- 0.6.5 - 2 September 2026
Highlights: Full prosecutor career track wired up (charging → judge assignment → docket → plea authority → Brady/victim-contact panels); grand jury witness/summary selection is now a real decision instead of an auto-filled formality; trial stages now match whichever side (defense/prosecution) you're actually playing.Added: Planner shows what each hour buys before you spend it; Court Portal docket rows now render; locked case-view shortcuts say so instead of silently failing; Practice tab lock message names the actual unlock condition.Fixed (this session's work): UTC date bug in month/week calendar "today" highlight; first-appearance/arraignment duplicate-hearing labeling; negotiation using a random prosecutor name instead of the case's actual one; day-advance silently doing nothing with nothing planned; notification queue eviction bug; 65/77 broken character portraits; a contradictory a…
- UPDATE 0.6.1 - 4 August 2026
⚖️ Civil Cases — Bug Fixes & PolishCivil case progress bar fixed. Cases like Rivera, Halloran, and Brenner now correctly track through their civil pipeline: Pleadings & Discovery → Pre-Trial → Settlement → Trial Prep → Trial → Post-Trial → Closed. Previously they showed the wrong stages.Investigation phase restored. Rivera and Halloran were shipping with most of their evidence already discovered, making the investigation phase feel pointless. Both cases now have real hidden evidence waiting to be uncovered.Civil charges no longer show jail time. Wrongful termination and bad faith claims correctly show damages exposure — not prison sentences.📜 Appellate Track — Bug FixesRemand instructions now appear in appellate opinions. When a court remanded a case with specific instructions, those instructions were silently dropped from the opinion display. Fixed.Standard-of-review picker is now ful…
- Head-2-Head (2-player mode) - 11 July 2026
### Added — Head-2-Head (2-player mode) - Full 5-stage arc (Arraignment → Discovery → Motions → Trial → Sentencing → Verdict). - Case picker with three hand-crafted cases (State v. Halden, People v. Voss, State v. Novak). - AI opponent across three difficulty tiers (Novice / Attorney / Judge). - Cross-stage payoffs: motion wins shorten Trial examination sequences; Brady catches buff Sentencing mash weight. - Trial objection interference — SUSTAINED = +2 & advance opponent, OVERRULED = -1. - Verdict copy pulls the real case data, sentence months, and departure. - Optional custom seed for repeatable matches. - Menu button promoted above Law School. ### Added — Practice-mode cases - State v. Mercer (DV no-contact violation) - State v. Okonkwo (contested DUI) - State v. Reyes (Robbery 1, grand jury) - State v. Boone (PWID fentanyl, 4th Amendment) - State v. Diallo (Padilla immigration trap)…
- Patch Notes: Voir Dire, Speedy Trial, Holistic Teams - 14 June 2026
Major Systems - Voir Dire Redesign. Jury selection has been rebuilt from the ground up. Jurors now carry a multi-axis personality (authority lean, punitiveness, empathy target, analytical style, life-experience flags) instead of a single bias score. Mini-openings have been replaced by individual juror questioning drawing from an 18-question bank across open-ended, background, case-specific, and hypothetical categories — with social-desirability gating so jurors don't always answer honestly. Peremptory challenges are now asymmetric by charge class (felony 7/6, misdemeanor 4/3, infraction 3/3). Cause challenges now require an articulable-bias score built from disclosed signals; the judge's willingness to sustain scales with both that score and your standing with the bench. - Speedy Trial Now Enforced. Previously you could march a case past the constitutional deadline and try it anyway. No…
- v0.5.6 - 27 May 2026
This is a massive stability and realism release. The trial pipeline now runs end-to-end without dead-ends, the whole game has been scrubbed of "video-gamey" combat language, and Case 06 is in. New Content - New case: State v. Reyes — construction site trespass. - Firm management UI on the Career Dashboard. - Communications Panel for case messages. - 4 new character sketches and an expanded juror silhouette pool. - Juror silhouette portraits in voir dire. - Floating "Kyle B." note on the main menu. Trial Loop — Now Actually Plays Through - Full trial pipeline wired from jury selection through post-trial resolution. - Arraignment phase added; first-appearance → arraignment transition fixed. - Post-trial summary screen now shows up after a verdict (previously orphaned). - Sentencing tab unlocks at the right time and records correctly. - Opening, defense-case, and closing-argument simulator…
- 0.5.5 - 11 May 2026
Bug Fixes - Fixed a crash that could occur during the defense case presentation, where witness performance data, expert admissibility, and narrative momentum were not loading correctly for certain cases. - Fixed an issue where the Sentencing tab in the case workspace could appear locked or inaccessible after a guilty verdict, preventing access to the Pre-Sentence Investigation panel. - Fixed several case workspace tabs unlocking at the wrong time — for example, the Trial tab could appear available before a case reached the trial preparation stage, and the Sentencing tab could appear before a verdict was entered.
