In my quest to play more computer-based games, I spent my weekend playing my newest discovery: Papers Please.
The game is available on all computer systems and was only $7.99 on the game’s website. I had heard about the game through friends, and after researching, I learned that it’s critically acclaimed and was picked as a top game from a variety of game reviewers in 2013.
Set in an imaginary nation called Aristotzka in the 1980s, the aim of the game is to play as an immigration officer and inspect documents. You can either approve or deny entry for citizens trying to enter the country.
Though it sounds like the game would be repetitive and boring, Papers Please forces you to make some moral decisions in order to help you and your family survive.
You must make enough money to pay for rent, food and heat for your family. You make $5 for every citizen you process, but you will occasionally have to pay penalties if you make a mistake.
You check passports, ID cards and work permits while making sure the dates, photos and numbers match up. For most problems, you can simply deny entry to Aristotzka, but for others the citizen will be detained.
I can’t help but think this game is a lot more complex than other games — not in how you play but in the meanings behind it. Papers Please doesn’t have any kind of complex graphics — in fact, it uses very unsophisticated graphics that fit into its setting in the 1980s.
There are many moral decisions present in the game: Should you take the gift of money that would help keep your family alive but is from a mysterious organization in question by the government? Should you risk denying entry to the woman who just wants to immigrate to Aristotzka with her husband but can’t because her photo doesn’t match? Should you give up the secret documents you were given to your boss when he asks?
The game has 12 different endings, and they can be found in different parts of the games depending on how you play. The first time I played, I lost within 20 minutes because I was in debt after not checking the documents thoroughly. The next time, I lost for other reasons (which I will keep secret so I don’t ruin the game for you).
Each day, new things happen in the game. New procedures are put in place, there are new wanted criminals to watch out for and new events take place in Aristotzka. The procedure to check citizens’ information gets more and more intense as the game goes on.
I’m intrigued to keep playing the game and learn what the different endings are. The game kept me wanting more, and I know I’ll be returning to Aristotzka to finish my work.
Sophie Kruse is a sophomore studying journalism and a writer for The Post. What games have you been playing? Email her at sk139011@ohiou.edu.
This column originally appeared in print under the headline "Gamer plays immigration officer in ‘Papers Please’"
