Prison Boss Prohibition takes the anarchic spirit of its predecessor and transplants it from the clink to the bustling sidewalks of New Yolk City, where you run a chain of street stalls peddling everything from innocuous snacks to delightfully illicit contraband. Between brewing, rolling, and assembling, you juggle shifting prohibition lists from a mercurial mayor, haggle with colorful customers, and upgrade your operation as you hustle toward black‑market dominance.
The game is loud, absurd, and frequently brilliant: tactile VR interactions make every pour and handoff feel immediate, co‑op multiplies the chaos into laugh‑out‑loud teamwork, and the physics engine; when it misbehaves, turns near‑catastrophes into unforgettable moments. It’s a messy, joyful sandbox of improvisation that rewards quick thinking, coordination, and a willingness to embrace delightful mayhem.
What the Game Is
At its core this is a tactile VR shopkeeper sim with a deliciously illicit twist: you’re behind the counter brewing beer, rolling cigarettes, assembling risqué magazines, and improvising as the Mayor’s ban list flips on a whim.
The loop is satisfyingly physical; pouring, folding, handing off; so success feels earned, and every sale is a tiny performance that can be interrupted by a nosy cop or a surprise faction request.
Between timed runs you upgrade stalls and equipment, chase unlocks and leaderboard glory, and cultivate reputation with distinct customer groups, while cosmetic options let you lean into the town’s ridiculous swagger and become the most notorious vendor on the block.
Solo play offers a focused, methodical hustle, but co‑op is where the design truly sings: two players juggling orders, covering for each other during raids, and turning mistakes into chaotic, laugh‑out‑loud moments.
It’s a game about risk and reward; balance speed with stealth, optimize your workflow, and embrace the glorious mayhem when the physics engine decides to join the party.
Gameplay Loop and Progression
Runs are built around tight, timed days and a steady stream of requests: fulfill orders, juggle inventory, and dodge police seizures while keeping the line moving.
The loop is genuinely addictive; there’s a satisfying, almost musical rhythm to crafting, restocking, and hustling customers that turns frantic moments into flow states.
Progression hooks are well designed: leaderboards and unlocks give clear goals for repeat play, while 20+ craftable items, three distinct levels, and layered shop and equipment upgrade paths create meaningful choices about efficiency, risk, and specialization.
The result is a gameplay loop that rewards optimization and improvisation alike; whether you’re chasing high scores, experimenting with loadouts, or inventing on‑the‑fly strategies with a co‑op partner.
VR Execution and Controls
This is where the game both dazzles and shows its seams. At its best, the tactile VR interactions make every pour, roll, and handoff feel immediate, absurd, and genuinely funny; co‑op rushes turn into perfectly timed chaos that’s as rewarding as it is ridiculous. Yet several control and physics issues reported by players undercut that promise and turn otherwise delightful runs into bouts of frustration.
• Grab sensitivity: On some headsets (notably Valve Index and older Vive models) the grab binding is overly eager; light finger contact registers as a grab, causing accidental pickups, dropped stacks, and ruined setups that feel unfair rather than challenging.
• Physics quirks: Objects and liquids sometimes behave unpredictably; pots can fling their contents, items snap toward hands, and small collisions cascade into room‑clearing chaos. These moments are occasionally hilarious, but more often they break player intent and disrupt carefully planned runs.
• Motion and comfort: A subset of players report motion sickness or strange depth‑of‑field artifacts even with stable framerates, pointing to camera, reprojection, or headset‑specific issues that make movement feel stuttery or off‑kilter on certain hardware.
None of these problems kill the core idea, but together they can make some sessions feel like wrestling the engine instead of enjoying the design. With tighter input tuning, more predictable physics, and additional comfort options, the game’s tactile highs would outnumber its technical lows; and the co‑op mayhem would stay funny rather than frustrating.
Co‑op and Social Play
Co‑op is where Prison Boss Prohibition truly comes alive. Two players juggling orders, covering each other during raids, and inventing on‑the‑fly fixes for physics mishaps turns routine runs into chaotic, laugh‑out‑loud theater; moments that feel improvised, cinematic, and uniquely memorable.
Shared stalls amplify emergent gameplay: friendly misreads become running jokes, clutch saves become bragging rights, and coordinated rushes produce a satisfying rhythm that solo play rarely matches.
Leaderboards and competitive runs layer in long‑term goals, while social play transforms every mistake into a story worth retelling. Solo players will find depth and challenge, but the game’s most electric, unforgettable moments are multiplayer.
Presentation and Tone
New Yolk City is a gleefully cartoonish playground; bright, absurd, and deliberately over the top. The visuals suit a confident VR indie: stalls are instantly readable, item art is distinct and charming, and NPCs bristle with personality even in brief interactions. The writing leans hard into puns and poultry jokes, giving the world a mischievous voice that never takes itself too seriously. Cosmetic options and shop upgrades add meaningful progression and let you stamp your personality on the streets, turning each run into a little performance piece where style, efficiency, and chaos collide.
Strengths
• Addictive crafting loop: A tight, timed rhythm of brewing, assembling, and restocking that rewards speed, improvisation, and smart sequencing; every successful run feels like a small, earned victory.
• Explosive co‑op chaos: Two‑player teamwork amplifies the fun; coordinated rushes, clutch saves, and shared screwups become laugh‑out‑loud moments that turn failures into stories.
• Meaningful progression: Unlocks, leaderboards, and layered shop upgrades provide clear goals and strategic choices, giving players reasons to refine routes, specialize builds, and chase higher scores.
• Fresh, high‑concept premise: The contraband shopkeeper idea translates brilliantly to VR, turning tactile interactions and social play into a uniquely entertaining hustle.
