it's hard to really say anything new about papers please in 2022, and yet it still hold up. fantastically so. lucas pope's creation of what amounts to, in my opinion, some kind of mix of a horror game and a paperwork simulator is set amongst the backdrop of a totalitarian police state with the player given the unfortunate and depressing task of managing the border checkpoint. through this tiny, cramped and claustrophobic office, you experience the story of many characters, are given countless absurd and complex rules and responsibilities, and just try to make ends meet for you and your family. the story is shockingly good for what the game is, and emotionally effected me on multiple times (comedy with jorji, pathos with sergiu and elisa for two examples). it never stopped being compelling and i apparently have barely scratched the surface of the narrative based on how many endings there are. and that leads to the mechanics of the game, which are unbelievably sublime and satisfying in a tactile way. the sound of the stamps, the shuffling of paper, the constant need to reexamine documents and move them around on your laughably tiny workspace never stops being a horrifying joy, and i can see why people adore the endless mode just as much as the campaign. aesthetically, the game does everything exactly right, with incredible and evocative character art, oppressive and lifeless color schemes, and a mix of ambient soundscapes of cars driving by and the heavy breathing of the person infront of you trying to get across the border. and that militaristic title theme has no right to be that good! the only complaint is that the ending i got, the music sounded.........kinda goofy? but that is an unbelievably small nitpick in this amazing game. it's well worth your time and money. but you already knew that, didn't you?

it's hard to really say anything new about papers please in 2022, and yet it still hold up. fantastically so. lucas pope's creation of what amounts to, in my opinion, some kind of mix of a horror game and a paperwork simulator is set amongst the backdrop of a totalitarian police state with the player given the unfortunate and depressing task of managing the border checkpoint. through this tiny, cramped and claustrophobic office, you experience the story of many characters, are given countless absurd and complex rules and responsibilities, and just try to make ends meet for you and your family. the story is shockingly good for what the game is, and emotionally effected me on multiple times (comedy with jorji, pathos with sergiu and elisa for two examples). it never stopped being compelling and i apparently have barely scratched the surface of the narrative based on how many endings there are. and that leads to the mechanics of the game, which are unbelievably sublime and satisfying in a tactile way. the sound of the stamps, the shuffling of paper, the constant need to reexamine documents and move them around on your laughably tiny workspace never stops being a horrifying joy, and i can see why people adore the endless mode just as much as the campaign. aesthetically, the game does everything exactly right, with incredible and evocative character art, oppressive and lifeless color schemes, and a mix of ambient soundscapes of cars driving by and the heavy breathing of the person infront of you trying to get across the border. and that militaristic title theme has no right to be that good! the only complaint is that the ending i got, the music sounded.........kinda goofy? but that is an unbelievably small nitpick in this amazing game. it's well worth your time and money. but you already knew that, didn't you?