We have just released an update giving you two new pre-made prisons to explore.
‘The Lost Prison’ This prison was long forgotten and lost in time, but it was again discovered one day. It didn't take long before they decided to renovate and use the prison again. Now they are looking for a warden that can continue its's legacy!
‘Jungle Retreat’ Deep inside the dense tropical jungle, you can find a hidden retreat where the most adventurous prisoners would not even dare to stay. Are the tropical weathers too much to handle, or do you have what it takes to become its new warden?
Fixes:
[PC] Fixed so cable protectors can now be attached to transformers
Prison Architect: Perfect Storm makes it rain with grants, emergency services, staff training, and Calamities. Perfect Storm DLC comes with a wide array of new challenges and complex decisions! The Tower Free Update is packed with a ton of new free stuff and numerous fixes reported by the community. For all the changes, check out the full changelog down below!
Prison Architect: Perfect Storm Key Features:
Riot Before the Storm - “Calamities,” like Deep Freezes, Heatwaves, Rat Infestations, and Lightning Storms can cause structural damage, lower prison ratings, and wreak havoc in the compound.
Come Cell or High Water - Pest Control, Plumbers, Repairmen, and Road Maintenance Emergency Services are available for immediate relief from calamities. Electrician, Cold Control, Fire Safety, First Aid Training, and Pest Removal Training allow staff to mitigate damage and keep things running smoothly.
Granted Refuge - Grants for Disaster Relief, Heatwaves, Emergency Protocol, Subsidence, Advanced Staff Training and Utility Retrofit Grant fund much-needed preparations to help ride out Calamities.
Raining Rats and Dogs - Check current and forecasted weather conditions, and use weather prediction objects, to stay apprised of any impending disasters
Perfect Storm
New Grants - Six new grants to aid the player financially and serve as a guidance tool to prepare for the Perfect Storm's calamities
Disaster Relief - A relief grant to spend on reinforcing your prison
Emergency Protocol - Awarded for players who assign Safe Zones for Staff and Prisoners in the event of an emergency
Subsidence Grant - Rebuilding any damaged walls and fences including calling in Repairmen
Advanced Staff Training - New staff programs are given to Prisoners and Staff
Utility Retrofit Grant - A grant to fit the prison with Rat prevention materials and objects (Rat proof cabling etc.)
Heatwave Grant - A grant to ensure the safety of staff and prisoners by investing in Fire Safety
4 New Emergency Services
Pest Control - Spray the prison with a scent that keeps rats away
Plumbers - Pump out flood water blocking the use of drains and showers
Repairmen - Repair walls and fences that have collapsed due to subsidence brought on by storms
Road Maintenance - Grits the service road to keep the ice and snow-free during a deep freeze
New Staff Training
Electrician Training - Allows staff to fix electrical issues within the prison
Cold Control (Winter gritting) - Staff will use grit bins to keep paths clear in deep-freeze conditions
Pest Removal - Staff can lay humane rat traps to control the level of pests within the prison
Fire Safety Training - Staff will be able to mitigate the spreading of fire in an emergency situation
First Aid Training - Staff will administer first aid to heal minor injuries and stabilise those in critical condition
Three Extreme Weather Event 'Calamities'
Deep Freeze - Sub Zero temperatures hit the prison, freezing utilities and causing havoc
Lightning Storm - Thunder, lightning and torrential rain create danger and lasting damage
Heatwave - It gets hot, very hot - Prisoners will need to cool off and drink to rehydrate themselves
Rat Infestation 'Calamity' - Rats will lower the hygiene rating of the prison, cause issues with digging (tunnels) and gnawing (Electric cables, wire fencing) as well as eventually spreading disease
A brand new Prison ‘Coverage Plan’ System - Allowing for players to prepare for Calamities, gaining access to staff training, free Emergency Service callouts and more
Weather Forecast and UI - Players will be able to check current weather conditions as well as gain predictions of incoming weather and severity using a variety of tools.
