Papers, Please

a tragic tale of sitting at a security booth. there are some funny moments and very sad moments, but all in all, it's a very excellent game.

Literally worth every cent and every second you spend on it. Super entertaining as a game, but it's waaaay more than that: it's an encapsulated life lesson about money, work, life priorities, morals, social class, immigrant hate and corruption. IMO I'd say it's one of the best games that ever existed. Also, I love its unique pixelated visual style

The only thing I disagree with is the fact that Arstotzka is called communist. It is not. You're not supposed to work to death to provide only the basic for you and your family, that's actually capitalism lol. I was surprised with this description in the official FAQ of the game, yet I don't blame the dev though, he did a great job at framing all of the other innuendos I mentioned before, he just might be unaware of this since we're fed capitalism propaganda all the time. Nonetheless, 10/10 would definitely recommend it

Great game!

The premise is simple, mechanics are simple, the graphics are nostalgic!
the moral dilemmas the game puts you in are very well done and the progression system is great.
I love it!

This game prepared me for any task involving data management & verification. The different endings will keep you replaying the game figuring out how your choices truly matter, with a save system that allows you to go back to specific days make keep it from feeling like a pointless replay.

Amazing themes
Surprisingly good gameplay for a border checkpoint game
Glory to arstokza

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☑ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☑ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☑ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☑ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☑ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☑ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☑ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☑ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☐ Worth the price
☑ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☑ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

Had to play this for a class and it was so much fun! I loved analyzing it and seeing how much thought and effort was put into this game!

You are a checkpoint officer in communist Arstotzka.
Accept or deny entrants.
Any wrong move and your family is dead. Goodluck.

8/10. Would replay again,

a simple gameplay loop but it is executed so effectively!
the story is portrayed in such a great way and it just goes so hard

This game R U L E S! It's good for people who don't have a strong computer. It has a great story for just being a game about working as a border inspector. The trope of new rules is amazing and the interactions with the characters are cool. Simple, easy but enjoyable game. 10/10!

I bought it because I heard of many positive things about the game, and it did not disappoint me.

Although the graphics or the art are not to your taste, I would say that you should give it a chance, and the art is actually unique and great.

The gameplay itself is quite simple, and the game explains it to you well. It slowly introduces you to new mechanics, increasing the difficulty as the game progresses. Basically, it adds more things that you needed to inspect or observe as a border inspector.

Personally, though, I think the best aspect of this game is, of course, the story. The story branches out quite a lot, and there are many endings. And I love how it questions my moral compass (turns out being a goody two shoes does not always end well.)

Overall, it is an excellent game, as they said, and a memorable one too. As an achievement hunter, it is an enjoyable experience to collect all of them.

Glory to Arstotzka!

Very fun and exciting, gets you to use your brain. Focusing on different things at once makes you stress about getting something wrong but overall very very fun

i played this game for like five hours in 2013 and then never again. I have very fond memories even though it was just a single saturday afternoon over a decade ago.

"cosy" game about bureaucracy where my neighbours snitched on me for accepting a bribe and my entire family died cold and hungry. 10/10 would recommend

Classic short game, at its time its a unique game especially for it being an indie game that is able to attract large content creators at that time?

Does it hold up to this day, especially from its hype? Absolutely.

You can choose to be careful or rush them out, risking losing potential profit in either ways like out of time, a border attack, or a citation. Any playstyle works, although once you found out which days are scripted and which are not, one can plan ahead.

Managing your family is simple, you starve them for one day or leave them with no heat. Great if you are low in cash or actively pursuing an apartment related achievement.

My experience? Once you unlock the Snifer RIfle and go guns blazing against the crowd, or poison the target and deny him, causing many immigrants to die in the process, ensuing a mass panic.

20 endings to discover, 3 related to the achievements. Overall the game is very good especially for its replayabillity. You can do endless mode once you accomplish the main ending of the game.

One of the best games ever created. Replayed so many times, and still return often

Love this game, well worth the money! Even though it's short, you can still have a lot of fun replaying it (not even considering the endless mode) and getting the achievements!

Good fun! At this point I can tell every issuing city and where it is located in the game by heart. I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing. Eather way a good game and a must play.

I found it through Jacksepticeye. Oh my goodness, such a good game. It eases you into the mechanics, until in the final few days of the campaign, you're having to check half a dozen different things, but they all make sense to you, because they were drip fed to you. Very fun, very enjoyable, and Glory to Arstotzka!

Very cool, definitely unique, but the later days are too hard for me. I think I handle the game's stress wrong, but many people have an easier time. So I haven't played it that much, but I'll still recommend it.

I let a terrorist through through border then was caught helping a resistance organization and was arrested after I shot the innocent people trying to cross the border. 10/10 game would recommend.

---{Graphics}---
☐ You forget what reality is
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ graphics.exe has stopped working.

---{Gameplay}---
☐ Addictive
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It‘s alright?
☐ Meh
☐ Staring at walls is better
☐ Just don‘t

---{Audio}---
☑ Incredible
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ Horrendous

---{Audience}---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Average Solitare Players

---{PC Requirements}---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☑ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Very Good
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{Difficulty}---
☐ Just press A
☐ Easy
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☑ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{Grind}---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards and ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You‘ll need a second life for grinding

---{Story}---
☐ Story?
☐ Text or Audio floating around
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Lovely
☐ It‘ll replace your life

---{Game Time}---
☐ Long enough to stand up
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{Price}---
☐ There is no "price"
☑ Worth the price
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{Bugs}---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ Assassin‘s Creed: Unity
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

Loved the style of this game, absolutely great story line with 20 endings is insane, though Dimitri can Suck it.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☐ Teens
☑ Adults
☑ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☑ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☑ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☑ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☑ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

Excellent story. Great gameplay for detail-oriented people. A bit short, but every minute is worth it.

