There is one place, across all cultures and periods of time, where everybody can agree that they don’t want to go:prison. A loss of freedom, choice, and essentially life as you know it – it’s a physical manifestation of all we want to avoid.
Ironically enough, the same can’t be said aboutvideo gameprisons, however, since they’re as frequent of a setting as hospitals.
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Prisons have been featured in video games just as they’ve been featured in any other medium, wall to wall with cells and suffering.
Some games feature a prison as a level or even as the central setting, sparking a multitude of stories that amplify the location. And in some games, the prisons ended up becoming as iconic as where they come from.
10Butcher Bay
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay,agame based on a movie, centres itself around the high-security prison,Butcher Bay. You play asRiddick, of course, in thisfirst-person stealth game.
The game takes place in a flashback, withVin Diesel reprising his roleas the titular character. So, obviously, you escape, but it’s about the journey, not the destination.
Since you’re in a prison, you have to really utilize your resources – and that includes some killer networking (literally). You end up contending with all manner of criminals to try and bust out, making the sci-fi action feel all the cooler.
It’s a game that takes theBreaking Out of Prison Tropebut gives it a fresh new paint, with fun combat and killer stealth mechanics to follow suit.
9Purgatory
Mass Effect 2
TheMass Effecttrilogy is perhaps one of the most iconic in the sci-fi genre for gaming, withMass Effect 2in particular being hailed asone of the best sequels in all of gaming.
In this sequel,Commander Shepardis sent to the prisonPurgatoryto retrieve the bioticJack, who ends up becomingthe best squad member in the whole game. And Purgatory’s prison is one of a kind, to put it lightly.
Each isolated cell is an individual pod that could be vented out into space if a prisoner starts to act out of line. These hold some of the worst criminals in the universe, and it makes you wonder how Jack fits into the entire plot – that is, until you talk to her.
Needless to say, some players are curious about whether Purgatory will make its way into theAmazon Prime adaptation, and if that means Jack will swiftly follow.
8Forsaken Fortress
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Nothing says wacky hijinks like a grand childhood adventure, and that’s exactly what you get withThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.Genuinely,this game feels like a Pixar moviein all the best ways.
Toon Linkgets up to all matter of whimsical shenanigans in this game, invoking feelings of nostalgia unlike any other even when it was first released. Part of these childhood shenanigans that you get up to, of course, include breaking your kidnapped little sister out of prison.
Not just any prison, either, but theForsaken Fortress, a prison thatGanondorfhad built before theGreat Flood, and it still remains operational under his rule.
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That being said, the Forsaken Fortress is the first level in thisLegend of Zeldagame, so it’s not that challenging. In fact, you’re essentially playing hide-and-seek, complete with crawling underneath barrels to find your sister.
It also serves as a pivotal focal point in the story, as Link ends up revisiting this fortress two more times later on in the game, after he obtainsThe Master Swordand takes up his role as the hero.
Don’t let itsconstant cuteness and whimsy fool you, though, as it has one of the most brutal deaths that Ganondorf faces in the entire franchise.
7The Petropavlovsk Gulag
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Call of Dutygames may be known for multi-player, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have single-player campaigns. In fact,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is considered to have thebest single-player campaign of the franchise.
Not to be confused with the remake,Modern Warfare 2,this campaign actually hasJohn “Soap” MacTavishas Captain, asPriceis missing. However, you (playing asGary “Roach” Sanderson) and Captain MacTavish find him in the 10th mission of the game,The Gulag.
This chapter starts withTask Force 141infiltrating thePetropavlovsk Gulagon a rescue mission forPrisoner #627, who is then revealed to be Price. After being imprisoned byVladmir Makarov, Price spends three years in the gulag – that is, of course, until he reunites with his men.
The mission – and the prison itself – are as infamous as the rest of the campaign, once again proving why itremains better than the first game.
6Rockfort Island
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil CODE:Veronica
The start ofResident Evil Code: Veronicais by far one of the most exciting in the entireResident Evilseries. Playing asClaire Redfield, you try to evade capture fromUmbrella Corporationoperatives, but unfortunately, you’re caught and arrested.
You’re then sent toRockfort Island, a remote prison island near Antartica where you’ll spend the entire game. There, you end up meeting your partner for the game, long-term prisonerSteve Burnside.
