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Release Date: Septermber 25, 2012
Developers: Introversion Software
Publishers: Introversion Software
Platforms: Windows, OS X, Linux
Genre: Construction and management simulation
Players: Singleplayer
Rating: N/A

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Synopsis
Prison Architect is the world's latest Prison Management Sim. Starting with an empty plot of land you must construct a holding cell with basic water and electricity to house your first batch of prisoners, to buy you enough time to create a proper cell block. You'll need to hire some guards, get some showers built and unless the kitchen is up and running with chefs working away you're going to end up with a riot on your hands. From there you take your prison in which-ever direction you like. A monsterous super-max or comfortable center for rehabilitation, the choice is up to you.

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Story
You do not play as a character with a story; but an unnamed architect. There are, however, many stories in the game. Every single prisoner has a reason to be in your prison. A prisoner could be in for armed robbery, first degree murder, or even petty theft. It is your choice to decide how they are treated, and how they serve their sentence. It could be reading a book in a comforting, spacious cell, or restrained in solitary confinement.

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Gameplay
In Prison Architect, you (the Architect) are tasked with building and running a prison. You have to hire guards, doctors, chefs, and administrative staff. You will receive a random number of prisoners every day. There are choices between a Low Threat level prisoner, a Medium Threat level, and a High Level. You could choose to only house one of these groups, but you can also diversify your prison with all three. When prisoners are unhappy, they can assault prisoners, kill guards, or even riot. The Architect can combat these threats with psychologists, free time, and more guards.

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Graphics
The graphics in Prison Architect were absolutely phenomenal. I feel the developers really captured the idea of what a prison looks like. Every marble, wood, or metal tile blends together perfectly to form a smooth pattern. Going along with the building textures, the objects you can place have realistic, colorful textures too. Whoever designed the environment for this game deserves an award. The water in the lakes looks realistic and colorful. The grass, trees, and roads also share this quality. I do feel however that they made a bad choice with the human models, as they could be confused for other things because of the lack of legs.

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Controls
The controls in Prison Architect were basic, yet efficient. I always liked how easy it was to plan, build, and run my prison. I feel the controls for building placement, object rotations, and guard movements were perfect. The way you can control the cameras allows for fast movement around the map, and you can zoom in to witness the closest detail. If you're looking for a game with a great story, addictive gameplay, beautiful graphics, and simple controls this game is for you.

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Rating
Story 7/10
Gameplay 9/10
Graphics 8/10
Controls 8/10
Overall 8/10