Hard Time III

Hard Time III

Released Sep 2024

The toughest prison sim in the yard is back to serve its 3rd consecutive sentence - combining classic moments from the OG with the best aspects of 2D, while putting out a few hits of its own! Tackle crime from either side of the prison fence, while a larger world beyond it makes life worth living.

85% positive · 964 reviews
Not yet
Released, but still in active development
Low confidence
Active Development
Not yet
Released, but still in active development
Low confidence
Active Development

Where to buy

Steam $14.99
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Evaluation

Hard Time III launched on September 9, 2024 and has been receiving regular, substantive updates since then. Across 11 documented updates, the developer has added new weapons (tasers, riot shields, a robogun), new locations (a Trailer Park residential zone), new gameplay systems (gang alliances, partner relationships, mystery storylines, crafting recipes), new animations, costumes, and camera options — all well beyond routine bug fixes. The updates have arrived at roughly 1–3 month intervals: September 28, 2024 → October 9, 2024 → October 30, 2024 → December 4, 2024 → January 9, 2025 → February 12, 2025 → March 31, 2025 → May 23, 2025 → July 11, 2025 → November 14, 2025. That last update is the most recent developer communication on record, dated November 14, 2025. As of today, September 24, 2026, approximately 10 months have passed since the November 14, 2025 update — which is beyond the established 1–3 month cadence. However, there was already one longer gap in 2025 (July to November, roughly 4 months), so the cadence is not perfectly rigid. The silence now runs significantly longer than any previous gap in the series. That said, the developer has made no statement indicating the update cycle is ending, and there are no signs of studio distress or closure. No specific future content has been announced, so this remains a pattern-based assessment. Given the extended silence relative to the historical cadence, confidence is lowered from the previous assessment. The game may still be receiving updates, but the gap is now longer than any observed previously.
Evidence
Most recent developer update 'Super Cuts' adds new hairstyles, gameplay mechanics, camera options, and numerous fixes — the last recorded developer communication.
news post · Nov 14, 2025 source development ongoing
high
'Lethal Injection' adds a new Trailer Park residential area, new crafting recipes, new costumes, new moves, gang alliances/war systems, and more storylines.
news post · Dec 4, 2024 source development ongoing
high

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
MDickie
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Verified
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op · PvP · Local/Split Screen

About this game

The toughest prison sim in the yard is back to serve its 3rd consecutive sentence - combining classic moments from the OG with the best aspects of 2D, while putting out a few hits of its own! A fully developed police role challenges you to tackle crime from either side of the prison fence, while a larger world beyond it makes life worth living. Explore it with a wider range of vehicles, as well as animals and hundreds of fully interactive props & weapons. A combat system perfected by wrestling is further enhanced by mind-blowing gunplay that allows you to shoot at ANY moment! Reinforced by a creative crafting system, you've only ever run out of ammo when you've run out of ideas.

All now presented with higher resolution visuals and a smoother frame rate, with a wide variety of camera angles to fine-tune to your liking. Feel the consequences of your actions with grotesque scarring and severed limbs, as you fight to keep yours intact for as long as possible! Rub shoulders with hundreds of other characters, and stake your reputation on saying the right words to get through each day that unfolds in real-time. A new dialogue system allows YOU to initiate conversations instead waiting for the drama to come to you.

Upon earning access to the inbuilt editor, you can save your changes to each character to make the world your own. To prepare for a life of crime, you can also blow off steam in a special "Fight Scene" mode - where you select WHO fights WHERE and with WHAT to see who survives! This even extends to multiplayer opportunities, where other controllers can choose any other character on the scene to either help or hinder.
Last evaluated Sep 24, 2026
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