Last updated on November 30th, 2025 at 07:08 am
Prison Architect: Mobile – Strategy Game Review
Prison Architect: Mobile is a Strategy/Simulation game from Paradox Interactive AB, first launched in 25th May 2017.
It’s rated 17+ and currently has 6,482+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Prison Architect: Mobile Stand Out
Build and Manage a Maximum Security Prison!
Escape from reality but not from your custom-made jail! Prison Architect: Mobile challenges you to build and manage a maximum security prison, from laying out cell blocks and inmate facilities, to managing staff pay and prisoner morale. From layout to execution (literally, in some cases), you are the architect, the warden, and the enforcer.
Prison designs will include basic necessities like cells, canteens, guard rooms, and infrastructure, but players can also include features like solitary confinement, workout areas, and even an execution chamber. The tablet version comes with enough to get started, with additional story-driven campaign chapters and more features available as premium content.
Prison Architect: Mobile includes:
- Build and manage a prison to house a variety of different prisoners
- Juggle inmate needs with security concerns, infrastructure, and the ever-looming budget
- Follow the story in Campaign Mode to learn new prison-building techniques and get to know life behind bars through a series of cutscenes and objectives
- Unlock more Campaign chapters with one-time purchases
- Violent Offenders: Manage different types of criminals and keep control through floods, fires, fights, and full-blown riots
Introversion Software, developers of critically acclaimed games, bring you a new mobile version of their award-winning PC hit. Together with the master strategists at Paradox Interactive, Introversion's Prison Architect: Mobile will provide you with enough challenging fun to last an entire life sentence!
(Requires 64-bit iPads) – basically iPads released on/after November 2013).
This Strategy game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Prison Architect: Mobile is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 11th July 2018
Recent improvements include:
This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.
Improved login flow and extra information regarding GDPR. We don't want to break the law, do we?
Download & Availability
Prison Architect: Mobile is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Prison Architect: Mobile on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 / iPad Mini 3 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 4 / iPad Mini 4 (Cellular) or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
When we try to buy the game it says buy (unknown) why is that.
This game might have not been updated for years, but this game still has so much potential then trial mode. They could make in game purchases instead of making you have to pay to actually progress with saves. If they did that we believe this game would have 100k+ downloads.
Tried buying the full version, but the price comes up unknown and cant seem to make the purchase. Very disappointing if it has been removed. Really liked this gamebummer.
If what we can buy full game with website. Because we cant buy it with our Apple ID.
Ive never been more entertained by an architecture game.
This would be a really well game if it was still updated to the pcs current version with all those things.
Ive been playing this game and was already disappointed that after FIVE YEARS we still dont have an escape mode. The game gets dry and annoying after a while. The emergency cars are very glitchy and caused us to completely give up on our best map because they wouldnt load out any of the dead bodies due to the fire and paramedics blocking the road even though we cancelled them. We restarted the game and tried doing anything to dismiss them. We contacted customer service and they did absolutely nothing to help us. If we could get a refund we would. Im very disappointed in this game. Do better and update this buggy game. P.S we only gave it 5 stars so more people can see it.
Its a awesome game. But what would it better with? Escape mode and a new guard gun training program itd be similar to the tazer program, but instead your regular guards can own a gun.
This game is great, but can you please make the game more like the computer port or just make the computer ports a little less expensive too we guess 9.99 because $30 is way too much way way way too much just please lower the price of the computer port please.
Please update this game. We love this game so much and we hate to see it die on mobile. Please update it.
At first it wouldnt let us buy the full version and it would kick us off every time we would try to buy it if anyone has any problems go to settings and hit restore purchases.
This game IS SO FUN ITS THE BEST YOU CAN BUILD A PRISON YOU CAN GET UNLIMITED MONEY FOR 5$ GET THIS GAME TODAY NOW.
We love this game! Thats why we play it mostly on PC now. New updates always.
