Papers, Please

Papers, Please is a 2013 puzzle simulation video game by Lucas Pope, developed and published independently through his production company 3909 LLC. The game was released on August 8, 2013, for Microsoft Windows and OS X, for Linux on February 12, 2014, and for iOS on December 12, 2014. A port for the PlayStation Vita was announced in August 2014 and released on December 12, 2017. Ports for Android and an updated iOS version arrived in August 2022.

In Papers, Please, the player takes the role of a border-crossing immigration officer at the Grestin Border Checkpoint in the fictional dystopian country of Arstotzka, which maintains a longstanding state of mutual political hostility with its neighboring countries. The player must review travelers' passports and other supporting paperwork against an ever-growing list of rules using tools like a stamp, magnifying glass, and reference documents. Tasks include allowing in those with proper paperwork, rejecting those without all proper documents, detaining those with falsified information, and balancing personal finances. Each wrong decision results in a ticket that reduces daily earnings, creating pressure to be efficient and accurate.

Papers, Please was positively received on its release, and it has come to be seen as an example of an empathy game and a demonstration of video games as an art form. The game earned various awards and nominations from the Independent Games Festival, Game Developers Choice Awards, and BAFTA Video Games Awards, and was named by Wired and The New Yorker as one of the top games of 2013. By its tenth anniversary, Papers, Please had sold more than five million copies. [编辑]

Players take on the role of an immigration inspector at the Grestin Border Checkpoint. Each day, a line of travelers presents passports and supporting documents. Using a stamp, magnifying glass, and reference sheets, you must verify information against ever-changing rules. Accept valid entries, reject incomplete ones, and detain those with forged papers. Mistakes earn tickets that reduce your daily pay, which funds your family's needs: heating, food, and medicine. The game tracks accuracy and speed, with higher efficiency leading to better pay. You can also choose to accept bribes or help rebels, adding moral complexity. [编辑]

The game is set in 1982 in the fictional Eastern Bloc country of Arstotzka, which has been in a Cold War with neighboring Kolechia. As the inspector, you process immigrants and citizens at the border. Each day, news bulletins reveal political tensions, terrorist attacks, and shifting regulations. Recurring characters like the charming Jorji Costava appear with increasingly desperate schemes. Your choices affect your family: if you earn too little, your son may fall ill, your uncle may die, or you may be evicted. You can also aid a rebel group by letting their agents through, or report them to the state. The story culminates in a choice that determines the fate of your family and the country. [编辑]