What made this game great is how it treats you like a robot, but forces you to be human. The game instructs and rewards you for playing like a robot. Everything down to the text, narration, tutorials, gameplay, and even the title of the game feels very robotic and unemotional. But then your presented with all sorts of emotionally loaded stimuli: the depressing colors and dithered art style. The ugly and sad looking faces, people harassing you, people begging you, terrorism, segregation, your son's drawings being pinned on the wall... The first thing that made me even feel human in this game is how you can freely organize your desk as you please. And the fact that denying a begging immigrant took multiple specific steps... It's little details like these that make a game impactful imo
@@guilhermecaiado5384 Nah, have you seen countries like the United Arab Emirates? Like, the country’s classed as a “third-world country” and its so advanced.
He has learned to forge such documents. In the ending of obristen inspector sees a hastily forged passport but the obristen inspector doesn't meaning how much you have come and how much observent you have become
I adore Papers, Please, but it makes me feel like an absolute monster. I like to think of myself as an empathetic person, but I'm so quick to deny people if they don't have the correct paperwork. Like I don't care if I just let your husband through, you don't have the right paperwork and I have a starving family at home! I think it's the time pressure that does it to me - there's no time to dwell on the moral ambiguity of this situation when my son is sick and his birthday is coming up and every dollar counts! Give me all your bribes, I don't care I need money! It revealed an evil part of me I didn't know existed, hahaha.
What you said is so true! I struggle with that as well! haha. Also, thank you so much for watching this video! I absolutely love your channel and have been subscribed for a while, so I totally freaked out when I saw that you had commented! Day made!
The Girl with the Controller hahaha sorry, I should've made myself known early. I've been watching since your Horizon video! I enjoy your vids and think this might be your best yet!
that perfectly illustrates that people aren't always bad, but get forced into being bad. For survival you have to be harsh and self-centered. It's a beautiful realization.
"Give me the bribes-" The Ministry of Income has discovered an anomaly in your earnings. You are under arrest pending a full audit of your recent activities. Your family will likewise be held for questioning. The border will remain open under a replacement inspector. Glory to Arstotzka.
My record is getting 7 violations in a single day. I had to obtain 5 obristan passports for my family and then I let a criminal and a father through so the father can kill the criminal. Also protecting Sergiu was such a pain. I literally restarted so many times just so he would survive every day
Jorji is by far the most interestingly written character and, arguably, the most morally sound. Spoilers ahead, and kinda long, but I recommend reading! His dialogues imply he's an old man giving his best to survive poverty and the corruption of Arstotzka, but he's also naive and innocent, so he gets in trouble easily. Initially he tries to forge passports himself to get through the checkpoint (possibly because he doesn't have the money to purchase the documents himself, or because he'd just get in more trouble), but it's so obvious and blatant you can just tell him to go away, and he compliments you for doing a good job. This happens about four times! And he's always so nice to you! Eventually he reveals his drugs business (which he apparently just got into which explains why he's so bad at it). When detaining him for possession of drugs, he doesn't get mad to you, instead what he says is "Is ok, I understand. Drugs are bad. Not good for kids. You do great work here still." If you try to help him, eventually he appears in the criminal bulletin, to which he comments "What! I pay police like crazy! They promise no bulletin. All clear they say." So who's the "bad guy" here? Yes, he's doing something illegal, but does that make him a "bad" person? It's not like he's hurting someone. Is it fair to report him to the police when they accepted his bribe? Was he even given a choice in this country full of madness? This old man is risking his life just to get some bucks and live his final days happily. As days go by it appears that Jorji finally got his documents right, but the situation in Arstotzka is becoming worse and the possibility for a "good ending" for you look increasingly unlikely since the government decided to confiscate your passports, so you're not going anywhere. Poetically, Jorji reveals he "knows a guy" that could help him forge some passports (which implies his documents are very likely falsified, but he got so good at it you can't notice anymore! And it was thanks to your rigurosity!!), and recommends you to get out of Arstotzka since things are getting ugly. If you help him by the end, even after giving him such a hard time by rejecting his passports, he decides to help you back once you're the one in need for some false documents, and his story ends with him making big money, giving some to you, and finally leaving the business. That's a man with a heart of gold if I've ever seen one. (I replied this somewhere else in the comment section but I thought I'd like to share it by itself too)
damn lil tater guy actually done it!! im so happy for him🤣 he truly does stand out in the game bcoz of his easygoing nature, gave a bit of joy in such a dreary world
Cobrastan is not a real country, Jorji. My favorite event with Jorji is when his face appears in the criminal bulletin. I mean, he doesn't try to bribe you, in fact he seems to accept his fate. Even the inspector sais "I'm sorry, Jorji" when he orders to arrest him.
