![]() In a nutshell, it is my contention that the team at Introversion feel that an open-ended interpretive approach is more productive for debate than any “serious game” stance on the same topic – even the activist approach. – from a “strange fun” perspective, for critical effect. Hopefully I am not too far off the mark in assessing their intention, which seems to me to make games in which players tackle dilemmas – strategic, creative, moral, etc. This means that I believe the makers of Prison Architect have taken a stance, with their funding model and design decisions, about the way games about prisons should play out. Of course, Prison Architect will not train you to become a prison warden, nor a prison profiteer – though you may act as both inside the bounds of the game.īeyond this, I did say Prison Architect was an “anti-serious game”, which is a strong statement. Serious games, as they are commonly understood, are games that are made for purposes beyond entertainment, for example teaching. That is, a computer game, which, though it handles serious issues, resists being pigeonholed into either mere entertainment, or utility. To say it with more pugnacity: Prison Architect might well be, in fact, an anti-serious game. Now I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I’ve come to this conclusion… are you ready for it? Real prison disasters do happen, and they’re tragedies! These little cartoon prisoners are real convicts in the real world. Why was I laughing? This game is a Sim and it’s about prisons, of all things. It’s only when I sit back and ponder my enjoyment that I’m taken aback. And when I feel stuck or uninspired, I go check out prisons published in the Steam Workshop by other Prison Architects, looking for solutions and comparing their achievements to my own.Īnd then it happens: my high security ward goes up in flames! I scramble in the fire brigade, going crazy with concern over the fate of my prisoners caught in their cells, strangely laughing at the extent of the disaster. ![]() Recalling Will Wright’s analogy, playing Prison Architect is like gardening, a combination of zen-like creative design and attentive micro-management – in this garden the “weeds” really matter. ![]() As I complete prison grant objectives – build a new cellblock, implement prison labour, enact inmate education programs – my prison complex expands, and I need to keep a constant eye on my prisoners. I scratch my head when a pipe or door I’ve tasked for construction just lingers in the task list. Sometimes frustrated, often puzzled, but generally enjoying the flow of things, having a laugh as my little prisoners complain, riot, and get into nasty tussles with the guards. When I play the game, I’m always engaged. Playing Prison Architect almost always cheers me up. You can read the introductory remarks for the series here, and part 1 here. This article is part 2 of a 2-part series on prison management games, and the controversies surrounding them.
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