- v0.5.4f Patch Notes - 9 April 2026
Bug Fixes Fixed a loop that kept redirecting back to the Sentencing screen after a sentence had already been finalized Fixed a crash on the Verdict screen when entering deliberations without a completed jury selection Fixed duplicate "Hung Jury" buttons appearing on the verdict screen Fixed the Deliberation Room having no way to exit once entered Fixed plea agreements failing to advance the case after being accepted — cases were stuck in Pre-Trial indefinitely Fixed Jury Selection not loading, leaving the courtroom screen empty Fixed cases with no defense witnesses (Case 01, Clinic) showing a dead-end with no way to continue Fixed post-plea sentencing being entirely inaccessible — the Sentencing panel now correctly appears after a plea agreement and allows you to finalize the sentence once the hearing date arrives Fixed saves from older versions sometimes failing to load the PSI report…
- Major Overhaul 0.5.4a - 24 March 2026
1. Massive v0.5.4 UI Stabilization & Pre-flight Audits (496a48a)Giant Codebase Refactoring (189+ Files Modified): Sweeping changes and alignment across Legal Practice, Court, and Negotiation phases to ensure UI consistency and reduce technical debt.Practice/Trial Synchronization: Completely reworked the PracticeDashboard, NegotiationPanel, and CaseOverviewTab.Component Demolition & Rebuild: Deprecated the bloated CaseDetailOverlay and replaced it with a highly structured CaseWorkspaceView and a new MasterDocumentViewer.New Sub-Systems Added: Introduced bailSystem.ts, calendarSystem.ts, and plannerLogic.ts alongside brand new PracticeWeekCalendar and CalendarView components to support dynamic scheduling.Tutorial Stability: StrengthenedInteractiveTutorial.tsx, BandwidthTutorial, and Rule9CertificateModal logic.2. Astronomy Splash Screen & Global Music Controls (Current Session)Visual Over…
- Q&A session - 19 March 2026
Alien Attorney Adventure: Comprehensive Dev InterviewConcept & Inspiration1. What was the original "lightbulb moment" that led to combining a courtroom drama with an extraterrestrial setting? The lightbulb moment came after four years of working as a superior court clerk. I was navigating this suffocating, Kafkaesque bureaucracy every day and realized that the actual legal system already feels incredibly alienating and absurd. The non-human characters and off-Earth setting are just a Trojan horse—a darkly comedic way to trick players into experiencing a terrifyingly accurate, grueling simulation of our real-world justice system.2. Are there specific legal shows or sci-fi series that heavily influenced the tone of the game? There are actually zero sci-fi influences in the mechanics or tone. It's much closer to bureaucratic satires like Brazil or Catch-22, mixed with the grinding reality…
- 0.5.3 - 16 March 2026
🚀 Update v0.5.3 Patch Notes New Feature: The Legalese Lexicon Ever read a case file and wondered what exactly an Alford Plea is? We’ve got you covered. Legal terminology scattered throughout the game (in conversations, case files, and court hearings) will now feature a subtle dotted underline indicating they can be inspected. Hovering over or tapping these terms will instantly bring up a contextual Glossary Tooltip, providing a plain-English definition so you never lose the thread of the case! We’ve added a quick, seamless tutorial the first time you encounter one so you know exactly how it works. Quality of Life: PC Workflow Hubs Managing a crushing caseload just got a lot smoother. We've overhauled your primary workspaces based on player feedback: Case Task Manager Upgrades: Power users rejoice—we’ve added Keyboard Shortcuts! Press Enter or Space to instantly snap open and expand any…
