Scoring

The king scores the debate turn by turn. After every move, the king responds and then shifts royal favor toward Alice, Robert, or neither player. Both players can see the current totals beside their portraits.

Point Range

• 0 points means the move did not meaningfully change the king's view.
• 1 point means the move was credible, relevant, or strategically useful.
• 2 points means the move created a rare and decisive breakthrough.

Points are never negative. A move that backfires can award points to the opponent instead.

The Judge

Each king begins the match with a private set of values and formative experiences. Those traits influence what the king finds persuasive, but the judge does not reveal the hidden profile or current scoring logic.

The judge considers the latest move in the context of the debate. It does not award points for earlier moves again, compensate a trailing player, or prefer compromise by default.

Ending the Match

After both players complete five turns, the backend totals all royal favor. The higher total wins; equal totals produce a tie. A closing narrator then describes the result and the king's decree. The narrator cannot rescore the match or change the winner.

If a player concedes or runs out of time, the opponent wins by default.