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Sunday 26 August, 2018
Playing Papers, Please is kind of like going back in time to Berlin Wall-Era Germany. The game takes place in the fictional country of Arstotska, where strict border control determines the lives of many hopeful immigrants and passerby. Some immigrants are fleeing persecution from their native country, some wish to sojourn until they get back on their feet, and some are trying to enter for a myriad of other reasons. You, the player, decide each person’s fate as the inspector each day, as new immigration laws are implemented almost daily based on in-game events. The player must keep up with these new laws, while also balancing their own morality and earning enough to provide their son, wife, and extended family.
I played this game for about 2 hours. At first I found the gameplay tedious and a little difficult, as not much explanation is given. After a bit, I acclimated to the game’s language and started to catch on more quickly. One thing I found particularly difficult was balancing my own morality against the needs of my family- being able to help out the immigrants in a pinch was appealing to me, yet it gave me almost no margin for error. I found that if I chose to abide by their pleas, I would find myself drowning in citations and left with very little money to take care of my family. If that wasn’t hard enough, the sheer volume of ethical dilemmas I encountered in my first two hours of gameplay was almost overwhelming. I had to turn down a woman who lacked the proper credentials to immigrate, and forced her to return home- a veritable death sentence. This instance gave me more motivation to work with the other immigrants, so I was able to prevent a woman’s stalker from entering the country. But as the requirements for immigration become more and more complex, my best and fastest work barely allows me to break even. Although this is just a game, its very disheartening when I have to make a decision that compromises my moral integrity.
Finally, I’d like to applaud the developers of the game for immersing the player so deeply in the position of border inspectors. Although I do find the gameplay tedious and stressful, I found also find that those features put the player in a position to empathize with the main character and others in his role. Having a job that constantly forces you to weigh survival and ethics many times throughout the day is incomprehensibly draining, an the fact that you make so little adds even more pressure onto every decision. This game clearly has a point of view and a message, and I want to further clarify what those are by the end of my third game log.
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