Prison Architect is a popular prison management and construction simulation game developed and published by Introversion Software. The game allows players to design and manage their own maximum security prison, from laying out cell blocks and facilities to managing staff and prisoner needs.
Prison Architect was first released in 2015 through early access on Steam and has remained popular among fans of simulation and management games. For those interested in picking up the game, a common question is “how much is Prison Architect on Steam?”
Background on Prison Architect
Prison Architect puts players in charge of building and running every aspect of a private prison. As the prison warden and architect, you are responsible for the facility’s design, the management of staff needs, orchestrating inmate regimes, building facilities, budgeting, and more.
Some key features of Prison Architect include:
- Detainee needs – Prisoners have various needs including sleep, food, hygiene, family, reform programs and more that players need to manage. Ignoring needs can lead to violence and unrest.
- Procedural generation – Each prison is procedurally generated with a unique layout and challenges. No two prisons are ever the same.
- Simulation mechanics – Advanced systems simulate elements like time progression, staff needs, prisoner interactions, riots, gangs, and more for dynamic gameplay.
- Construction and planning– Design and build your facility with walls, doors, utilities, cells, canteens, and facilities. Construction requires planning, materials, workers, and time.
- Customization– Players can take charge of everything from architectural layouts to staff uniforms. Make the prison truly your own.
With engaging mechanics and plenty of replayability, it’s easy to see why Prison Architect has remained popular, especially for fans of management sims looking for deep gameplay. But what are the current prices if looking to buy on Steam?
Prison Architect Pricing on Steam
Prison Architect has a few different purchase options on Steam as of October 2023:
- Prison Architect Standard Edition – $29.99The standard edition of Prison Architect includes the base game with no additional features. This allows you to play the main singleplayer campaign and build prisons using all standard tools, objects, and options.
- Prison Architect: Going Green – $9.99An extra paid DLC, Going Green adds new options for making your prison environmentally friendly. This includes solar panels, prisoner recycling jobs, urban farms, water capture systems and more green objects.
- Prison Architect – All DLC Bundle – $44.99This bundle includes the base game plus all DLC, expansions, and extras. This includes Going Green, the Warden’s Essentials pack, the Prison Island map, the Cleared for Transfer inmate pack, the Escape Mode map pack, and more. Everything you need for the complete Prison Architect experience.
There are also options to buy direct from Steam as a gift for someone else. Overall for just the base game, you can expect to pay around $29.99 USD during a normal sale period. The price does fluctuate during seasonal Steam sales events.
Major Sales and Deals for Prison Architect
While $29.99 is the normal Steam price, Prison Architect frequently goes on sale for 50-90% off during major Steam sales events. Here are some of the best times to buy Prison Architect at a discounted price:
Spring Steam Sale
The spring Steam sale usually happens in March-April and offers deep discounts on thousands of games. Prison Architect often sees a 50-75% price cut during this event.
Summer Steam Sale
Steam’s massive summer sale in June-July offers some of the best discounts of the year. Look out for Prison Architect for 60-80% off during this time.
Autumn Steam Sale
Running through late November, the autumn sale also brings major savings. Prison Architect may be priced around 50-70% off.
Winter Steam Sale
Right before Christmas in December, the Steam winter sale has huge deals. Prison Architect normally drops to around 75-90% off during this peak sale period.
Worth Full Price or Wait for Sale?
Given how frequently it goes on sale, is Prison Architect worth buying at full $29.99 price on Steam or better to wishlist it and wait for discounts? Here are some things to consider:
- Wait for sale as a casual player – If you are only casually interested in prison sims or management games, it is probably best to wait for a 50-75% off sale to get the best value.
- Buy now if you want to play immediately – If you are really excited to dive in and start running your own prison, the full price may be worth it to immediately access this engaging game.
- Wait if not in a rush – With major sales every few months offering steep discounts, you can likely get Prison Architect for around $5-10 if you are patient.
- Buy base game now, DLC later – Considering buying the core game at full price to start playing, and then wait for sales to pick up DLC content.
So in summary, while $29.99 is fair for the amount of content in the base version, you can often find Prison Architect for more than half off if willing to wait for periodic Steam sales.
