Prison Architect

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 297 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 230 out of 297
  2. Mixed: 50 out of 297
  3. Negative: 17 out of 297

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  1. Rarted
    Jan 6, 2021
    7
    It's a really nice game. It has its story but it's about 2h long, and nothing particularly new. On the other hand, it is a really good simulator and it is fun.
  2. LimitedEdition
    Jul 26, 2016
    6
    Prison Architect is a solid sandbox game with lots of diversity and scopes, but sadly its graphics and technical execution is lackluster. The user interface could be better and also controlling and interacting with the world partly feels counter-intuitive, some things are either confusing, bugged or both, which does harm the game flow.
  3. baris697
    May 2, 2016
    8
    Great building strategy focused on prison theme. Graphics is a bit easier, but still very good looking on 2D game. Game try to simulate many prison situations, so player have to deal with escapes, riots, contraband, dangerous prisoners, prison daily regime, resources and ton of other things. Game is not some hardcore simulator, everything is with fun.
    Problem is with random bugs like    Great building strategy focused on prison theme. Graphics is a bit easier, but still very good looking on 2D game. Game try to simulate many prison situations, so player have to deal with escapes, riots, contraband, dangerous prisoners, prison daily regime, resources and ton of other things. Game is not some hardcore simulator, everything is with fun.
    Problem is with random bugs like blocked areas, rooms on the map where is no reason to be blocked. When you have spent hours or building a prison and than you find out, that there are some buggy areas where you cannot do anything, it sucks. But summary it is a great game with active updates and patches support.    … Expand
  4. Vyii
    Jan 20, 2016
    2
    The game is unplayable after a few 100 prisoners because it's single threaded and one core can't keep up with the game's needs. The FPS will drop a lot because of this. This is a game breaking bug so I don't recommend this game to other people anymore. If it would be playable the game would be a very fun game though.
  5. Peeto
    Jan 7, 2016
    4
    It is a little decent game, but after a while I put this game down quickly. I recommed you to buy some better tycoon game, for example theme hospital, which is much cheaper, more charming and plays greatly.
  6. BrainStormYT
    Dec 10, 2015
    10
    I have spent hundreds of hours in this game and it is honestly perfect. I massively recommend it, go and get it if you haven't already. The new escape mode has given even more to the game and the campaign is honestly gripping.

    I LOVE IT.
  7. iseeall
    Dec 7, 2015
    8
    8/10. A nice and funny tycoon game. To my wife I said "it's like Theme Hospital but if too many patients gather in one place they start fighting".
    The Good:
    - funny graphics, and nice sound (especially the background sound in different rooms and the hilarious prison fight/riot ambients) - it's interesting to plan rooms and build from individual tiles, not just as rectangles - the game    8/10. A nice and funny tycoon game. To my wife I said "it's like Theme Hospital but if too many patients gather in one place they start fighting".
    The Good:
    - funny graphics, and nice sound (especially the background sound in different rooms and the hilarious prison fight/riot ambients)
    - it's interesting to plan rooms and build from individual tiles, not just as rectangles
    - the game tries to give both views on whether the prison system should be more about punishing/deterring or about treating/educating
    - the game is frequently updated, and new features keep getting added, so it's worth to replay it after a few months
    - every prisoner has his own biography and personal data. One biography even said "I am a real person!"
    - the game runs pretty fast. As a programmer, I wonder how all those hundreds of characters on the screen do their pathfinding calculations so efficiently.
    - the tutorial missions are very well designed and make you feel comfortable by giving you a few already running prisons and letting you add minor stuff

