Prison Architect

About

The game is a top-down 2D construction and management simulation where the player takes control of building and running a prison. The player is responsible for managing various aspects of their prison including building cells and facilities, planning and connecting utilities, hiring and assigning staff, including a warden, guards, workers, and more. The player needs to recruit staff to unlock more…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 32,482 reviews

gameplay571 positive mentions

stability872 negative mentions

gameplay
1,714 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay of "Prison Architect" is characterized by its deep and intricate mechanics, allowing players to engage in complex prison management and design. While many players appreciate the strategic depth and emergent storytelling, some express frustration with the steep learning curve, bugs, and the impact of DLC on core mechanics. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of creativity and challenge, making it a compelling choice for simulation enthusiasts, despite some criticisms regarding clarity and polish.
- “The game's mechanics are deep and nuanced, offering players a sense of accomplishment as they successfully navigate the complexities of prison administration.”
- “What I find particularly captivating is the organic nature of the gameplay; the prison almost seems to run itself if you've strategized correctly.”
- “The depth of gameplay mechanics, such as zoning, staffing, and researching new technologies, ensures that each decision you make has a direct impact on the success or failure of your prison.”
- “The gameplay quickly devolves into a repetitive cycle of mundane tasks, with little variation or surprises to keep players engaged.”
- “The lack of proper tutorials or helpful hints exacerbates the confusion, leaving players to fend for themselves in a sea of convoluted mechanics.”
- “An incompetently made, bug-riddled, frustrating mess that goes out of its way to waste your time with an inexhaustible list of bugs, complications, glitches, and gameplay mechanics that only exist to make your playtime as frustrating as possible.”
story
1,156 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
67%
6%
The story aspect of "Prison Architect" is often described as a mixed bag, serving primarily as a tutorial rather than a fully fleshed-out narrative. While some players appreciate the engaging and darkly humorous elements of the campaign, which introduces game mechanics through a series of missions, many feel that the story is too short and lacks depth. Overall, the game is praised for its emergent storytelling through gameplay, but players express a desire for more extensive narrative content and fewer bugs in the story mode.
- “Prison Architect excels in storytelling, presenting players with dynamic events and challenges that keep the gameplay engaging and unpredictable.”
- “The campaign's story is no doubt interesting for every chapter you get into.”
- “The story mode is a great addition to this and really shows you how to be creative with the game.”
- “Why create a story mode to give these prisoners personality but then make it a pain in the butt to even find them?”
- “The story mode, while adding some context to the game's scenarios, isn't as engaging as the sandbox mode, where creativity can truly flourish.”
- “The story mode seems badly bugged.”
graphics
1,016 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
5%
The graphics of "Prison Architect" are characterized by a simplistic, cartoonish art style that some players find charming and fitting for the game's themes, while others criticize them as lacking polish and detail. Many reviews highlight that, despite the basic visuals, the gameplay mechanics and depth of the simulation compensate for the graphics, making it an engaging experience. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they effectively serve the game's design and are generally well-received within the context of its gameplay.
- “The game's graphics and animation are visually pleasing, and the intricate details of the prison environment are captured with remarkable precision.”
- “The simple and colorful graphics reflect the prison atmosphere in a fun way.”
- “The graphics are simple but effective, providing a clean and easy-to-read interface that is both intuitive and functional.”
- “Moreover, the graphics and visual presentation of Prison Architect are lackluster at best.”
- “The pixelated art style might have been charming in a different context, but here it only serves to highlight the game's overall lack of polish.”
- “I've only played this game once that it didn't have some sort of graphical bug that made the game virtually unplayable, and even then I didn't have fun with this game.”
stability
911 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
1%
96%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players express frustration over persistent issues that have remained unresolved for years, particularly after the game's acquisition by Paradox, which has led to a perception of neglect in addressing these problems. While some find the game enjoyable despite its flaws, the overwhelming consensus is that the current state is a "buggy mess," making it difficult to recommend without reservations.
- “Solid game, not buggy.”
- “I've only encountered minor bugs, but mostly bug free and nothing game-breaking.”
- “The pros of this game is that it's almost bug free (the bugs that are in there are few and aren't game-breaking - but just in case, save often) and it gives you quite a lot of flexibility (at start and in the game).”
