I love simulation games. I always have. Anything that simulates real life in any way, from the most extreme and obvious end of the simulation spectrum, like Sims games, to the other end of the spectrum, with fantastical, yet similar-ish-to-real-life, RPG games (just like RPGs, I think my day job definitely has some sort of skill grinding mechanic to it). The more control an obvious-type simulation game gives me, the better. That?s why I highly approve of Prison Architect. I feel like I really am a prison CEO. And probably the nicey-nicest prison CEO these prisoners have ever seen (you get a bookshelf, and YOU get a bookshelf?EVERYONE GETS A BOOKSHELF!).
More Than Just Building Stuff
The name may lead you to believe this game is just building a prison. It is much more than that. You start by building a little prison, sure, but you also need to know how to run it. From choosing the inmates? daily regime and meal quality (being mindful of maximum security inmates crossing paths while angry at your budget-friendly cafeteria slop), to deciding if you will offer general education classes, and thereafter, parole hearings for good behavior and educational advancement. The bureaucracy and logistics (which just happen to be two of my favorite menus in the game) are deep and intricate. You are the CEO and you have the power. After learning and mastering one power, you just get to unlock another. Pretty soon, you have built an efficient prison machine with strict schedules, income gen...