Choose The Escapists
Choose The Escapists if you want an Action game with Steam Leaderboards. 9,331 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Escapists vs Prison Forever
The Escapists and Prison Forever both land in Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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 share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam. The Escapists (2015) is 5 years older than Prison Forever (2020). The Escapists scores higher on Steam reviews (89.9% positive) than Prison Forever (78.3% positive). 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 Prison Forever
Choose Prison Forever if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 45% cheaper on the Steam Store. Prison Forever launched in 2020.
Both The Escapists and Prison Forever sit in Strategy, Indie, and Adventure 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
 The Escapists |  Prison Forever | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 3.59 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 89.9% positive (9,331 reviews) | 78.3% positive (23 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Mouldy Toof Studios | Revmatek |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- The Escapists (2015) is 5 years older than Prison Forever (2020).
- The Escapists scores higher on Steam reviews (89.9% positive) than Prison Forever (78.3% positive).
- Prison Forever is currently ~45% cheaper on Steam than The Escapists (1.99 USD vs. 3.59 USD).
- The Escapists is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Prison Forever has no Deck rating yet.
The Escapists vs Prison Forever — FAQ
- Should I play The Escapists or Prison Forever first?
- If you want chronology, The Escapists (2015) came out before Prison Forever (2020). 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 The Escapists and Prison Forever similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Adventure 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 The Escapists run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — The Escapists is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Prison Forever doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.