We feel like they need to add sandbox mode on mobile free because we really wanna play it but Im not gonna pay for it could you please make it free but its still a really good game.
Not optimized for iPad Mini and 2020 Models and up.
As you can see in the title and from other reviews we want an escape mode so please add it! Im begging you thats all Im asking for please and thank you.
This game has so much depth and complexity. It is so refreshing to find something other than the shallow, freemium (aka cannot really play unless you spend money every couple minutes) games that dominate the market since the beginning of App games.
This is a perfect game for iPad and is as good as the PC version, period.
We can tell the fact that the developers have left this game because they never update this game EVER its a good game but Im just saying there needs to be SOME change SOME difference so it continues to keep people hooked.
Hi Im Aiden and we have a question about the game that we hope you will do something about, why does it cost money to play the game we can only do the trial thing and we dont like that we have to spend money so why does it cost money.
Just think it would be cool to add like an auto utility setting so it would be much easier in the full version.
Hello, we think this game a great game to spend free time on, yes its not completely free but its very fun. You can design and make almost anything u like within the games limits of course. We just hope the game updates soon, we have played it in PC and it updates monthly, put this has not been updated for over 3 years. This game as several bugs and crashes but none that make the game unplayable.
It is a really good game but we would like to see escape mode added where become a prisoner and try to escape the prsion and also pls make it so that you can add mods. Thanks.
We love it but one of the reasons we got it was to play escape mode like on pc so plz plz add escape mode thank you.
We love this game but just like the other people dead bodies are piling up and doing nothing which are the Doctors and the guards please fix it.
More ideas coming soon New staff -fisher man -roll call captain -miner Skins -white female skin for the guard New rooms -parking lot slot requires( road and new white lines that need 2 block space. For the visitors -make it were there are new guard towers were 2 snipers can be up there to stop any run a way prisoners -food storage room -roll call Weapons New custom bomb the prisoners can make only can get it from the mining room(staff only tho) Pickax Labors -Fishing -Crops -Mining -Food -fishing to get fish to make food for them to eat (labor) -crops to grow plants and food (labor) – hamburgers – fries – salads – fish – pizza -Grilled cheese. -Noodles – water Other game options -escape mode -workshop -prisoner customize -guard customization ( get to change the colors of clothing and there weapons. Ai -prisoner ai will can upgrade there rep by destroying things -Prisoners can recruit other people to there gang -guards respawn only if chief is on site (research required) -prisoners will go slower after they work or workout -janitors now have to clean up blood -prisoners will stand still while being trained for the kitchen until the cook is done with class – if a other gang member is in solitary other members will try to break him free and try and not get noticed -Ai will retreat on low health New features -When a riot happens guards will wait at the exit to freedom to make sure no prisoners escape -tree will fall over when cut down -Can make a second floor or a lower floor by making a stair case and pushing building level to change the building level -Prisoners will sometimes get photos from the mail and look at them everyone once in a while when there home sick -prisoners can kill someone and stop fighting and if no one sees him he wont get in trouble. – workers will take the trash can out to the garbage and put near a curbside and a day later a dump truck will come and pick it up – guards that respawn come In trucks to get dropped off New rep – some prisoners can be afraid of the dark so if its dark and the power is it they will start attacking everyone and everything. -fast puncher(they punch and attack faster).
Please please please please add escape mode and we can escape from OUR OWN BUILT prison please please please we have been waiting for year and if you dont add it at least tell us why.
The game is good but when we bought the full game we thought it would be like the pc one.
There no ads NONE! That is very good it has many possibilities too.
This game is a good learning experience for people hoo want to be wardens dont have to wait until they get a job in real life.
We are a Chinese. We like playing this game very much, so we hope to create a Chinese model so that Chinese people who love this game can understand how to play this game.
We love it, its just like the computer version, tho we wanna see multiplayer and escape mode, otherwise its a 5 star rating.
Its a really great game and we hope they add the updates from the computer version. Still a very great game we would buy the full version if we were you. We would first play the trial if you would like to get it your choice.
