For the console version of Prison Architect we have put an enormous amount of effort into making the game playable with just a control pad. This meant redesigning the games user interface from the ground up.
Below you can see some comparison screenshots between our version of Prison Architect and how the same screen looks in the PC version.
Bureaucracy Screen:
The skeuomorphic art style of the original UI has been removed in the console version of Prison Architect, this meant that we had to go back to the drawing board with the look of the Bureaucracy screen.
We tried to make the layout of this screen less confusing and also improved the messaging of the current status for each upgrade.
Grants Screen
All of the Report screens have been redesigned in the console version of Prison Architect so that they fit across the bottom of the screen.
On the Grants screen we have also added a unique icon for each Grant and added hints on how to best complete each one.
Prisoner Biography Screen
We have laid out all of the information in each Prisoner Biography in a clearer way made possible by the new shape of the menu.
We have also divided the other pages of the Biography up into easier to understand section focused on one aspect of prisoner life.
Prisoner Experience Screen
As an example of what I mentioned above, the prisoner experience screen is now solely focused on showing the experience of the prisoner, the Reform Program History has its own tab.
As you can see we have also converted the data into a series of pie charts as we feel they are easier to understand than the bars in the original game.
Schedule Execution Screen
We have tried to make the Death Row experience as straight forward as possible by replacing the likelihood of clemency with a ‘conviction level’ – this builds up every time an appeal is failed.
When the state is sure of the inmates guilt, the stamp to the side goes green so the player can proceed safe in the knowledge they will not be fined.
Execution In Progress Screen
The process of performing an actual execution has been streamlined too, certain steps have been combined so the user doesn’t have to click so much.
Each stage also has a really clear indication of how close to completion it is.
With that, hopefully you can see some of the changes we have put into Prison Architect.