    The So-so:
    - the game shows a US or Western European prison, which feels more like a student dormitory or a 0-star hotel where the only bad thing is dangerous neighbors. The prison itself gives you food, a separate room with a TV, even free education and medical treatment - things 3/4 of working people in the word might not have. So I guess for players outside the golden billion the game creates a strange feeling of absurdity - but at the same time it is an educational experience, like "gee, those rich guys are nuts!". Even work is done voluntarily and for payment! And a prisoner who kills a guard doesn't get an electric chair, just solitary for 8 hours?! The main source of revenue is Prison Grant (taxpayers' money), and the prisoners themselves produce very little. I guess I could go to the US and kill somebody just to save on rent :) I guess they'd let me place a PC in my cell? I heard in German prisons they even get a free session with a prostitute once in a while :)
    - the story is pretty mediocre, but honestly I don't think one could come up with anything better because we've seen tons of crime movies and most crime-related real-life stories are pretty banal.
    - it's a sandbox game like Mincraft, and you can share your prison with others. I checked a few dozens, but it's either just some random prison you can get when you play without any special purpose - or a prison which tries to look like something well known (e.g. Star Trek spaceship). Apart from aesthetics, this doesn't change the game much, suggesting that, as good as it is, it's a pretty much fixed experience which you will get on most replays.
    - the Escape mode is completely broken but it's nevertherless fun for an hour.

    The Bad:
    - given the complex systems this game has, much is left unexplained. E.g. what defines how many prisoners can work in a Laundry? Or what at all defines the efficiency of a Laundry? How many wash machines I need, how big the room should be - all that I had to find out in online wikis. Nothing is explained about CCTVs, remote doors and phones (does one have to connect them or not? Why do some CCTV links become red?)
    - it seems that the Programs scheduling is bugged somehow. Often I'd have lots of "Queued" prisoners for a program but none would participate - pretty annoying when you can't start any Workshop production without training first. I guess this might be due to overlapping classes, or if you add/remove objects into rooms there will be more/less places, or some prisoners may be a few days into a program already and their progress is taken into account somehow etc. This system is overcomplicated - even if it worked bug-free, most players would be overtaxed by it. And I'd wish to have the option to send any prisoner to obligatory training and obligatory jobs, even if that makes him angry.
    - I was surprised when the game ended after just the 5th episode. I did have a prison for 300 prisoners already with all rooms built, but I expected at least one more mission where CCTVs and other maximum-security elements were explained.
    - Dormitories don't work well. Is there a minimal 4-tile requiement for a prisoner to live in a dorm? The game should say that or there should be no minimal reqs.    … Expand
  8. TheMasiMan1
    Nov 19, 2015
    9
    Prison Architect is a prison building game. Theres also an Escape Mode, in witch you become a prisoner and need to break out of a prison you builded. The campaign in Prison Architect is decent and really beatifull. Prison Architect is worth buying if you like building and managing games. I do.
  9. bobant92
    Nov 18, 2015
    9
    so many features, and the updates are still coming. one of the best strategy management games of all times for me. the best thing about this game, that the developers actually care about the game next to the dough they make with it and it received so many content updates since i first played with it that i was really impressed with the end result.

    in this game, you can build your own    so many features, and the updates are still coming. one of the best strategy management games of all times for me. the best thing about this game, that the developers actually care about the game next to the dough they make with it and it received so many content updates since i first played with it that i was really impressed with the end result.

    in this game, you can build your own prison, big or small, maximum or minimum security or anything between, manage it, and the timetable of your prisoners and staff and make sure the prisoners stay in there and dont kill too much of eachother and your staff.

    they included a lot of the aspects of prison life which are important from a management standpoint. there are gangs which can gain power and cause trouble, contraband, smuggling, riots, escapes and a whole lot of other things. you will also recieve a bunch of tools and cash with your prisoners to stop them from misbehaving.

    you can house extremely dangerous murderous scum in a 1x1 cells with only a bucket to do the deed and extreme security measures with an overkill amount of guards patrolling 24/7 or you can go the rehabilitation way with people who commited something petty, rewarding them with big cells, televisions and other luxuries if they behave. they might also get a parole hearing if they are really good and you build a parole hearing office. if you are really skilled, you can try to rehabilitate murderous scum also, but it will take some patience and skill.    … Expand
  10. Brend0g
    Nov 14, 2015
    10
    Great gameplay and graphics. Played from Alpha 13, seeing the game evolve is great. How Alphas should be done. Couple of bugs to fix. Great community and mod integration. Love testing out prisons that other people have built. Hopefully this game will get better and better.
  11. tykeman3
    Nov 11, 2015
    10
    great game so much fun to play building your prison never mind the escape mode ! good time killer .... i have ran out of things to say so i am just typing to fill the 150 words ..... potatoes
  12. ragnarokew
    Nov 10, 2015
    7
    Enjoyable game worth buying

    Creating prison and ruling it.

