Enshrouded
Enshrouded
Game
Game2015
Prison Architect
Developer Introversion Software, Double Eleven
Prison Architect is a 2015 private prison construction and management simulation video game developed and published by Introversion Software. It was made available as a crowdfunded paid alpha pre-order on September 25, 2012 with updates that were scheduled every three to four weeks until 2023. With over 2,000,000 copies sold, Prison Architect made over US$10.7 million in pre-order sales for the alpha version. Prison… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
461 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
36
Rotten
131 positive · 236 negative
95% range 31–41%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 131 | 236 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 11 | 5 | 54 |
| Mastodon * | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 5 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
36,431 of 41,303 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
31% recommend · 91 yes, 200 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 291 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (65,644 of 73,800 positive).
Many players praise the core gameplay as addictive and time-consuming. [1][2][3] Some players strongly criticize Paradox Interactive for adding a launcher and buggy updates. [4][5][6] Several players allege that Paradox's DLC policy has ruined the game. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [1]
You're the warden. Make sure they don't kill each other. I've been playing Prison Architect since it first came out, long before it became part of the Paradox DLC machine. And honestly? It still absolutely slaps. Gameplay At its core, Prison Architect is a management and simulation game where you build and run your own prison. You design the facility, manage your staff, keep your inmates alive and reasonably happy, …
- [2]
Prison Architect is one of those games that's dangerously good at making time disappear. You sit down thinking you'll fix a few cell blocks, optimize a couple work programs, and before you know it it's 2 AM and you're redesigning an entire maximum-security wing because one inmate stole a spoon. Even after nearly 50 hours, it's still incredibly satisfying watching a prison grow from a dirt lot into a fully …
- [7]
Worth it if you can find an old version of the game. Before Paradox got ahold of it Since they got ahold of it, they did the classic Paradox special: 1. Remove the old team 2. Replace them with a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ skeleton crew who will: 3. only pump out DLC 4. never update or fix any bugs Paradox isnt like a Spirit Halloween that sets up shop in the ruins of a store. No. theyre parasites. They setup in a thriving sandbox IP, …
- [5]
I played this game before it was sold to the current company. It was absolutely fantastic then. I haven't played it since 2018 so decided to hop on and fart around with it. Now we have a worthless malware launcher for a game that absolutely does not need it and has never had it. Several game mechanics no longer work correctly. For example I had 15 janitors who were just hanging out in the cleaning cupboard while the …
- [9]
Prison Architect was once a genuinely fun and addictive game. Unfortunately, Paradox Interactive took over after its original release and has since treated it like many of its other titles: squeeze as much money as possible out of the player base through an endless stream of DLCs while leaving serious bugs unfixed. Anyone familiar with Paradox's business model knows exactly what that means. Players get milked like …
Summarised from 34 of the 378 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Prison Architect sits at 36% positive across 367 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Upon its full release, Prison Architect received positive reviews, scoring 83 out of 100 on review aggregator site Metacritic. IGN awarded it a score of 8.3 out of 10, saying "Prison Architect is one of the most in-depth, satisfying builder games in ages, if you can get past the initiation." On April 7, 2016, Prison Architect won the 2016 BAFTA award in the Persistent Game category. Prison Architect was also nominated for the 2016 BAFTA award in the British Game category, which was won by Batman: Arkham Knight. As of September 26, 2015, Prison Architect had grossed over $19 million in sales, and over 1.25 million units of the game had been sold. By the end of August 2016 when the final…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 461 · most liked firstPrison Architect style ABDL game where you build the automatic nursery of your dreams which takes in and processes/"rehabilitates" inmates into diaper-dumping babies fit for adoption~ Also like Prison Architect it comes with a player-inmate mode where you have to somehow escape it or be changed~
neutral · AI labelView post →In case you're wonding about the sudden negative ratings: A moderator on the Heart of Iron Discord had an argement with and subsequentially banned a Turkish user that had an avatar of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk which then got picked up by some media as Paradox isulting Atatürk. Yes it's really that dumb. And it has nothing to do with either the developers, nor the quality of this game at all. It's all about the Publisher. People reviewbombing every game of a publisher over Discord drama should be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worth it if you can find an old version of the game. Before Paradox got ahold of it Since they got ahold of it, they did the classic Paradox special: 1. Remove the old team 2. Replace them with a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ skeleton crew who will: 3. only pump out DLC 4. never update or fix any bugs Paradox isnt like a Spirit Halloween that sets up shop in the ruins of a store. No. theyre parasites. They setup in a thriving sandbox IP, and then gut the crew, and only churn out DLCs. Look at every game they…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →>startup game >you have the paradox malware launcher Negative review required.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Was good when Paradox didn't have their greedy hands on it. The game used to add features on their own without charging you money, now they lock mechanics behind a DLC paywall. Classic Paradox greed. Get the firgirl edition, whatever that means...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game before it was sold to the current company. It was absolutely fantastic then. I haven't played it since 2018 so decided to hop on and fart around with it. Now we have a worthless malware launcher for a game that absolutely does not need it and has never had it. Several game mechanics no longer work correctly. For example I had 15 janitors who were just hanging out in the cleaning cupboard while the entire prison was absolutely filthy, requiring me to hire another janitor…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey I'm Morrigan, I worked on Jumanji the game, Prison Architect 2 and Lost Words! Programmer who's been all over the place at this point. I miss making indie stuff though, I miss the mystery box, it was great fun, collaborative alternate controller project. One day I'll revive it.
