Prison Architect has seen some creative ideas over the past year or so, and the third expansion takes things in another new direction. Going Green, which launches January 28, introduces agriculture and all the challenges that go with it, along with some new considerations particular to the prison setting.
At the top of the list is farming, a new type of prison labour. You can grow potatoes, wheat, apples, and other crops, and either use these as raw materials in your kitchens or sell them as exports. There are new rooms to accommodate the agricultural activity: orchards, fields, and vegetable plots outdoors, as well as pantries and sheds for storage.
Prisoners can work on your farming plots, and those who have a green thumb can grow flowers as a pastime – this will help improve their mood and give them positive recreation time. But you’ll have to watch out, since not everyone is in it purely for the love of nature: access to gardening means some enterprising inmates will find ways to brew booze, while others will stake out garden plots as gang turf.
Here’s the trailer:
Not green enough? Well, Going Green also introduces new renewable energy sources like solar and wind, and you can sell any excess energy you produce back onto the grid for a tidy profit – which is actually how it works in many areas of the United States in real life.
Alongside the paid expansion, Paradox is also launching a free content update called The Glasshouse. This adds a collection of new bits and bobs: there are new K9 units named Shepherd and Bowtie Bandit, plus new objects, quickrooms, and community improvements. You’ll also be able to install recycling systems and solar lighting, and several community-requested improvements have been made to the dump and demolition tools.
It’s another new round of upgrades and new kit for one of our favourite management games, so you’ll want to start preparing to add some greenspace to your institution right away.