The island is also owned by theAshford Family, who, coincidentally, are the primary antagonists of the game. They’re also particularly memorable ones – and if you don’t know, I highly suggest you experience it for yourself. The twist is a thrill.
Rockfort Island is iconic not just in theResident Evilfranchise, but for gaming as a whole, and it just makes me all the angrier thatCapcomis soadamantly against doing a remake.
Unfortunately, theDarkside Chroniclesis probably the closest we’ll get, but hey, at least it’s a fun rail-shooter.
Of course, there’s always a healthy amount of competition when it comes to video games, but some discourage competition; in fact, some games actually require you towholly work together. There is no better example of this thanA Way Out.
A Way Outis considered to beone of the best couch co-op gamesof all time, where you and a partner have to break out of prison together using your wits and communication skills.
There is no name for this prison, it is just referred to asThe Prison.
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It’s a genuinely fun multiplayer experience with an equally engaging setting. The prison is the focal point of the entire game, the entire plot, and the foundation of every character within – you’re immersed right away.
Plus, nothing is more satisfying than when you and your partner succeed in breaking out of prison and finally getting your revenge. Seriously, that’s something that’s celebration-worthy once the credits roll.
4Abbott State Penitentiary
The Suffering
One ofMidway’s many remake-worthy forgotten titles,The Sufferingis a horror game that has you playing asTorque, a prisoner ofAbbott State Penitentiary.
He’s there for killing his whole family (yet has no memory of the events), and, depending on the player’s (good or evil) gameplay, the truth will be revealed through different endings. It’s a genuinely unique title, especially since you could end upturning into an outright monster.
The game can be played in eitherthird or first person, allowing players to experience Abbott State Penitentiary through a multitude of perspectives. In all honesty, it’s fun to do a playthrough of each.
The prison is the setting of the whole game, obviously, with everything in the game being centered around it, and it’s downright freaky. Seriously, if you’ve not heard of the game, it’s a refreshing take in the horror genre.
3Cidhna Mine
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Everyone knows that you can go to jail inSkyrimif you’re caught committing a crime, and that jail genuinely varies by location. One of these jails, though, has anentire side-quest attachedto it, making it more infamous than the others:Cidhna Mine.
Cidhna Mine, located inMarkarth, is owned by theSilver-Bloodfamily. The prisoners inside are used as slaves to mine the very silver that only makes this family wealthier and more powerful, allowing them to lock away anyone who stands in their way.
Unfortunately, as this questline drops on you as soon as you enter the city, you know things will go down badly. As you progress through the quest, you’re eventually wrongfully thrown into Cidhna Mine, from which you must escape.
The fun part is how you choose to escape, even if it can be a bit tedious, but there is more than one outcome depending on how you approach it. This is especially fun if you’re aConjurationbuild, summoning weapons so that you will never be unarmed, even in prison.
2Toluca Prison
Silent Hill 2
While theSilent Hillfranchise isn’t typically known for prisons, there is one in particular, featured inSilent Hill 2,that ended up burning itself into players' memories:Toluca Prison.
Bloober Teamended up doing an excellent job recreating Toluca Prison in theSilent Hill 2 Remake,making it literally a thousand times more terrifying than the original. It’s dark, it’s nightmarish, it’s genuinely unforgiving in every possible way.
And it’sspectacular.
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Toluca Prison ended up cementing itself as one of the most terrifying areas in the game – far more so than theLabyrinth(then again, I’m also deathly afraid of the prison’sSpider Mannequins, a literal combo of my worst nightmares).
Plus, it’s home to the game’s iconicGallows Puzzle, which to this day is one of the most striking in all of horror gaming.
1Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
There is perhaps no fictional prison more infamous thanBatman’sArkham Asylum. It didn’t even start in gaming, yet everybody remembers how excellent theBatman: Arkham Asylumgame was.
Playing as the Caped Crusader whileThe Jokertakes over the asylum (and letting everyone free), you have to re-capture the Rogue’s Gallery, and it’s just excellent. Seriously, Arkham Asylum has it all – riddles, incredible free-flow combat, evenoutright horror.
Arkham Asylum is as notorious of a setting as any other in the comic book universe, but it’s genuinely impressive how this notoriety ended up equally bleeding over into video games.
Not that anyone is complaining, though.
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