neutral · AI labelView post →I used to love this game. However since the most recent update and added of Paradox Launcher. The game is unplayable. It crashes at startup and there is no fix. I have tried everything. Oddly enough the only thing that works is uninstalling the game and playing a pirated version with every single dlc added. Pretty lame way to develope a game. Only playable if you pirate it...wtf. Guess i wont be buying any dlc until this is fixed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It used to be a good game until they sold it and now it's been ruined by unnecessary DLC and props. Luckily you can go back to the update before paradox took over. Get it on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favourite games ever, takes hours off your life seamlessly. Had potential to be an incredible game, shame it was sold to Paradox which plagued the game with bugs and a pathetic lack of effort. At times, it feels utterly unplayable after the acquisition, not to mention the catalogue of overpriced DLCs. There is a bug where your prisoners get stuck, which has forced me to quit the game as it is unbearable even with partial mod solutions.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I owned this game before Paradox got it. I liked it. It was fun and unique, but now that Paradox has it, it's a strong avoid. That company is investor first, gamer last in its mindset. They only care about money and are eager to add in putrid business schemes like subscriptions for single player games (e.g. Cities Skyline). Additionally, they demand your legal rights to play. You should educate yourself on binding arbitration and how anti-consumer it is. All in all, I was a big fan of Paradox…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved this game, I have several hundred hours of torturing prisoners and staff with terrible prison layouts. Unfortunately, since paradox took over it is basically unplayable. It is so buggy, doesn't run properly, and has a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ launcher. A real shame.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Prison Architect was once a genuinely fun and addictive game. Unfortunately, Paradox Interactive took over after its original release and has since treated it like many of its other titles: squeeze as much money as possible out of the player base through an endless stream of DLCs while leaving serious bugs unfixed. Anyone familiar with Paradox's business model knows exactly what that means. Players get milked like cows, with content split into countless paid expansions—sometimes for additions…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Use to be able to play the game offline, no weird additional accounts required, over elaborate terms and conditions (some one through what info they will take from you) all of that makes unplayable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hi! I do Design Consultation! I've DONE game design on some VR games, ShadowPoint, Battle Sister VR, then worked for years on Prison Architect 2 which might come out one day. We'll see. I started in indie & currently run WitchGraft Ltd while working a contract & my own personal project. c: 🫶
neutral · AI labelView post →I do recommend this game, on sale. Do not ever play full price for this unless you're just stupid. I have owned this game longer than I have had Steam, I originally played a *arrg matey* version for a year prior to buying it on steam. I enjoyed watching Introversion develop the game. It was quite the experience and it was great watching the main aspects flush out. Even today that is still worth the time. Its a really fun game. Its quite enjoyable. But over time the game got buggy. Some…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Again, what? “There's also the danger of a game, like the cancelled Prison Architect board game, potentially perpetuating real-world institutional oppression. But upon closer inspection, the matter may be overblown.” Funny Satan game is oppression against WHOM, my guy?