I think my favorite thing about Jorji is how even the inspector seems to start liking him as he keeps showing up, with even saying "I'm sorry, Jorji" when you detain him.
TLDR! Never angry, even when you arrest him for drugs, at the start does his best to follow the rules to get in after the cobrastan thing. Shares the drug money with you for no apparent reason even after denying him, and when you need help the most with fleeing he gives you a way out even after all of this.
This is actually the kind of game that says a lot about the player holding the controller. I think most of peoples' choices reflect what THEY would do if they were in the same position. That kind of experience(or "test") is rare, not only for gaming but for any other art out there. Well said once again, I am really enjoying your content Keep it up!
That's not true. If we behaved the same in real life (dealing with real people) as we do in games (dealing with pixels on a screen) we'd all be serial killers.
See, I was actually good enough at checking paperwork that with the exception of once, I was able to admit the people I wanted to without getting my pay docked. So for me I envisioned my border control officer as a grumpy, efficient yet kind-hearded soul instead of the desperate employee it seems many players had during a playthrough.
@@pubfries5562 But you only get paid per person that you process without getting a citation. Before even accounting for the money lost to the citation, you earn 5 dollars less for every citation simply because that's one less person you processed correctly.
just recently got in touch with this game, my girlfriend got it and I've been watching/back-seat playing as she goes through it. Like you got into, it makes you reflect more heavily on the morals, and a lot of that is due to the 3 free mistakes each day. Like, games do this crap with choices all the time but something about this game's risk/reward structure for everything makes it feel more real. Aaah! Like, the part where the sister's child needs a home, it suuuuuuucked so bad when we couldn't afford to adopt her and she went missing the next day. Like, it's just text on a screen, but the repetition and impact of actions makes it feel real oooouf okay
Love games like this, but have a hard time playing them. This War of Mine was another one that followed a similar pattern of increasingly complex morality scenarios, with the basic drives centred around things like needing food or supplies for your group of survivors. Great video, thanks!
I want to know about the morality of Jorji. Everone seems to love him. Yet, he is a drug dealer and a criminal. He is charming perhaps, but certainly not a good person. So considering the gravity of decisions a player makes throuhgout the game. How can he be considered 'the best' by so many people?
I'm late, but I think you answered your own question. He's charming. Jorji may seem dim-witted, but he's very smart, socially at least. He managed to get so many people to let him in despite being a criminal.
