title image

Papers, Please

Roleplaying

Ratings

Age

16+

Category

Roleplaying

Languages

English

In Papers, Please, you play as an immigration inspector at a border checkpoint in the fictional nation of Arstotzka. Your job is to inspect passports and other documents to find smugglers, spies, and terrorists. As the rules become more complex and the political situation more volatile, you must decide how to handle moral dilemmas that affect your family's survival.

Dinsun Expert Review

Our Expert Score

98/100

Papers, Please is a triumph of game design that manages to make 'paperwork' the most stressful and emotionally taxing experience you'll have on an iPad. It’s a grim, dystopian mirror that forces you to choose between your humanity and the survival of your family. Do you let the weeping woman through despite her invalid passport, or do you deny her entry because you can't afford another citation that would mean no heat for your sick son?

The touch interface on mobile actually improves the experience, making the frantic shuffling of passports, entry permits, and rulebooks feel tactile and urgent. The pixel art is bleak and perfectly fits the 1980s Eastern Bloc aesthetic. It’s a game that stays with you long after you've reached one of its 20 endings. Glory to Arstotzka.

Dinsun reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026

Features

1

Full original game with 31 days and 20 unique endings

2

Multitouch support optimized for fast paperwork on mobile

3

Unlockable Endless mode with global leaderboards

4

Engaging 'Inspection Mode' for spotting forgeries

5

Profound narrative choices with lasting consequences

Tips & Walkthrough

Gameplays

Screenshot

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Q&A

Yes, the mobile version includes the complete original game and adds features like multitouch and Game Center achievements.

Ratings & Reviews

Invalid Date

An Arstotzkan Masterpiece
Mon Dec 21 2020 _ArGos_

In the world of mobile gaming, it’s getting increasingly hard to find decent content in an ocean of user-created slop and profit-driven monopolies. This one continues to be one of the best experiences on any platform, and will keep you entertained for hours. Papers, Please is very reminiscent of chess, it’s easy to pick up and very hard to master. You’ll find the initial processing of applicants a fair challenge and enjoyable, and will quickly master noticing minute discrepancies in traveler data. As a border enforcement agent, those discrepancies will get you fired if you miss them. The game evolves, though, and the amount of documentation you’ll need to check grows significantly. You’ll evolve with the game, and you’ll note that it’s a satisfying challenge to continue to improve yourself as you navigate it. A satisfying story mode is accompanied by assorted endless challenges once you’ve beaten the game, making sure you still have plenty to entertain you once you’ve passed the main portion. Pick this one up, give it a try, and take notice after you’ve started playing that an hour’s passed and you didn’t even know it.

Great game, huge recommend!!!
Sat Aug 05 2023 SAVESCUM

Sorry, don’t know how to edit previous review - only issue I have with this game (minor issue) is the bit where player has to determine whether the applicant’s sex is matching the passport. Often difficult to tell based on portrait! So I have got many citations for this. I am doing my best to catch up, but it seems arbitrary if some portraits aren’t easily distinguished between male or female. I would not want developer to make hyper-feminine or hyper-masculine portraits to correct this, or to remove this feature completely, but maybe some small details that better indicates applicant sex? Or, if not possible, remove feature entirely. Because plenty of people don’t fit typical ‘sexual dimorphism’

Great game - needs modern updates!
Wed Jul 03 2019 c00lkatz

Needs an update for landscape mode, at the bare minimum. Portrait mode on an iPad is doable, but not very comfortable for long sessions, especially with a keyboard case and Apple Pencil holder. It also repositions things so it’s completely different from the PC version, making it jarring to switch between the two. Also, like others, I feel it won’t be supported on newer versions of iOS soon or possibly on newer, bigger, higher resolution iPads, as has happened to other games I’ve purchased in the past - needs a compatibility update! An iPhone version would totally complete the package as well, but I can see how that would be difficult on such a small screen. But as for the game itself, super fun, and SUPER ADDICTIVE! Saw Pewdiepie and Jacksepticeye revisit this game, never heard of it, almost blew it off due to old graphics, but MAN what a fun game once you get into it. Love it, just needs proper modern iOS/iDevice support!

Shocked and Delighted!
Sat Sep 03 2022 Friendly neighborhood dubstep

I remember playing this in middle-school on PC when it first came out and later once they ported it to iPad. This (along with FTL) we’re two of the best indie games of that era to get ported to iPad, but neither had iPhone versions… until now!! I thought it was a bug when I was browsing through the App Store and saw a cloud download button next to… Papers, Please. So, I clicked on it, and much to my surprise, after *all* these years, Lucas Pope went out of his way to redesign the gameplay to fit on these tall phone screens we have now, much like he did for multitouch on the iPad years ago. Thank you!! Not only that, but at least in my experience, this redesign has made the game much easier by virtue of greater efficiency in accepting and returning documents, making it easier to earn money and progress. I’ve gotten further in the story I’m the past couple days than I ever did all the other times I played it. If you haven’t taken a look at this modern indie classic, give a spin and enjoy doing your part for your country! Glory to Arstotska!!

One of the most important games ever, now on mobile
Sun Feb 19 2023 gamergod2020

What can I say about this that hasn’t already been said? It’s a game that takes full advantage of its interactive medium to deliver a cohesive narrative and gameplay package unlike anything else. It’s rich in themes of 80’s era late-stage communism, corruption and the roles people play to survive in nightmarish conditions. It’s truly special, and feels like it’s true art from the heart. AAA studios spend millions trying to replicate a fraction of the feeling that this 5-dollar indie game does effortlessly. No amount of “cinematic” gameplay, lore-dumping, cutscenes or gimmicky mechanics ever come close to creating a comparable experience as this.

Great game, lots to do
Sun Jun 30 2024 rogerssds

The game itself is pretty darn good not gonna lie. The creators did a really good job, creating it and putting some time into it, the only thing that I would ask to update in it is to make it so that the text and the wording in there is a lot more clear to see and that the height difference and stuff like that is more eligible so we can actually see it, and I have to guess it because sometimes it makes it very blurry to see the lines and the height and the weight. Also add some more decor for like the stamps and the desk for people to use.

Fun, but many bugs and faults
Thu Oct 30 2025 Handsome St

I have been playing it for two days, and. it has been a pretty decent fun game. However, i feel like there is way too many bugs that should be fixed. Most important is the citations. Sometimes, no matter how hard i check the documents and how long i take, it still gives me a citation for something that i know I have checked through. I thought this is perhaps an in-game feature where they want to balance out your earnings, but i thought about it and it doesn’t make sense. I feel like it is a bug that should be fixed. Although it’s a fun game, the citations i get kind of kills all the fun. I hope the developers can fix it soon.

Very good game
Sat May 21 2022 Jakejamjob

It feels very real, and immersive. If you are considering buying it instead of the PC, or Mac version because of the layout difference, it’s actually hardly different and doesn’t affect gameplay all that much. I also saw another comment saying they didn’t have volume or sound even after uninstalling. The same thing happened to me, and I just quit and restarted the app, and it worked just as it should. So all in all, I think this game is a work of art, and the music is very pog. 10/10 would recommend it.

Some Youtube Videos found!

News found!

Papers, Please: 10 Years LaterPapers, Please: 10 Years Later

A decade later, Papers, Please's view of migration is as relevant as ever.

Game Informer Mon Apr 07 2025

Indie favorite ‘Papers, Please’ has sold 5 million copiesIndie favorite ‘Papers, Please’ has sold 5 million copies

The surprisingly emotional and strangely addictive dystopian document thriller 'Papers, Please' just turned ten years old and has officially...

Engadget Thu Nov 07 2024

10 Years Later, This Viral Indie Game Still Feels Revolutionary10 Years Later, This Viral Indie Game Still Feels Revolutionary

'Papers Please' is a seemingly simple puzzle game that tells an enthralling story.

Inverse Thu Nov 07 2024

This Tedious Video Game Will Make You Hate Yourself. You Should Play It.This Tedious Video Game Will Make You Hate Yourself. You Should Play It.

When I sit down to play a new video game, I expect to have fun. I might expect to be immersed in a story or be engaged by clever game...

Slate Fri Nov 07 2014

Dystopian document thriller game Papers, Please is now available on iPhone and AndroidDystopian document thriller game Papers, Please is now available on iPhone and Android

Papers, Please takes place in the fictional communist state of Arstotzka, where you play as a border control agent who is faced with...

TechCrunch Tue Nov 07 2023

‘Papers, Please’ Is Frighteningly Resonant in Trump's America‘Papers, Please’ Is Frighteningly Resonant in Trump's America

What to do when "just doing your job" puts you on the wrong side of morality.

VICE Sat Jul 07 2018

Indie Darling Papers, Please Declares 5 Million Copies Sold, Celebrates 10th AnniversaryIndie Darling Papers, Please Declares 5 Million Copies Sold, Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Next! - Papers, Please is an excellent little indie, with the "dystopian document thriller" a powerful example of how strong writing can...

Push Square Thu Nov 07 2024

Papers, Please (2013)Papers, Please (2013)

First released in 2013, Papers, Please puts players in a position of authority in a dystopian police state whereby they are forced to negotiate their own...

The Peabody Awards Thu Dec 07 2023

Android Game of the Week: Papers, Please perfectly encapsulates the brutality of bureaucracyAndroid Game of the Week: Papers, Please perfectly encapsulates the brutality of bureaucracy

As a border control agent, decide the fates of your fellow man while fighting to keep your own head above water.

Android Central Tue Nov 07 2023

Papers, Please Short Film Released On Youtube and SteamPapers, Please Short Film Released On Youtube and Steam

Papers, Please now joins the ranks of video games with a film adaptation. The Russian-language short film was released this Saturday on...

mxdwn Games Tue May 07 2019

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