Weather Prediction Objects - Players will be able to purchase several different types of weather prediction tools, each varying in accuracy and functionality
Two new Rooms
Weather Center - This is the ultimate weather prediction tool. This automated room will send the most accurate and long-range weather forecast to the Weather Forecast page
Training room - Area for the new staff training programs to take place. The room will only be used for programs
Three new Advisor Sprites Types (Janitor, Foreman and Gardener) - Offering dialogue from more staff within the prison and an improved onboarding
The Tower (Free Update)
Extended Visitation - Visitation sessions will last much longer
New Foliage - Five new pieces of foliage to add to the grounds of your prison
New Floor Types - Three new floor types to add to your grounds
New Door Types - Coloured staff doors
New Windows - Wooden and stained glass windows
Additional Furniture - Sofa, Luxury Desk, Wooden and Swivel Chairs
New Search Dogs - Two new search dogs rated as 'very good dogs'
New Mutator - Doggie Doo! - Search dogs will contribute to the poor hygiene of the prison
Misc Improvements & Community Requests
Radiators added to Utilities
Non-Lethal Sniper Policy - Snipers fire rubber bullets that can knock inmates unconscious, but don't kill
Other fixes & improvements
Misc improvements:
Tweaks to the fire spreading systems - fires spread at a more regulated rate and in more consistent paths
Improvements to the pathfinding system and worker AI around construction to help the issues where workers stop building and Materials will have the status "Path between Material and Job is blocked" or “No route”
Added search bar and filter to quick rooms
Second Chances:
Fixed an issue where staff would not use dinner booths or dining chairs
Fixed an issue where plates on the dining table turn invisible when the customer faces the camera
Fixed an issue where food waste which is a product of expired harvest, is not collected in the Recycling Bin or the Compost Bin
Fixed an issue where civilian customers are overlapping with Dining Chairs
The bakery room will no longer get overloaded with unstacked Flour bags
Civilian Customers will no longer have mismatched head assets
Fixed an issue where the same teacher arrives for parallel sessions of Conflict Resolution & Reformed Prisoner Consultation
Fixed an issue where the CEO calls with the instructions about the Second Chances DLC, even if the DLC is not active
Oven lights will no longer overlap prisoners.
Fixed an issue where prisoners did not prepare meals in the Restaurant in advance
Fixed the issue where the reform program is shown as unscheduled when it first starts
Fixed an issue where there are no sounds while the prisoner interacts with a dog during Animal Therapy
Fixed an issue where there is no oven baking and cake/bread mixers sounds in the bakery
Fixed: Grant "Prisoner Reoffending Rate" can be completed at the very beginning of the game
The dough mixer is showing an error sign when placed against the wall at most bottom of the bakery
Fixed an issue where external teachers sometimes get stuck on the edge of the map
Fixed an issue with a reform program showing an error of no teacher even if it's already assigned a teacher
Fridges rotation in Bakery Quick Build is now correct
Other:
Dog handlers will no longer return to the Kennel with "Stationed" status
Fixed an issue where it was possible to get stuck ON Screenshot mode
Fixed an issue where dead bodies in the Export zone were not removed
Fixed an issue where dead bodies were not removed from the island
Rubble can now be recycled, and Recycling Bags are created when bulldozing
Fixed an issue with the intake number does not match with the limitations set
It’s now possible to place a wind turbine and solar/wind hybrid on water tiles
Characters no longer walk under the Grass Road Bridge
Deliveries should no longer get stuck or delayed because of seeds being delivered one bag per truck
Fixed an issue where Medics don’t leave after being dismissed
Fixed an issue where water pipes could not be sold
Fixed an issue with some staff struggles to fulfil their needs
Objects no longer fall off the back of a boat before reaching the dock
Fixed an issue where players were unable to place a cloned room over a wall or fence if there are some objects on the wall
Fixed an issue where the character is not able to open the Staff Fence Gate with Staff Keys
Fixed an issue where the "Total" value in Finance tab moves up as the scrollbar goes down
Swapped Dogs' skins on Green Power Plant and The Work Fields maps
Fixed an issue with lockdown/solitary meals being delivered to the top-left corner due to secure doors
Prisoner Uniform will no longer be placed the wrong way on the vertically positioned beds
Fixed an issue where every plant was called a Crop until it was planted. Crops and Fruit trees now have their specific crop names in the job queue pop up
Orderlies Staff Summary is now showing after clicking on 'Assign Orderlies'
Fixed an issue with missing weapon sprites for the guards, riot police, elite ops, sniper, and armed guard
Fixed an issue with Mismatched icons in the Jobs tab
Fixed an issue where a Criminally Insane Prisoner would not be sent to a padded solitary cell under certain circumstances
Multiplayer:
Fixed an issue where planning made by clients no longer disappears when reloading the game.*
Fixed an issue where there is a game pauses when clients join on a big map*
Fixed an issue where changes in prisoners wages are not displayed correctly in multiplayer.