This game is really good or people that are or wishing to be architect! Its hard, but once you get the hang of it, its simple! This was a short review, but, its our honest opinion about this cool mobile and PC game.
Hello, This game a completely amazing with all the possibilities and adventures of learning about prison and creating rooms. We would recommend it if they like a challenge and love to create things. Prison Architect is fun in many ways like, building, riots, fires, floods, drama, and learning about your own prisoners so you can make it right and perfect for them. Its also challenging because you have to make sure you dont get fired for Criminal Negligence (Killing prisoners too much using Freefire), Food Policy, and so much more to continue being interested in this game. This game also has no ads which makes the player not give up because of those. Now, your probably thinking Just get to the point of why your writing a review. Well, we were hoping of when Prison Architect updates. Every week? Month? Every day, even? We want people to enjoy this game and continue to learn and find all the possibilities there is in this game. Thank you and we hope the creator or the team of the game can respond to this and can help everyone with this review. Thank You.
The game is great but we have an idea an underground section this just a l dont know how we really work but we know it will be amazing to like hit maybe hit a button and then you can see the underground area and you can put that youre more important stuff down there or higher security prisoners.
Really just really 2 years and where is the escape mode? Its not fun without it.
Of course like any mobile game, the pc version is better, buts its so convenient to have it on mobile!!!! We hope there are a few updates in progress. There are few things that are very different but understandable due to being mobile! We love it and would recommend if you are a pc gamer and love this game and are on the go! Please continue working on this version!! It has a lot of potential to be as close to pc as possible!!! Great work.
We been reading some reviews and most of what we read is that there needs to be an escape mode please do it we will give it a five star review for now.
Alcatraz mode could have a new punishment for the prisoners it would be the iron ball punishment for the prisoners on lockdown and the guards would look like the real Alcatraz guard and you have to have the prison on water tell the people that on steam and please give the guards pistols but you should add new weapons like the tommy gun for armed guard you have a great game already it could all ways be better please follow our notes please.
Put a map selection option so we can select what our map looks like and give island maps we want new stuff new maps and island bound plus going green.
This game is really good but it needs more things that you have to get a warden to do you know like the thing you use to get the foreman.
Please add escape mode it gets boring after you build a prison in a prison and a prison and having escape mode on the mobile version would be nice.
The mobile game where you have to think, not just click.
This game is awesome we love it so much if you would like building games and if you like games that are a little dark then you Well like this game.
Hello we love your architect game but can you make more games like it like a hospital one.
Ive been wanting this app forever when it was on YouTube so we kept scrolling through the App Store forever until god himself made the devs create it into a mobile game. We were so excited when we played it we had anxiety for 5 weeks we just had to keep building up the prison. The main part why we downloaded it was because of creative mode and escape mode. Escape mode was the biggest thing we wanted but they never added it as a feature on mobile so we do hope they do and download this game NOW.
Consider that this game was originally Pc and other things before mobile so it had DLCs so that was carried over into this game thats why there are so many prices your paying for what you would have on PC and its worth it.
Can u make sandbox mode be free pls devs.
So Ive been playing this game for a while it is very fun and addicting but one question how in the world do we buy DLC because Ive seen so much stuff on YouTube about all the prison architect DLC and we cant even get it on our iPad and apparently theres this new cleared for transfer DLC and its free and we really want to check it out but we dont know how to get DLC on our iPad so we cant check it out also we have a YouTube channel and we really want to put prison architect on it so ya.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 2.0.8
- Size: 257.59 MB
- iOS: 8.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory: Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence, Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References, Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor, Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity, Frequent/Intense Mature/Suggestive Themes, Frequent/Intense Medical/Treatment Information, Frequent/Intense Realistic Violence
- Developer: Paradox Interactive AB
Last updated: 11th July 2018 | Genre: Strategy, Simulation | Developer: Paradox Interactive AB