Papers, Please

Story

The gameplay of Papers, Please focuses on the working life of an immigration inspector at a border checkpoint in the fictional Eastern Bloc country of Arstotzka. The player checks the papers of potential immigrants and uses a sparse selection of tools to determine if the papers are in order in order to keep spies, smugglers, and other undesirables out of the country. At the end of each game day, the player earns money based on how many immigrants he has processed, minus penalties for mistakes, and then must decide on a simple budget to spend that money on rent, food, heating and other necessities in simple housing for himself and his family. As relations between Arstotzka and neighboring countries deteriorate due to several terrorist attacks, new rules for immigration are introduced every day, based on the game's history, such as rejecting citizens of certain countries or requiring stricter identification. The player will face moral dilemmas and social engineering throughout the game, such as letting an immigrant's supposed spouse through despite not having full papers, even though he may be planning to attack your fellow guards. Also, a mysterious anti-government organization appears, whose members show up at the checkpoint and give the inspector instructions on what to do to help the organization overthrow the government and establish a new one; the player can choose whether to help this organization or not. The game has a scripted story mode with several possible endings that depend on the player's previous actions, as well as an unlockable randomized endless game mode. Papers, Please has been praised for its sense of immersion through gameplay mechanics and intense emotional response.[12] Jonathan Ore of CBC News called Papers, Please a "nerve-wracking detective game with relentless pacing and dozens of compelling characters - all while working a desk job."