced if irrelevant information is requested.

Once players have enough information, it's time to make a decision. There are options for probation, jail, or prison along with the length of time for the sentence. In some cases, where law allows, the death penalty will be an available option as well. Once a selection is made, a score is provided by comparing to the actual case results. A perfect score of 10 gavels is given if players choose the exact sentence the real judge did, or fewer gavels depending on how far the player's selection deviated.