Fixed an issue with crop sprinklers not working during an online session from the client's side*
Fixed an issue with Fog of War not working correctly from the client's side*
Fixed an issue with Multiplayer when prison sizes expand
In order to prevent the clients from disconnecting, we recommend the player with the most stable internet connection to be the host
*Host: Player that created the online session *Client: Players that joined the online session
Escape mode:
It is no longer possible to recruit unconscious prisoners
Fixed issue with the camera being stuck in the wrong location on starting Escape Mode
Fixed issue with fog of war is triggered when the player exits tunnel in Escape Mode
Known Issues:
Pest Control workers become unresponsive when the stay indoors order is active
Carpentry grant requires 66 beds instead of 10 in description
Part of the guards with stationed status causes them not to move at all on occasion
FPS issues when there is a land expansion in any given direction
Pest Control trucks are being dismissed as soon as they are called
Guards deliver invisible food to prisoners on Lockdown/Solitary
Second set of fists appear in Inventory in Escape Mode
Blinking objects on the map
Some objects partially overlap bunkbeds when placed behind them
Available Mods list is truncated if at least one mod is active
The yard icon is cut off in Escape Mode
Impossible to control time modes via keyboard in Escape Mode
Accept your first Grant' task is not shown in the to-do list on the Client's side
Broken Jail Doors change colour when closing
Text overlapping in 'Grading' section of 'Prisoner Info'
Halloween is just around the corner, which means it's time for trick-or-treating! Tune in for eerie and ghoulish vibes with four new spooktacular decorative items to celebrate a Spooky Halloween!
🎃 Jack-o'-lantern 🕸️ Spider Web ⚰️ Coffin Bed 💀 Decorated Tree (Spooky)
The Steam Halloween Sale kicks off with a bang! ✨Your scary good deals are here! 👻 Prison Architect: Base Game 75% OFF Prison Architect: Island Bound 40% OFF Prison Architect: Going Green 30% OFF Psych Ward: Warden's Edition 35% OFF
Our next Prison Architect beta test is on, and we need more experienced Wardens just like yourself to test and have your say on the new content!
Thank you for applying to the Prison Architect beta test! We have reached our maximum number of participants. The registration form is now closed and we won't be accepting any new applicants. Thank you for your interest!
Participation requirements:
18 years of age
English speaking
Owns the base game on Steam (PC)
Have played Prison Architect (at least 35 hours of playtime recommended)
Available during the Beta period (Sept 30th - Oct 3rd)
Welcome to Show and Cell, our little corner to showcase the creativity of the Prison Architect community! Here you can find some inspiration and read about the people that create fan art, gameplay videos, or building some awesome prisons!
If you want your prison to be showcased next, tag us on Twitter (@prisonarchitect) and use the hashtag #showandcell! Feel free to send us a DM if you have any questions!
If you want to get the latest news and updates, you can also follow us on Twitter, Discord and Facebook.
Show and Cell is back with a new outstanding prison, and this time we will dive into Snowpine Penitentiary, created by MutedKiwi.
How long did it take to create your Snowpine Penitentiary?
Overall it probably took me about 100-120 hours, with the majority of this time being taken up by planning and research.
What was your goal when you started this prison?
