Building a building like the ones in Prison Break seems like a surefire way to take control of everything. The real problem is that every day people try to sneak away and get away.
The game is a mix of tycoon-style management and direct combat in a prison that is growing all the time. Order is maintained by everything, from the form of cells and entrances to the technology used for monitoring and by hiring staff and keeping prisoners busy. The players begin with an empty plot and slowly build a fortress that can't be broken into. When it gets dark and people try to get away, every choice you make about construction has a direct effect on how well you can defend yourself. As chaos grows, it tests your ability to stay in control all the time.
During the day, there is a valuable window of time to strengthen the facility before the breakout attempts start at nite. Players create cells, make the doors stronger, set up security cams, and hire guards and office workers. As the number of prisoners increases, each improvement becomes more important.
After dark, you play as the warden and try to keep prisoners from getting away with different kinds of guns. Use WASD, the arrow keys, or the mouse to move around the building and fight and subdue each enemy. Each prison run lasts for ten days, so there is a cycle of getting ready, defending, and getting better. By making it through the nite, you get the resources you need to make big improvements before the next day.
It takes careful planning to turn a basic building into a secure prison. By adding more rooms, there can be more prisoners, but there is also a greater chance of riots. Control is improved by making doors stronger and putting up surveillance cameras. Hired guards help directly during battle, and office workers make sure everything runs smoothly every day. With each upgrade, the facility gets ready for more difficult breakout efforts.
Players have to decide which defensive strategies will work best with the money they have available. It could be disastrous to grow too quickly without enough security staff, but spending too much on security can stop growth. Finding this balance is what the management part of the game is all about. When the day's last fight starts, every choice made in construction will be felt.
Direct combat: Keeping order in the middle of chaos
When you press the button that starts the day's last fight, Prison Break changes from management mode to high-stakes action. As the player controls the guard, they move around the prison to catch each escaped prisoner. Some enemies carry dangerous weapons, so you have to be careful and time your attacks perfectly.
You can get rewards and move on to the next day of the game by taming them and putting them back in their cells. Smart movement strategies help you avoid being attacked by many enemies at once. How quickly a riot can be put down depends on how quickly weapons and skills can be upgraded. Stopping a major breakout is an exciting success, while failing means that building and recruiting methods need to be looked at again.
Diverse Challenges
