
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





Looking for games similar to Papers, Please?
We've ranked 24 similar games using 11 gameplay attributes.