20$ for a game is cheap, but not cheap enough for Prison Tycoon. I predict shareware-status really soon...
For a first-time player a tutorial would have been nice, but thats not present. A simulation game without a tutorial? Its like the makers are saying, "LEARN IT BY YOURSELF, WE DID!". Anyways, the game isnt difficult to play. After fifteen minutes you know it all, including how boring and uninspiring the game is.
First of all, the lacking ability to interact with your inmates and guards is apalling. You can move people around but that doesnt mean they will use the room you put them in, for example, placing them outside the therapy room doesnt produce a rehabilitated inmate. In stead they will just walk about and do what they want to do.
The music is actually a nice blues-tune, too bad its the ONLY tune and after a few hours music is set to OFF.
Controlling the camera is also a bummer, trying to zoom in on something will often result in facing the wrong way. When inside a building you get the option to choose between different angles, but that doesnt really improve the overview.
Building things requires you to often demolish the buildings that are in your way, often it will result in removing two or three buildings at a time before the new building is in place.
Three words: bad, uninspiring and boring, Prison Tycoon is not a game to be bought. I you still want to try it, steal it...