Prison Architect Reviews
Emerging from Early Access lean and focused, Prison Architect is one of the best management games in a long time.
Prison Architect is one of the most in-depth, satisfying builder games in ages, if you can get past the initiation.
A complex, challenging, and grimly satisfying simulator.
Great moments emerge naturally from well-made simulations, and Prison Architect has no shortage
Tonally schizophrenic, yet still one of the more fascinating game experiences ever made.
A deep, absorbing prison sim that won't teach you anything about mass incarceration in America. Enough interlocking systems to keep your mind off the systemic inequities in our actual prison system. The campaign can be boring and the tutorials are inadequate. Escape mode is disappointing.
Prison Architect is a genuinely fun game that makes you think in unexpected ways. Apart from some slight campaign fatigue and an Escape Mode with plenty of potential but poor execution, it's hard to put it down. A surprising depth of character draws you in and a depth of gameplay that keeps you there. If you love the Tycoon style of game then this is definitely for you. If that's not your thing, then give Prison Architect a go anyway, you will be pleasantly surprised. Until you realize that it's 3:23 am and you have work tomorrow, at least.
[T]hose who haven't got it by now may be quite happy to continue ignoring it. I think this would be an enormous shame. If this is you, I want to tell you that it is a game worth playing.
It's still an awkward fit for console controls, but the game beneath them is worth the effort nonetheless.
Prison Architect is a fantastic strategy sim which highlights both the difficulty of running a prison and keeping a lot of prisoners happy.
Although it is weighed down by some questionable development choices, Prison Architect is a break-out success due to its sandbox alone.
Prison Architect is a full-on sim that will eat your time. If you fancy a dark look inside the running of a prison, look no further.
A great simulation game that works impressively well on consoles. Although at times it almost feels like a psychology study of the player rather than the inmates.
Even if Prison Architect didn't come with a thought provoking, if short, campaign, it'd be easy to recommend to anyone with an interest in management sims. That addition not only brings some depth to the game, but it also serves as one of the most enjoyable and comprehensive tutorials I've ever played in a game.
A great simulation game that recalls the glory days of Theme Hospital et al. Although at times it almost feels like a psychology study of the player rather than the inmates.
I like computer books. I have a shelf packed with programming textbooks, stories about the industry, and a library of eBooks on various languages I learn and work with. I also have one oddity published by O'Reily called Getting Started With Dwarf Fortress. Of course Dwarf Fortress is not a programming language, but a game. An infamous game known for an incredible depth of complexity and one of the worst user interfaces ever built. Aside the fact that the game is comprised entirely of ASCII characters, it is difficult enough to parse that it has its own sizeable text box. A shame considering it is one of the most unique and wonderful games around.I never mastered Dwarf Fortress, but it stoked the fires of my interest in the simulation genre and as the years have gone by there have been plenty of interesting clones of the game. Prison Architect is one such game, and while it chooses to ditch the mind boggling scope of Dwarf Fortress and focus the player on a singular task, it is not any worse off or lacking in depth because of this. After hanging around on PC, it has made its way to the Nintendo Switch, making it (for now...Rimworld, anyone?) the only notable title like it on the console.
This deep penitentiary construction and simulation game is a lesson why for-profit prisons are destined for corruption and inmate mistreatment
We like to have control in our games, us simulation-lovers. For me, it's because I know I can't control life. So I'm happy to dive in and control fake life. Plus, I have a general life-goal to never actually experience prison. Prison Architect satisfies a simulation need with a topic that is unique, and gives you lots of options to set up your dream prison. Dream prison? Sure.
Prison Architect is a deep offering of gameplay elements, interconnected systems, and emergent storytelling, all of which remain addictive for fans of such micromanagement. If all this sounds like more work than fun, you're probably right; this game just isn't for you. There were times when I looked at the game in my library and became stressed at the idea of playing it some more. Controlling a population of inmates who, by the basic nature of prison, don't want to be there, can feel like a second job. More often, though, I was amazed by the game's intense level of detail to the human element of being behind bars, and I walked away from the experience with an appreciation for such a stellar genre title. If you're a fan of simulations, Prison Architect is one of the best there is.
How difficult could it be to build a jail and keep everyone inside? With this impressively detailed simulation, you're about to find out