Build and manage a Maximum Security Prison. As the sun casts it’s early morning rays on a beautiful patch of countryside the clock starts ticking. You’ve got to crack on and build a holding cell to detain the job­ lot of maximum security prisoners that are trundling to your future prison on their yellow bus. As your workmen lay the last brick you don’t have a moment to let them rest as they need to get started on the first proper cell block so you can make room for the next prisoner intake. Once they’ve all got a place to lay their weary heads the fun can really start.

You’ll need a canteen, infirmary and a guard room, oh, and don’t forget to plumb in a toilet, or things will get messy, but what about a workout area? Or solitary confinement cells? Or an execution chamber?

Prison Architect opens with the story of Edward, a man facing the electric chair for committing a crime of passion. This is followed by four additional chapters focusing on different characters and aspects of prison life. From Mafia Dons to power-crazed senators, Prison Architect has them all! To bring these characters to life, Introversion teamed up with award winning professional writer Chris Hastings, producing an enthralling tale of corruption and human misery set against the background of the modern prison industrial complex.

Finished your supermax? Got guard dogs roving every corridor and prisoners eating out of your hand? Now you can live the horror by firing up escape mode and play as a prisoner hell-bent on getting the hell out of dodge.

Dig a tunnel, go for the armoury or start a riot and slip out in the chaos, it’s entirely up to you! Figure out how to escape from your own creation, or hit the random button and load one of the 12,000 prisons created by the steam community.

Paradox Interactive and Double Eleven announced the next expansion for Prison Architect, titled Second Chances, which introduces prisoner rehabilitation programs, allowing inmates to reduce their sentences and reintegrate into society.

Each program in Prison Architect: Second Chances offers a different means of rehabilitating a prisoner and changing their behavior. This includes opportunities for inmates to socialize with civilians, take classes on peaceful conflict resolution, and more. Positive behavioral changes can lead to sentence reductions, giving inmates a chance to return to their lives beyond the prison. Reoffending inmates will cost Wardens, encouraging players to implement and oversee these programs with care.

“Inmate rehabilitation in Prison Architect is something we have wanted to explore for a while, but we needed to research how to do it properly first,” says Gaz Wright, Games Design Manager on Prison Architect at Double Eleven. “The programs in this expansion have been implemented in correctional facilities around the world and have started to see real results. We strived to make their implementation in Prison Architect feel authentic while maintaining the signature style players have come to expect from the game.”

Prison Architect: Second Chances Key Features:

• Return to Reform: Non-work programs, such as Animal Therapy, Meet & Greet, and Former Prisoner Classes can remove an inmate's negative traits and see improved behaviors.
• Good Behavior: Inmates can have their sentences reduced or increased based on their actions and reoffenders can now be sent back to prison. Players will be fined for each reoffender.
• Room for Improvement: Inmates with existing or earned work credentials can become vendors to both prisoners and visitors in inmate-run rooms, including a Bakery, Restaurant and Therapy Room. 
• Back to Society: Inmates can earn work credentials through experience partaking in different work and training programs.

The Second Chances expansion will launch first for PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on June 16, and will arrive later for Nintendo Switch on June 29, 2021.

Inspired by Dungeon Keeper, Dwarf Fortress and Theme Hospital, Prison Architect is the world’s best lock-­em-­up.

Prison Architect is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC.