Prison Architect
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Prison Architect
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.
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.
It's still an awkward fit for console controls, but the game beneath them is worth the effort nonetheless.