- “I can only play the 2018 version; anything past that you risk the serious chance of running into unresolved bugs and glitches that could screw your entire save up.”
- “This game used to be great; now it's just a bug-ridden mess... also now includes a launcher...”
- “It's remarkable that a game maintained so actively for so many years and with so many updates and new content added is still so buggy.”
humor
438 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, characterized by a mix of dark comedy, absurd situations, and quirky character backstories that often lead to hilarious outcomes. Players appreciate the game's ability to generate unexpected and funny moments, such as chaotic riots and amusing prisoner interactions, while the developers' humorous update videos add to the overall charm. However, the dark humor may not appeal to everyone, and some players find the game's challenges can lead to both frustration and laughter.
- “The game’s dark humor and moral dilemmas add depth.”
- “With its unique blend of simulation, strategy, and dark humor, this game offers an engaging experience for players who enjoy intricate management challenges.”
- “It's a funny game, tedious at times but only if you take it too seriously.”
- “It's not funny to spend dozens of hours just to realize that there is still one issue left.”
- “So bad, it's actually funny.”
- “You're not funny!”
replayability
369 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
Prison Architect is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with players highlighting the game's engaging sandbox mode, diverse scenarios, and extensive modding community that continually refreshes content. Many reviews emphasize the ability to create unique prison designs and experiment with different management strategies, ensuring that each playthrough offers a fresh experience. While some users note that the game can become repetitive after extensive play, the overall consensus is that it provides countless hours of enjoyable gameplay.
- “The inclusion of an engaging campaign mode and the ability to create and share custom prisons add replayability to an already rich gaming experience.”
- “The active modding community ensures diverse content and extended replayability.”
- “You can design prisons a different way every time you play the game, which insanely increases replay value.”
- “I don't see much replayability here (because of game-breaking bugs).”
- “To sum up, the first 10-20 hours of gameplay are compelling, but after that, it begins to be not so smooth as you learn the gameplay mechanics better and also repetitive with poor replayability.”
- “The game is most fun when you're still figuring it out; once you find a formula for success, it loses most of its replayability.”
optimization
217 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
55%
20%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly for performance issues on lower-end systems and when managing larger prisons, often leading to severe frame rate drops and unplayability. While some players report smooth performance on older hardware, many others highlight that the game struggles with high prisoner counts, indicating a need for better optimization and bug fixes. Overall, the game's performance is inconsistent, with many users expressing frustration over its lack of improvements despite ongoing updates.
- “The game runs smoothly and the graphics, though simple, fit the game well.”
- “It's a fun challenging game if you want to build a good prison that runs smoothly.”
- “With regular updates, there's always something new to try out, although personally I often tend to reach a peak performance level and then abandon a prison.”
- “The game is horribly optimized.”
- “After 750~ prisoners, the frame-rate and performance basically gives up.”
- “This game used to be great but since Paradox took over, the game is unoptimized and in a relatively poor state.”
grinding
161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
33%
65%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest significant effort into managing various tasks, such as building and maintaining a prison or farming operations. While some players find satisfaction in the long-term progression and optimization, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of the gameplay, cumbersome user interface, and numerous bugs that exacerbate the grind. Overall, the experience can feel overwhelming and monotonous, leading to mixed feelings about the game's enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Yeah, okay, it's kinda grindy.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “I've been preparing my prison and setting up staff rooms, farming plots, etc. and it just runs horribly.”
- “But the whole archaic setup with scheduling in combination with many bugs and unclear constraints makes the game tedious and almost impossible to play after a while.”
- “I found the tasks that make up this game uninteresting, tedious, and repetitive, which can be a problem with the genre in general, but here there wasn't any charm, narrative hooks, voice acting, or art to make the tedium worthwhile.”
music
125 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
86%
8%
The music in the game is generally described as minimal and unobtrusive, often lacking a distinct soundtrack, which some players find disappointing. While the sound effects are considered decent and fitting for the game's theme, many users prefer to listen to their own music while playing, as the in-game music can be repetitive or annoying. Overall, the sound design enhances the atmosphere, but a more robust soundtrack would be welcomed by the community.
- “The sound design is decent, with appropriate sound effects and music that fits the theme of the game.”
