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Papers, Please

Papers, Please — Genres, rating & game data

The creator of the game often travelled through Asia and made the observation that the work of an immigration officer checking documents for entry is simultaneously very monotonous and very responsible. The game reproduces this work - but scammers and unusual situations occur in it much more often t

Papers, Please is a simulation game developed by Lucas Pope, 2013. It stands out for narrative-driven gameplay. Available in single-player mode. With an NextGameLike Score of 89/100, it ranks as an exceptional title in our catalog.

About Papers, Please

The creator of the game often travelled through Asia and made the observation that the work of an immigration officer checking documents for entry is simultaneously very monotonous and very responsible. The game reproduces this work - but scammers and unusual situations occur in it much more often than in reality. The task of the player-officer is not to make a mistake, not to let an unwanted guest into the country. He has power, directories, translucent devices, etc., but experienced masters of deception and fraud act against him. The task of the player is complicated by the fact that his country is like all the paranoid dictatorships at the same time. This country fears a lot, seeks to control everything and periodically generates various rules. The game has a lot of humour, a lot of exciting puzzles and unexpected twists, including shooting. The visual and musical design of the game reflects the bizarre world of stupid rules, constant fear and mutual distrust.

How Papers, Please was received

Of the 78,929 Steam player reviews, 97% are positive. Critics score it 85/100 on Metacritic, reflecting acclaim.

Players

  • Steam players78,929 reviews97%Overwhelmingly positive
  • IGDB community705 reviews82/100

Critics

  • Metacritic85/100
  • IGDB5 reviews82/100

Aggregated from public ratings on Steam, IGDB, Metacritic and OpenCritic. NextGameLike does not host its own reviews.

NextGameLike Score

89/100 ↗

Rating

👍 91%

2K votes

Type

Simulation, Adventure, Puzzle

Released

2013

Updated May 2026

Developer

Lucas Pope

Publisher: 3909

Avg. playtime

~4h

Platforms

PC, PlayStation, iOS, Android, Apple Macintosh, Linux

Official trailer for Papers, Please

Screenshots of Papers, Please

Papers, Please screenshot 1
Papers, Please screenshot 2
Papers, Please screenshot 3
Papers, Please screenshot 4
Papers, Please screenshot 5

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