Trust Me, It’s Legal is a 3–5 player tabletop bluffing and strategy game set in E.K.O.S., a central trade citadel in my original sci-fi universe. Players take on the role of traders transporting legal and illegal goods through a corrupt checkpoint where every declaration can be questioned and every inspection becomes a social negotiation. Designed around themes of trust, deception, authority, and survival, the game combines original worldbuilding with player-driven interaction to create an experience where psychology is more important than luck. Rather than simply telling the story of this world, the project aims to let players experience its systems through meaningful choices, bluffing, and strategic decision-making.
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Research Starting Point: Myth as an Urban System
The game is set in the Qin System, a fictional universe built around five interconnected moons with distinct cultures, economies, and belief systems. At its centre lies E.K.O.S., a neutral trade citadel created after the fall of Qin-Lumin, where commerce keeps fragile peace alive. Every moon exports unique goods and ideologies, making trade both a necessity and a source of constant conflict.
Field Research in Himachal Pradesh
Rather than treating lore as background information, I translated it directly into mechanics. The Guard represents temporary authority, legal and illegal goods reflect political control, bribery mirrors institutional corruption, and bluffing captures the lack of trust between civilizations. Every major rule exists to reinforce the themes of the world through player interaction.
From Ritual Observation to Design Insight
Players act as traders attempting to move goods through E.K.O.S. by balancing honesty, deception, and negotiation. Each round follows a simple five-phase structure that creates meaningful social interaction without overwhelming players with complex rules. The design focuses on psychology, observation, and decision-making rather than randomness or excessive mechanical depth.
Translating Samkhya Philosophy into Game Logic
The game's systems were designed to encourage memorable player behaviour instead of complicated calculations. Goods were divided into legal and illegal categories, absurd humour was used to make the world approachable, and rotating authority ensures shifting power dynamics throughout the game. Every mechanic was evaluated based on whether it increased interaction at the table.
Building the World of Shambhala
The project evolved through continuous prototyping, testing, and simplification. Early versions explored additional mechanics and systems, but many were intentionally removed to strengthen the core gameplay loop. The final design reflects an iterative process where clarity, accessibility, and player interaction were consistently prioritised over unnecessary complexity.
Translating Research into a Playable Framework
Playtesting focused on understanding player behaviour rather than balancing numbers alone. Sessions revealed that bluffing, negotiation, and accusations naturally created the strongest moments of engagement. Feedback was used to simplify rules, improve pacing, and refine interactions, resulting in a cleaner and more intuitive gameplay experience.
Designing the Game System
Trust Me, It's Legal combines original worldbuilding, systems thinking, narrative design, and tabletop interaction into a complete playable experience. Through this project, I developed skills in game design, iterative problem solving, visual communication, and player-centred design while exploring how storytelling can emerge through mechanics instead of traditional narrative.
Components, Manuals & Final Outcome
