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Papers, Please, a unique dystopian game of social drama, and political statements, challenging your alertness, attention to detail, and morals with the puzzling and stressful work of an immigration inspector, is available for pre-orders on GOG.com, for Windows and Mac, for only $9.99!

Comrade! As you assume your post at the Grestin Border Checkpoint the Ministry of Admission would like to remind you that your work is crucial to the safety of the People's Republic of Arstotzka. The enemies of the state are many and our borders should remain impenetrable. Stay alert! Terrorists, spies, and miscreants will take advantage of your every smallest mistake to enter our motherland and threaten the people. Be vigilant! Always check and double-check every detail. Never ignore any inconsistency. The safety of our glorious nation rest is your personal responsibility! Oh, by the way, comrade--you will be paid based on the number of people you control each day. And we're raising your rent.

Papers, Please simulates the work of a immigration inspector whose responsibility is to controll the passports and other papers of the people trying to cross the border of your country. Your job gets more complicated daily, as new regulations are passed by the Ministry of Admission and the illegal immigrants get more and more creative in the attempts of tricking you into letting them in. You will face the grim reality of a dystopian communist republic of the early 1980s as you try to support your family and not end up in front of a firing squad as a traitor. Challenging, morally ambiguous, and intense gameplay will blow your mind!

Pre-order Papers, Please for only $9.99 and feel the Ministry of Admission breathing down your neck, as soon as the game arrives (which is expected to happen on August 8).
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xyem: Are you okay with that? We can have a look at getting it running properly in fullscreen if you would prefer to play it that way.
Fair enough for the beta / demo :).
Funny and original as a simulation game.
I'd just like to say that it's really nice and heartwarming to see how many people are appreciative of this game. It looks nothing like the modern gaming standards, it offers a completely obscure gameplay concept, and its visuals--though very consistent and well done--take us back well beyond 1990s. Yet still, so many people see it for what it is: a great, original title.

I played the beta myself for some time, and loved every minute of it. Few games make a lasting impression on me, these days--this one surely did.
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G-Doc: I'd just like to say that it's really nice and heartwarming to see how many people are appreciative of this game. It looks nothing like the modern gaming standards, it offers a completely obscure gameplay concept, and its visuals--though very consistent and well done--take us back well beyond 1990s. Yet still, so many people see it for what it is: a great, original title.

I played the beta myself for some time, and loved every minute of it. Few games make a lasting impression on me, these days--this one surely did.
Mhm. Biggest concern I have is how much long term life this one has, though, now that I went through the demo twice. It's a great concept - nothing in game terms probably has as much darkness and political appeal since Cannon Fodder; is art in as much as it'll challenge you to reflect on your own behaviour and that of society around you, make you reconsider your options. I am glad it's out there - but it sits at an odd space in between an adventure that you play for the story and procedural generated game play. I.e. I guess it suffers from a similar problem as FTL, or actually more so given the more rigidly scripted structure; the game play is interesting enough but not emergent to the degree that, I feel, it'll really hold up long term. I am not quite sure the procedural / infinite game play modes he's aiming to include really hold up or fix that either. Also - I honestly do hope it's not losing out too much by the hype it is getting - I think the best game experience will be for those that come at it as 'neutrals' with little to no pre-knowledge of what awaits them - as with much philosophical / political art that questions your assumptions, too. In a way it's the equivalent of an expertly written short story - tightly scripted, exploring a particular concept and theme well, but lacking the broadness and width a novel may have.

It;d be great if he does manage to open up the game to some really meaningful modding - much beyond what FTL offers - and I'd hope there's people out there other than him that could produce something equally well brought together within that framework.
Post edited August 03, 2013 by Mnemon
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yinhh: depends on whether you want to support GOG, the biggest DRM free distribution channel, or Steam.
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Pheace: You seem to be confused. Neither of his options involved paying Steam.
you don't suppose Steam is going to generate a bunch of keys for the developer for free so that he can sell it elsewhere without taking a cut right?
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Pheace: You seem to be confused. Neither of his options involved paying Steam.
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yinhh: you don't suppose Steam is going to generate a bunch of keys for the developer for free so that he can sell it elsewhere without taking a cut right?
That's exactly how it works, so yes I suppose that. Feel free to read the Steamworks page.
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Mnemon: Biggest concern I have is how much long term life this one has, though, now that I went through the demo twice.
I had a similar thought on my second playthrough. It's hard to tell how much was due to its unfiinshed beta state.

Then I thought about the old adventure games, Like Monkey Island, which I've played through multiple times over the last couple of decades even though its exactly the same each time. Its like watching a movie for a second time.

