UPDATE (December 4th): We're thrilled to have reached the initial funding goal! We're now shipping all orders and remember: more orders means more money to charities.
What is Conviction?
Conviction is a satirical card game that allows you and your friends to deliver sweet judicial justice to Trump and his cronies. You’ll compete against each other as prosecutors to convict the most high value public figures.
- 2-4 players
- Playing time: 30-45 minutes
Sample "Public Figure" Cards
![]()
![]()
Sample "Motion" Cards
![]()
![]()
Based in reality with a healthy dose of fantasy, the game takes place in the not-so-distant future.
con·vic·tion
noun
a firmly held belief or opinion.
On January 21st 2017, without a moment to catch our breath, we watched Donald J. Trump’s administration begin its assault on the values of the United States of America.
Every signed executive order betrayed our collective ideals. Each advisory and appointee was more frightening than the last. The whole situation felt eerily Orwellian. The resistance vowed to fight back.
Taking to the streets, the phone lines, and social media, America expressed its outrage and its disapproval in the face of this electoral college upset. The American people braced themselves for the tumultuous years ahead in Trump’s America by holding onto their defiance, their values, and their conviction.
con·vic·tion
noun
a formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law.
On January 21st 2017, Donald J. Trump underestimated the spirit of the American people.
As peaceful resistance mounted, evidence of his administration’s unethical, immoral, and unlawful actions began to surface. In an unprecedented move by Congress, all the key Public Figures were held responsible and set to stand trial for crimes against the country.
The game box includes all of the following:
- Public Figure deck (60 cards): Illustrations creatively made by Rick Menard
- Motion deck (70 cards): Illustrations beautifully done by Andrew Wood
- Lady justice representation on cardboard
- Rule Book
- Regular 6-sided Dice (2)
How Do I Play?
You and your friends play as prosecutors all attempting to convict a wide variety of public figures, particularly members of Trump’s inner circle. At the start of each game, a set of public figures are lined up before Lady Justice for trial.
Public Figure Examples (Positive Point Values)
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Each prosecutor has the option on their turn to either try and convict the public figure first in line with a roll of the dice or play a “Motion” card which can manipulate the order of the trials or affect the proceedings in other specific ways.
Motion Card Examples
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
After deciding to play or not play a Motion, the prosecutor rolls the dice to determine if the public figure on trial is acquitted or convicted. A roll of anything but doubles will convict the public figure and add them to the prosecutor's pile. But if you do roll doubles the public figure is acquitted and discarded, escaping the sword of justice.
Lady Justice will hear four rounds of trials. In each round you and the other prosecutors will try to secure the highest value members of Trump’s inner circle. But if you somehow convict a public figure not associated with Trump, it’ll cost you.
Public Figure Examples (Negative Point Values)
![]()
![]()
The winner? The prosecutor with the strongest set of convictions.
Supporting the Causes
Every backer will receive a short survey where they can suggest a charity they feel strongly about supporting. We’ll collect all the results and donate the game proceeds (revenue minus expenses). In order to donate as much money as possible, we will be cost sensitive in the creation of the game, but we will not be sacrificing game quality. To give you an idea of some of the causes on our mind, we’ve included a list below (but this list is not complete nor specifically ordered):
- Civil Rights
- Climate Change
- Net Neutrality
- Affordable Higher Education
- Women’s Rights
- Clean Energy
- Education Standards
- Gun Control
- Affordable Quality Healthcare
- Campaign Finance Reform
- Environmental Protections
- Affordable Housing
- Financial Regulation
- LGBQT Rights
About Us
Neil is passionate about innovation within the healthcare space. He currently leads a Chicago-based consulting and investing firm.
Dan lives in San Francisco and works in technology as an advisor to emerging start-ups, and was previously in Product Management for companies like Google and Leap Motion.
We have been friends for nearly 20 years, and over that time period we’ve played hundreds and hundreds hours of Risk, Settlers of Catan, Scrabble, Guillotine, and Cards Against Humanity. We first met in high school. Our last names being Patel and Peterson, we were seated next to each other in American History class. Fate or coincidence -- unclear which -- led us down a path to create Conviction, a game about a period in the history of these United States of America that will be taught in American History classes for years to come.
After the 2016 election we found ourselves oscillating between scared and angry -- but mostly frustrated. As President-Elect Trump started discussing his cabinet picks, supreme court appointments, policy agenda, and white house advisors it became clear that this was not a nightmare, but a reality that we were going to be dealing with for the next four years or less (Come on emoluments crew!). We shared articles back and forth with each other in exasperation and searched for an outlet for our frustration.
We created the game to channel our energy into something positive, while doing so we found ourselves reading even more current events, policy briefs, tweets, and blogs. Conviction is a lot of fun, and amazingly, it’s been incredibly educational for those who have play tested with us and don’t obsess over politics quite as much as we do. We also realized that we didn’t want to profit from the mess in D.C., so we decided to donate the proceeds where they’re needed. And thus, El Pen was born, the company we formed to fund causes that are under attack by Trump.
It may seem unlikely that creating a card game set in the nightmarish reality we live in would serve as a diversion for us, but it did. Blood pressure is down, spirits are up, and Conviction the card game is very nearly a real thing. We’re looking to all of you to support this campaign and make Conviction a reality...a reality that allows you too to escape reality.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Are you guys a 501(c)(3)?
A: No, unfortunately. Although we investigated what it would take to form an 501(c)(3) before launching this game, the IRS rules prevent a 501(c)(3) entity from engaging in income-generating activity that is “unrelated” to what would be our tax-exempt purpose. Since selling Conviction is not directly related to the purpose of this company – funding non-profits endangered by President Trump’s policies – forming an 501(c)(3) is not in the cards for us.
Q: Since you aren’t a 501(c)(3), how do I know that you’re actually donating the proceeds?
A: Unlike Donald Trump, we will publish our tax returns on our website, www.getconviction.com.
Q: How much of what I give to support your campaign will end up going to charity?
A: We expect to donate more than 50% of the revenue collected to charity.
Q: When will I get a copy?
A: We are shipping now! Contributors will receive their shipping confirmation within 2-3 days of backing.
Q: How does shipping outside of the United States work?
A: If you are selecting “Show Your Conviction” for $35 USD and would like the game shipped outside of the United States, please add $10 USD equivalent to your donation amount in order to cover the additional cost of shipping internationally. If there is any leftover, we’ll be sure to apply that to the charities as well. We’re thrilled for your interest!
Q: Do I need a law degree to play this game?
A: No. In fact, having a law degree may make it hard to engage in such legally dubious speculation :)
Q: What if I have another question?
A: Drop us a line at questions@getconviction.com.
Q: Where can I find you on social media?
A: You can find our pages here:
Q: Can I see more cards?
A: Absolutely!
A Sample of Additional Public Figures
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
A Sample of Additional Motion Cards
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
%7Cutmcmd%3Dorganic%7Cutmctr%3Dtracking%2520qr%2520codes%3B&utmu=DC~)
