Game Over

A Game Over is a scene given in the Ace Attorney series when the game ends on a negative outcome, although the games do not utilize the actual term.

The general consequence of achieving Game Over is that the player has to start over from their last save point, making it a great annoyance to most players. The exception is Dual Destinies, where the player is given an opportunity to try again from the point where they failed with a replenished penalty capacity.

Types of Game Over
Penalty capacity depletion

Whenever a player makes a mistake during a trial (or investigation in the Investigations series), they are given a penalty that is subtracted from a maximum penalty capacity. When this capacity is depleted, the game ends.

In the main series, the judge slams his gavel, pronounces the defense's failure to overturn the prosecution's arguments, and then finds the defendant guilty. The courtroom door then slams shut. In Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the courtroom door is replaced with the witches' cage slamming shut.

In the Investigations series, a context-specific scene will be shown that addresses Edgeworth's failure to ascertain the truth, followed by a scene of a case file closing and the phrase "Thus the truth was lost for all eternity".

Bad endings
All main series games except Trials and Tribulations feature a scene in their last case where fulfilling certain conditions will result in the game ending in an alternative and oftentimes very dark fashion.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
During Rise from the Ashes, Phoenix Wright can choose to present the Strip of Cloth upon Damon Gant's initial request. Doing so will finger Ema Skye as the murderer of Neil Marshall and Lana Skye will be found guilty for the murder of Bruce Goodman, her motive being to cover up her sister's actions.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All
The perhaps most famous bad ending in the series occurs in Farewell, My Turnabout. Near the end, Wright is given the chance to show one piece of evidence to one witness. If he presents incorrect evidence, presents to the incorrect witness, or answer's Shelly de Killer's question incorrectly, this ending is achieved.

Unable to support his claim regarding Engarde's guilt, Wright can only watch as Engarde is found "Not Guilty". Wright flees the courtroom out of shame and roams the streets alone, never to set foot in a courtroom again. He never saw Maya again, but knowing that de Killer is a man of his word, he was sure he would have released her. Days later, he received news of the outcome of Adrian Andrews' trial; as he expected, she was found guilty. The miracle he had hoped for never happened.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
At the end of Turnabout Succession, the player is put in control of Jurist no. 6, who is then given the opportunity to decide the fate of Vera Misham. If the player selects "Guilty", the verdict is postponed due to a hung jury. The same night, Vera takes a turn for the worse and dies of her atroquinine poisoning, leaving the case unresolved.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
Turnabout for Tomorrow features as many as three bad endings, all achievable at different times during the trial by depleting the penalty capacity.

If Wright fails to prove Simon Blackquill's innocence after he admits his guilt, the judge ends the trial with no change to the UR-1 verdict; Blackquill is then executed the next day as scheduled. As a result of this, Aura Blackquill disappears with her captives, including Trucy, without a trace. Athena leaves the agency, Apollo never smiles again, and Wright resigns in shame, realizing his uselessness as a lawyer.

After Athena confesses, if Wright fails to answer any of the forced questions, Aura will stop the trial and demand that Athena be handed over to her in exchange for the hostages. Wright never hears from her again.

If Wright is unable to prove that Bobby Fulbright is indeed the phantom after suspicion falls on him, Athena will be acquitted, but the phantom will disappear without a trace shortly afterwards, leaving the case unresolved, and the dark age of the law continues, growing ever darker.