Prison Architect 2015

Is it still worth playing?

You are hired by the CEO of a for profit prison company to build and run a prison, in this 2015 top down construction and management simulation from Introversion Software. You are both architect and governor, building facilities, connecting utilities and managing staff, and some parts of the game only open once you hire specific staff, such as an accountant for the finances. You tell prisoners what to do indirectly by setting their schedule, and you meet their needs, such as sanitation. Reform and labor programs reduce their recidivism. The campaign takes around ten hours, there is a sandbox mode, and an Escape mode lets you try to escape from a prison. It takes inspiration from Theme Hospital, Dungeon Keeper and Dwarf Fortress. It was sold as a paid alpha from 2012 until its official release. A sandbox of buildings and schedules still gives you a lot to tinker with.