Demon Max released Guilty as Sock! on 29 May 2025, and the concept is one line long: everyone is a sock puppet, someone is on trial, and the crime is whatever the prosecutor decided in private. Up to nine players fill seven roles running from judge and prosecutor down to bailiff, journalist and juror, while evidence cards are dealt at random rather than earned. It sits at Very Positive on Steam across more than 2,600 reviews. The joke only works if the whole table commits to it.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence cards | S | Prosecutors and defense attorneys building a story from nothing | Dealt at random to prosecution and defense, then shown to the court when the judge admits them. |
| Custom evidence decks | A | Regular groups who want their own running gags in court | Players can build their own decks out of square JPEG images with a title and description. |
| Breaking News posts | A | Journalists steering a verdict without ever getting a speaking turn | The journalist gets three per trial and each becomes usable evidence. |
| Paper balls | B | Interrupting a prosecutor who is actually winning | Paper sits on the desks and can be thrown to stun another player briefly, cutting a speech off mid-sentence. |
| The gavel | B | Judges keeping a nine player lobby intelligible | Less a prop than a control panel. |
S-Tier: Evidence cards
Dealt at random to prosecution and defense, then shown to the court when the judge admits them. Their contents rarely have anything to do with the accusation, so the skill is inventing a connection out loud faster than anyone can object.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Prosecutors and defense attorneys building a story from nothing |
| Key Mechanic | Seven courtroom roles |
| Recommended Build | Judge |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Evidence cards: Pairs naturally with Judge thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Custom evidence decks
Players can build their own decks out of square JPEG images with a title and description. Decks save locally and can be shared with friends, which is how groups turn private jokes into admissible evidence.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Regular groups who want their own running gags in court |
| Key Mechanic | Random evidence cards |
| Recommended Build | Prosecutor |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Custom evidence decks: Pairs naturally with Prosecutor thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Breaking News posts
The journalist gets three per trial and each becomes usable evidence. Publish early and you set the frame everyone argues inside. Publish late and it lands as a surprise either side can grab.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Journalists steering a verdict without ever getting a speaking turn |
| Key Mechanic | Judge gavel controls |
| Recommended Build | Defense Attorney |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Breaking News posts: Pairs naturally with Defense Attorney thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Paper balls
Paper sits on the desks and can be thrown to stun another player briefly, cutting a speech off mid-sentence. The bailiff throws the most of it, but nothing stops a bored juror joining in.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Interrupting a prosecutor who is actually winning |
| Key Mechanic | Breaking News headlines |
| Recommended Build | Journalist |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Paper balls: Pairs naturally with Journalist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: The gavel
Less a prop than a control panel. Turn allocation, witness calls, mutes and the verdict all run through it, and a judge who never uses the mute produces a trial nobody in the lobby can hear.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Judges keeping a nine player lobby intelligible |
| Key Mechanic | Jury verdict vote |
| Recommended Build | Bailiff |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using The gavel: Pairs naturally with Bailiff thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Default Trial courtroom
- Custom evidence decks → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Breaking News posts → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Evidence cards → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Take the judge seat if your group is new. The judge controls who speaks and when, and a lobby without a judge willing to use the mute button turns into nine people talking at once inside a minute.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Guilty as Sock! Guides
- Guilty as Sock! Guilty as Sock! Overview
- Guilty as Sock! Best Builds
- Guilty as Sock! Tier List
- Guilty as Sock! Walkthrough
- Guilty as Sock! Beginner's Guide
- Guilty as Sock! Tips & Tricks
- Guilty as Sock! Combat Guide
- Guilty as Sock! Boss Guide
- Guilty as Sock! Maps & Locations
- Guilty as Sock! Crafting Guide
- Guilty as Sock! Classes & Characters
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