Hard Time
- August 16, 2017
- Mat Dickie
- 5h median play time
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Get on Apple Store"Hard Time" is a single-player role-playing game with beautiful mechanics and pretty visuals, but marred by bugs and frequent ads. As a prisoner in Southtown Correctional Facility, your goal is to survive your sentence while managing basic needs, reforming, and navigating relationships with inmates and wardens, all while avoiding beat-ups and court cases. Despite occasional frustrations, the game is full of humor and optional tasks to keep things interesting.
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iPhone
Mac OS
PC
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Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- graphics317 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they are outdated and lack modern quality, often describing them as "bad" or "poor." Some players appreciate the simplicity and charm of the 2D graphics, while others express a strong desire for improvements, particularly in character design and overall visual fidelity. Overall, while the gameplay is often praised, the graphics are frequently cited as a significant area needing enhancement.
“I love how simple the dimensions are and the manner in which the graphics force the user to engage with custom characters.”
“The in-depth graphics are simply astonishing.”
“I love this game, and the graphics are absolutely beautiful.”
“The graphics are bad.”
“The graphics belong on the world's first computer.”
“Very bad game because the graphics and controlling are very bad and difficult.”
- monetization302 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, primarily due to the overwhelming presence of unskippable ads and the introduction of paywalls for features that were previously free, such as character customization. Many players express frustration over the frequency and length of ads, which disrupt gameplay, while others feel that the game has shifted towards a "pay-to-win" model, diminishing the overall experience. Despite some players suggesting workarounds like playing offline, the consensus is that the monetization changes have negatively impacted the game's enjoyment and accessibility.
“It's a cool game; I used to play this from probably 2019 or 2020, and yeah, no ads for me either, which is why it's fun.”
“Great game, great graphics, and please no ads.”
“Fun game, I love it; just turn off mobile data and no ads.”
“The game used to be awesome last year when I had it, but now there are so many advertisements there used to be none, it's very laggy now too, and I can't create my own character or backstory anymore because it's locked behind a paywall now.”
“Not only is there so much ads but there are almost no features then even took away character customization which is insane.”
“I could handle the ads but when you took away character customization you ruined this app for so many people for a bit of money.”
- humor224 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is widely praised, with players finding it consistently funny and entertaining, often highlighting its chaotic scenarios and quirky character interactions. While many enjoy the comedic elements and hilarious situations, some note that the humor can become repetitive or annoying over time. Overall, the game is seen as a fun and addictive time-killer, filled with amusing moments that keep players engaged.
“It's packed with humor and personality, and you'll never get bored while playing!”
“I love this game, it's so funny the way the police beat me and the others. It's so cool! I'm a big fan of this game.”
“This game is hilarious and entertaining, but I purchased this game a while ago for premium gameplay and now I can't access that.”
- story82 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is widely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many players expressing disappointment over the absence of a meaningful narrative or engaging quests. While some enjoy the missions and the chaotic prison environment, the overall sentiment is that the game needs a more structured storyline and clearer objectives to enhance player engagement. Additionally, the mechanics and interactions with NPCs often lead to frustration, further detracting from the potential for a compelling story.
“This game has told a story that not many '10/10' video games can tell.”
“Extremely diverse game with an entertaining story.”
“I love this game because it has a great story.”
“The game is basic but enjoyable, not really much entertaining since it has no storyline and everything has to include violence.”
“One of the worst games I have played, no storyline, just a small play environment that has nearly no missions or tasks.”
“So this game was good at first but I feel like it needs more story; there is no story at all.”
- gameplay73 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its fun and humorous aspects, while others criticize its mechanics as outdated and awkward. Many users express a desire for more features, improved controls, and additional content to enhance the overall experience, citing issues like random NPC aggression and frustrating combat mechanics. Despite these criticisms, some players still find the game entertaining and recommend it for its unique charm, especially in the context of indie games.
“I love the gameplay and the areas you can move to.”
“Honestly, I have had this game for a while and I gotta say I didn't expect it to have such smooth gameplay.”
“For a small indie game with simple mechanics, it's better than most prison games and really fun to become king of prison.”
“You updated and added some new characters, but the gameplay is the same: crazy difficult until overpowered and boring.”
“The fighting mechanics are horrendous, the legal system is ridiculously corrupt, the controls are mind-blowingly awful, the AI is as annoying and moronic as possible, it's very buggy, the outside world is actually smaller than the prison, but my biggest complaint is just how boring it is. Half the time I find myself standing around the payphones waiting for a mission or hoping someone will want to bet on a fight or anything to pass the time. I mean, you're given so much time and almost nothing to do with it.”
“The mechanics are so messed up; you just get ganged up on and you can't do anything about it.”
- stability56 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with numerous users reporting persistent glitches, freezes, and crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experience issues when transitioning between areas, leading to game freezes that require app restarts. While some enjoy the game despite these problems, the overall consensus indicates that the stability is poor, with frequent bugs and a frustrating user experience exacerbated by intrusive ads and paywalls.
“This app is fantastic! No glitches, great characters, and it's fun and addicting. To all the people who say there are too many ads, just turn off your Wi-Fi and there are no ads.”
“There are quite a lot of glitches, and it crashes my phone.”
“The game is ridiculously buggy, packed with ads, pay to win, and literally unplayable.”
“I use to love this game; it used to work amazingly, but now every time I enter a room, the game glitches out and I have to restart the whole app to be in the room.”
- music17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players enjoy the soundtrack and find it engaging, others express frustration over the lack of a comprehensive volume control, making it difficult to listen to their own music or podcasts while playing. Additionally, there are requests for newer tracks and improved graphics to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the music is appreciated but could benefit from better integration and options for customization.
“The song makes me wanna dance and it also got that x factor.”
“It feels like every game has its own soundtrack.”
“I love the game because it has my role model Tupac Shakur, the king of rap music.”
“I'd love to be able to listen to a podcast while playing or perhaps music, but the game is just too loud.”
“It's a fun game to escape prison, but let's say you're trying to listen to music and play; you can't mute it, that's the only problem I have.”
“It's a nice game, but once I turn off my phone, I will still hear the music of the game; you gotta fix it.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Users express that while the current performance of the game is satisfactory, there is a desire for better optimization, particularly for specific devices. Some uncertainty remains regarding whether performance issues are device-related or due to the game's optimization.
“For this UI, the current performance is enough.”
“Wish it was more optimized.”
“I don't know if this is a problem with my phone or if the game hasn't been optimized for this device yet.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, describing it as breathtaking and life-changing, filled with adventure and inspiration. However, some users note technical issues that detract from the experience, such as unintentional movements and button highlighting.
“I get so emotional just looking at it; it's just breathtaking. Truly such an amazing, fun, adventurous, life-inspiring, mind-blowing experience of a game. I just love it so much; it changed my life in so many ways. Thank you and God bless you.”
- character development3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express frustration over the monetization of character design changes, feeling that it detracts from their enjoyment of the game. This shift has led to disappointment among long-time fans who appreciated the previous system.
“I just cannot believe you have to pay to change the character design now. I used to love this game and decided to play again until I realized this.”
“Character design is paid.”
“I don't want to buy the character design anymore.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find that while the initial gameplay is enjoyable, it quickly devolves into a tedious grind after the first 10-20 minutes, diminishing overall enjoyment.
“But once you get past those first 10-20 minutes of fun, it becomes a very tedious game.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“After a while, the gameplay turns into a monotonous cycle of grinding for resources.”
