---
key: mechanic/detective--family-25
type: mechanic
id: detective--family-25
lang: en
title: Defending a case in debate or trial
summary: >-
  The player answers objections, presents relevant evidence and refines the
  argument supporting a case.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-25/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-25.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/detective--family-25.md
aliases:
  - Defending a theory in debate or court
tags:
  - Detective games
  - 'Conclusions, argument and assistance'
sourceIds:
  - source-3674ef77efed76d0
  - source-b21a556417974437
  - source-2125d8b330e8c020
sources:
  - id: source-3674ef77efed76d0
    title: 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies'
    url: >-
      https://www.nintendo.com/hk/3ds/aceattorney_dualdestinies/pdf/Ace_Attorney_5_OPSeet_en_R15.pdf
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-b21a556417974437
    title: Paradise Killer
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/1160220/Paradise_Killer/'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-2125d8b330e8c020
    title: 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy'
    url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: detective
    id: family-25
    title: Detective games
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/detective/#family-25'
    categoryIds:
      - conclusions
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Defending a theory in debate or court
    description: >-
      The player answers objections, presents relevant evidence and refines the
      argument supporting a case.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/dialogue-ace-attorney-trilogy-01.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 810
      game: 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy'
      sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/'
      originalUrl: >-
        https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/787480/04cc6bd6f7fb90e9e94925b6d716896a549d0ca9/ss_04cc6bd6f7fb90e9e94925b6d716896a549d0ca9.1920x1080.jpg?t=1768866317
      credit: 'CAPCOM Co., Ltd.'
      rights: >-
        Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed
        Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: Witness testimony and the court record
      alt: Witness testimony and the court record
      markers:
        - x: 40
          'y': 75
          label: The witness makes a statement that can be checked
        - x: 79
          'y': 94
          label: The court record remains available during testimony
    tips:
      - >-
        Let players answer objections with relevant evidence rather than
        dialogue tone.
    examples:
      - title: 'Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy'
        url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-19.
  Primary developer and publisher sources support specific released-game
  examples, not the whole classification; design examples are hypothetical.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/detective
---
# Defending a case in debate or trial

id: detective--family-25
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/detective--family-25
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/detective--family-25/

The player answers objections, presents relevant evidence and refines the argument supporting a case.

## At a glance

![Witness testimony and the court record](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/dialogue-ace-attorney-trilogy-01.webp)

[Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/) · Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. The witness makes a statement that can be checked
2. The court record remains available during testimony

- Let players answer objections with relevant evidence rather than dialogue tone.

- [Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/)

## How it works

The player answers objections, presents relevant evidence and refines the argument supporting a case.

## Variants

### Variants

<a id="family-25-branch-1"></a>

- Evidence for a claim: select material that supports the particular disputed assertion. <a id="family-25-variant-1"></a>
- Answering an objection: identify a hidden assumption in an opponent’s argument. <a id="family-25-variant-2"></a>
- Proof chain: justify the intermediate steps needed for the final conclusion. <a id="family-25-variant-3"></a>

## Design example

An opponent cites an entry log. The player explains why it establishes pass use but not yet the visitor’s identity.

## Context and limits

A working map of detective design: 32 families and 96 variants. The core loop is to find information, form a hypothesis, test it and explain a conclusion. Answer formats, hints and investigation structure are treated separately. Families overlap, design examples are hypothetical, and released-game examples cite primary sources without revealing case solutions.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-19. Primary developer and publisher sources support specific released-game examples, not the whole classification; design examples are hypothetical.

- [Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies](https://www.nintendo.com/hk/3ds/aceattorney_dualdestinies/pdf/Ace_Attorney_5_OPSeet_en_R15.pdf) (id: source-3674ef77efed76d0)
- [Paradise Killer](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1160220/Paradise_Killer/) (id: source-b21a556417974437)
- [Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/) (id: source-2125d8b330e8c020)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors