4.5/5 ★ – jackohdee's review of Papers, Please.

Glory to Lucas Pope! When he invites you into the Arstotzkan guard booth, he's offering a distinct opportunity to inhabit a different life. Not the life of a puckish rogue archer or grizzled space marine, with their romantic adventures and heroic pursuits. It's a life that is filled with boredom and anxiety in equal parts, grinding through increasingly tedious tasks as the stress of hunger, illness, and secret police weighs you down. It's wild how much the "game" of this melts away when you get in a good groove. It's a job. You get better at it, but not in any way that's particularly satisfying. I chose to approach this playthrough as a guy just trying to get through the day - I didn't allow the desperate appeals for leniency or the moral conundrums to get in my way. There were too many things to keep in my mind - dates, stamps, names, measurements - to be distracted by the humanity of these characters. And therein lies the magic of Papers, Please. All of a sudden, I became the dreaded cold-hearted bureaucrat of the despotic regime. You see how easy it can happen. I'll say this is a tough one to get through. While it deserves 5-stars for it's original idea and brilliant execution, that doesn't mean it was altogether enjoyable. I wonder if the same effect could have been achieved with a 20-day run instead of 32. That's a minor quibble, though. Everyone should spend a some time in the boots of this iconic, faceless border inspector. Everyone should feel the pain of saving up for your son's birthday crayons, the joy when he draws you a picture to hang up in your work station, and the complete despondence when your superior fines you for unauthorized decoration. What a game. I'll miss you, Jorji.