- v0.5.2 Expansion Update (March 2026) - 10 March 2026
Welcome to the v0.5.2 Expansion Update for Alien Attorney Adventure! This massive update shifts the game into high gear with a completely overhauled PC-first interface, three massive new content expansions, and deep stability fixes. What's New The "War Room" PC Dashboard We heard your feedback: managing a legal empire on a tiny mobile-style screen was frustrating. The Dashboard: The entire UI has been ripped out and replaced with a sprawling, 3-column "War Room" grid built for widescreen monitors. Persistent HUD: Your Trust Ledger, 3-Day Court Calendar, and character stats are now pinned to the screen—no more menu diving to check your schedule! Keyboard Shortcuts: Every dialogue choice can now be instantly selected using the 1-9 keys. Fast-talking your way out of contempt has never been more efficient. Three New Content Expansion Packs Prepare to face your most challenging clients yet.…
- 0.5.0 - 28 February 2026
Alien Attorney Adventure - Version 0.5.0🎉 Major Features & Gameplay AdditionsHigh-Stakes Pro Bono DocketIntroduced "Civil Rights Violation" and "Capital Murder" class archetypes.These cases offer massive reputation rewards and game-changing narrative shifts, but they are completely Pro Bono (Expected Revenue: $0).Taking on a High-Stakes case now drains your firm for -$250/day in operational expenses (expert retainers, private investigators, etc.), forcing you to balance your docket with paying clients to stay afloat.A highly visible amber Warning Alert has been added to the Intake UI to make sure you know what you are getting into before accepting the case.Jury Selection (Voir Dire)Impartial Juries are a Myth: The game now generates a pool of 15 fully-realized JurorProfiles possessing hidden biases, traits, and social desirability scores.Players intercept the trial flow before Opening…
- 0.4.0 - 24 February 2026
⚖️ Update v0.4.0 - The Grounded Reality & Appellate UpdateThis massive update radically transforms the depth of your practice, introducing high-stakes trial mechanics, deep firm management, and unpredictable client behavior, all wrapped in a more grounded, immersive universe.✨ Major New FeaturesThe Appellate System: A conviction isn't always the end. If you proactively argue objections and preserve issues on the record during a trial, you can now file a costly Notice of Appeal (15,000 / 40 hours) to the Appellate Court for a chance to overturn the verdict and radically boost your firm's reputation.Trial Momentum & Prosecutorial Pushback: Trials are no longer a static sequence. Prosecutors will now actively object to aggressive cross-examinations, especially if they smell blood in the water. Successfully arguing against them builds Trial Momentum, which permanently factors into the Judge…
- 0.3.0e - 5 February 2026
🚀 New Features🏛️ Smoother Case ManagementWe've upgraded the Case List! It now handles hundreds of active cases effortlessly, ensuring smooth scrolling and instant loading even as your firm grows.👥 Staff Management SystemYou can now hire and manage staff to support your firm's operations. Build your dream legal team to handle the increasing workload.🏟️ New EnvironmentsFresh visuals have been added for the Fight Pit and Ludus areas, bringing more depth and atmosphere to the world.✨ Improvements & Polish🎯 Streamlined GameplayWe've removed some legacy minigames to double down on the core legal simulation experience. The game flow is now tighter and more focused on your attorney career.🎓 Improved TutorialFixed several visual glitches in the tutorial, including issues with the overlay and smoke effects, making for a cleaner start for new players.