My initial goal was to build an efficient 1,000 capacity prison consisting of MinSec, MedSec and MaxSec prisoners with high-profit margins and a low reoffending rate. Compared to my initial plan, the layout changed substantially over time. For example, I decided to incorporate SuperMax, WitSec, Death Row and the insane asylum and download mods halfway through, such as basketball and computer labs.
How did you come up with the name?
I actually only came up with a name after someone requested I upload it to Steam, which requires you to name the prison. I chose Snowpine because of the map environment and abundance of Snowpine trees and thought it was a fitting name.
Did you plan the layout of the prison before you built it?
Yes, planning is one of my favourite elements of games like this. I tried to plan as much as possible, including optimal pathing and room sizes, individual object and door placements, water/electricity lines and more. I wanted to include a lot of different elements, so I knew planning would be the best way to make sure I didn't forget to include anything. I also like symmetry, so I tried to make it as symmetrical as possible, which required a lot of planning.
Anything else you want to mention about Snowpine Penitentiary?
This prison was my first serious attempt at an efficient high capacity prison, and I'm proud of how it turned out! I may have considered expanding it even more. However, I was limited by my computer's power since the framerate was already starting to drop significantly enough to impact playing when the prison was unpaused. Maybe I'll give it a proper one once I get a better PC.
How long have you been playing Prison Architect?
I first played the game during my summer holiday in 2016. Since then, until I built this prison, I only played a handful of times. However, every time I play, I play A LOT in relatively short timeframes. I built this prison in February 2020, just around the time of online classes and lockdown.
What made you start playing Prison Architect?
When I started, I didn't have access to a proper PC that I could play my usual games on, so I was looking for a game that was pretty easy to run. I found out about Prison Architect, and it seemed very intriguing, and as soon as I tried it, I was hooked!
Any tips for someone new to the game on how to get better at planning and building their prison?
To someone brand new, I'd recommend just playing the game and learning as you go. I was constantly googling while playing, which was extremely helpful. Don't get too hung up on planning as you are still learning because you can always sell your prison and start fresh with your newfound knowledge and experience. There's also a ton of great content on YouTube regarding the matter, which really helped me out.
From my personal experience, I would recommend starting with a big idea and defined aim and refining it until you have every last detail down about what you want to include before you even begin planning in the game. Then figure out efficient placements, room sizes, and connecting everything, plan the entire layout (this took me the longest by far), and finally build and adjust as needed.
Since planning almost never goes 100% as you expect, it's also a great idea to leave room for adjustments. For example, initially, my main prison was only min/med sec. However, I had enough room to adjust the layout of the section that was then transformed into the MaxSec wing. The way I designed it also left tons of room for vertical expansion of the main prison if I chose to do so. Symmetry, as I mentioned before also makes this a lot easier.
Do you want to try this prison? Then you can get it here!
We have just released a new bugfix update with fixes and improvements reported by the community. We appreciate all the feedback we are getting, and we are still investigating more issues.
Changelog
Second Chances fixes:
The Shop Counter in the Quick Build Bakery is in the wrong position.
Display Counter's sprites are appearing incorrectly during placement.
Prisoners drop ingredients when their shift at the Restaurant ends.
Completing the "Three Strikes Program" does not grant prisoners with "Work Experience".
Prisoners are petting dogs before "Animal Therapy" starts.
A "Required:" text for the Bakery Room is missing.
Restaurant and Bakery play customer sounds even if the rooms are empty.
"Conflict Resolution" teacher's head is placed incorrectly.
Some objects required for Canteen and Kitchen can't be placed outdoor.
Display counter is incorrectly rotated.
Delinquents are not showing on the "Three Strikes Program" if the Program begins right after the previous one.
Prisoners leave the Three Strikes Program after saving and loading the game.
Customers are not served and are placed incorrectly after the Diner Booth they are sitting at is moved
Shared objects between Kitchen and Restaurant will fulfil room requirements but cause odd behaviour.
"Reform" window can be opened an infinite number of times.
Intake Arrival time can be set over 24 hours.
Therapy Animal Container will get teleported to the Animal Therapist.
