Choose Prison Architect
Choose Prison Architect if you want an Indie and Simulation experience. 33,775 Steam reviews back the pick.
Prison Architect vs Citizens: On Mars
Prison Architect and Citizens: On Mars both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Prison Architect (2015) is 8 years older than Citizens: On Mars (2023). Citizens: On Mars is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Prison Architect (4.99 USD vs. 7.49 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Citizens: On Mars
Choose Citizens: On Mars if it's currently about 33% cheaper on the Steam Store. Citizens: On Mars launched in 2023.
Both Prison Architect and Citizens: On Mars sit in Strategy on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Prison Architect |  Citizens: On Mars | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2023 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 7.49 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 88.8% positive (33,775 reviews) | 9 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Introversion Software, Double Eleven | RedKar Devs |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Prison Architect (2015) is 8 years older than Citizens: On Mars (2023).
- Citizens: On Mars is currently ~33% cheaper on Steam than Prison Architect (4.99 USD vs. 7.49 USD).
- Prison Architect is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Citizens: On Mars has no Deck rating yet.
Prison Architect vs Citizens: On Mars — FAQ
- Should I play Prison Architect or Citizens: On Mars first?
- If you want chronology, Prison Architect (2015) came out before Citizens: On Mars (2023). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Prison Architect and Citizens: On Mars similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Prison Architect run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Prison Architect is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Citizens: On Mars doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.