Prison Architect is still one of my favourite simulation games available. And with the addition of mods (available through Steam), the fun-factor and replayability is increased massively.
Mods change many features of the game by changing graphics, adding jobs, changing mechanics, adding new research, rooms, grants and much more. Annoyingly, a lot of mods are outdated and no longer compatible, so make sure to check when looking through the workshop.
Below, you can check out our list of the best mods available for Prison Architect. These mods are PC only, and are downloaded through the Steam Workshop. The list below is in no particular order.
Star Wars – Imperial Architect
This mod does a complete re-skin of Prison Architect, making it Star Wars themed. Allowing you to take control of an Imperial Prison on a remote planet. As you can see on the screenshot above, one of the biggest changes is the changing of prison guards into Stormtroopers.
Office Chair
Next up, we have a really simple mod which just improves the realism of the game, and will leave you a little more satisfied. Desks in Prison Architect are 2 tiles wide, where as chairs are only 1 tile. If you’re getting a little OCD about not being able to align things properly, this mod adds a new Office Chair which is 2 tiles wide, allowing it to sit centred to a desk.
Grants Mod
Grants are a mechanic in Prison Architect which will give you money for completing tasks, such as building a holding room. After installing this mod, there will be over 15 new grants available to you, giving more tasks and money for your prison.
Modern UI
Modern UI is another reskin mod, which changes your buttons and icons located at the bottom of the screen. The icons have recently been updated to match those from Prison Architect mobile.
Expanded Quick Build
Expanded Quickbuild adds a lot of new options and presets to the building menu. It will allow you to build new rooms which are already furnished and designs, making gameplay much faster and efficient. Rooms include parole, cells, dorms, kitchens and much more.
Computers & More Mod
Computers & More is a very in-depth mod for Prison Architect. As you can guess, it adds computers that your prisoners and staff can interact with. They help fill needs and provide jobs, with them allowing prisoners to talk to family members and play games for recreation time.
Planning Mod
If you put a lot of thinking and problem solving into your Prison Architect designs, then the Planning mod is a good option. It adds a new section to the tool bar, where you can create rooms which are ‘planned’ versions. This means they won’t have any requirements or give annoying pop-ups, but they will allow you to do some serious planning and preparation before actually building.
Materials+
If you want to decorate your prison so that it’s more unique and varied in design, Materials+ will help you do that. It adds many new floor textures, including carpets, tiles, stones, mud, long grass and more. With extra textures included for wall pieces.
Barbershop
This Barbershop mod adds many new items and mechanics to Prison Architect. It includes new jobs, needs, objects, contraband, reform programs, rooms, research and grants. Your prisoners will be able to collect hair from Barber Mirrors, turning them into wigs which can be sold for money.
Recycling 3.0
Finally, we have the recycling mod. You will be able to make your prisoners look through garbage to see what valuables can be recycled. From there, it can also be used as a fertiliser in the gardens and greenhouse where prisoners will grow food for the kitchen. It’s a vert in-depth mod adding a lot of new objects, rooms and programs.