Areas for Improvement
• Control remapping and input options: Let players choose whether grabbing uses the trigger or the grip and provide a full, per‑headset keybind editor. Expose sensitivity sliders and deadzone settings so users can tune grab activation to their hardware and playstyle, and save presets for quick switching between controllers.
• Predictable grab behavior: Add a short grab debounce and optional hold‑to‑grab mode to prevent accidental pickups from light finger contact. Visual and haptic feedback when an object is within grab range will help players anticipate interactions instead of being surprised by them.
• Physics stability and object fidelity: Tighten collision responses and reduce explosive impulse forces on small collisions. Constrain liquid simulation so pours and splashes are visually convincing but never launch items across the room; add simple damping to prevent chain‑reaction chaos.
• Robust item anchoring and recovery: Implement soft‑snap mechanics and a quick‑recover tool (for example, a “recall” or tidy gesture) to retrieve runaway items without breaking the run. Make fragile interactions more forgiving during tutorial or assist modes.
• Performance and comfort options: Offer reprojection/foveated rendering toggles, depth‑of‑field and motion blur sliders, and multiple comfort presets (snap turn, vignette, reduced motion) so players can match visuals to their tolerance and headset capabilities.
• Collision and invisible object fixes: Audit and patch invisible colliders and z‑fighting issues that hide items or cause unexpected seizures. Add a debug/visibility toggle for players and QA to reveal hidden objects during testing.
• Clear headset guidance and presets: Ship recommended control presets and comfort profiles for common headsets (Index, Vive, Quest, Vive Pro) so players don’t have to guess optimal settings on first launch.
Addressing these areas would transform a fun, chaotic prototype into a reliably polished VR experience, preserving the game’s joyful mayhem while removing the technical frustrations that currently interrupt the flow.
Player Impressions
Reaction to Prison Boss Prohibition is loud and split, but overwhelmingly engaged: a passionate slice of the community calls it a must‑play for friends thanks to its replayability and riotous co‑op moments, while a vocal minority are held back by finicky grab sensitivity, unpredictable physics, and intermittent bugs that can derail a run.
Common praise centers on the game’s emergent social comedy and addictive loop, whereas complaints repeatedly point to input tuning and stability issues that turn intended chaos into technical frustration.
Many reviewers still recommend the title; especially to fans of chaotic, social VR; but most add a caveat asking the developers for control remapping, physics fixes, and comfort patches; responsiveness on those fronts could quickly shift mixed impressions into near‑universal acclaim.
Final Verdict
Prison Boss Prohibition is a high‑energy VR sim with a brilliant central idea and a gift for producing chaotic, laugh‑out‑loud moments. The tactile crafting loop and cooperative play are genuinely compelling, and the unlocks, upgrades, and leaderboards give the game long‑term bite and replay value.
That promise is tempered by technical rough edges. Inconsistent grab mechanics, unpredictable physics, and headset‑specific comfort issues sometimes turn satisfying runs into fights with the engine, which keeps the title from feeling like a polished must‑own. These are fixable problems; better input remapping, tuned collision and liquid behavior, and expanded comfort options would dramatically improve the experience.
If you play with friends and enjoy emergent, social VR chaos, this is a wildly entertaining pick that will produce memorable sessions and stories. Solo players should verify recent patches and control remapping support for their headset before diving in to avoid frustration.
Watch and Wishlist
Add Prison Boss Prohibition to your wishlist and follow TREBUCHET and Creature Label for patch notes and control fixes. Watch for updates that address grab bindings, physics stability, and comfort options; those patches will materially improve the experience. If you own a Valve Index, Vive Pro, or other older headset, keep an eye on community posts and developer replies about input remapping and headset‑specific fixes before buying.
Key Takeaways
• High‑concept premise: The contraband shopkeeper idea translates brilliantly to VR, turning tactile crafting and social hustle into a fresh, entertaining loop.
• Tactile, addictive loop: Timed runs, varied recipes, and physical interactions create a satisfying rhythm that rewards speed, improvisation, and planning.
• Co‑op shines: Two‑player play amplifies the fun: coordinated rushes, clutch saves, and shared screwups produce the game’s most memorable moments.
• Meaningful progression: Unlocks, leaderboards, and layered shop and equipment upgrades give clear goals and strong replay incentives.
• Presentation and tone: New Yolk City’s bright, cartoonish style, punny writing, and customization options give the game personality and charm.
• Technical rough edges: Overly sensitive grab bindings, unpredictable physics, and headset‑specific comfort issues can turn intended chaos into frustrating interruptions.
• Fixes would elevate it: Control remapping, grab tuning, physics stabilization, and expanded comfort/performance options would turn a fun prototype into a polished VR staple.
• Who should play: Highly recommended for social players who enjoy chaotic, emergent VR sessions; solo players should check for recent patches and input options before diving in.
Game Information:
Developer: TREBUCHET
Publisher: TREBUCHET, Creature Label
Platforms: MetaQuest (reviewed), SteamVR
Release Date: July 10, 2025
Score: 9.5 / 10
Prison Boss Prohibition is a near‑perfect example of what VR can do when a clever concept meets tactile design and social play. The core loop; pouring, rolling, and hustling under pressure; feels physically satisfying and consistently generates laugh‑out‑loud moments, especially in co‑op where emergent chaos becomes the game’s best feature. Progression systems, unlocks, and leaderboards give runs real purpose, while New Yolk City’s bright, absurd tone and customization options add personality and replay value.
The small deductions come from technical rough edges: overly eager grab bindings, occasional physics explosions, and headset‑specific comfort quirks that can interrupt otherwise brilliant sessions. Those issues are fixable with targeted patches; input remapping, grab debounce, and tightened collision/physics; and doing so would elevate this from exceptional to essential. For players who love social VR, improvisational gameplay, and a game that rewards both speed and creativity, this is a must‑try.