neutral · AI labelView post →Yeah all these years i was waiting for useless DLC's and a launcher that is bigger than the actual game and slows down the startup. Epic P*radox moment
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I reinstalled the game after a very long time. Why is there now a weird obscure launcher that immediately installs itself through a non-descript windows installer when I click play? Super invasive, even if it's a launcher that was not required to launch the game before.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For a game about building the controls and ui are really bad
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You're the warden. Make sure they don't kill each other. I've been playing Prison Architect since it first came out, long before it became part of the Paradox DLC machine. And honestly? It still absolutely slaps. Gameplay At its core, Prison Architect is a management and simulation game where you build and run your own prison. You design the facility, manage your staff, keep your inmates alive and reasonably happy, and most importantly, try to stop them from escaping. And I absolutely love…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ignore the review by bombing, people simply cannot accept that Discord rules apply equally to everyone.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This negative review is a direct protest against the publisher, Paradox Interactive. Their official community team actively discriminates against Turkish players, spreads Turkophobic propaganda, and bans users simply for having Mustafa Kemal Atatürk—the founder of modern Turkey—as a profile picture. I refuse to recommend or support any product from a company that allows its staff to push racist agendas and rewrite history. I am boycotting all Paradox games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a great game. I got it in Early Access, long before Paradox got involved and played it back then until I had done everything the game offes. After building my perfect prison and escaping from it I had enough. But with Paradox now in charge I give the thumbs down. First order of business was to add DLCs and they just kept making more. I doubt anything that was made in the DLCs was so great, that it couldn't have been made by some hobby devs in the workshop FOR FREE. Instead Paradox sells…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Paradox confirm no Linux support for Prison Architect 2 but investigating Steam Deck https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2024/02/paradox-confirm-no-linux-support-for-prison-architect-2-but-investigating-steam-deck/ #ParadoxInteractive #PrisonArchitect2 #PrisonArchitect
neutral · AI labelView post →It was great when the game was first released by Introversion Software. It played well with no problems and if there was any, the developers fixed them quickly and respectfully. THEN Paradox bought the ownership of this game. Since it's been with Paradox it's been broken update releases, false news about the "new" Prison Architect 2 game and no communications from any of the team regarding anything. This game has become a flop, it's all about the DLCs and $$$. Some DLCs are good but they should…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Paradox abandomed this game leaving it with a tons of bugs, troubleshooting takes more time than actual playing Not even the multiplayer servers work correctly
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →the real reason to play this game is to follow around the one ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ who keeps stealing 10 sets of keys a day and tries to break out twice a day, yet fails every single time because he's a little twink who can't take a taser to the face
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stream End! Thank you for watching me play A Short Hike! A nice, short and sweet game that we finished in 2 hours! Any streamer looking for a good and cute 1-stream game, this is a good game to do it! Join me tomorrow at 4:00pm EST for Prison Architect!! #Vtuber #Vtubers #ENVtuber
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm STARGAZY 👋 Been making indie games since 2009 Programmer for Prison Architect, lead designer & programmer for Democracy 3 Africa + Democracy 4. My new strategy game is in development 🙌 I've written game engines; designed systems, AI, UX etc.; & run my business. I'm also a father 💖 #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Not worth it AT ALL at full price, if you are going to buy it wait until it goes on sale at a heavy discount here is why: BTW Paradox you only have yourselves to blame for this negative review....Are ya listening yet fellas?...Because you really need to listen. You REALLY REALLY need to get your heads out of where the sun doesn't shine and start listening. I know it's hard to admit that you F'ed up. And it's especially hard to admit that some of your customers actually understand certain…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hello, we are a #gamedev duo from the lands of smørrebrød and pizza 🇩🇰 🇮🇹 We are developing a #pixelart management simulation game with deckbuilding elements about BOXING! 🥊 If you have ever wanted a child of Prison Architect and Slay the Spire, then give us a follow to come along the journey! 😁👍
neutral · AI labelView post →My answer: I have two games in mind. A Pokemon esq game were everything involves through to relationships and you have to talk and work with your party to "make it work". A factory planner game based on my job in the veins of Prison Architect.
neutral · AI labelView post →[Nazis, historical genocide, and slavery... You know, normal USPol shit] Some years back a friend of mine related a conversation about the game Prison Architect. Basically someone had figured out a way to maximize profits by creating an area with bad wiring so that prisoners would end up being […]
neutral · AI labelView post →Hello, we are a #gamedev duo from the lands of smørrebrød and pizza 🇩🇰 🇮🇹 We are developing a #pixelart management simulation game with deckbuilding elements about BOXING! 🥊 If you have ever wanted a child of Prison Architect and Slay the Spire, then give us a follow to come along the journey! 😁👍
neutral · AI labelView post →Should be called Bug Architect. Sadly the bugs make an otherwise fun game extremely frustrating.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Buy Game Play Tutorial Wanna make big prison Spend 200 hours perfecting modern slavery Spend another 200 hours improving modern slavery with mods Now you have multiple big prisons with too many prisoners for your pc to hande You like game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Prison Architect is one of those games that's dangerously good at making time disappear. You sit down thinking you'll fix a few cell blocks, optimize a couple work programs, and before you know it it's 2 AM and you're redesigning an entire maximum-security wing because one inmate stole a spoon. Even after nearly 50 hours, it's still incredibly satisfying watching a prison grow from a dirt lot into a fully functioning (and occasionally completely dysfunctional) correctional facility. The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ third party launcher and a ton of DLCs. Game doesn't even work correctly either crashing on startup or multiplayer not working at all. Classic Paradox, stay away from any Paradox game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game, but suddenly I can't play it because the launcher fails...
