Monday, September 28, 2015

Prison Architect - PC - Game Review

This wonderful game has been in development for a good few years. The first Alpha video and blog was the 26th Sept 2012 and I interviewed the guys at Eurogamer expo back in 2012 as well. (The last year I got to go before being a dad!) iTunes Feed

So after all that time and according to Steam the 82 hours I have been able to put into it, it is going from Alpha to Version 1 release.

If you have not had a go with it yet, do not be daunted there is something for you!

Let me explain, as best I can a little about the concept. It's a top down simulation of running a prison. You have to build from a small budget (starting games it's $30,000) a prison that reforms its in mates, and also makes money. To start with the $30,000 is small but you can apply for grants from the government and get an advance of cash to help which then you use to complete the item and get the rest of the cash.

So one of the first grants requires you to build a small holding cell, canteen, kitchen and this pays out a fee. You can then expand on this with Cell block A, 25 cells then more and more. Offering other programs and situations (the food grant and education reform program I have never quite finished).

Once you have had enough of that first prison, don't worry you can sell that and get a lump sum (depending on how lucrative the prison is) to start your next one, your next idea can be bigger and more adventurous and has a sense of wonder to it. Here is where they hook you, now you have more freedom, I can get to this stage quicker, worry less about can I afford something.

The Steam community also has some truly fabulous examples of love and attention spent on prisons that you can download and play through and learn from. I am still struggling to make a prison profitable over time.

I am also not great at precision layouts as you can see (if you have the game) with this prision.

It was my first attempt using the gangs option. So far it was not the gangs causing me problems!! It's my own mismanagement of funds and resources.

One of my first prisons took the idea of making each cell a self contained prison, I may revisit this one day as the game has evolved since I tried this. There is now a prison cell quality gauge and reward scheme for those prisoners that deserve a TV or a book shelf, maybe a window.

The game has evolved from having only a few features, to an in depth look at micromanagement and all the things you can do with it. The number of rooms has increased, you can now have not just a holding cell but a reception for the new intake of prisoners. A spiritual room, a shop to spend their money. The prisoners can trade contraband, which you can track through confidential informants. Guard rotations and happiness plays into this as well, the game is huge if you want it to be. You can also, like myself play at a slightly lower level of setting deployment but not worrying about the schedules of those deployments.

There have been so many revisions, fixes and ideas brought to the game that the only real way to keep up is follow the (now complete) Alpha video series on youtube. They are funny, often heart-warming commissaries from the developers about the development of the game. You can tell they have fun working on this game together. You can tell that they love what they do. It's a strange feeling of getting to know someone through their work (like you would an actor). You think you know Tom Cruise because you have seen his films and interviews, who he really is maybe a complete mystery to you actually, but there is a space in your heart for him. It's the same with these guys, I have no idea how big or small Introversion is as a real company, they seem like they should be massive, but I also know that they are probably Chris, Mark and a handful of other friends making a great game possible.

I used to write and podcast for Sweetffa.com and was lucky enough to get the press passes for a few Eurogamer Expos shows and get a few free demo codes for games. I never realised I could for Prison Architect, but I am gald I payed for it (OK when it was on offer in a Steam sale, but still!). I was given at the same show a copy of Tiny Troopers which is a great game but Steam has me playing it for 4 minutes.

My regular Steam list of games reads like this:
Age of Empires 2 - 7 hours
Banished - 22 hours
Football Manager 2012 - 1232 hours
Game Dev Tycoon - 16 hours
Papers Please - 52 minutes
Prison Architect - 82 hours
Tropico 4 - 16 hours
Uplink - 29 minutes

OK so PA does not quite hit Football Manager levels of addiction, but it is 2nd in my list.

My excuse is FM2012 has been played on my laptop on the arm of the sofa while watching TV, it's harder to do that with Prison Architect (but it can be done!)

This game has evolved but always within the framework of a sandbox game, however for version 1 the sandbox could be quite daunting (even with the first mission you get when you first get the game). So how have they fixed this? Well there is now a fully developed story, broken in to 5 parts that get harder as you progress. I am guessing that they are like Tropico 4 in terms of scenario based problems within a constructed environment. You don't have to build from scratch you play that problem of a prison prone to riots to its logical conclusion of either watching the place burn, or making it a happy place of reform and repentance.

There is also an escape mode, a flip on the game where you take your prisoner and try to escape any number of prisons that can be found on the web. (I am really looking forward to this.)

Once October the 6th has passed and the game is launched I will update you on the new features. I might really try to start recording videos as well.

Until then, all I can say is this game is worth the investment, it is fun, addictive and a genuine product of people who love what they do and love gaming.