he IS a good person at heart, he's not a hardened criminal and certainly not that experienced, in the game he is shown as more of a dimwit. Bribing police but then getting arrested anyway, trying to get in with a hand-drawn "passport" and always having some sort of problem that just doesn't let him pass. But he is shown to be a good person when he lets you take his passport and help you to escape to obristan with your family even if you detain and/or deny him in your run. He's not even that socially talented, in another scenario like if you went to a cafe everyday to eat breakfast or drink coffee or whatever and he was there everyday trying to talk to you, he would come off as just annoying. But in a bleak job like this where you just lose your emotions by the second while sitting in that booth, him being annoying is the best feeling in the world. I've actually experienced this in real life as I had a grocery store in a fairly unoccupied area and wouldn't get many customers, the ones that came just bought something and left too but the annoying ones at least kept me company for a while before they left so I wouldn't really mind. So in conclusion he's suppossed to be a dimwit but a good man at heart, and certainly the most colorful one in this monochrome world that is Papers, Please
Late answer, but Jorji is by far the most interestingly written character and, arguably, the most morally sound. Spoilers ahead, and kinda long, but I recommend reading! His dialogues implies he's just an old man giving his best to survive poverty and the corruption of Arstotzka, but he's also naive and innocent, so he gets in trouble easily. Initially he tries to forge passports himself to get through the checkpoint (possibly because he doesn't have the money to purchase the documents himself, or because he'd just get in more trouble), but it's so obvious and blatant you can just tell him to go away, and he compliments you for doing a good job. This happens about four times! And he's always so nice to you! Eventually he reveals his drugs business (which he apparently just got into which explains why he's so bad at it). When detaining him for possession of drugs, he doesn't get mad to you, instead what he says is "Is ok, I understand. Drugs are bad. Not good for kids. You do great work here still." If you try to help him, eventually he appears in the criminal bulletin, to which he comments "What! I pay police like crazy! They promise no bulletin. All clear they say." So who's the "bad guy" here? Yes, he's doing something illegal, but does that make him a "bad" person? It's not like he's _hurting_ someone. Is it fair to report him to the police when they accepted his bribe? This old man is risking his life just to get some bucks and live his final days happily. As days go by it appears that Jorji finally got his documents right, but the situation in Arstotzka is becoming worse and the possibility for a "good ending" for you look increasingly unlikely since the government decided to confiscate your passports, so you're not going anywhere. Poetically, Jorji reveals he "knows a guy" that could help him forge some passports (which implies his documents are very likely falsified, but he got so good at it you can't notice anymore! And it was thanks to your rigurosity!!), and recommends you to get out of Arstotzka since things are getting ugly. If you help him by the end, even after giving him such a hard time by rejecting his passports, he ends deciding to help you back once you're the one in need for some false documents. That's a man with a heart of gold if I've ever seen one.
I adore your vocabulary and just how you narrate in general "As the rules get more frantic, so do you" "And Papers Please leverages its interactivity to create an experience lasting long after the gates of Grestin close"
I played like a robot. I just wanted to let anyone who has their papers in line through and don't otherwise. Now I want to do another run because of all the good things that I could've done.
I already know every ending and i tried playing the game myself, being loyal to Arstotzka and having no citations but I HAD to approve Elisa, I could not just resist from stamping it green. Also now that I think, being loyal to EZIC is better. When you get the loyal to EZIC good ending (19 I think), the last sentence (Glory to New Arstotzka) hints that nothing has changed and that government is just under control of The Order but that does mean that you are going to be a part of the elite (unless you betrayed them) now and that you won't need to work a lot and would never worry about you and your family's needs.
What always made me laugh is the "citation system" can catch you messing up, but hey at that point clearly this system works so why isn't the checkpoint automatic? (also im aware that it could be as simple as someone double checking you but then you would think they just correct your mistake afterwards)
that's a good point, I've always wrote off the citation mechanic as a fourth wall break. however I do remember one day where an official orders you to let someone through even though they don't have all their papers. I think your employer still wants a human behind the stamps for situations like that.
I think it could be some random Officer who does the same job as you but a later shift who checks the transcripts when he gets there. Then he turns it in to a superior and you get the citation, but rather than you getting the citations the next day you just get it now.
Originally the system would report your errors AFTER your shift, representing officers who found your error, policemen who caught the illegal immigrants etc. But it was later adjusted to give feedback immediately because it was better gameplay wise
This game is the best game ever in my opinion. Just a simple game has so much behind it’s beautiful. I love every bit of it. Game companies that can do this are doing it right.
