# Games like Prison Architect

> The closest matches to Prison Architect: RimWorld, Cities: Skylines, Dwarf Fortress, Oxygen Not Included, and Frostpunk. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.

## Similar games, ranked

The full ranked list, 24 games, best match first (the HTML page shows the top 8 as cards).

1. [RimWorld](https://imho.run/games/294100/rimworld) — Also Colony Sim and Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 116,236 Steam reviews, 98% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/294100/)
2. [Cities: Skylines](https://imho.run/games/255710/cities-skylines) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 99,307 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/255710/)
3. [Dwarf Fortress](https://imho.run/games/975370/dwarf-fortress) — A frequent pick in Prison Architect players' libraries, and another Strategy. 23,734 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/975370/)
4. [Oxygen Not Included](https://imho.run/games/457140/oxygen-not-included) — A frequent pick in Prison Architect players' libraries, and another Indie. 48,352 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/457140/)
5. [Frostpunk](https://imho.run/games/323190/frostpunk) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 38,272 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/323190/)
6. [Banished](https://imho.run/games/242920/banished) — Also Colony Sim and City Builder, like Prison Architect. 25,649 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/242920/)
7. [Against the Storm](https://imho.run/games/1336490/against-the-storm) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 18,297 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1336490/)
8. [Project Hospital](https://imho.run/games/868360/project-hospital) — Also City Builder and Economy, like Prison Architect. 3,293 Steam reviews, 88% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/868360/)
9. [Academia : School Simulator](https://imho.run/games/672630/academia-school-simulator) — Also Colony Sim and Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 1,521 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/672630/)
10. [Project Highrise](https://imho.run/games/423580/project-highrise) — Also Base-Building and City Builder, like Prison Architect. 2,227 Steam reviews, 85% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/423580/)
11. [Endzone - A World Apart](https://imho.run/games/933820/endzone-a-world-apart) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 3,338 Steam reviews, 76% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/933820/)
12. [Another Brick in The Mall](https://imho.run/games/521150/another-brick-in-the-mall) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 1,227 Steam reviews, 81% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/521150/)
13. [Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic](https://imho.run/games/784150/workers-resources-soviet-republic) — Also Colony Sim and Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 8,217 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/784150/)
14. [Planet Zoo](https://imho.run/games/703080/planet-zoo) — Also City Builder and Economy, like Prison Architect. 41,603 Steam reviews, 91% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/703080/)
15. [Foundation](https://imho.run/games/690830/foundation) — Also Colony Sim and Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 10,915 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/690830/)
16. [Surviving Mars](https://imho.run/games/464920/surviving-mars) — Also Colony Sim and Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 10,552 Steam reviews, 79% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/464920/)
17. [Prison Tycoon®: Under New Management](https://imho.run/games/1515460/prison-tycoon-under-new-management) — Also Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 89 Steam reviews, 60% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1515460/)
18. [Going Medieval](https://imho.run/games/1029780/going-medieval) — A frequent pick in Prison Architect players' libraries, and another RPG. 8,390 Steam reviews, 89% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1029780/)
19. [Corsair Cove](https://imho.run/games/1368140/corsair-cove) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 3,443 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1368140/)
20. [Farthest Frontier](https://imho.run/games/1044720/farthest-frontier) — Also Base-Building and City Builder, like Prison Architect. 10,450 Steam reviews, 87% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1044720/)
21. [Kingdoms and Castles](https://imho.run/games/569480/kingdoms-and-castles) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 19,354 Steam reviews, 94% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/569480/)
22. [Timberborn](https://imho.run/games/1062090/timberborn) — Also Colony Sim and Base-Building, like Prison Architect. 22,640 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1062090/)
23. [Northgard: Definitive Edition](https://imho.run/games/466560/northgard-definitive-edition) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 23,056 Steam reviews, 84% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/466560/)
24. [Land of the Vikings](https://imho.run/games/1981570/land-of-the-vikings) — Shares resource management with Prison Architect. 1,115 Steam reviews, 71% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1981570/)

## Machine-readable

The same ranked list as JSON from the imho.run API for AI assistants (GET, no key, same site as this page):

- Top 20: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=233450&n=20
- Co-op games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=233450&n=20&coop=true
- Free games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=233450&n=20&free=true
- Facts about this game: https://imho.run/api/agent/game-facts?q=233450
- This page as markdown: https://imho.run/md/game/233450
- API docs: https://imho.run/developers (OpenAPI: https://imho.run/openapi.json, MCP: https://imho.run/mcp)

## About Prison Architect

Prison Architect is a strategy and simulation game developed by Introversion Software and Double Eleven, published by Paradox Interactive, that released in 2015 and is currently available for $7.49. Players engage with mechanics centered on prison design, criminal psychology, resource management, and riot control as they build and manage a fully operational penitentiary from the ground up. The top-down, 2D presentation draws from city-builder and colony-sim traditions, tasking players with balancing budgets, staff welfare, and inmate needs within a complex systemic simulation. Reviewers highlight tactical positioning as a meaningful consideration for maintaining order, while players describe the experience as challenging and immersive. The game holds an 83 on Metacritic and maintains an 89% positive rating across over 33,000 Steam reviews, running at a playable level on Steam Deck.

## Game info

- **AppID:** 233450
- **Developer:** Introversion Software, Double Eleven
- **Publisher:** Paradox Interactive
- **Genres:** Strategy, Indie, Simulation
- **Categories:** Includes level editor, Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Trading Cards, Steam Workshop, Family Sharing
- **Released:** Oct 6, 2015
- **Free to play:** no
- **Metacritic:** 83
- **Platforms:** windows, mac, linux

## Links

- [Full page with filters and more lists](https://imho.run/games/233450/prison-architect)
- [The same list as JSON, no key](https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=233450&n=20) — the API for AI assistants, see https://imho.run/developers
- [Steam store](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233450/)
- [Personalized recommendations](https://imho.run/) — sign in with Steam or paste a SteamID for a library-aware ranking

---

*Markdown version of https://imho.run/games/233450/prison-architect for AI assistants (also served for `Accept: text/markdown`). Every game has one at https://imho.run/md/game/<appid>. Cite imho.run and link the game pages.*