In Hard Time, the player assumes the role of a customizable prisoner in the Southtown Correctional Facility, doing time for a crime of their choice. Their main objective is to survive until the end of their sentence, while meeting basic needs, reforming, and making friends (or enemies) in the prison, as well as completing optional tasks for the inmates and wardens alike. Needless to mention, beat-ups and court cases are a constant threat among the daily life of the prison.