Ow boy, ow boy, have I got something epic for you today.
If you’re a fan of the hit game Prison Architect then I’ve got probably the best list of games that are just like it you’ll ever find.
Why so confident?
Because unlike other lists, I’ve played these games and spent a week picking and sorting them.
Maybe it’s because I care? Maybe it’s because I love gaming and get distracted easily and end up spending hours playing the games I talk about by accident?
Who knows.
All I know is this knowledge has allowed me to create this godlike list of games and it gets even better.
I’ve priced checked all the games on this list on the 13th October 2024 to find the best price online, literally going through 50+ websites each game to check the cheapest place to buy it.
RimWorld
I’m starting with the big guns, ow yes it’s Rimworld.
Do me a favor, click that trailer, just do it. Notice anything? Maybe it’s that the games both have the same building mechanics?
Well, Rimworld is build using the same gaming engine as Prison Architect, the games share lots of similarities and if you like one you’ll love the other.
Rimworld is a colony survival base building game set in a sci-fi world.
You’ll have your base attacked, protect your followers and try to expand while still having enough food and resources to manage your tribe of followers.
Here are some game alternatives to Rimworld.
Gnomoria
Gnormoria is a sandbox village creation game where you take control of gnomes and become the god of a gnome universe.
Anything you can see you can break down and rebuild, and all that allows you to master your village and grow it.
This game is a great management simulator and is a perfect game to try after Prison Architect.
Another Brick In The Mall
Another game that looks and plays extremely like Prison Architect, from the graphic style, to the controls and even the gameplay.
Basically, instead of owning a prison, you own a shopping mall and it’s up to you to create a money generating mega shopping mall.
You can hire, fire and manage all the staff, open shops, restaurants, bowling ally’s, movie theaters and you can make it your own with hundreds of different features.
You start as just one shop and it’s your job to build up and turn your shopping center into a city.
Blueprint Tycoon
This is a low key tycoon game that had to make this list.
Low key because it’s not very famous, but for what it lacks in fame it makes up for in gameplay.
In Blueprint Tycoon, it’s up to you to build your settlement, gather goods and maximize efficiency, so you can turn your settlement into pure profit.
Not the biggest game on the list, but for the small price of a few bucks, it’s worth a play.
It’s kind of like when you switch to your blueprint to sort water/electric in your prison and then you forget to switch back.
Craft the World
Craft the world is a mix of Terraria and Fortress Craft, you can explore the randomly generated world, build a dwarf fortress and then protect it in tower defense.
In the tower defense, you’ll have waves of monsters attack your base and you’ll need to have great strong walls, trap doors, traps and good enough defense to stop them killing you and destroying everything you’ve built.
This game is packed with stuff to do for people with creative minds.
Factorio
I just keep hitting you with classic must play games and Factorio is no exception.
Factorio is a resource management strategy game where the goal is to create high functioning advanced factories that help you progress.
You mine, craft and create and use your imagination to create the best factory possible.
You’ll be hard pushed to find a negative review of this game, even looking at the 29,000 + you won’t see anything other than the occasional startup issue.
This game is a god amongst games and if you’re into strategies it’s a must own title.
If you like Factorio but have finished it, try these Factorio alternatives.
OpenTTD
OpenTTD is a wild card, it’s completely free and you can download on their website, it’s a city builder/management game with a big underground community.
You make money by distributing people and items and you build a business around it. it’s a remake of Transport Tycoon Deluxe and it still gets updated a few times every year.
I mean it’s free, so if you want to try it out go for it.
Dwarf Fortress
If you’ve got the time to learn an old school game then look no further than Dwarf Fortress. This game was built many years ago and is completely free to play.
Why is it on this list?
Well, it’s the inspiration for a lot of the games on this list and still to this day it’s one of the most interesting games ever made.
It takes a while to get the hang of it, but for such an old game it holds its own. It’s played more like a board game and is the chess of management games.
You can check out these other games like Dwarf Fortress here.
Banished
Banished has a completely different graphic style and I’ve questioned myself about adding this game for the past day, but then I loaded it up and played it again and felt like I had to have it on this list.
Banished starts with you and a small group of followers being exiled, your job is to lead your group and start your own village.
The weather is harsh, food is hard to grow and can be ruined in minutes and the environment wants you dead.
So, build slowly, improve your skills and slowly expand your village, into a town and then into a city.
Banished takes skills, strategy and is unforgiving and that’s why I’ve fallen in love with its gameplay.
If you’ve already played Banished, check out these alternatives.
Which Game Should You Play First?
So you’ve finished Prison Architect and you want to know the exact order I’d play these games in, here it is:
First, I’d start with RimWorld, the art style is the same, the build style is the same and RimWorld has easily 80 hours of amazing gameplay in it.
This would always be the first place to start.
Then I’d mix it up and tried Banished, the game is different, but that’s what makes it worth playing, it’s something new and keeps the same strategy and creation elements.
Finally, I’d get Factorio, if you like Prison Architect then you’ll love it, it’s that simple.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and found your next game addiction. If you have any games I missed let me know in the comments. I hope you have an awesome day!
what is rim world rated? like in age