Prison Architect
GameBy Introversion Software · Released Oct 6, 2015
The game is a top-down 2D construction and management simulation where the player takes control of building and running a prison.
Connections
Each row is a game or company named alongside Prison Architect, each column a document, oldest first. A mark means that document names it. Select a row to see those documents.
About the game
- Released
- Oct 6, 2015
- Developer
- Introversion Software
- Publisher
- Paradox Interactive
- Genres
- Simulator, Strategy, Adventure, Indie
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4, Linux, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), iOS, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Links
- Official site, Wikipedia
Game data from IGDB.com
On Steam
Steam estimates as of 9 Oct 2026. Revenue is premium revenue on Steam only: game sales, without DLC.
- Revenue to date
- $87.4M
- Units sold
- 4.9M
- Last 12 months
- $1.4M
- 75K units
- Price
- $29.99
- Positive reviews
- 85%
- of 78K reviews
- Peak players
- 16K
- at the same time
- Followers
- 212K
- Average playtime
- 31 h
| Year | Share of the best year | Revenue | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $8.0M | 461K | |
| 2020 | $9.1M | 484K | |
| 2021 | $7.1M | 381K | |
| 2022 | $4.2M | 216K | |
| 2023 | $2.7M | 152K | |
| 2024 | $2.4M | 145K | |
| 2025 | $1.7M | 85K | |
| 2026 so far | $1.2M | 66K |
On Steam since Mar 20, 2013 · Developer Double Eleven, Introversion Software · Publisher Paradox InteractiveSteam store page
Documents about Prison Architect
Interim Report: January–March 2026
Paradox Interactive experienced a period of financial contraction during the first quarter of 2026, characterized by a 7 percent decline in revenue to MSEK 431.1 and a 31 percent reduction in operating profit, which fell to MSEK 100.8.
- Paradox Interactive reported a 7% revenue decline to MSEK 431.1 and a 31% drop in operating profit to MSEK 100.8 for Q1 2026.
- Financial performance was negatively impacted by significant amortization and write-downs related to the titles Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and Europa Universalis V.
- Despite fiscal challenges, the company maintains a strong liquidity position with MSEK 308.7 in operating cash flow and MSEK 1,055 in cash and cash equivalents.
Annual Report 2025: Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive’s 2025 fiscal year was defined by a strategic pivot toward core internal development and long-term franchise sustainability.
- Operating profit dropped significantly to MSEK 146.0 in 2025 from MSEK 721.4 in 2024, primarily due to a KSEK 355,343 impairment charge related to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.
- Annual revenue remained stable at MSEK 2,191.9, supported by a business model focused on digital distribution and continuous downloadable content for a six-million-strong monthly active user base.
- The company invested KSEK 917,407 in development during 2025 and completed the strategic acquisition of Haemimont Games to strengthen its management game portfolio.
Paradox Interactive Interim Report: January – March 2024
The Paradox Interactive interim report for the first quarter of 2024 outlines the company’s financial performance and operational developments as a global developer and publisher of strategy and management games.
- Paradox Interactive reported Q1 2024 revenue of MSEK 482.1, remaining consistent with the same period in 2023.
- Operating profit saw a marginal decline of 1% to MSEK 154.4, while profit after tax rose slightly to MSEK 126.9.
- The company maintains a strong liquidity position with MSEK 1,181.8 in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter.
Interim Report: January – September 2024
Paradox Interactive reported a significant increase in profitability for the third quarter of 2024 despite a broader year-to-date decline in revenue.
- Paradox Interactive’s Q3 2024 operating profit surged 67% to MSEK 142.8, despite a 9% year-to-date revenue decline to MSEK 1,491.8 caused by MSEK 208.0 in write-downs from the cancellation of 'Life by You' and the performance of 'The Lamplighters League'.
- Quarterly revenue grew 2% to MSEK 434.0, bolstered by core titles including 'Cities: Skylines', 'Crusader Kings III', 'Hearts of Iron IV', 'Stellaris', and the full release of 'Mechabellum'.
- The company is narrowing its strategic focus to Grand Strategy and Management niches, evidenced by the indefinite delay of 'Prison Architect 2' to prioritize product quality.
Interim Report: January - March 2021
Paradox Interactive experienced a period of financial contraction during the first quarter of 2021, characterized by a 9% decline in revenue to MSEK 364.5 and a 44% reduction in operating profit to MSEK 92.5 compared to the same period in the previous year.
- Paradox Interactive reported a 9% revenue decline to MSEK 364.5 and a 44% drop in operating profit to MSEK 92.5 for Q1 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
- Financial performance was negatively impacted by unfavorable USD/SEK currency fluctuations and increased development expenditures.
- The company cancelled two unannounced projects as part of a strategic pivot to streamline its development pipeline and focus resources on core strategy and management franchises.
Paradox Interactive Annual Report 2018
Paradox Interactive achieved a record-breaking fiscal year in 2018, characterized by significant financial expansion and a successful transition toward a broader multi-platform strategy.
- Paradox Interactive achieved record financial growth in 2018, with revenue increasing 39% to SEK 1,127.7 million and operating profit rising 34% to SEK 455.1 million.
- The company’s revenue model remains heavily concentrated, with 72% of total earnings generated through a single platform operator, Valve.
- Growth was driven by a Games as a Service strategy involving 16 expansions for core titles like Cities: Skylines, Stellaris, and Europa Universalis IV, resulting in a registered user base exceeding nine million.
Year-End Report 2018
Paradox Interactive achieved significant financial growth throughout 2018, characterized by a 39 percent increase in annual revenue to SEK 1,127.7 million and a 34 percent rise in operating profit to SEK 455.1 million.
- Paradox Interactive achieved a 39% increase in annual revenue to SEK 1,127.7 million and a 34% rise in operating profit to SEK 455.1 million during 2018.
- The company’s business model relies on long-term lifecycle management and consistent content updates for established franchises rather than rapid release cycles.
- The firm recorded its most profitable quarter to date in Q4 2018, despite launching no new games during that period, proving the resilience of its back-catalog strategy.
The Power of Incentives - How Games Help Us Examine Our World - Extra Credits
Games serve as a powerful medium for examining the complex, interlocking incentive systems that govern modern society.
- Games function as experiential tools that allow players to navigate complex incentive systems, revealing how well-intentioned policies often trigger perverse, unintended outcomes.
- Interactive simulations like 'Prison Architect' and 'Fate of the World' force players to balance competing pressures, such as profit motives versus ethical welfare or technological implementation versus infrastructure requirements.
- Historical examples, such as colonial-era bounties for cobras or rats, demonstrate how poorly designed incentives can inadvertently encourage the very behaviors they aim to eradicate.
Companies behind it
As the documents state it.