Papers, Pleaseball

Papers, Please is a puzzle video game created by indie game developer Lucas Pope, developed and published through his company, 3909. The game was released on August 8, 2013, for Microsoft Windows and OS X, for Linux on February 12, 2014, and for iOS on December 12, 2014. A port for the PlayStation Vita was announced in August 2014, and released on December 12, 2017. Papers, Please has the player take the role of a border crossing immigration officer in the fictional dystopian Eastern Bloc-like country of Arstotzka, which has been and continues to be at political hostilities with its neighboring countries. The game takes place at the border of East and West Grestin, in a fictional parallel East/West Berlin. As the officer, the player must review each immigrant and returning citizen's passports and other supporting paperwork against a list of ever-increasing rules using a number of tools and guides, allowing in only those with the proper paperwork, rejecting those without all proper forms, and at times detaining those with falsified information. The player is rewarded in their daily salary for how many people they have processed correctly in that day, while being fined for making mistakes; the salary is used to help provide shelter, food, and heat for the player's in-game family. In some cases, the player will be presented with moral decisions, such as approving entry of a pleading spouse of a citizen despite the lack of proper paperwork, knowing this will affect their salary. The game deals with the issues of keeping up with immigration policy in an ever-changing political environment. In addition to a story mode which follows several scripted events that occur within Arstotzka, the game includes an endless mode that challenges the player to process as many immigrants as possible.

Pope came upon the idea of passport-checking as a gameplay mechanic after witnessing the behavior of immigration officers through his own international travels. He coupled this with a narrative inspired by spy thriller films, having the immigration officer be one to challenge spies trying to move in or out of countries with fake travel documents. He was able to build on principles and concepts from some of his earlier games, including his The Republia Times from which he also borrowed the setting of Arstotzka. Pope publicly shared details of the game's development from its onset, leading to high interest in the title and encouraging him to put more effort into it; though he initially planned to only spend a few weeks, Pope ended up spending about nine months on the game.

Papers, Please was positively received on its release, and it has come to be seen as an example of an empathy game and a demonstration of video games as an art form. The game was recognized with various awards and nominations from the Independent Games Festival, Game Developers Choice Awards, and BAFTA Video Games Awards, and was named by Wired and The New Yorker as one of the top games of 2013. Pope reported that by 2016, more than 1.8 million copies of the title had been sold.

The game has 20 endings.

Ending 1 is where the inspecter runs into debt and gets arrested.

Ending 2 is where the inspector's entire family is gone. And the inspector gets arrested.

Ending 3 is where Ministry of Information investigator, M. Vonel comes on Day 12 asking information for EZIC.

If the inspector gives both EZIC documents he got before, he gets arrested.

Ending 4 is in the end of Day 11, a strange man brings 1000 money to the inspector. If the inspector burns them, the man brings 2000 on the end of Day 12. If either of these gifts are accepted and not burned, the neighbors of the inspector will report the inspector and the inspector's savings are confisficated. Day 13 is pending investigation. EZIC will then send an agent to help the inspector within the investigation. If the agent is denied, the investigation will proceed and M. Vonel will arrest the inspector in Day 15.

Ending 5 is if the inspector shoots an bystander (innocent person) with the sniper rifle and then he gets arrested.

Ending 6 is if the inspector shoots an bystander (innocent person) with the tranquilizer gun and then he gets arrested.

Ending 7 is if the inspector shoots an guard with the sniper rifle and then gets arrested.

Ending 8 is if the inspector shoots an guard with the tranquilizer gun and then gets arrested.

Ending 9 is if the inspector shoots the man in red (EZIC target) with the sniper rifle then gets arrested.

Ending 10 is if the inspector shoots the man in red (EZIC target) with the tranquilizer gun then gets arrested.

Ending 11 is if Dimitri (Ministry of Admission Supervisor) see's unauthorized wall hangings like the family photo, son's drawing and the Arskickers Pennant for the second time and arrests the inspector.

Ending 12 is if the inspector detains Shae Piersovska on Day 25 and the next day Dimitri will arrest the inspector.

Ending 13 is if the inspecter has completed fewer then four EZIC tasks and shoots the lower attacker and shoots the upper attacker after the wall has been destroyed, the inspector is arrested.

Ending 14 is if the inspector had completed four or more EZIC tasks and does not care about the note that the EZIC messenger gave and shoots the attackers, he is arrested the next day.

Ending 15 is if the inspector has completed four or more EZIC tasks and shoots the lower attacker but the wall is blown up, the inspector gets arrested.

Ending 16 is where the inspector escapes to Obristan but not all of his living family members.

Ending 17 is if the inspector completed one to three EZIC tasks and shoots both attackers and the wall remains intact. The next day the inspector gets arrested for helping EZIC.

Ending 18 is if the inspector escapes to Obristan with all of his living family members.

Ending 19 is if the inspector completed four or more EZIC tasks and does not shoot any attackers. EZIC will make the inspector their agent and move his family to a better apartment.

Ending 20 is if the inspector did not complete any EZIC tasks and shoot both attackers, he passes the audit and a new deal with Kolechia is made. Code for Endless Mode is revealed here: 62131

Nations
For Papers, Pleaseballs' Nations go to Papers, Pleaseball/Nationballs