# Prison Architect



## Moronik (Oct 3, 2013)

no thread on this?

I'm surprised! This is a really good game, and still only in Alpha. I highly recommend it!


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## Vintage Paw (Oct 3, 2013)

This is the exact opposite first comment I would have expected to see in an urban thread about this game.


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## Supine (Oct 3, 2013)

I'm intrigued!


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## Wilson (Oct 3, 2013)

I'll give it a go while I'm waiting for 'workhouse trusty 1.2' to come out.


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

Its no where near finished.... but its a really really good game, with lots of character. There are monthly updates (except next month) and each update really changes the way the game is played. So essentially you play it for a month until you get your prison how you want it, and then the next month a whole new aspect is opened up.

This month, its guard dogs!  

Its very much in the vein of the Theme Park type games...


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> This is the exact opposite first comment I would have expected to see in an urban thread about this game.



why is that...?


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## killer b (Oct 4, 2013)

Moronik said:


> why is that...?


 Someones made a jolly theme park style game about prisons, and you really need to ask why it might be unpopular here? 

What next, _concentration camp commandant? _/godwins


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## Crispy (Oct 4, 2013)

I played this at Rezzed earlier in the year. It's far from jolly.


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

killer b said:


> Someones made a jolly theme park style game about prisons, and you really need to ask why it might be unpopular here?
> 
> What next, _concentration camp commandant? _/godwins




You can run the prison how you see fit. Give them TVs in every cell, make sure all their needs are catered for. in fact that is what the game is all about... if the population gets angry, they riot, which will often lose you the game.

Its not about oppressing your prisoners, but making the prison run smoothly.

Considering what most games mentioned on Urban are about (mass murder, imperialism,conquest, warfare) then I find prison architect extremely tame.


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## killer b (Oct 4, 2013)

The concept does sit uneasily with me, more so than mass murder / world conquest type games. Must confess i cant quite put my finger on why, though. So carry on.


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

killer b said:


> The concept does sit uneasily with me, more so than mass murder / world conquest type games. Must confess i cant quite put my finger on why, though. So carry on.



I know what you mean...

but the game really does make you think about the logistics of running a prison, and makes you realise why some unscrupulous prison governers cut corners and so on. It also brings home what it is a person actually needs in prison and what they would like.


You dont get a feeling of power over your prisoners (or at least I dont) its more a case of .. 'How is my overloaded prison going to cope with yet another influx of new prisoners!?'  'My prisoners are demanding more comforts but I can't afford it.'

It is a fun game. And obviously a good prison is a happy prison.


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## joustmaster (Oct 4, 2013)

I think it looks OK.


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

haha I have had actually none of those bugs, but the naked eating and the drill ones look pretty funny


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## tommers (Oct 4, 2013)

Yeah, I was very tempted by this a while ago but decided to hold on till it was a bit further along...


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## 1%er (Oct 4, 2013)

Do you get to attack screws and stab nonce's?


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

1%er said:


> Do you get to attack screws and stab nonce's?



You dont control the prisoners so no. And there are no nonces in the game as yet.


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## Fez909 (Oct 4, 2013)

1%er said:


> Do you get to attack screws and stab nonce's?



A game from this perspective would be good. You're a newly locked-up prisoner who has to get to the top of the prison system. Gain points for stabbing nonces, attacking screws, going up against rival prisoners, smuggling drugs in, etc. Gotta be stealthy with the kills and hide your weapons well, otherwise you get put in solitary and/or more time added on.


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## 1%er (Oct 4, 2013)

Moronik said:


> You dont control the prisoners so no. And there are no nonces in the game as yet.



Inspired by Theme hospital, Dungeon keeper &  Dwarf fortress


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## 1%er (Oct 4, 2013)

Fez909 said:


> A game from this perspective would be good. You're a newly locked-up prisoner who has to get to the top of the prison system. Gain points for stabbing nonces, attacking screws, going up against rival prisoners, smuggling drugs in, etc. Gotta be stealthy with the kills and hide your weapons well, otherwise you get put in solitary and/or more time added on.


Get a full-blown riot going and you win your freedom


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## joustmaster (Oct 4, 2013)

Fez909 said:


> A game from this perspective would be good. You're a newly locked-up prisoner who has to get to the top of the prison system. Gain points for stabbing nonces, attacking screws, going up against rival prisoners, smuggling drugs in, etc. Gotta be stealthy with the kills and hide your weapons well, otherwise you get put in solitary and/or more time added on.


I can see the Daily Mail headlines now.


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## joustmaster (Oct 4, 2013)

I once found my brother playing one of the Sims games.

He had trapped his Sim in the garden. The character was nearly naked, and was pissing and shitting everywhere, whilst slowly starving to death.

I might not let my brother know about this game.


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

Heres an interview I found

http://www.techspot.com/article/680-prison-architect-game-interview/

Every month you get an update with an EXTREMELY entertaining video...  for example:



the whole package has been one of my best buys for ages..


