Papers, Please

Papers, Please is set in the communist state of Arstotzka, which has just ended a six-year war with neighboring Kolechia and reclaimed its half of the border town, Grestin. As an immigration inspector, you control who enters the Arstotzkan side of Grestin from Kolechia. Among the crowds of immigrants and visitors seeking work are smugglers, spies, and terrorists. Using only travelers’ documents and the Ministry of Admission’s primitive inspect, search, and fingerprint systems, you must decide who is allowed in—and who will be denied entry or arrested.

Papers, Please is a simulation game about the workday routine of an immigration inspector at a border checkpoint in the fictional Eastern Bloc nation of Arstotzka. The core gameplay focuses on checking would-be immigrants’ documents and using a limited set of tools to determine whether their papers are valid, with the goal of keeping spies, smugglers, and other unwanted individuals out. At the end of each in-game day, the player is paid based on how many people they processed, minus penalties for mistakes. That income must be budgeted across essentials such as rent, food, heat, and other needs for the inspector and their family living in low-class housing. As Arstotzka’s relations with neighboring countries worsen following multiple terrorist attacks, each day introduces new immigration rules tied to the story—such as denying entry to citizens of certain nations or requiring stricter forms of identification. The player also faces moral dilemmas and social engineering as the plot escalates, including choices like whether to admit a supposed spouse who lacks complete paperwork even if they may be planning an attack on fellow guards. A mysterious anti-government organization also emerges, with members appearing at the checkpoint to issue instructions intended to help topple the government and install a new one; the player can choose whether to cooperate. The game features a scripted story mode with multiple endings based on player actions, plus an unlockable randomized endless mode. Papers, Please has been praised for the immersion created by its mechanics and its intense emotional impact.[12] CBC News’ Jonathan Ore described it as a “nerve-racking sleuthing game with relentless pacing and dozens of compelling characters - all from a desk job.”