Project Prison News

Hello everyone,

First, I'd like to apologize for the lack of updates in the last month. I lost someone extremely precious to me, so I needed to take a break to get back to normal. Moving on to the update:

Police System
We finally have cops in the game now!! You will see them randomly patrolling around the prison and arresting anyone caught committing crimes. The system works with several wanted levels:

- At level 1: If spotted doing any petty crime, they will give a warning but won't actively chase the player.
- At level 2: If they spot the player, they will run and attempt to arrest them.
- From level 3 onwards: Cops will actively come after the player, and at higher wanted levels, they'll use lethal force (GUNS!) rather than try to make an arrest.

After arrest, based on the wanted level, the player will be sent to solitary confinement. Not only the player, but any prisoner arrested will be sent to solitary where they have to spend time alone waiting for their sentence to be over. This adds an interesting dynamic to the game and makes it more immersive (you can actually see cops arresting and handcuffing AI prisoners and then escorting them to solitary). I'd like to thank Darkwolf for this idea.
Combat System Overhaul
The fight system has gone through a major overhaul. While guns aren't really the focus of the game (as it's set in a prison), it's still possible for the player to kill and steal guns from cops to use them. I wouldn't claim the gunplay is sophisticated as it's not exactly the focus, but it works really well. An important feature is that players can perform takedowns with guns in close combat.



We now have shivs which players can buy from other prisoners. In close combat, if you want to kill a prisoner, you'll need to use a shiv on them. While fist fights only knock out targets, guns or shivs can actually kill characters. Shivs have normal attacks and also special takedown moves.

For the fight system, all counters and combos have been slightly reworked to feel consistent with the main attacks. You'll now notice targets falling to the ground with big attacks and some new moves like headbutts or extended kicks. This improves immersion in the combat system, as with this update I've made it slightly more arcade-like so players can enjoy beating down prisoners while still keeping it challenging.
Quest System Improvements
There are also several new mechanics, especially with the quest system. As I mentioned last time, there are over 14 different types of core quests in the game. Some quests are investigative, where players have to look for targets. To support this, there are now grabbing and threatening mechanisms where players can intimidate other prisoners to extract information from them.

All quests are posted on the noticeboard, so players need to go there to accept quests and meet quest givers at the specified time and place.

There are still many other improvements I've added, like enhancements to the gang system, but I'll save those details for next time. I'm hoping to push this update in the upcoming weeks before the demo release.

I sincerely hope you all will enjoy it. Thanks a lot for reading!

Hey everyone! I'm thrilled to announce that the long-awaited quest system is almost ready for playtesting! It's scheduled to go live next week, and I can't wait to see how you all interact with it. Because the quests are dynamically generated, it's been a challenge to test them thoroughly within a single in-game day. To address this, I'll be increasing the number of in-game days available for playtesters to give you more time to explore the system.

The core idea behind the quest system is to make the prison feel truly alive. Instead of static, pre-scripted missions, quests emerge organically from the actions and interactions of the prisoners themselves. For example:

• Prisoner A decides to buy contraband from a gang.
  
• Prisoner B witnesses the transaction.
  
• Prisoner B might then rob Prisoner A.
  
• This triggers a potential quest for Prisoner A to recover their stolen item.
  

The system uses a variety of base quest types, such as fetch quests, escort missions, deliveries etc. The specific quest that's generated depends entirely on what the AI prisoners are doing at any given moment.



Developing this dynamic system presented some unique challenges. Here's how I tackled three of the biggest hurdles:


Non-Linear Quest Generation: The biggest challenge was figuring out how to generate quests in a non-linear, open-world environment. The solution was to tie quest generation directly to the AI's behavior. Each action a prisoner takes has the potential to become a quest trigger, creating a constantly evolving web of opportunities.

Discovering Quests Organically: I didn't want to rely on a minimap icon shouting, "Hey, quest over here!" Immersion is key.
My solution: Prison Noticeboards. Each cell block have a noticeboard where prisoners can post requests for help. These notices will include a description of the problem, and crucially, when and where the player can meet the quest-giver (e.g., "Meet me in my cell between 11 AM and 12 PM for the next few days"). Prisoners follow schedules based on their needs, but the system ensures they'll be at the designated location during the specified time, making it easier for players to find them.

Investigative Gameplay: Simply highlighting a target on a minimap and telling the player to "beat them up" felt completely out of place in a game where you're meant to learn about the other prisoners. Instead, I wanted a more investigative approach. Here's how it works:

Known Targets: If the quest-giver knows the target (e.g., "Prisoner B from Cell Block C stole my stuff"), the player will have a general location to start their search.

Unknown Targets: If the quest-giver doesn't know the target or their name, the player will need to investigate. This involves talking to other prisoners (who might have witnessed the event) or even bribing or threatening guards who patrol the relevant areas. It's all about gathering information and piecing together the puzzle.

Looking Ahead:

I'm incredibly excited to get this dynamic quest system into your hands and see how you interact with it. It's designed to bring an unpredictable and emergent element to the game, reflecting the realities of prison life. In the meantime, I've also made significant improvements to stability and polished the UI and animations. If you're a playtester, you can check out these improvements now, or wait for the full quest experience next week. Your feedback is crucial, so get ready to dive in and let me know what you think!

Hello, I'm looking for Alpha testers to check the general performance of the game. The scale of the game has become much larger than I can handle on my own. Although I've been managing it pretty well, I think it's time to listen more to the community. Many features are disabled, and you will likely encounter many bugs. It might feel like things are broken, but I really hope you will see what I was aiming for with the game. I'm working towards a stable alpha, but before making an open playtest, I really need a few people who can play the game and tell me about the overall performance they're getting on their system. I would really appreciate it if you could take 10-15 minutes this weekend to play and tell me about the performance you experienced. If you're interested, please fill out the form below (it's very short I just need to know where I can contact you to send you a Steam key).