Usually my income is fine so I am able to focus a lot more on moral decisions. I let Elisa pass through and saved Sergiu from the attack, let in the person who needed surgery, and also let the dude who’s daughter was killed by Simon Wens do his way of dealing with him. If they desperately need admission or denial I usually let them though or deny them.
Victoria first introduced me to it about four years ago. Otherwise, I still might not even know about it. XD It often goes on sale on Steam if you want to give it a try!
For me it's actually very easy to do whatever I want in this game. After all, it's still just a game and as a game it has specific mechanics that can be exploited/abused. For example, your family doesn't need food and heat every day. Yes, they get cold and hungry and your son gets sick, but as long as you buy food and heat every other day, it doesn't get any worse than that. Meaning you conserve 25 credits every 2 days. Buying food and heat every 3 days is not worth it though. They will stay cold and hungry. Nevertheless, this allows me to take it easier like a proper border guard. I don't have to reject everyone that has any discrepancies. I can properly interrogate them and let in as many legit people as I can. And make some decent financial reserves at the beginning that will last me through the whole day as long as I'm consistent in performance.
I actually got ending 20 while also breaking rules several times just because I felt bad for them. The important thing is balance and playing carefully and wisely. Glory to Arstotzka!
I don't have anything to add that I can word better than what's already been said (despite there being only 4 comments lol) except that this video is criminally underviewed. You just earned a new sub my friend.
I went the full morale run. Despite the fact I nearly lost a few times, I went EZIC loyalist, helped Sergiu, and I'm going to help the Vengeful Father. Also accepted jorji every single time he had normal documents. Edit: For the Order! The Revolution has begun.
Just stumbled on this video, and yeah I totally agree. It's such an impactful, emotional game hiding under a simple point-and-click pixel facade, and you have to respect the effort and passion put into this game. Your decisions and choices heavily impact the game's behavior, your family, and others. I love games like that- ones that show you new perspectives and philosophies you'd never have known of otherwise. Great video!
I was 14 when this game first came out, and was definitely intrigued by it but not quite mature enough to really grasp what it was trying to say and do. Markiplier started a let's play series of it last week and I'm very glad to be reminded of its existence. Although I haven't played it myself, it's seriously compelling to watch it in action because of all the details packed into every applicant at the border. I'm hoping to pick it up on Steam soon just so I can finally experience it for myself. Anyway great video, you earned my sub!
I discovered it years ago through a friend, and the new short film that came out a couple weeks ago inspired me to get back into it again! It's certainly worth the few playthroughs!
Hello Inspector. We have audited your activities for the past 20 years. There are some anomalies. But you have served Arstotzka well. We will overlook these small transgressions. You have been cleared of any suspicion. Glory to Arstotzka.
I honestly love papers, please. It's a great game with touching stories of the people you meet, aswell as your own family. There are your ups and downs, but that's what happens, you slowly learn how to play and realize how to improve yourself for the better, you team up with people within the border. There are sad moments tho. If your doing a No Citations run, you might get sad since your not able to recconect Sergiu and Elisa, or the moment when your fully with Ezic, and have to sacrafice yourself for them by using your Lethal Sniper Rifle instead of the Tranquilizer gun. Overall the game, as well as it's story and fanbase are amazing.
Jorji is my favourite, that mad man got denied and detained so many times bc of me and yet... He is the one that makes you get the only obligatory citation by archiving his own passport to let you and your family escape. After all we have done, he still understands that we are just doing our job to live, and its not like we hate him, and he doesnt hate us either
I a very empathetic person but I can also get in the mood of something so when I hear the music I do not care about love or murder I just care about keeping Artzoka safe
Oh goodness. This game! I love the question of morality in it (though I have to say that I can never get through fast enough to see more of the story XD). Makes one think about our world and what is right and wrong. Also great video!!!!
