On the one hand, there is the giant game studio Paradox; on the other hand, there is the indie game studio Ludeon. As everyone knows, Paradox has been popular with its simulation and grand strategy games. In recent years, we have heard the name of Ludeon only with Rimworld. The similarity between the two games raises a question in the minds of gamers: “Rimworld vs Prison Architect: Which is a Better Game?”
Have you ever thought about which game is better? I played both games for hundreds of hours, so in order to help you make a decision, I felt like I had to write a detailed review and decided to make a list of the pros and cons of each game. If you’re ready, let’s take a look at the details of our article on Prison Architect vs Rimworld.
1. Styles of Games
If we’re going to make a comparison, we should first focus on the genre of both games. For example, Rimworld is a survival-oriented colony simulation game. Prison Architect, on the other hand, is a simulation-oriented game focused on resource management and more construction.
In fact, the similarity between the two games begins here. In order for the colonists to live comfortably in Rimworld, it is necessary to create a living space that includes all the details such as bathrooms, beds, and heaters. At Prison Architect, as a prison warden, ensuring the safety and comfort of inmates is your top priority.
Likewise, it is important to build various structures to prevent prisoners from escaping. In addition, just like in Rimworld, it is necessary to create various areas such as game rooms, places of worship, and bathrooms for the comfort of the residents.
In the meantime, would you like to take a look at the base designs of Rimworld that push the limits? There are very interesting colonies in our “TOP 8 Rimworld Base Layout” list, created by successful players. Maybe this article can help you make your decision about the two games.
As a result, when we look at Rimworld vs Prison Architect in terms of play styles, we think that Rimworld is the clear winner. Because in Rimworld, there is no limit to what you can do. Prison Architect is simply a prison management simulation, while Rimworld is a civilization-building game. It’s even possible to create a high-security prison area for foreigners in Rimworld. Of course, the Rimworld simulation style is not limited to these. There are many options, such as fields, places of worship, electricity-generating structures, colonial defense weapons, and various item craft rooms.
Prison Architect vs Rimworld Graphics
Speaking of the playstyles of the two games, let’s talk a little bit about graphics. First of all, both games are almost identical in terms of graphic design. In fact, the walls, doors, and other item placements you build when building a base are exactly the same. For this reason, we do not think that there is a difference between the graphics of the two games. Also, both of them are completely gameplay-oriented, indie-game-like, and have limited graphic details. To conclude, there is no winner when it comes to Prison Architect vs Rimworld graphics. Both games have sufficient graphics.
2. Rimworld vs Prison Architect: Story
Now comes the story design, which is very important for all video games. Before we come to a decision on Prison Architect vs Rimworld, we need to look at their stories in more detail.
Let’s start with Prison Architect’s story, which revolves around Edward. Edward is a character who has committed a crime of passion and is sentenced to death. As the warden of the prison, we are trying to run this prison while listening to the story revolving around Edward. After Edward, there are three more important stories in total.
However, we cannot say that these stories attracted the players. Because most of my friends who play Prison Architect say they don’t know the story of the game. Instead, we can say that everybody is trying to create the most creative prison in sandbox mode.
Rimworld Story Depth
In Rimworld, you are the story. Before you start the game, there are already some stories to choose from. However, I know that most people, myself included, do not play these stories. Instead, you become the story. To be honest, I think it is this story design that makes Rimworld stand out in the Rimworld vs Prison Architect fight. Because in Rimworld, you create something incredibly original as you create your colony’s religion, political thoughts, and ideas.
For example, a whole planet was destroyed as a result of a civil war in a great human republic. And a group of survivors escape the planet at the last moment and land on a new planet they never knew existed. From this point on, every detail you choose before starting the game creates a sociological structure for the colony that lands on that planet. This sociological structure creates an incredibly free space for you to create your own story.
With this new story, you decide whether the future of your colony will turn into a transhumanistic or a pillager barbarian empire. Also, apart from a colony story, the characters have their own stories. Your colonists may fall in love, be amputated, or become depressed and go insane. When we consider all this, the winner of the Rimworld vs Prison Architect match for now seems to be Rimworld.
3. To Survive or to Manage and Design?
When I did research on Rimworld vs Prison Architect on Reddit, I saw that everyone was confused. To tell the truth, I am one of those who think that there is no need for such confusion. Because although both games are similar in terms of style, when we look at the stories, we see differences.
As we mentioned at the beginning of our article, Rimworld is focused on survival and colony building. So, you have to research new technologies, discover resources, and keep the colonists alive.
Prison Architect is an incredibly detailed prison simulation. It is not enough to design the prison and sit back. You should manage the economic situation of the prison well and not get into debt. You must look for ways to create a high-security prison by researching various features to ensure the peace of the inmates. Because if you can’t create a high-security prison, riots will begin. Some prisoners who want to take advantage of the riots can escape from prison, and this will give you a lot of headaches.
In short, Prison Architect offers four perspectives in terms of gameplay. These are Security, Riots, Escapes, and Finance. As a result, when we consider all these details, the critical answer to the question of Rimworld vs Prison Architect is completely up to you.
Conclusion
Think about which of these two games, which offer different concepts in terms of gameplay, appeals to you the most. Even though I love playing Rimworld, I think Prison Architect has a unique theme and atmosphere.
There are already a lot of colony management games similar to Rimworld. For example, we should not forget Dwarf Fortress, which is considered the father of all these colony management games. However, when we look at Prison Architect, we come across a much more casual, unique, and interesting game. We can say that the fact that this type of game has not been tried before makes Prison Architect interesting.
What is your opinion on Rimworld vs Prison Architect? Which game appeals to you more? You can share your ideas with us by leaving a comment. That’s all from us for now. We’ll see you in the next article.