- 0.3.0c - 29 January 2026
Major Systems OverhaulInvestigation System Refactor: Massive type-safety overhaul of the Investigation System, removing any types and replacing magic strings with strict enum types (InvestigationSystem.ts).Mistrial Mechanics: Deepened Mistrial mechanics with dedicated system logic and emotion-driven triggers (MistrialSystem.test.ts).Type Safety: Enforced strict typing across all script and game data types, cleaning up legacy technical debt in ScriptTypes.tsand GameTypes.ts.New User Experience (UX) FeaturesLegal Encyclopedia: Added the LegalEncyclopediaPanel, an searchable in-game reference for legal rules and case law.Settings Menu: Implemented a comprehensive SettingsMenu exposing new accessibility options and game preferences.Tutorial Engine: Launched the interactive TutorialEngine and TutorialOverlay with the first "Onboarding Basics" lessons.Tutorial Stabilization: Fixed overlay int…
- 0.2.0d - 20 January 2026
I made the choice to remove and not include AI art (Even if its generated off my own art.) I will now begin the task of drawing all the art by hand. Marketing material will still include AI art, this is mainly because I am not going to disrupt current AD campaigns. Task: Phase 0.3.0 - Court Process Refinement\ Evidence Admissibility EngineDefine Evidence Rules types (Hearsay, Relevance, etc.).ImplementAdmissibilitySystem.ts.Unit TestAdmissibilitySystem.\ Objection SystemUpdateInCourtSession state to handle pending objections.ImplementObjectionResolver logic (Rule + Judge Traits).\ Judge PersonalityAdd traits toJudgeProfile (Textualist, Pragmatist, etc.).Wire traits intoObjectionResolver.\ UX IntegrationUpdateCourtroomHeader.tsx to show Judge Traits.CreateObjectionPanel.tsx.\ Objection ConsequencesUpdateresolveObjection to impact judgeIrritability and narrativeMomentum.Implement "Bad Fai…
- 0.2.0 - 9 January 2026
HUGE UPDATE! ### 0.1.9 - Caseload Pressure, Pleas, and In-Court Reality (Merged into 0.2.0) Objective: align day flow and outcomes with overload math, plea-driven resolution rates, and structured courtroom sessions. This content is now part of the 0.2.0 release candidate. - Implemented - Shared time budget unified (practice + game) with sim-time `getSimulationNowMs` used for key gates/countdowns. - GameFlowManager day counter now derives from sim-date (no internal day increment drift). - Day-advance agenda toast (`Court today`) summarizes booked appearances and free gaps for the sim-day. - Morning agenda overlay opens after day advance when court is scheduled, showing booked appearances, free gaps, and links into the case calendar. - Bench outcomes split into `benchWarningIssued` (minor) vs `benchWarrantRisk` (severe) flags. - `requiresPresence` is treated as Rule 9 supervisor-presence…
- v.0.1.9 - 26 December 2025
## \ - 2025-12-25### Changed- Audio system now uses OGG/Vorbis tracks with menu audio settings, a gameplay Now Playing chip, and a menu-to-gameplay playlist handoff after the theme song.- Gameplay music now defaults to shuffle on first entry into the in-game experience.- Now Playing header includes quick play/pause and skip controls.- Tutorial Step 7 guidance now points to choosing any response rather than implying a specific option. ### Fixed- Tutorial highlight targets the full response list for Step 7 to avoid biasing a single choice. ### Removed- Find Highlight buttons from tutorial steps.- Dev-only UI surfaces (wireframe mode, performance overlay, supervision debug panel, and dev error details/indicators). ## \ - 2025-12-17### Changed- End Day now triggers an auto-save and refreshes auto-save slots for loading.- Load Game shows auto saves; Resume prefers the most recent save (manua…
- 0.1.8 - 10 December 2025
### 0.1.8 - Court Staff & Calendar LogisticsObjective: clerk/JA layer with tasks, rapport, and favors influencing scheduling, notices, continuances, and risk visibility.- Systems - Staff slice live: profiles/relationships, favor capacity, cooldowns; task queue (`confirm_hearing`, `serve_notice`, `request_interpreter`, `swap_slot`, `allow_remote`) with SLAs and outcomes. - Sim clock: staff/calendar/financial timers pull from shared in-game date (simTime); task timers use sim day in tests. - Middleware/timers: auto-process staff tasks; expiry sets bench-risk and continuances; interpreter auto-tasks seed for arraignments; staff failures can misplace notices; completed tasks resync hearing flags. - Favor economy: favors required for remote and late filings; staff swaps draw favors; overuse drains rapport and triggers cooldown. - Continuances: success rate varies with clerk rapport; outcomes…
- 0.1.7 - 4 December 2025
### 0.1.7 - - Unified single-day loop: game tick now consumes practice planner hours/actions before rest logic; UI surfaces live hours/ethics/case counts instead of placeholders.- Staff tasking live: scheduling and motions create clerk/JA tasks for confirmations, notices, and remote requests; outcomes vary with rapport (no visible favor currency), and conflict resolves request staff intervention rather than a spend mechanic.- First appearance/arraignment enforcement: in-custody cases show 48-hour clock/bench-risk messaging; plea/negotiation entry is blocked until first appearance is completed. Case detail now shows countdown/advisement checklist and auto-created first-appearance task; speedy/bail review deadlines surface in toasts when blocked.- Procedural clocks surfaced: calendar + case detail show speedy/bail review badges; planner deadlines carry plea-pressure context; day-advance t…