*Papers, Please* is a brilliant indie game that puts you in the role of a border control officer in a fictional, authoritarian state. While processing travelers, you’ll face tough moral decisions and confront the human cost of bureaucracy. The game’s simple mechanics, paired with its gripping narrative, make it an intellectually stimulating and emotionally charged experience. With its minimalist art style and intense atmosphere, *Papers, Please* challenges players to think critically about power, ethics, and the consequences of their actions. A must-play for anyone looking for a game that makes you think.

A simple but fantastic adventure. The attention to detail in this game is incredible. I loved getting to experiment with the story and try out different tactics. I absolutely loved playing this game. Glory to Arstotzka 9.5/10

Who knew it would be so engaging and entertaining to be a passport control agent? Love the story and different ways you can play it. Beautifully animated and polished throughout. 10/10

In my opinion this game is such a classical masterpiece you just have to play it at least once in your lifetime. Basicly a border patrol pixel game which can get where overwhelming and immersive very quickly...

If you have attention to detail and about 10 hours of time, sit down and play this. Very simple. Builds upon its concepts. Great game, multiple endings.

Really fun puzzle game. Incredibly unique and has lots of branching paths to the story.

I really like the game, though the content can get a bit heavy - which is kinda the point. The mechanics build on top of each other in a nice way. I HIGHLY recommend getting a cheat sheet to glance at to save some time for the issuing cities though. Flipping through the manual can become tedious.

I can see why this one gained a cult following. It's an incredibly unique concept for a game and it shows a glimpse into the seemingly never-ending creative potential of the indies, however... I don't think this one is for me. I quickly became bored to the point of almost falling asleep by the repetition of checking papers ad infinitum. I suppose that's kind of the point, but it wasn't exactly a fun time.

This game is... sufficient. XD

It sounds weird but this one is a wild one! It certainly is a mix up from what we usually think of as a game, or at least it was when it came out. Still holds up, still fun.

Simple straight forward game with the added bonus of having different outcomes with it being decision driven. Makes you think about things you otherwise would not have to consider. Love it.

As close to idle gaming as you can get with attention to details.

For a pixel art game where you meticulously check documents as a immigration officer at a border checkpoint, which sounds extremely boring, this game was so fun and hilarious. I wish this game was much longer and had a lot more than the 20 or so endings.

It might not be for everyone since it requires you to pay attention, be detail-oriented and remember a whole bunch of things while the overall complexity creeps up quite a bit over time. As someone who enjoys that sort of thing, I love this game but, at the same time, I can see how it can be quite demanding/taxing for someone.

Great game if you're detail oriented and like tediousness. Only complaint is that it isn't very long if you're not a completionist. (Main ending takes 6 hours) (But there's 20 endings so if you're into that)

A masterful blend between storytelling and perpetual stress caused by an increasing workload and a depressing hellscape of the world you live in. One of the best games I have ever played, one that made me depressed yet euphoric when I made enough money to support my family.

Buy it and play it and experience Soviet-era depression, it will change you forever.

Quite fun with a great storyline. Fun trying to figure out how to have everyone survive (had uncle die as there was no way)

One of the best indie games out there, for how short the experience is, it is truly amazing how gripping the plot and characters are. The multiple endings are a nice touch as well to see how well you did or if youre being killed tomorrow. Everyone should play this game.

Very fun little game, easy to get into, but you have to be observant to succeed.

This game is very fun.I don't know in which category to put it in but it still a very good game with a good story and fun gameplay.

This has got to be the most fun i had checking papers.

Struggles with moral ambiguity and utilizing all the mechanics it introduces, but is fun enough for few hours it lasts.
Glory to Arstotzka is the only true ending.

Classic game I end up returning to every year. Gameplay loop is simple but super fun, and is tied very closely with the world. There is a variety of interesting characters to meet, all with their own stories, and the game makes it so that it isn't always obvious what the correct thing to do is, and gives you no indication whether your choice was "right". The game is also very replayable, with 20 different endings of varying uniqueness, along with collectibles for doing specific tasks in game.

really one of the pinnacles of ludonarrative harmony in games: the gameplay supports the themes - the constantly changing rules, constant state of frenzy, feeling like you're living in the state of nature - all go to forward the games' themes about autocracy and kleptocracy

10/10
I just love it so much, i wish it was getting a new content tough.

Fantastic game! Had it sitting in my library for years until I started playing it at the beginning of 2025 in an attempt to go through my Steam backlog. Boy, was I late! But I finally played it and it deserves all the praise it gets. I'm temping now to check out Lucas Pope's other games because of it.

It was pretty fun. The last day was the most stressful of the game .glory to Arstotzka

A great game. It reminds me that my mind isn't what it used to be. It's a little difficult to keep everything you need to use in front of you for easy access. It seems like if I really worked in this customs booth I would have this stuff memorized or on a poster on the wall. Heck, they even had computers back in 1982 that I could hav used to do this stuff.