this is a geat video im doing a school project about papper please and the morrality behind it and this has helped me get useful infomation of what to put on it but in my own wayplus this video is so heartwarming so thankyou :}
“If you don't know the basic premise of 2013's papers, please. You are a man living in the fiction country of Arstotzka with your family.” Thought that was a roast like saying you live under a rock, and then realized you are actually explaining the game
My choice around these concepts is follow the rules for my own good and my family's. I do not feel I hesitate. I bought the game today and I got to day 13 flawlessly until said. I don't have a perfect straight run anymore but I restart on the same day to pass it without citations. As far as I know tho, there is a day when you can't avoid a citation because of Jorji lol
First time I tried to follow ALL of the rules no matter what, I got little money and I got in jail. When I went for the Ezic ending I followed less rules, I had more money and it was clearly the best ending for me and my family.
I have been playing that game, and I bought it this year (2023) because I saw that game this year, and honestly, I can relate with the fact that it's quite addciting. I can agree that game is fun because of its storyline, and I simply enjoy stamping on papers.
My first playthrough I was not satisfied in, so I did some stuff in my second playthrough: 1. Let the mother in to reunite with her son on day 4. 2. After approving the husband from Antegria, I also approved his wife on day 5. 3. Allowed the sports guy with the banner in on day 13 4. Hold on to the Republian man's watch on day 21 and give it back when he returns on day 23. 5. Allow the boss's friend entry on day 25. Then on same day, cheer up the depressed Kolechian. 6. Allow Sergiu's lover entry on day 26. 7. Help a vengeful father avenge her daughter by letting the killer in and giving the father his confiscated passport. This route I consider my canonical story of the game, and I still got the best ending, Ezic Ending, and Obristan ending... Hmm... Maybe I should make this a challenge in the game...
I usually play the every man for himself sort of strategy; aka, ignore all those who don't give you money and follow those who do. So in general, I accept some bribes, but other times, I generally deny them. Also in situations like Elisa, I generally do let them pass as they have relations w/ people who have helped me before.
my favorite way to play is to deny all diplomats. also every so often a character will come in with the description on the id supplement saying they have "killer side burns"
Glory to Arstotzka! I've never actually played Papers Please because I could never handle the gameplay. I'd get way too stressed out just trying to play. I'm not good with time limits in games. However, I've watched people on the internet play it, and I love the game.
i've just recently started to play this game, and though i have seen longplays of it on youtube, my favorite endings are the one where you escape to Obristan with your family, and Ezic taking over the country. :) though it pisses me off whenever you encounter people in the game who wonder if it's required to have an entry permit or don't know what a passport is...it's almost like you're a retail worker and you encounter customers who don't know where a specific thing is when it's in the same aisle they're standing in...i do love the game, rather. :)
"If you don't know the premise behind 2013's 'Papers Please', you're a man living in the fictional country of Arstolska with your family" Me: What the hell did you just call me
I remember debating the ethicality of killing off your external family for cheaper food with my friends because of this game. Many philosophical questions arise when you play this game. And so does the lack of morality when it comes to whether or not your mother in law should be allowed to live.
There is something I noticed about literally everyone I've play, everyone checks the discrepancies, you don't have to, but everyone does to possible let someone in, but you can not do the inspect and just deny them and you don't get a citation
"If you do let her pass, it will negatively affect your own family that's barely scraping by." Me with 200+ Credits and a Class-5 Dwelling by this point: "haha approval stamp go THUNK"
@@thegirlwiththecontroller1164 Really, it's just that I've played it a ton of times, so I know how to rapidly accrue money without too much loss. Could also just be that I have a knack for this stuff, though.