I don't think long life and replayability is necessarily reliant upon procedural content and variability. A finely crafted and memorable experience can sometimes lead us to want to relive them, even when we know what will happen.
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yinhh: you don't suppose Steam is going to generate a bunch of keys for the developer for free so that he can sell it elsewhere without taking a cut right?
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Pheace: That's exactly how it works, so yes I suppose that. Feel free to read the Steamworks page.
can you provide a reference to that? this is the first time i've heard such a thing and i cannot find it on Steamworks page.

if that's true, why can't every developer sell his keys elsewhere to avoid the 30% (or 40%?) cut Steam takes?
Post edited August 03, 2013 by yinhh
Well, I figured out how to detain the alleged murderer and the human trafficker. I also got a strange coin for letting the wife without entry papers in. I'm sure there are a few more things I've missed in the beta.

As far as people concerned about longevity, the developer has said there will be about 20 different endings. But I've been playing the beta constantly, trying to improve my efficiency (I can get 12 passports checked in a game day) so I think I'll be good when this comes out. The game makes up for its graphical shortcomings (though I think they fit the tone of the game well) with a different and interesting sort of gameplay.

I'm really debating taking the main theme and putting it as my ringtone for work :P

Edit: Never mind, mods will not be supported in the final release.
Post edited August 03, 2013 by Ophelium
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Ophelium: Well, I figured out how to detain the alleged murderer and the human trafficker. I also got a strange coin for letting the wife without entry papers in. I'm sure there are a few more things I've missed in the beta.
Did you ever figure out what the black piece of paper with "Corman Dex" on the back was all about?

I'm currently stopping myself from the playing the beta anymore because I don't want to get too tired of the gameplay before the full version comes out.
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Ophelium: Well, I figured out how to detain the alleged murderer and the human trafficker. I also got a strange coin for letting the wife without entry papers in. I'm sure there are a few more things I've missed in the beta.
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PMIK: Did you ever figure out what the black piece of paper with "Corman Dex" on the back was all about?

I'm currently stopping myself from the playing the beta anymore because I don't want to get too tired of the gameplay before the full version comes out.
Don't you meet him at some point? I remember at the end of the demo a guy coming up and saying "Do you have something for me?", I think he gave me the weird coin because I remember seeing one and I didn't let the woman through. I think it must be foreshadowing a revolution movement you can participate in.
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Pheace: That's exactly how it works, so yes I suppose that. Feel free to read the Steamworks page.
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yinhh: can you provide a reference to that? this is the first time i've heard such a thing and i cannot find it on Steamworks page.
From the Steamworks pages (emphasis added):
Keep all of your users together no matter where or how they get your game. Steamworks has a host of features and services that support your retail product and any digital copies, wherever they are sold. It’s free. There is no per-copy activation charge or bandwidth fee.
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yinhh: if that's true, why can't every developer sell his keys elsewhere to avoid the 30% (or 40%?) cut Steam takes?
They can, many just choose not to. This is in part because there aren't that many options with lower cuts - it's basically only Humble Store and direct sales that allow you to get a larger share of the money; 30% is basically an industry standard at this point.

Humble Store is gaining popularity, however, and several games do indeed sell through there with added Steam keys - including this game.
Post edited August 03, 2013 by Pidgeot
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Ophelium: Well, I figured out how to detain the alleged murderer and the human trafficker. I also got a strange coin for letting the wife without entry papers in. I'm sure there are a few more things I've missed in the beta.
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PMIK: Did you ever figure out what the black piece of paper with "Corman Dex" on the back was all about?

I'm currently stopping myself from the playing the beta anymore because I don't want to get too tired of the gameplay before the full version comes out.
I never figured out what that was about. Corman shows up a few people after you get the paper but there wasn't anything special about it, though Corman's papers always seem to be in order.
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yinhh: can you provide a reference to that? this is the first time i've heard such a thing and i cannot find it on Steamworks page.

if that's true, why can't every developer sell his keys elsewhere to avoid the 30% (or 40%?) cut Steam takes?
As already referenced above, "It’s free: There’s no charge for bandwidth, updating, or activation of copies at retail or from third-party digital distributors."

Nothing is stopping them from selling elsewhere. The benefit for Steam is the guaranteed patronage Steam will get from people who buy the keys, and possible future sales directly from their platform as long term result.
Lol some of you are such cheapskates. $10? Are you seriously begrudging $10 for at least 4-6hrs original entertainment on story mode (just one play through) and then the three different endless modes? You couldn't even go the Cinema for 2 hours for £10 never mind $10.

Some gamers really piss me off, what planet do you live on? Things like this cost money and time to make, you don't have to buy it but don't insult the devs with your completely juvenile views on value for money.
Post edited August 04, 2013 by BritishStephen