Prison simulator

Hard Time is a simulation game developed by MDickie. Here, players will take on the role of a prisoner and experience life inside a maximum-security prison. You will rub shoulders with up to 100 fellow inmates in a sprawling facility with 12 unique areas. The goal is to survive by staying sane. However, this is easier said than done. There are dozens of laws enforced by the wardens, and the wardens are not fair all the time.

Welcome to prison hell

Hard Time is a life simulator set in a prison. It begins like many other games, with a character creator. It lets you choose the name and change the various attributes of your inmate. You can also customize the appearance of your characters, such as the skin tone and hairstyle. Once done, the game will lock you up inside the penitentiary called Southdown Correction Facility.

Southdown is no ordinary prison. It’s an experimental jail specializing in short doses of a hard time. Here, inmates are locked up in months rather than years. However, rehabilitation comes thick due to a strict—and often violent—regime. As noted, your goal is to survive until your character’s release. 

You can sit idly and wait for the day, or you can complete quests handed by your fellow inmates. The tasks involve classic adventure goals, such as finding someone, meeting a challenge in a duel, or bringing someone. Although simple-sounding, the quests are actually hard to complete as the game doles out gameplay information in small bursts.

How your life will turn out inside the prison will depend on your attributes, the most important being your reputation. Low reputation means you will get jumped constantly. Your inmates will also withhold information, and you won’t be able to join gangs. However, gaining a reputation is as easy as beating people to death, not crossing your friends, and completing quests. Other attributes are strength, intellect, and agility, all of which help you survive inside the prison longer. 

Promising with glaring caveats

Taking things into consideration, Hard Time is a game that missed a good opportunity. There are a lot of glaring caveats to it that players will drop it after a few tries. Its experiential learning curve hinders any progress that you’ll have. Also, the controls are mushy. Adding insult to injury, the interface is dated, and the animation is sluggish. However, beneath the rough exterior is a potential for an excellent game. Once improved into a modern form, it can be a contender in the indie game market.