Prison Architect (2015)

Developer: Introversion Software, Double Eleven
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Indie, Simulation, Strategy
Rating: 4.5 of 5, 73,545 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 42 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

You juggle budgets, staff, and inmate needs in a chaotic, top-down sandbox where everything can spiral into riots or fires at a moment's notice.

strategicmanagementsimulationlight-heartedsandboxpunishingreplayable

What players say

Players praise the addictive building loop and mod support, but many say the game is abandoned with persistent bugs and too many DLCs since Paradox Interactive took over.

Screenshots

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More by Introversion Software

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.