Prison Architect Reviews

Prison Architect is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
2.5 / 5.0
Jul 31, 2016

The game definitely suits one who loves crafting games, though as a beginner in the field this game works well as it's fairly user friendly and small enough in scale you won't get lost in it, strangely addictive at times yet not enough to steal you away from the big names in terms of longevity.

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55 / 100
Oct 6, 2015

Every system locks us up. But sims like Prison Architect throw away the keys.

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Player.One
Top Critic
Oct 9, 2015

Prison Architect finally launched a full version with a campaign, but longtime fans will be disappointed.

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7 / 10
May 31, 2016

Prison Architect is a game I would definitely recommend to any simulation diehards, but some looking for a more accessible pathway into the genre may want to take it easy. However, most of the major flaws have been ironed out from the Early Access experience, which is a sign of improvement others aren't as worthy of.

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Sep 4, 2018

"A warden can also be an architect"

Review in Finnish | Read full review

Jul 8, 2016

Prison Architect is a solid simulation experience that raises the stakes thanks to pulling no punches when it comes to human beings being locked-up. A surprise treat.

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7 / 10
Oct 13, 2015

Tonally schizophrenic, yet still one of the more fascinating game experiences ever made.

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7.2 / 10.0
Jun 28, 2016

Creating a candid simulation of a correctional facility is Prison Architect's purpose. Its power is allowing the player to decide if moral indifference—their own or Prison Architect's—is either a strength or weakness. Prison Architect's trip to the PlayStation 4 undermines its capability with an unnecessary layer of obstruction, but the interference it creates isn't impossible to overcome.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 29, 2018

Prison Architect is a fun building game where you get to manage your own prison. It's a little too complex at times and I don't like some of the artwork, but the pros outweigh the cons. I recommend checking it out if you're a fan of sim games.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2016

Prison Architect is an excellent sandbox, a throwback to the days of Bullfrog's Theme series that forces you to balance an eye for aesthetics with pure functionality. Those who don't need to be led by the hand to explore the deep systems at play will find an excellent simulation to lose themselves in, with online sharing options providing a huge selection of prisons to explore, tear down and rebuild. If you can stomach the morality of prisons for profit you will enjoy Prison Architect.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2015

After some time with Prison Architect, I can't say that that I've completely warmed up to the genre just yet. Still, that doesn't mean I regret the time I spent playing it either. Even though Prison Architect has its share of flaws and limitations, it's still a fun experience I'm sure fans of the genre will enjoy.

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7.9 / 10.0
Jul 21, 2016

Prison Architect: Console Edition hits a lot of the right spots to appeal to fans of strategy and construction games. The fact that it lets you play the game with an emphasis on one or the other if you want, means that it'll appeal to a wider audience.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 29, 2016

This prison sim game is unique, memorable, and has the makings of an incredibly long playthrough off a single save file.

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4 / 5.0
Jul 27, 2016

Prison Architect is a solid title with an engaging premise and an enjoyable campaign that can last as long as 6 hours or more.

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Jun 28, 2016

The team at Introversion has made a very fun management sim and Double Eleven has done a wonderful job translating the game and it's controls to consoles. It's fun to design a prison and just as fun to run it like a well-oiled machine. That is unless you connect two power generators together causing them to short and lose power to your entire prison leaving the high security prisoners free to wander and kill any guard who happens to cross their path.

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Jul 4, 2016

'Prison Architect' has grown from a wonky but promising idea into an awesome strategy experience. Except for some persistent pathfinding bugs, the AI and building elements are spot on, and I highly recommend this game even to people who may not normally enjoy the tycoon genre.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jan 13, 2016

There are many upsides to Prison Architect. From its smooth and easy controls, strong gameplay, and the chance for anyone to test how they would react when placed at a position of power. Of course, the game is not without its downsides either, such as the way it can end up fairly monotone once the game is mastered, but, as a whole, it's very worthwhile.

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Sep 26, 2016

If you can persevere through the game's poor useability, you'll find a complex and compelling sim with many player stories to tell.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 9, 2018

It should be noted that the Switch version is meant to also include an Escape Mode where you control an inmate trying to find their way out. For the purposes of this review, we haven't been able to check it out. Despite that omission, it's not hard to pour a bunch of time into Prison Architect, and I am happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a sim game to play on their couch.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 29, 2016

Smart, thought-provoking and uniquely compelling

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