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →everyone was angry and killing cops and overdosing and i couldn't figure out why. the only thing that fixed it was a room with a chessboard and a tv. 10/10 game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very fun and enjoyable game worth it def when its on sale. i refunded it cuz rimworld was on sale and thats a MUCH better game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game wont start ever since paradox was slapped on this game. don't buy, just look for some thing similar.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The beatings will continue until morale improves.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought Prison Architect because I thought it would be a calm little management game where I carefully build a secure, efficient prison and show off my massive intellectual power. What I actually got was a front row seat to 6 consecutive humanitarian disasters caused almost entirely by my own plumbing decisions. The first few minutes are always the same. You build a couple of cells, place down some showers, hire a few guards, and start feeling like a genius. You look at your little prison…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm STARGAZY 👋 Been making indie games since 2009 Programmer for Prison Architect, lead designer & programmer for Democracy 3 Africa + Democracy 4. My new strategy game is in development 🙌 I've written game engines; designed systems, AI, UX etc.; & run my business. I'm also a father 💖 #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Acquired by the eternal paradox interactive a long time ago and they are still trying to milk it with rushed and broken DLCs. Base game itself can be fun for some time, especially when using Luftwaffe Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschaftsstammlager or SCP mods but eventually gets boringly repetetive due to limited direct-action features. You WILL be forced to watch as your favorite dog handler gets shanked to death due to a lack of soylent in the cafeteria.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lot of reviews have this game as having a royal amount of bugs. To be honest I haven't seen to many bugs (except when I'm running a ridiculous amount of mods or have a 600x600 prison.) Some of the bugs can be quite annoying though and game ruining. Like in gangs I found one where when you kick a gang out it'll still say they own it causing you to never be able to use that room or demolish. Or inmates not doing laundry in one of my prisons or the game occasionally pausing for a minute or two…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Paradox = Poison The beatings will continue until morale improves.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →its one of those games where you play non stop every day for 2 weeks, then forget about, and revisit like 6 months later and do the same thing. I LOVE IT
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For a start, never buy this game for full price. Not worth it. Still, I recommend this game when the approx. 90% discount is applied. So with a huge discount, this is the recommendation review. First played this game in 2017 and I just returned to it and found out it’s still the prison simulation game as it was, in a positive way. Nice, not to complicated, challenges. Huge fun to see the prison go loco-mode and failing in my damage control. Expanding the prison is not too difficult although…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Steam: Would you like to buy Tingus Goose? Me: Yes, please. Steam: Did you know that it's similar to other games you play? Like Cities Skylines, and Prison Architect? Me: Okay, it REALLY isn't, but I'm going to buy it regardless. #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Since Paradox took over the game, it has gotten worse and worse. Bugs that haven't been fixed. Annoying Paradox launcher, no option to start the game directly. Lots of paid content.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sometimes i run norwegian prisions and sometimes i run concentration camps. Having fun no matter what and at -2093029 money no matter what
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hello, we are a #gamedev duo from the lands of smørrebrød and pizza 🇩🇰 🇮🇹 We are developing a #pixelart management simulation game with deckbuilding elements about BOXING! 🥊 If you have ever wanted a child of Prison Architect and Slay the Spire, then give us a follow to come along the journey! 😁👍
neutral · AI labelView post →You buy the game, Paradox buys the studio. Fun ends.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this Really pisses me off. I bought this game. I bought this game before it was released in 2015 back in 2012 and can't play it now because of.. yup you guessed it Paradox. WTF
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DLC scam, Racist community, Garbage in game developing, waste of time and money.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Going Live with Prison Architect!! Thank you to @lurkit-gg.bsky.social and Prison Architect for the copy of the game~ www.twitch.tv/cloudyclairity www.youtube.com/@cloudyclair...
neutral · AI labelView post →I really love city builders and settlement type games but I just cannot figure out how the fuck to play Rimworld. I've been through the tutorial like 5 times. I honestly don't understand what I'm missing. Love the ANNO series, played games like Prison Architect, 'Honey I started a cult', etc. so it's not like I'm unfamiliar. Idk. I feel like my brain is just broken with that game.
neutral · AI labelView post →
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