    First time i see this game "omg look at this graphics it must be a suck game" but it isn't if you like simulation games worth the check
  13. musicman01597
    Nov 4, 2015
    10
    I was not expecting much when I bought this game a few weeks ago. Even though I had heard good things about it, I did not think it would be very entertaining. I WAS WRONG. This game is taking me back to the RCT years. It's definitely the best Tycoon game I've played since Rollercoaster Tycoon 2. I am drawn to the art style, and the sounds and music are very nice as well. The game also hasI was not expecting much when I bought this game a few weeks ago. Even though I had heard good things about it, I did not think it would be very entertaining. I WAS WRONG. This game is taking me back to the RCT years. It's definitely the best Tycoon game I've played since Rollercoaster Tycoon 2. I am drawn to the art style, and the sounds and music are very nice as well. The game also has a nice atmosphere to it.

    If you are a fan of tycoon games, and are tired of the many crappy micro-transaction tycoons out there, get this game. You will NOT be disappointed. :)    … Expand
  14. blackbird1
    Oct 24, 2015
    10
    this game is awesome, if you are in managers you need to play it!
    if you are in builders you need to play it!
    if you are in simulations you need to play it!
  15. eeyk
    Oct 20, 2015
    9
    i never played the beta but i did buy the full version i enjoyed it.
    Played for 10 hours straight. and than there was a huge riot and i was going to prison my self so i could break out my own prison. well it was fun.
  16. TenchuuKhan
    Oct 16, 2015
    6
    What kills it is its non-modular complexity.

    To begin with, it is a great sim - probably the best I've ever seen. But unlike other sims, like Theme Park for instance, it doesn't start out with having 1 attraction to go with. You need a ton of stuff for even the most simple prison. The game does an excellent job at explaining itself. There's a tutorial campaign where you improvise    What kills it is its non-modular complexity.

    To begin with, it is a great sim - probably the best I've ever seen. But unlike other sims, like Theme Park for instance, it doesn't start out with having 1 attraction to go with. You need a ton of stuff for even the most simple prison.

    The game does an excellent job at explaining itself. There's a tutorial campaign where you improvise running prisons and once you go into sandbox mode it gives you milestones to go by in order to grow your prison.

    However, once you got your head around it you'll soon find that it's merely a brutal time killer with little to no payoff whatsoever.
    The issue here really is that your prison is either working or not and that state is rather binary.

    On top of that, if you sell your prison for an amount where you can finally build "the prison of your dreams" you'll soon find that just building it will take hours... just to see it not working at the end.
    After having finally built a prison that works really well (75 hours on record), I wouldn't even consider building a new one because it'd just be an endless stream of building the same **** again... maybe bigger    … Expand
  17. MartinAtome
    Oct 11, 2015
    10
    I bought this game over 2 years ago and still playing it every 2-3 months.
    I've seen good reviews on the game itself so i'll just spend a couple of words about the development, these guys did a wonderful job going from the first alpha to the full version (1.0) released this month: monthly updates via youtube videos, scheduled bug bashing and performance improvements always on time and    I bought this game over 2 years ago and still playing it every 2-3 months.
    I've seen good reviews on the game itself so i'll just spend a couple of words about the development, these guys did a wonderful job going from the first alpha to the full version (1.0) released this month: monthly updates via youtube videos, scheduled bug bashing and performance improvements always on time and true respect for community feedback, this game is a model of how the "alpha" concept should be used, during the last year I've purchased 2 extra copies of the game as birthday gifts for friends and will surely consider buying any new product introversion puts out in the future given this positive experience.

