Use the Prison as a staged captive workflow: confirm its current research unlock and space, receive a captured enemy, review the visible status and traits, then choose a supported processing outcome.
Separate unlock from available space
Official updates treat the Prison as a researched colony system and have changed Prison research timing. That means “the Prison exists in the game” and “this colony can receive another captive now” are different questions.
Older Demo and Prologue material used small cell counts and upgrade limits, but those values are not safe current Early Access facts. This guide does not reproduce them. Read the active research, building, and capacity descriptions before a capture-focused expedition.
Track capture, intake, and status
The supported path begins in combat: weaken an enemy, use Capture Rounds, complete the expedition return, and locate the captive in the current Prison or temporary management flow. The capture guide covers the battle sequence and failure protection.
At intake, confirm that the captive is actually present before assuming conversion has begun. Later official updates improved Prison inventory, drag-and-drop behavior, captive status, and interrogation feedback, so an old screenshot may show a different screen.
Use only attributes the active build visibly provides. Species, role, quality, or other traits may influence a player decision, but this evidence does not authorize a hidden stat formula or permanent UI position.
Choose a processing outcome deliberately
Official descriptions list fear, indoctrination, punishment, execution, and conversion among the ways the regime handles captured enemies. They establish possible outcomes, not a single correct choice or a fixed number of actions.
Keep the decision separate from building access and captive status:
- unlock: is the relevant Prison research and structure available?
- status: is the captive received, visible, and in the state the current interface describes?
- processing: which handling action does the active build allow now?
- outcome: did the result create a citizen, remove the captive, or leave further management work?
This separation prevents an unavailable button from being misdiagnosed as a capture failure.
Treat the interface as build-sensitive
Developer and moderator replies in the supplied research describe Prison interaction being revised into a three-dimensional face-to-face exchange. Players also report intake and processing friction in specific builds. Those reports show why an old click path can fail even when the broader system still exists.
Check capacity before the next expedition
Prison space can limit the capture loop. Before departure, verify the current free space and whether existing captives are still awaiting a decision. Do not turn that check into a universal cell count: current research and upgrades decide the answer.
If conversion is the intended outcome, use the conversion guide and budget for the colony consequences of another person. Food, housing, wages, and work pressure remain separate management questions.
Preserve evidence when processing fails
Record the build, Prison research state, visible captive status, attempted action, and what happened. Keep the save and avoid deleting broad LocalLow data. A precise report distinguishes missing unlock, full space, absent intake, interface failure, and a conversion still in progress.