The prisoner picks up a new dog after Prisoner Search during Animal Therapy.
Other fixes:
Bureaucracies are no longer being researched simultaneously by different staff members.
Player can access Prisoner Wages page without having an Accountant.
Bureaucracy isn't researched in the order it's queued.
Reset Criteria button does not reset Adjustment Criteria in Reports menu.
Satisfying Recreation need while working in the Flower Garden is not indicated in the Reports > Needs tab.
Guard Tower stair overlapped sniper head sprite.
Amount of money that Prisoners earn for their work is halved in the "Total Prisoner Wages" description.
Riot Police and Paramedics can be commanded to move out from their respective vehicle before the vehicle stopped moving.
Psych Ward contraband is available without the DLC enabled.
Game freezes after multiple field creation requests.
Prisoners facing north direction when using the weight bench will be under the weight bench.
Game crashes if execution is scheduled and a Prisoner is in the Reception Room.
Reform Program History overlap with prison served timeline if there's more than 6 Reform Program.
Prisoners earn money while working in the Flower Garden, even if the Prison Labour option is locked.
In the Reform tab, the "Reformed Prisoner Consultation" program is described as an advanced program.
Prisoners go to work in farming fields despite being assigned to work in the forestry.
Prisoners' heads are separated from their bodies when they sit facing North.
Map Settings Uniform Colours not being applied once set.
Staff Wage pay raise is not constant for 10%.
Lower parts of visitors' heads are cut off.
Danger text is coloured in green.
"Total" value in Finance tab moves up as scrollbar goes down.
Guards operating sorting desks are facing the wrong way.
Quick clone allows wall lights to be placed internally.
Vegetables are not stored on Pantry Shelves and in the Fridges.
Civilian Customers spawn just to beeline for the exit.
The head of the sleeping prisoner is shifted on the bed.
Camera does not follow selected room in Crop Distribution.
Clicking on the polaroid causes a crash, if a "Shakedown" option is active.
"Random" in the "Choose Guard Dogs" tab does not work if DLC "Psych Ward" is disabled.
In the Reform tab, the "Solar Panel Development" program is described as it was an advanced program.
Enlarging the "Valuation" menu causes its text to overflow out of the menu window.
Prisoners with active Punishments go to the Flower Garden during a FreeTime schedule.
Cook Operating a Sink is overlapped by a Food Tray.
Prisoners that are checking their stashed "Booze Bags" cannot move.
Books laying on the bed are z-fighting when zooming in and out.
Missing information about requirements for unlocking Crop Distribution.
A "Crop Sprinkler" can not be placed on the field, if a wall stands in its work area.
Practice Solar Panel progression speed remains the same on different game speed ups.
Players can instantly complete a Tool Cleanup Grant by saving and loading the game.
The laundry baskets are delivered before the Laundry room from the "Quick Build" tab is finished.
Canceling building two connected Quick Build Rooms cause the connected wall to be made of Bricks instead of a chosen material.
Classrooms and Common Room at "The Work Fields" pre-made map has got Staff Doors as entrances.
Stepping Stones always use default sprites instead of what players choose.
Prisoners get stuck between Topiary Bushes while they are released or trying to escape.
Prisoners heads and clothes overlap on bunk beds.
Wind Turbine blades don't move with the rest of the wind turbine when using the Move action.
Connecting Transformer to Power Station resets Current Power Output.
Options disappearing after resizing UI.
The workman icon is displayed in the "Jobs" window for farmers' fertiliser-based jobs.
Task of moving crops to a field have incorrect staff icons in the Jobs tab.
During Strike/Riot on the Todo list is a note about cancelled Intake.
The Phone Taps are not connected with the Phone Booths on the Premade Prison "Green Power Plant: Going Green".
A status "Locked" is not showing after highlighting a "Narcotic Search" option.
Incorrect disconnection warning for the Scanning Machine if the Scanner Monitor is connected.
Multiplayer:
[Multiplayer] Client de-syncs after using cheat spawn.
[Multiplayer] Tall fridges and cookers lose their electrical cables on the Client's side when the Host moves them.