    Developers promised to add new features to the game in the next months and given how they behaved in the last 3 years i've no doubts they will.    … Expand
  18. Thumb
    Oct 7, 2015
    10
    Now that the final version has been released, I can say for sure that this game is excellent and worth anybody's time who enjoys simulation and management games. Yes, there is some micro, but as you get better and start to understand how the tools in the game work you will become much faster. I haven't played the campaign, just sandbox mode and escape mode (recently added, tons of extraNow that the final version has been released, I can say for sure that this game is excellent and worth anybody's time who enjoys simulation and management games. Yes, there is some micro, but as you get better and start to understand how the tools in the game work you will become much faster. I haven't played the campaign, just sandbox mode and escape mode (recently added, tons of extra fun) but those two modes alone are enough for me to call this one of the better games I've ever played.… Expand
  19. Evae
    Oct 7, 2015
    10
    TL;DR - A very well-done simulator.

    I have owned Prison Architect for nearly 2 years while it was still in its alpha stages. I loved the concept of building and managing my own Prison. Every update added new features and bug fixes, modeling the game to its final release which was October 6th of this year. Since its final release, Prison Architect has become one of my favorite games to    TL;DR - A very well-done simulator.

    I have owned Prison Architect for nearly 2 years while it was still in its alpha stages. I loved the concept of building and managing my own Prison. Every update added new features and bug fixes, modeling the game to its final release which was October 6th of this year. Since its final release, Prison Architect has become one of my favorite games to play, and with Workshop integration, the fun never ends.    … Expand
  20. Eskaton
    Oct 6, 2015
    10
    This is a great game. There are so many interacting systems it genuinely makes you feel like your prison is "alive" and your design choices matter.

    I have to call out this Kill Screen review which appears to be the only one dragging the reviewers metascore down. The reviewer appears to be upset for the following reason: "For everything Prison Architect gets right about prisons where    This is a great game. There are so many interacting systems it genuinely makes you feel like your prison is "alive" and your design choices matter.

    I have to call out this Kill Screen review which appears to be the only one dragging the reviewers metascore down. The reviewer appears to be upset for the following reason: "For everything Prison Architect gets right about prisons where other games have failed, the absence of race as a meaningful game mechanic is a glaring and disturbing oversight." I think its more disturbing that you think race should be a meaningful game mechanic.    … Expand
  21. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    9
    If you love Bullfrog Productions type of simulation games such as Theme Hospital or Theme Park or other great games like the RollerCoaster Tycoon series, then this game is the game for you!

    Usually I don't buy early access games, as I feel that I am worried that if something happens, all my money is wasted. I also usually don't buy early access games because either they are unstable or    If you love Bullfrog Productions type of simulation games such as Theme Hospital or Theme Park or other great games like the RollerCoaster Tycoon series, then this game is the game for you!

    Usually I don't buy early access games, as I feel that I am worried that if something happens, all my money is wasted. I also usually don't buy early access games because either they are unstable or broken and are not fixed or may cause problems. However, with Prison Architect, I really feel that Introversion Software know what they are doing, they constantly update the game every month and the game is very friendly with its players.

    Obviously this game does have bugs and some glitches, but through my playtime I have only noticed one bug! In an early access game! Very impressive! The game runs very well and I am very happy that I bought this game. This will probably my first and last early access game!

    Well done, Introversion Software!    … Expand
  22. ahutt23
    Jun 12, 2015
    10
    prison architect is a prison based simulation that is not only a prison "game" but a micromanagement game ive played this for months on end and i never get bored or angry at the game
  23. VidyaBum
    May 3, 2015
    7
    Fun, fun, and fun.

    All the tycoon elements are here to make this a great load of fun. Lots of rooms, designs, items, principles and rules to follow to succeed. It's got everything to please, even if the building tool is a little simplistic and just does the job(apart from walls and foundations, you have little options, like no partition walls/cardboard walls to cover some things).    Fun, fun, and fun.

    All the tycoon elements are here to make this a great load of fun. Lots of rooms, designs, items, principles and rules to follow to succeed. It's got everything to please, even if the building tool is a little simplistic and just does the job(apart from walls and foundations, you have little options, like no partition walls/cardboard walls to cover some things).

    Making money can be seriously hard but that keeps the game very fun. With that said, I find the whole thing to have a rather severe programming plague. It glitches many times, the wall/foundation construction can be a massive pain, you have lots of little items that the game just lets around for no reason, and there is a definite sense of amateurism.

