Game Review: Papers Please

Game: Papers Please
Console: PC
Developer: Lucas Pope
Release Date: 8th August 2013

If you keep even slightly up to date with the gaming community, chances are that you've heard of 'Papers, Please', the indie office-job sim that made it onto many 'Best of ' lists in 2013. Players assume the role of a citizen of Arzstotska who is picked to perform the job of border crossing attendant in a labour lottery. From the very beginning of the game, Arzstotska is established as a generic eastern European style communist dictatorship with political tensions affecting the relationships between the country and its neighbours.

Throughout the game, these tensions serve to slowly escalate the difficulty of the tasks presented to the player. Initially only the passport details of potential immigrants have to be checked against known information, but by the end of the game there's entry passes, work permits, I.D supplements, vaccination records and more to worry about. Assessing whether all of the information on the supplied documents matches will ultimately inform the player's decision to approve or reject the applicant.

As the game progresses new rules are added and taken away, and it's up to the player to remember what rules apply to each day. Discrepancies can be questioned if necessary, and fingerprinting, full body searches and defensive weapons in case of terrorist attacks are added to the tools available, giving a feel of development to later gameplay. For every correct approval/denial, the player earns 5 credits towards food, housing and keeping their family warm. At times it can be hard just to break even, with all of the strains on your income. If more than 2 potential immigrants are wrongly assessed then players begin to receive financial penalties for bad performance also.

As well as the pressure of earning enough money to keep their family alive, players also must consider the plight of various recurring characters at the checkpoint, lovers separated by the border, people attempting to bribe their way through, and most importantly to the game's story, political terror groups who wish to enlist the skills of a border official. It's up to players whether to help out any of these individuals or not, and depending on their choice, one of the twenty different game endings will be achieved on, or before the 31st day of work.

The real charm of this game comes from living the day-to-day life of a checkpoint officer, and attempting to keep concentration long enough to check all relevant information, while assessing the best course of action for each decision and providing enough income to feed and house family members. While the core gameplay may not appeal to some due to its perceived monotony, I found that the tweaks each day's rules, and overarching story kept things interesting enough.

Graphically, the game is presented in a simple pixel style which helps to focus players on the task at hand and keep the feel of the era in which the game is set. The sound is appropriate for the game with an interesting theme and sound effects, which contribute to the overall ambience. If you're looking for a simple game to pass some time, or just something a little different from the normal gaming experience, I'd reccomend giving 'Papers, Please' a try.

Rating: 81/100
Grade: B