Overview
This guide provides instructions on how to add developer cheats to your prison, giving you access to all the testing tools the developers have hidden in the game!
Introduction
Developer cheats are a feature seen in Introversion’s update videos. Introversion uses this set of tools in development of the game, for example in testing bugs. However, these tools are hidden away for normal players, even though they are useful for modders or anyone looking to mess with the game. Luckily, some of then can be activated!
This guide aims to describe how to enable these cheats, and to catalog what each option does.
Enabling the cheats
EDIT: As of Prison Architect V2.0, you can now enable cheats when creating a new prison by checking the box. You can still use cheats in existing prisons using the following procedure:
- Open Prison Architect.
- Pause the game, and click on “Load Prison”.
- Locate the file path located at the bottom of the screen, and click on it. The folder holding your save games should appear. If it does not, navigate to the path manually.
- Find the prison you want to use cheats in, and open the .prison file with a text editor of your choice (Notepad, etc)
- You will see something similar to the following:
- Copy and paste the following line somewhere into the beginning of the file:
CheatsEnabled true
Your file should now look something like this:
- Save the file and return to Prison Architect.
- Load the prison and enjoy!
Please help expand this list!
Your support is needed! Currently, I am only aware of F1-F9 and F11 cheats. Please comment if you find any others and I will happily add them!
Much of the information below is incomplete. If you know what something is for, leave it in the comments!
(Spawn) Menu
This menu allows you to spawn any entity you want directly into the game. Keep in mind that once you select an entity, any time you click it will be placed (unlike the regular Objects menu, there is no on-cursor indication of the object or where it will be placed)!
Additionally, when the Spawn menu is enabled, holding left click on any object allows you to move it around.
Menu F1: Map Settings and Cheats
This menu can be opened by pressing F1 (fn+F1 on some keyboards). It has the following settings available:
Version
Determines the game version of the save file.
NumCellsX, NumCellsy
Determines the size of the world, in X and Y cells. Increasing immediately crashes the game, decreasing causes the game to get stuck in an error loop.
OriginX, OriginY
Unknown, no immediate effects when changing.
OriginW, OriginH
Unknown, no immediate effects when changing.
Time Index
Determines the game time and how long the game has been played (Day count at top). Can be safely changed.
TimeWarpFactor
Determines game speed. This varries by map size. Safe to play with! Only changes clock speed, not entity speed!
GameOver
Determines if the player has lost the game. Checking locks you out!
RandomSeed
The seed for the map. Changing causes new areas you purchase to not match your existing prison.
SecondsPlayed
The amount of time your prison has been played for.
Reoffend
The player’s “Parole Cutoff” setting.
ObjectId.next
Determines the next ID to assign to an object. Causes strange behavior if multiple things get the same ID!
EnabledElectricity
Toggles electricity. If off, items do not need a power connection to function.
EnabledWater
Toggles water. If off, items do not need a water connection to function.
EnabledFood
Toggles prisoners needing food.
EnabledMisconduct
Toggles if prisoners will misbehave.
EnabledGangs
Toggles if the gang system is active. Prisoners will retain their existing gang status, but will not engage in gang activity if disabled. Determines if new prisoners can be gang members.
EnabledDecay
Toggles if tiles will “decay” (need a janitor/gardener)
EnabledFoundations
Unknown.
EnabledVisibility
Toggles the “fog of war”. Identical to setting at beginning of game.
EnabledIntake
No effect. Probably left over from the old on/off intake system.
EnabledNeeds
Toggles if prisoners gain or need to satisfy their needs.
EnabledEscapeTunnels
Toggles if prisoners will dig escape tunnels.
EnabledWeather
Toggles the weather and hot water systems. Identical to setting at beginning of game.
ImmediateFoundations
If checked, all foundations built by the player will be instantly completed without a worker.
ImmediateTerrain
If checked, all materials (walls, floors etc) built by the player will be instantly completed without a worker.
ImmediateObjects
If checked, all objects built by the player will be instantly completed without a worker.
ImmediateMaterials
Toggles the teleporting in of materials for construction projects.
GenerateLakes
Toggles lakes in the terrain generation for new plots of land purchased.
GenerateForests
Toggles trees in the terrain generation for new plots of land purchased.
GenerateBuildings
Toggles random walls/buildings in the terrain generation for new plots of land purchased.
ObjectsCentreAligned
Unknown.
TestNeed
Causes the specified need to rise sharply among prisoners.
FoodQuantity
The value the player has set for their Nutritional Policy for Meal Quantity:
1=Low
2=Medium
3=High
Other values seem to confuse the game and need to be tested.
FoodVariation
The value the player has set for their Nutritional Policy for Meal Variety:
0=None
1=Low
2=Medium
3=High
Other values seem to confuse the game and need to be tested.
AutoRepair
Unknown, but probably whether prisons will auto-repair in Escape Mode.
OnlyGuardsOpenDoors
If disabled, anyone can open any door.
DoorsLockedDown
Whether the player has issued the “Lockdown” order.