    That doesn't take any of the fun away, in fact it gives this pleasant feeling of being a game full of broken things that you can play with, but it gets annoying sometimes, especially visually when foundations are never finished.    … Expand
  24. Browncoyote
    Apr 21, 2015
    9
    This game is literally one of the most challenging indie games that I have played in a long while. The replay ability is off the charts. You will not just make one prison. There is a really nice tutorial. The sprites are detailed but minimalist. The content would probably have a T or M rating.
  25. Klewer
    Jan 19, 2015
    6
    For me the first few hours were brilliant. However very quickly the game become highly repeptitive and boring. At the core it is a solid little builder that is limitless in that aspect but couldn't keep me interested long enough after you'd setup a prison with all the features.
  26. Number213
    Nov 30, 2014
    7
    Even thought Prison Architect is an unfinished product, it is pretty solid build: with little amount of bugs, great style and wide variety of gameplay features.
    The game itself is your typical tycoon, but with original and really interesting setting. You should definitively give it a try.
  27. Scruzzer
    Oct 13, 2014
    8
    Way better than it appears on the surface. I just started playing but I'm fascinated. I was pre-disposed with the graphics making the prisoners look less realistic than Playmobil figures, but once you start to play, it becomes a non-issue.

    I keep running into problems planning out my prison, but instead of being frustrated, I want to actually problem solve. This is a good thing.
  28. Dozmo
    Oct 5, 2014
    9
    An excellent game with a few annoying bugs. If you're into RTS/management games, and willing to do a bit of reading to learn how to play, give this a try. Designing a prison which almost runs itself is very satisfying, especially when trouble happens but your design means even minor issues are handled automatically. There are a few annoying bugs, like characters getting stuck going aroundAn excellent game with a few annoying bugs. If you're into RTS/management games, and willing to do a bit of reading to learn how to play, give this a try. Designing a prison which almost runs itself is very satisfying, especially when trouble happens but your design means even minor issues are handled automatically. There are a few annoying bugs, like characters getting stuck going around corners, but none of them are game-breaking. The game loads up in seconds, and is mostly intuitive, with a few exceptions such as managing your prison's electrical grid. I would give this game 10/10, except for the few bugs and areas which are very counter-intuitive. Overall, though, still a great game and one I would suggest for any RTS or management game fan. It is almost like a hugely simplified but better presented version of Dwarf Fortress, or a less comedic version of Evil Genius that concentrates on internal threats rather than external ones. Worth the money.… Expand
  29. CartoonHead
    Oct 2, 2014
    6
    Ok yes it is an alpha, and it shows. People may say scoring so low on a alpha is defeating the object, but I can only rate on what the game is at the moment. It is fun at it's core, but there are many many many problems with it. If I listed them all the review would be 100 pages long. As an alpha it is fine, but selling it for its current price I cannot recommend it as it isOk yes it is an alpha, and it shows. People may say scoring so low on a alpha is defeating the object, but I can only rate on what the game is at the moment. It is fun at it's core, but there are many many many problems with it. If I listed them all the review would be 100 pages long. As an alpha it is fine, but selling it for its current price I cannot recommend it as it is fundamentally broken.… Expand
  30. Hoodinski
    Sep 30, 2014
    8
    Excellent stuff- innovative, entertaining and very addictive. The mix between building and keeping the prisoners in order is a very enjoyable task. And I love the way this game looks.
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Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Best PC Game of 2015
61
#61 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. CD-Action
    Mar 30, 2016
    80
    A surprisingly complex and enjoyable simulation of a correctional facility. [03/2016, p.64]
  2. PCWorld
    Jan 19, 2016
    80
    Prison Architect's genius is in translating a real-world debate into video game terms, forcing players to make tough choices with no good solutions.
    Read full review
  3. Edge Magazine
    Dec 12, 2015
    80
    Learn its quirks, however, and Prison Architect's sandbox permits a dizzying breadth of options for establishing for-profit penal facilities. [Christmas 2015, p.120]
See all critic reviews »