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## golightly (Oct 4, 2013)

Fez909 said:


> A game from this perspective would be good. You're a newly locked-up prisoner who has to get to the top of the prison system. Gain points for stabbing nonces, attacking screws, going up against rival prisoners, smuggling drugs in, etc. Gotta be stealthy with the kills and hide your weapons well, otherwise you get put in solitary and/or more time added on.


 
Wasn't Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay a bit likes this?


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## Moronik (Oct 4, 2013)

golightly said:


> Wasn't Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay a bit likes this?



Thats what I thought! I enjoyed that game immensely


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## Fez909 (Oct 4, 2013)

Never heard of it, but I'll check it out, cheers.


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## golightly (Oct 4, 2013)

It's all sci-fi bollocks so not quite what you were talking about.  I reckon there would be a market for prison game from the perspective of the prisoners, though.


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## Silva (Oct 4, 2013)

Fez909 said:


> A game from this perspective would be good. You're a newly locked-up prisoner who has to get to the top of the prison system. Gain points for stabbing nonces, attacking screws, going up against rival prisoners, smuggling drugs in, etc. Gotta be stealthy with the kills and hide your weapons well, otherwise you get put in solitary and/or more time added on.


I recall a game that was about surviving in a prison (at least, recall a video about shanking someone in a cafeteria), although my bet is that it was by one of those self-publishing eastern european devs with a dog for QA. But it's a concept I'm surprised Rockstar never picked up.


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## Nine Bob Note (Oct 4, 2013)

I could do a ten stretch (for charging $30 a pop!?) and this bloody game would still be in alpha when I came out.


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## Jackobi (Oct 9, 2013)

I gave this a go recently and ended up with a full-on riot in the canteen. The graphics are quite basic and quirky, but that is made up for with some fairly in depth gameplay mechanics. Prisoners are able to tunnel more easily along water pipes, can steal weapons from various sources, and visitors smuggle in contraband, it can all easily go tits up without good planning, and has a lot of potential. Twenty quid is not out of the ordinary for an alpha, ARMA III alpha was the same price.


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## Jackobi (Oct 9, 2013)

Nine Bob Note said:


> I could do a ten stretch (for charging $30 a pop!?) and this bloody game would still be in alpha when I came out.



Prison Alphatect


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## grit (Oct 12, 2013)

This is one of the greatest games I've played in the last 5 years, there is so much already in an alpha state build its incredible.


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## tommers (Nov 16, 2013)

It is $20 in the humble store.  I am tempted.


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## Moronik (Nov 16, 2013)

tommers said:


> It is $20 in the humble store.  I am tempted.



do it! its a very endearing game.


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## tommers (Nov 17, 2013)

I did.  It looks good but I'm going to need a bit of time to get the hang of it.  It reminds me a lot of dwarf fortress, but if it was written by somebody who actually wants you to be able to do stuff.


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## Citizen66 (Nov 18, 2013)

killer b said:
			
		

> Someones made a jolly theme park style game about prisons, and you really need to ask why it might be unpopular here?



A game where you can mow down proles in your posh car seems rather popular.


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## tommers (Nov 23, 2013)

About half my prisoners just escaped cos I forgot to build a fence around my new cell block.  Wouldn't mind but half of them are already dead from rioting.


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## bmd (Nov 24, 2013)

It's like one of those 'Tycoon' games innit. I find them to be quite slow and consequently not really my thing.


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## tommers (Nov 24, 2013)

bmd said:


> It's like one of those 'Tycoon' games innit. I find them to be quite slow and consequently not really my thing.



It's kind of dwarf fortress but in a prison. And there aren't monsters, apart from those in the cells (ha!).  They keep rioting and stuff but I can't see how you will get stories out of it, which is one of the main great things about DF.  It's interesting though, I'm going to keep playing around with it.


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## bmd (Nov 24, 2013)

tommers said:


> It's kind of dwarf fortress but in a prison. And there aren't monsters, apart from those in the cells (ha!).  They keep rioting and stuff but I can't see how you will get stories out of it, which is one of the main great things about DF.  It's interesting though, I'm going to keep playing around with it.



Interesting you say that about it being like DF. I'll give it another hour or two and see what I think.


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## tommers (Nov 25, 2013)

bmd said:


> Interesting you say that about it being like DF. I'll give it another hour or two and see what I think.



Yeah, they quote it as an influence in the video.  Just reminds me the way you set rooms and the cells are almost exactly the same as dwarf rooms, garbage piles are there, kitchens etc.  Makes me wish DF had an interface like that cos then I might actually be able to play it!  I'm not sure where this is going to go but I haven't played loads, just messed up my 2nd prison.


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## Moronik (Nov 25, 2013)

My prison runs like clockwork these days... i can leave it alone for hours with new prisoners coming in, others leaving, and with nothing going wrong.

So im aggressively expanding it to see what happens...


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## Moronik (Nov 26, 2013)

Ok thats not quite true, I left it while i was cooking and when i came back there was a full blown riot going on!!!


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## tommers (Nov 26, 2013)

Do prisoners just keep turning up?  Is there a limit?