- “The music in the game is also well done by adding to those dramatic moments as the plot thickens from within the walls of the prison.”
- “The soundtrack is minimal which suits this kind of environment, the sound assets however are excellent.”
- “There is no way to turn off the annoying -- loud -- music.”
- “The game hasn't evolved since years ago when I first played it... I mean, you still cannot adjust music volume separately.”
- “Music - there really is not any until there's a riot, so feel free to put on your own music in the background (which I recommend).”
emotional
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its surprisingly deep and heartfelt storytelling, which evokes a range of feelings from joy to sadness, often leading players to form attachments to characters and reflect on moral complexities within the prison system. While some players found the campaign to be touching and engaging, others noted a lack of emotional investment in certain characters, resulting in mixed experiences. Overall, the game successfully combines fun gameplay with moments that provoke thought and emotional responses, making it a unique entry in the management simulation genre.
- “The stories are deep and emotional, but you are not tied down to them and can continue in a prison until you are personally ready to go.”
- “Surprising emotional storytelling: get attached to your inmates, witness their struggles and triumphs, and grapple with the moral complexities of the correctional system.”
- “It is subversively addicting, somehow pulling together a strong, weirdly emotional campaign with fluid gameplay, and a ton of excellently-designed scenarios to solve.”
- “Prison Architect, instead of giving you a plain old tutorial, will instead force you to play out hours of intensely boring storyline scenarios in prisons that you don't own and can't use after completing the scenario.”
- “- has a boring story mode that teaches you step-by-step complex management work.”
- “6/10, boring story but fun sandbox.”
monetization
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
13%
82%
The monetization strategy for "Prison Architect 2" has drawn significant criticism from players, who describe the numerous DLCs as overpriced cash grabs that fail to enhance the game and often introduce more bugs. Many users express frustration over the game's transition under Paradox, citing a lack of meaningful updates and an overwhelming presence of ads and microtransactions that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the sentiment is that the game's potential is being squandered by a focus on profit rather than quality.
- “Unfortunately, as soon as Paradox took over, the monetization kicked in.”
- “Microtransactions for a good cause.”
- “Changed structure, added new sections (multiplayer, mods, microtransactions) and curator-link.”
- “Unfortunately, since the sale, there has been little in terms of updates. The developers now shout their changes at the community and don't listen to feedback, and it's full, and I mean full, of DLC microtransactions that do nothing to improve the game.”
- “This game used to be good and had no DLCs, but ever since Paradox took over, like every game they own, they make it into a senseless cash grab and rip off things and people just to get more money. This game has lost its reputation and should have never been bought by Paradox.”
- “Not to mention the DLCs they keep releasing that are clearly just cash grabs, and the content in them isn't worth the price.”
atmosphere
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
61%
7%
The game's atmosphere is a compelling blend of grim realism and playful charm, effectively conveyed through its simple graphics and immersive audio design. Players appreciate the way sound effects and background chatter enhance the prison environment, creating a sense of tension and engagement, especially during chaotic moments like riots. Overall, the atmosphere successfully balances serious themes with a light-hearted art style, making for a unique and thought-provoking experience.
- “The audio design complements the gameplay well, with subtle sound effects that add to the game's atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of the game along with the mechanics are amazing, and best of all it doesn't take itself too seriously.”
- “The sound design, including ambient noises and background music, further enhances the atmosphere, making the simulation experience more immersive and engaging.”
- “I think the game designers were supposed to create an atmosphere of overwhelming proportions except they forgot to stop somewhere along the line.”
- “The atmosphere around it is eerie.”
- “The art style of this game is very cartoony and lends to a light-hearted atmosphere, even with death, drug abuse, prison beatings, and the fact you can even treat your prisoners extremely harshly.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Character development in the game is noted for its basic yet creative visual design, though some characters, like the Mayor, evoke strong negative emotions that feel contrived rather than authentic. While the character designs contribute to the game's humor, they may clash with the serious themes presented, leading to mixed feelings about their effectiveness in advancing the narrative. Overall, the character development is seen as a blend of engaging and frustrating elements.
- “I recommend this game for its unique gameplay and funny character design.”
- “Character design conflicts with the seriousness of the subject matter.”
- “The main character filled me with pure rage, and not even the believable kind; it's clear that the character was designed solely to inspire that reaction rather than to believably further his side of the argument.”