GameSided Top 10 Games Of 2013 | Daniel’s Picks

4. Papers, Please

Glory to Arstotzka! Papers, Please is a truly odd game in the fact that, on the surface level, it sounds boring. You play a border crossing agent in a dystopian, 1980’s Eastern European-esque world that lets in or denies tourists and citizens to your homeland of Arstotzka. Discrepancies in permits and passports are what to look for. Digging deeper you’ll find the game sees a great deal of emotional torment, moral choices and a unique style of gameplay that is customizable to each player.

What sets Papers, Please apart is just how unconventional it is. The traditional trope of “Do job well, pay for X, advance” exists, but it truly is up to the player how to experience the game. You are handed a myriad of booklets to place on a desk so you know who to accept or deny (hint: Kolechians). The placement of your documents, hurriedly speeding through them to increase your wage; the anxiety to do well quickly is a user-driven experience.

Indie games used to get a bad rap. However, in a time when military shooters are becoming more and more prevalent, we need more developers like Lukas Pope to try new things, make new genres and force players to dwell upon their choices. Papers, Please is a welcome addition to the realm of respectable gaming.