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## Moronik (Nov 26, 2013)

Theres no limit that I know of, but if you have too many you will start to experience slow down.

But you can tell them not to come, or choose whether you want Max, Min or Normal Security to turn up. (or a mixture).

Prison sentences are shortest for Min security and longest for Max. You also get more money for Max I'm told.


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## Citizen66 (Dec 28, 2013)

I've started playing this. Have managed to build 15 cells as my 30-odd capacity holding cell was getting a bit cramped. There's another 11 prisoners turning up in four hours.  

The riots all seem to be centred around meal times so I've upped the quality and variety of the food but I think I need to build a bigger kitchen/canteen facility. And more cells. No more grants available. 
The biggest problem is finding the perfect balance between giving the prisoners enough freedom so the workers can also move freely around the prison but also have enough doors to completely lock everything down when the shit hits the fan. I've had some escapes from doors getting damaged. Prisoners seem to take their anger out on them.


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## Jackobi (Dec 28, 2013)

Citizen66 said:


> There's another 11 prisoners turning up in four hours.



You can stop more prisoners arriving until your facility is adequately prepared.


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## Citizen66 (Dec 28, 2013)

Jackobi said:
			
		

> You can stop more prisoners arriving until your facility is adequately prepared.



Oh. I thought the pressure piling on daily was a game mechanic.  

I haven't worked out how to find out what my prisoners are pissed off about yet. I can see there's a heat guage and that they rant speech bubbles. But where do I find out what their issues are?


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## Jackobi (Dec 28, 2013)

Citizen66 said:


> Oh. I thought the pressure piling on daily was a game mechanic.



I thought the same at first, until I realised the influx could be stopped.



Citizen66 said:


> I haven't worked out how to find out what my prisoners are pissed off about yet. I can see there's a heat guage and that they rant speech bubbles. But where do I find out what their issues are?



In the Reports (bottom right) section, there is a Needs tab. Or you can hover over individual prisoners to see each one's needs.


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## Citizen66 (Dec 28, 2013)

Jackobi said:
			
		

> In the Reports (bottom right) section, there is a Needs tab. Or you can hover over individual prisoners to see each one's needs.



Cheers. Actually that only recently unlocked  owing to some staff member I hired so hadn't got round to looking at it.


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## maomao (Dec 28, 2013)

It's a tenner on Steam today. Definitely worth it? I just started minecraft 3 years late so it might not get a look in for a while if I do.


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## Citizen66 (Dec 28, 2013)

maomao said:
			
		

> It's a tenner on Steam today. Definitely worth it? I just started minecraft 3 years late so it might not get a look in for a while if I do.



I got it for the sale price. Yeah it's good fun if you like those sorts of games. It's alpha but plays more like a beta really. There's some minor niggles like workers getting stuck at doors which then means they can't shut but if you click on the worker you can sack them and just re-hire which solves it.


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## Moronik (Dec 29, 2013)

I love their update videos


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## Citizen66 (Dec 29, 2013)

Well that was interesting. Had a riot, spent my remaining funds on calling in the riot squad times three who were largely ineffective and all my guards ended up dead.  I'm wondering if it would have just made more sense to have let prisoners escape? From a financial point of view.

So now building a new prison using a little more foresight but also discovered a bit of a cheat. I've closed the prison to new inmates whilst it gets built. My wage bill for my workers is £800 a day but my grant is £1500 leaving a tidy profit of £700 without having to actually do anything. I suppose it's perfectly feasible to sack all of my workers thus maximising daily income to the full £1500, sticking game speed on full and then piss off to the pub and come back to a nice wedge.  

No doubt it'll get written out of the final release.


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## Moronik (Jan 31, 2014)

Alpha 17 now available.

One word: Guns



Watch the update here:


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## Nine Bob Note (Jan 31, 2014)

Citizen66 said:


> I've closed the prison to new inmates whilst it gets built. My wage bill for my workers is £800 a day but my grant is £1500 leaving a tidy profit of £700 without having to actually do anything. I suppose it's perfectly feasible to sack all of my workers thus maximising daily income to the full £1500, sticking game speed on full and then piss off to the pub and come back to a nice wedge.






			
				Moronik said:
			
		

> Alpha 17 now available.
> 
> One word: Guns



Mass layoffs, misappropriation of funds, shooting prisoners. Proper good game this... 



Citizen66 said:


> No doubt it'll get written out of the final release.


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## Citizen66 (Feb 1, 2014)

Why the facepalm? You get paid for having NO prisoners. You can essentially set it running and earn thousands doing nothing.


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## Nine Bob Note (Feb 1, 2014)

Citizen66 said:


> Why the facepalm? You get paid for having NO prisoners. You can essentially set it running and earn thousands doing nothing.



The picard was for making reference to something you called a, err, 'final release'


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## Citizen66 (Mar 12, 2014)

Nine Bob Note said:
			
		

> The picard was for making reference to something you called a, err, 'final release'



Do you know the difference between beta and a release candidate? Would you have preferred if I said 'when it goes gold'? It's hardly facepalm worthy. Or only if you're really fucking simple.


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