IsLethalForce
Whether the player has issued the “Freefire” order.
UnlimitedFunds
Toggles infinite cash. The player can keep spending even when they are in the red.
BioVersions
Seems to be the version number for the Names in game system.
CeoLetterRead
Whether the player has read the Ceo’s letter. Setting has no effect.
EnabledEvents
Toggles if Events are enabled. Identical to new game setting.
WomensPrison
Unchecked is male prison, checked is female. Can be changed at any time in-game safely- all prisoners will change gender!
UseCellQuality
The player’s “Use Cell quality ratings” policy setting.
CheatsEnabled
Whether this cheats menu is accessable.
Menu F2: Profiler
This menu is a profiler. It displays how much time each task inside the game takes to complete, and provides a graph for plotting framerate. Very handy for determining what part of your prison is slowing your computer down.
Menu F3: Script Debugger
This is the script debugger. It is used by modders to get output from their LUA scripts. The explorer section is also useful for browsing available entity properties.
Menu F4: Dialog Editor
This menu allows a user to create and test dialog boxes and GUI elements in the game. Many properties of the box can be set and viewed in real-time.
More information on this menu is needed!
Menu F5: Sound Editor
Allows users to browse and change all sounds in the game. Various properties of the sounds can be edited. I mostly find myself swapping sounds for other sounds and watching my prisoners suffer as their cell doors play arcade music nonstop.
Menu F6: Sprite Bank Editor (Needs)
Allows live editing of the spritesheet for needs. You can change the needs icons around if that entertains you.
Menu F7: Sprite Bank Editor (GUI)
This menu allows live editing of the GUI’s spritebank. You can swap any of the icons around.
Menu F8: Sprite Bank Editor (Objects)
Allows live editing of the sprites for objects. Go ahead and give all the prisoners toilet heads- see if I care.
Menu F9: The one with the cheats
This menu is filled with tasty GUI overlays to show you everything from escape plans to exactly how prisoners will dig to every last bit of contraband in the prison.
Lighting
Toggles the game’s lighting engine on or off.
WeatherDebug
Displays a huge text box giving weather system details at the cursor location (temperature etc)
Depth Shadows
Toggles shadows from interior objects/lighting.
Soft Edges
Toggles soft edges rendered between terrain types.
Terrain Detail
Toggles some details on the terrain.
Terrain 2nd layer
Toggles other details on the terrain.
Sun Shadows
Toggles shadows cast by the sun.
Room Colours
No visible change.
Sound Events
Displays sound effect sources and the radii in which they are played. Also seems to have a “selection” system to display more sound effect details at the top of the screen.
Navigation
Displays icons giving the paths, destinations, and orientations of entities in the world.
Water
Toggles the water overlay (as seen in the Utilities menu)
Electricity
Toggles the electricity overlay (as seen in the Utilities menu)
DigMap
Displays arrows on each game tile indicating where a prisoner will dig from that spot to escape the most quickly. Good for deciding where to station guard dogs! Arrow color indicates whether prisoners will surface and run when they get to a location.
EscapeMap
Displays arrows indicating where prisoners will run when trying to escape. Green indicates a secure zone, while red indicates where prisoners will make a break for it. Good for determining potential escape routes to guard!
Obstruction Grid
Highlights objects that block movement.
All Contraband
Displays all contraband currently hidden in your prison. Also highlights in red any areas where contraband can be “thrown in” over the walls.
BlackAndWhite
Toggles a black and white filter over the game. Used for cutscenes.
Stats
Displays every single stat next to each prisoner. Doesn’t always load properly.
NeedProviders
Displays tags on objects that can reduce needs. More investigation needed to figure out what each part means. Seems to be id?.activity.need
Influence
Displays a blue aura around areas in your prison. Seems fo follow guards and staff members. Purpouse unknown.
Danger
Unknown.
Sectors
Displays the regions of your prison as a web, and puts green circles around prisoners. Purpouse unknown.
Wings
Displays tints on areas that seem to match the deployment screen.
Debug
Displays all sorts of stuff. Probably where the devs put things they didn’t feel deserved their own toggle.
CutsceneMarkers
Does nothing in Sandbox.
Psuedo3d
Toggles Prison Architect’s 3D mode, because TT is too mainstream
Roofs
A cool feature that replaces the “fog of war” graphic with the prison’s roof.
Names
Toggles nametags below prisoners.
Thermometer
Displays a strange graphic on the side of the screen and numbers next to prisoners. Seems to be directly related to the prison’s “Temperature”.
Thermometer
Displays a strange graphic on the side of the screen and numbers next to prisoners. Seems to be directly related to the prison’s danger level.
AttachReports
Hides the “Reports” button.
UIScale
Changes the UI scale.
ScriptZones
Unknown.
V2Gui
Toggles the V2 GUI style on or off.
Sprite Filter
Changes which filter is used on sprites.
Jobs
Displays all tasks related to the selected room type.
F11: Eminent Domain
When F11 is pressed, your prison will instantly expand in all directions for free. Likely used by the devs to test terrain generation.