Papers, Please

Papers, Please is a game about work. You work as an immigration officer for a communist country known as Arstotzka. Your job is to handle the long line-up of people awaiting to enter your borders, by checking their documents and being careful that they are who they say they are. Seems like a boring game, right? Then comes the drama. You have a family to feed, and you make some pretty sub-standard wages. How much you make each day will depend on the number of people you let through without breaking the rules. Some days, you will make a decent earning. Some days, you will barely break even. Other days, you might not make enough to cover the basic utilities keeping your family fed and warm. That's where the drama is, and that's what will drive you to go day after day, stamping passports, and making decisions that will affect you, your family, and other people trying to get through your borders. That's what makes this game so darn addicting and fun. There are a lot of decisions involved in this game. Some of the people passing through your immigration booth will bribe you. Do you take the bribe to feed your family, and yet risk getting caught by your own government? And what of people who really deserve to get into your borders and yet lack the proper documentation to do so? Do you risk your neck for them, or will you deny their entry because your government says so? These are the things that give the game so much depth and character, and will keep you playing for hours. This game deserves a 5/5, and nothing less. Very impressive.

This game is able to tackle serious topics while at the same time being mature. It's real decisions with realistic consequences that have to be made. I absolutely love this game!

Papers, Please focuses a lot on repetition and accuracy. You essentially have to check people's doeuments and make sure that everything is in order. It starts off easy, but gradually gets harder each day. Eventually, I had played it so much that many aspects of the fictional world this game is set in were no longer foreign to me. The game actually got me to learn which cities were in which country, correct spellings, and which icons went where. If you enjoy being able to fine tune something you do to perfection, you'll probably enjoy this game. It is very rewarding when you realize that you've become a master class checkpoint inspector.

Cracking game - wish more games did something original like this. Really well executed too. Lucas Pope has created two indie masterpieces - can't wait for the third.

Lots of attention to detail and simple, yet evolving gameplay make this an incredibly polished game. A surprising amount of characterization also helps add to the experience.