Reviews and Reception of Prison Architect
Before committing to buy Prison Architect, it is always helpful to consult reviews and reception. Here is an overview of how the game has been received:
- Extremely Positive reviews on Steam – Out of over 50,000 user reviews on Steam, 91% are positive. Praised for engaging management gameplay.
- 81 critic score on Metacritic – Reviewers praise deep mechanics and plenty of content but some found UI lacking.
- Active player base – Over 4 million copies sold and consistently high numbers of concurrent players on Steam.
- Notable accolades – Won BAFTA Best Persistent Game award in 2016. Was nominated for Best Sim/Strategy Game at The Game Awards 2015.
Overall the reviews indicate Prison Architect is a high-quality and engaging simulator that provides many hours of strategic prison creation and management. The overwhelmingly positive response means it is a safe bet for those who enjoy the genre.
Convicts in Prison Architect
Prison Architect provides players with a variety of fictional convicts to manage in their prisons. Each prisoner has their own background and rap sheet of crimes and misdemeanors that provide context on what landed them in your facility. Here is an overview of some notable criminals from the game:
Name: Charles Manson
Background: Leader of an infamous cult responsible for series of Hollywood murders in the 1960s. Known to form prison gangs.
Crime: Convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Sentenced to life in prison in 1971.
Quote: “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
Name: The Unabomber
Background: Ted Kaczynski, former professor turned radical anarchist behind a notorious mail bombing campaign over 17 years.
Crime: Convicted in 1996 of making illegal explosive devices that killed 3 and injured 23. Sentenced to life without parole.
Quote: “The kind of revolution we need is certainly not a strictly political revolution.”
Name: Whitey Bulger
Background: Notorious Boston mobster involved in racketeering, extortion, and murders throughout the 70s and 80s. Went into hiding in 1995.
Crime: Convicted in 2013 of 31 counts including money laundering, extortion, and drug dealing. Sentenced to 2 life terms + 5 years.
Quote: “I’m no angel, but I’m no rat either.”
While purely fictional, the unique prisoner backgrounds and crimes make managing your facility more engaging and provide character to the day-to-day operations. Making sure these dangerous criminals stay locked up tight provides an extra challenge!
Frequently Asked Questions About Prison Architect on Steam
Here are answers to some common questions about purchasing and playing Prison Architect on Steam:
Is Prison Architect available on Steam?
Yes, Prison Architect is available for purchase on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux systems. The Steam page offers the standard edition, DLCs, and bundles.
Does Prison Architect go on sale on Steam?
Prison Architect routinely goes on major sales during seasonal Steam events like summer and winter sales. Discounts range from 50-90% off the standard $29.99 price.
Can you buy Prison Architect Steam keys from other sites?
Yes, official Steam keys for Prison Architect can be purchased from authorized resellers like Humble Bundle, Fanatical, and Green Man Gaming during their own sales. Keys activate the game on Steam.
Does Prison Architect have multiplayer support on Steam?
No, there is currently no multiplayer or co-op gameplay support on the standard Steam version. Prison Architect is single player only.
What DLCs and expansions are available for Prison Architect?
Major DLCs include Going Green, Warden’s Essentials, and the All Day and a Night prisoner pack. There are also various map, object, and bonus content packs. The All DLC Bundle unlocks all additional content.
Is Prison Architect playable on Mac through Steam?
Yes, Steam offers a native Mac version of Prison Architect. The Steam page lists minimum and recommended system requirements for Mac.
Can you design your own prisons or are they pre-made?
Prison Architect provides procedurally generated prison maps but everything from layout to cell blocks can be fully customized and designed by players, providing near limitless design options.
Final Thoughts
For management simulation fans, Prison Architect is a modern classic that provides highly engaging and strategic gameplay centered around designing and operating a maximum security prison. Available for PC on Steam for around $29.99 normally, the game does go on frequent and deep sales making it possible to grab this expansive title for as little as $5-10 if you time it right.
With overwhelmingly positive reception from critics and players, Prison Architect is certainly worth wish listing and picking up for anyone interested in running their own digital incarceration empire.