- BGG rank
- BGG #7,278
- BGG rating
- 6.8
The Institute for Magical Arts
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,519
- BGG rating
- 6.3
The Trial of Socrates
2009
Rules assistance for The Trial of Socrates
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Trial of Socrates
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Trial of Socrates is a board game released in 2009 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Steve Finn and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
From the publishers website: It's 399 BCE and the people of Athens are called upon to decide the destiny of Socrates the Philosopher. Socrates is charged with corrupting the Athenian youth and encouraging them to neglect the city's gods. Socrates’ accusers and his defenders have only 10 days to convince influential citizens, who’ll be sitting on the jury, of their beliefs. Will his followers bring the influential Citizens over to their side or will the accusers win the day? Game Includes: 1 Game Board (in 3 parts) 40 Follower Tokens 6 Citizen Tokens 4 Action Cubes 18 Influence Cards 2 Player Shields w/holders 2 Player Mats Instructions
Designers
Publishers
- Dr. Finn's Games
Questions and answers
The Trial of Socrates supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for The Trial of Socrates is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Trial of Socrates for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Trial of Socrates has a complexity rating of 1.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Trial of Socrates belongs to these categories: Card Game and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Simultaneous Action Selection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Trial of Socrates are: Steve Finn. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Trial of Socrates as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.