Google Form

Hello everyone, it's been a while! My goal with this game has always been to create a truly living, breathing world where every action has its own set of consequences. I envisioned a sandbox, open-world experience where each character possesses a unique persona, background, needs, and ambitions. If you've played The Sims, you'll recognize the core idea: characters react based on their needs. I've implemented a similar system here, where all 300 prisoners have their own individual goals and needs, and their behavior reflects those. One of the most crucial aspects of this is the social activities that the AI can perform.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

In the following video, you'll see us follow a prisoner as he moves from one area to meet his friend. They greet each other, have a chat, and then head off to do another activity. This could be anything from working out together in the yard to playing checkers or chess. There's a variety of social activities for the AI to engage in, like playing games and conversing. And if they're part of the same gang, you'll even witness a special gang hug animation—it's pretty cool! Also, prisoners now move using the "lobby" system which will improve immersion, unlike in the last video where they were disabled upon reaching a door.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

As you can see, different prisoners are engaged in various activities, from lying in bed to doing crunches in their cells. You'll also often find gang members standing near ledges, keeping watch over their territory and dealing in contraband.

In the same way, you can witness a range of dynamic events unfolding in the game. For instance, a prisoner named John might purchase contraband from a dealer. Another prisoner, a bully, might then attack and steal John's stash, or maybe he'll hire the player to do it. Conversely, John could ask the player for a favor to help him get his stash back. There are currently 12-13 different quests, and while the complexity and animations limit the number for now, I'm planning to expand this significantly during early access. I hope this gives you an idea of the possibilities, as if the player defends John before he gets mugged, the bully might try to hire someone else (or a friend) to attack the player.

Each prisoner has a unique criminal history and background, and you will find a different set of dialogue options when interacting with them depending on the situation.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

I've added varied dialogue options that change based on the context – for example, a prisoner sitting or showering will have different dialogue choices that will lead to unique reactions based on your selection. In the dialogue video, you can see these options, as well as some icons – this is the prisoner's log, a quick information sheet about them. It tells the player about the prisoner's background, the crime they committed, and their family history. You'll need to interact with them to uncover this information. This knowledge will come in handy when you need to blackmail them to smuggle contraband or extort money from them.

There are also 20-30 different crime types, each with its own severity. Prisoners will behave accordingly – for example, those who committed crimes against minors or assault will be treated badly by other prisoners, you'll see them spending their time alone and getting bullied.

There are subroutines and routines that the AI will also follow. They will only go to work, shower, or dinner during the times when these routines are active.

We've also added a running tackle mechanic to the game!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


I've added a few combo and block moves (though the camera shake is a bit extreme right now, and I will fix that).
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


If the player collides with someone while running, they'll push them. The severity of the push will depend on the player's speed. If you are jogging then the other character will likely stumble a little but keep going on their path.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

I've also added footpaths in the yard to connect most major buildings. You'll notice that the AI tends to prefer walking along these footpaths.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If player's stamina is low then you will see different effect on the scree to indicate that
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

I've also added washbasins, as now the AI has a hygiene need. Prisoners will brush their teeth after waking up and wash their hands after using the toilet.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


There's still so much more to share! I sincerely apologize for the delay. I hope you will give the beta a chance and help me out with the testing.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Hello everyone!

I'm happy to showcase the first gameplay preview of Project Prison. I wanted to create a devlog or showcase video to demonstrate how the game actually looks. In this video, you'll see that there are a total of 8 different prison wings, though I only visited 3 in the footage. I've also captured some scenes from the yard. I didn't want to stretch the video beyond 20 minutes, so I'm only showing part of the yard and 3 prison wings. Additionally, in the yard section, I'm showcasing different weather conditions, and at the end, I'll demonstrate the inventory system and the use of contraband.


Inventory actions are completely independent of general player actions. For example, you can smoke while running or sitting on any interactable object. The same applies to drinking, eating, and other actions.

Note that there's an addiction system in the game. If you start drinking, smoking, or taking drugs, these needs will be added to your character. They're more demanding than general needs and have severe effects. You can read more about this in our previous Steam blog posts.

Prison Layout:
There are over 300 prisoners and 8 prison blocks in total. Gangs that control specific wings can more easily recruit soldiers from those areas. Other territories, like areas in the yard, provide access to unique contraband items.
When you start the game, you can select the population count in the prison. The maximum limit is 320 prisoners, and the minimum limit is around 150. This selection will help with performance.

Before interacting with a prisoner, you can see general information about them, including their status, info, and opinion of you.

Regime System:
The regime system is a crucial part of the prison life simulation. There are two main schedules:
1. Sleep
2. Freetime

During Freetime, there are 3 sub-schedules:
* Work
* Shower
* Eat

You'll notice an icon when a particular sub-schedule is active. Importantly, specific areas like the shower, canteen, or work-related areas are only accessible when the corresponding sub-schedule is in effect. This system ensures a realistic flow of prison life and adds depth to the gameplay.


Gang System Overview
On the minimap, you'll notice areas with colored overlays. These indicate gang-controlled territories. Each zone in the prison is controlled by a specific gang, and the color coding helps you navigate these complex social dynamics.
You'll have the opportunity to join a gang and compete for rival territories. Gangs have a three-tier structure:

• Leader: The gang owner
  
• Lieutenants: Manage assigned territories and have their own soldiers
  
• Soldiers: Sell contraband and protect territory
  

I hope you enjoyed this blog! This is my first time creating something like this, and there's still so much more to show, including:

• Quest system
  
• Gang warfare
  
• Political system
  
• Various minigames for prison work
  

But those will have to wait for next time.