Prison Architect - New Game of the Day #37

Prison Architect - New Game of the Day #37

What? A new simulation game from British Indie wizards Introversion.

When? Sometime in 2012

Where? PC

It may lack the wireframe chique of Introversion's previous work but Prison Architect carries all the usual hallmarks of this inimitable British team.

Marrying the cute and the twisted in one thought provoking package, Prison Architect has you arranging the layout of your very own penitentiary from cells to the cafeteria to the showers. Even the positioning and powering of the execution room is under your jurisdiction.

Yet you're encouraged to feel disconnected. While rigging up the electric chair in the game's opening tutorial you're told "It's not our place to decide if he deserves this. We're just here to do a job" while picture-in-picture stills, drawn in significantly more detail to the Cluedo piece caricatures that represent your prisoners and staff the rest of the time, show the last evening of the convicted – sentenced to death for killing his wife and her lover – as he is read his last rights.

A sombre message accompanying an otherwise comical and bright looking game? That's the independent video game scene for you.

In the long term you will need to spend your funds wisely, and this will ultimately be where Prison Architect's depth lies. Should you add lots of windows and buy a mountain of books in an attempt to keep your inmates happy? Or would it be better to hire a swathe of guards to ensure any breakout attempts are quickly and efficiently scuppered? Certainly an interesting prospect, and one that tugs on moral cues simply through its themes alone.

Developer Legacy: From hacker simulation Uplink, to PC anti-virus software adventure Darwinia and its multiplayer spin off Multiwinia, to the disturbingly serene mass murder simulator Defcon, Introversion have been delivering stylish cult classics for almost 11 years now.

What They Say: “Many people have correctly identified our big influences for this project in Dwarf Fortress and Dungeon Keeper, or just about anything by Bullfrog. We love those games so much, and mixing their mechanics with a topic like prisons has been an incredibly satisfying creative challenge.” - Chris, Introversion Staff, revealing the game on the company's forum.

What We Say: It's Introversion doing what Introversion does - a completely bonkers, leftfield, headscratching concept built on solid gameplay that will likely turn out to be a tasty, bonkers, headscratching gem of a game that we will feel slightly guilty deriving entertainment from, but do it anyway.

Can't wait? Play This: Can you get Theme hospital nowadays? Or Dungeon Keeper? If you have those handy then they would be your best bets. The idea of comically-edged simulation sort of tragically died with Bullfrog really. That said, iPhone devs Kairo Soft, responsible for Game Dev Story and Mega Mall Story have at least managed to elicit a fraction of their charm.

Website: http://www.introversion.co.uk/prisonarchitect/

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Twitter: @IVSoftware

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