Prison Architect Alpha 20 Sends You To, Er, Prison

How many posts have I written about Prison Architect alphas since joining RPS last October? Checking the tag page for the game suggests seven thousand. It's not my fault, it's just that each one adds a feature or set of features I find irresistible. The latest, alpha 20, introduces a set of failure states to the game, including the ability to be convicted of criminal negligence. You will then "spend time within your own jail as a prisoner."

The regular developer video showing the new features is below.

As well as judging your own performance, the game does more to judge the progress of your prisoners as their way through your penal (snigger) system.

- PUNISHMENT To what extent has this prisoner been punished? Long jail terms and solitary increase this.
- REFORM How successful have your reform attempts been? Passing reform programs and working increases this
- SECURITY Was the prisoner kept safely locked away? Fights and escapes detract from this, armed lockdown counts towards it
- HEALTH A measure of the welfare of your prisoner. Keeping them well fed and exercised will increase this.

These factors are combined, together with their age, number of prior convictions etc, to produce an estimate of their re-offending chance.

This is all part of expanding - or even adding - the idea of an endgame to Prison Architect, rather than leaving the game to become shapeless once your construction has hit its maximum size or has become self-sustaining. Find the full set of patch notes through on the Prison Architect forum.