/the-game/jail

Jail is a state, not a tab. Every action you take rolls for arrest, and when the roll lands you go inside. While jailed, most of the game is locked. This page covers how you get here, what is restricted while you are inside, and how to get out.

How you got here

Every action — buy, sell, PVP — adds exactly one heat (capped at 5) and immediately rolls for arrest. The roll fires at heat × 0.7%: heat 1 is 0.7% per action, heat 5 is 3.5% per action. There is no automatic threshold and no extra heat for losing — max heat just means the dice are loaded against you on the next move. Sooner or later the roll comes up arrest, and you go to jail.

What is restricted

While your dealer is in jail, the action tabs change behavior. The deal tab is closed and reports back that you cannot operate while incarcerated. The PVP tab is also closed: you can neither attack nor be attacked. The move tab is the one tab that remains active, but its options change. Instead of choosing a destination, you choose how you want to handle the sentence.

Paying bail

Paying bail is the safe option. The cost in cash scales with your current status, and the transaction releases you immediately on confirmation. If you have the cash and you have plans for the rest of your session, bail is generally the right choice.

Attempting a breakout

Attempting a breakout costs no cash but is not guaranteed. The transaction resolves on chain, and a roll determines whether you walk out free or remain locked in for another period. The breakout is the right choice when your cash position is too thin to afford bail, or when the time cost of waiting is acceptable relative to the cash you would otherwise spend.

After release

When you are released, by either method, you come back out of jail with your heat reset to 0. Your reputation and stash are preserved, but any cash spent on bail is gone. You return to the streets with a clean record from a heat perspective, but you keep everything else you built up before the arrest.

The practical advice is to remember that the road back from 5 is short. After a release, it is tempting to immediately swing for the fences and recover the lost cash, but a couple of failed deals can put you right back in the same situation. Pace yourself for the first few moves out.