Free-to-play border police sim
Papers, Please
is a
free
simulator
from 3909 LLC. This is the Android port of the hit
single-player
puzzle sim released on other platforms in 2013 and in 2014. In this game, you experience being a
border security personnel
assigned in the fictional country of
Arstotzka
. As the border police, the lives of countless immigrants are at your hands as you decide who gets to enter your country.
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Papers, Please uses
simple, pixelated graphics
that lets you immerse yourself in its world-building, resembling the European Eastern bloc. It’s a deeper, more serious take on games like
Border Patrol Police Simulator
.
Keep your homeland safe
Papers, Please has a fascinating premise. You work as border police tasked with
checking the paperwork
of people attempting to enter Arstotzka. Your
landlocked nation
has come off a six-year war with a neighboring state and remains in high tension with the rest of the countries around it. Right from the bat, you are informed of this premise and your actions could result in
various ending scenarios
.
What made this game highly praised during its release is the depth that it offers. You budget your
earnings
—legal or otherwise—to sustain your family, and you even have the opportunity to work with a
mysterious organization
to overthrow the government. It also offers a lot of tools for you to explore, from simply
checking passports
and documents to ordering
full body scans
to find contrabands.
It has
simple graphics
but it has an immersive experience. However, expect a certain level of mental or emotional challenge for some players due to
morally conflicting choices
. Furthermore, there are specific endings that are difficult to unlock, requiring
specific actions
to be taken in order to access them. Since the premise revolves around a clerical job, it can also
get tiring
as you try to complete a month.
An immersive, conflicting experience
Those who have played Papers, Please on other platforms could surely attest to this game
pushing the boundaries of the medium
, and the same can be said for its Android port. Get immersed in a
fictional world
much like the real one, and make
in-game choices
that can make you change how you see the world. If anything, the use of simplistic graphics makes you focus deeper. Highly recommended.