@@TheAuNinja2 Generally, games that make me perform under a time limit stress me out and I make more mistakes, so I assume I am probably worse than most players too. Haha.
i had a pretty damn sad moment in my gameplay, i helped Sergiu reunite with Elisa but then the next day a terrorist attack happened where 2 biker crossed the checkpoint and bombed the wall open, i missed my first tranq shot but when i did manage to shoot the biker i saw a green'ish person laying dead on the floor, it was sergiu. i got so heartbroken i quit the day and opened last day's save and finally managed to hit my shot, the next day sergiu came to my post and thanked me because his life was saved, it kinda felt like he knew his fate his coming and i saved him when the terrorists attacked.
it's a great game overall and i do enjoy jacksepticeye play it and i do believe it could be fun when a multiplayer version in VR and none VR and people who tries to get in should try to convince the border patrol guy who checks the papers to let them in by telling him/her why to let them in for example: border patrol: papers please citizen: (gives the papers) here you go border patrol: (checks for validation) citizen: i hope you let me in border patrol: (while checking the pass and papers) what are your reason for visit? citizen: i come to live with family and work for life border patrol: (slightly suspiciouse as papers says only to move in) your papers says you want to move in but not to work citizen: i know but that's what i plan todo a few days after i moved in and i hope everything is in order than the missing work part border patrol: the date is a few days out of order but there's a building nearby you can get new paper issues to you and after that i hope you come back today or tomorrow depending how lucky you are the citizen thanks the border patrol and goes to the building to correct the paper while the border works with some comes in without a problem and others with similar problems but gets rejected due to their harrassment towards the border patrol for not understanding todo their job
I forgot to put down anything job-unrelated on the wall and got bad ending. Replayed it and got all the tokens in a single run. Pedophile and avenging father is also tough decision
The many interactions with the entrants all ask the same questions: Do you help them out of the goodness of your heart, or do you protect yourself and your family? Do you betray your country for your beliefs, or do you stay obedient to please big brother? Do you run, fight, or watch the world burn?
"If you don't know about the basic premise of Papers Please, you're a man living in the fictional country of Arstotzka" For some reason I heard that wrong and thought that it was a joke, like a Papers Please themed version of "you're living under a rock". Which I mean, with the censorship and repression that Arstotzka has might be pretty accurate...
Finished Papers, Please today. Loved it. F*cking awesome game, one of a kind. I tried for the most part to play the cold bureaucratic type, but then I helped Sergiu reunite with his love (but in my game, Sergiu got killed in a terrorist attack). What... did I do? Why did I helped him, and not countless others? Sergiu could be a huge idiot, an abusive lover, why did I go to lengths to help him not knowing anything about him? I finished the game with 20/20 ending, where an audit clears my profile and family lives happily ever after.
My favorite thing about Papers Please is that it challenges you. Do you conform to the system? Or do you help your friends? Such as with the Sergiu and Eliza story line. You are asked by a close friend, one of your protectors, to let his lover in. She comes up without the correct documents. Now you have a choice, deny her to conform to the system, or approve her to let your friend live happily with her. You are presented with choice, and that choice is difficult because you are led to believe Arstotska to be the best country, so if you get a citation, you get annoyed because you're essentially harming the best country, your home.
My favorite part is when you've denied Jorji so many times that he just straight up bribes you to get through. I always take it too. If Artstozka didn't want me taking bribes then I wouldn't be so poor, damn it.
The only thing I take issue with in this video is the shots at the end of your shift show like 30$ in savings I’m still never able to get more than 5$ in savings 😂
(my playthrough summarized) Immigrant: please let me through Me: no Immigrant: but my husband is waiting (husband had correct papers) Me: ok Next Immigrant: let me in Me: where passport Immigrant: I forgot my passport Me: detained, leave forever Next Immigrant: I do not have a passport (again) Me, again: detained, leave forever Next immigrant: let me in Me: where entry permit Immigrant: here it is (Entry granted) Next immigrant: let me in Me: where entry ticket Immigrant: they did not- DETAINED!
Vince Lestrade can be detained by highlighting him and the newspaper article you received. Don't know if Dari Ludum can be caught on something, though.