[Multiplayer] The client information about Qualified Prisoners is not updated immediately in multiplayer.
[Multiplayer] The Director's prompt call is only displayed to the host in multiplayer.
[Multiplayer] When the Client is building objects on a map amount of delivered objects will be not the same as the number of ordered objects.
[Multiplayer] Incorrect age in the character's menu in multiplayer.
[Multiplayer] Holding cell doesn't count in Basic Detention Centre Grant at the Client's side.
[Multiplayer] Clearing a room causes the Client to still see the name of the Room on the map.
[Multiplayer] Changing prisoner arrival time on the Client's side makes the timer go backwards.
[Multiplayer] Clients are unable to connect to sessions that are hosted.
[Multiplayer] Expanding prison map in multiplayer not working as intended.
[Multiplayer] % don't appear (or change) on a Client's screen in multiplayer.
Escape Mode:
[Escape Mode] Dogs from DLC GM do not have their graphic in Escape Mode Victims.
[Escape Mode] Destroying door servo causes remote doors unable to open and guards cannot enter the cells at all. It also causes constant triggers to guards.
[Escape Mode] Guards will not drop keys at all.
[Escape Mode] Recruited Prisoners push players if too many of them were recruited.
Localisation fixes:
"Staff" text overflows when adjusting its window size.
Text Overlappings in staff needs menu.
Text too long where it exceeds the prisoner profile menu size.
Text in prisoner profile experience overlaps with bars.
"Allow transfer" text overlapping on prisoner UI image in Transfers tab.
Parole Cutoff Policy "Adjust Cutoff" text being overlapped by adjuster arrows.
Parole Cutoff Policy "%" and bracket texts are overlapping on each other.
Prisoner Intake's Countdown timer is overlapping with other text in the Todo List in certain languages.
All Prisoner Wages text overlapping on the "Decrease" button.
X displaying in the line "Criteria above to be met" in certain languages.
X displaying hours in Total time played.
Other localization fixes, including translations and text overlapping in various menus.
Known Issues:
The water landscape does not complete its function when replacing the floor.
Gardeners not performing the 'Garden Outdoor Area' action in Yard, Deliveries, Garbage and Flower Garden Room.
Drinks count as contraband instead of luxuries.
The CEO calls with the instructions about the Second Chances DLC, even if it is not active when using a premade map.
The number of guards hired stops at 99 in the Staff menu.
Plates on the Dining Table turn invisible.
Food waste which is a product of expired harvest is not collected in the Recycling Bin or the Compost Bin.
New Contraband is available even if the Second Chances DLC is disabled.
Thank you for your support! The Prison Architect Team
The delivery truck just arrived with a bugfix update resolving some of the previously reported issues! We are grateful for all the feedback we are seeing as we continue working on delivering even more fixes in the future!
Changelog:
Not possible to change Prisoner's security level is impossible (hotfix pushed in advance on June 16th)
Conflict Resolution ends when loading a save during the program
Possible to change prisoners with different security level to wear same the same colour using map settings in Extras
Prisoners keep working during freetime.
Performance Issues.
Prison with only Criminally Insane prisoners doesn't get Prisoner grant and Prisoner Grant bonus.
Wall Panel Corner Type A (Stone) and Type B (Stone) use the same sprites.
Missing contraband in Bakery and Restaurant rooms.
Reform Program Research requires 10 prisoners to pass Reformed Prisoner Consultation instead of 1.
Cooking meals in the Restaurant causes the character to walk in circles.
[Multiplayer] Incorrect sprite of the character in the multiplayer.
[Multiplayer] Changing the language in multiplayer kicks everyone out with the ability to play the same prison offline.
Thank you for your support! The Prison Architect Team
🛠️ We just released a hotfix update, fixing the issue with security sectors. We are also fixing more issues that you all have been reporting, and you will be getting another update with more fixes and improvements next week! 🛠️
😲 Did someone say discount!? To celebrate the release of the Second Chances DLC, we offer a 10% discount for one week after the launch! Sale ends June 22nd! 👉 Steam Store