Kolechia

Learn about the border conflict between Arstotzka and Kolechia in Papers, Please. Understand the setup for the game and your role as an immigration inspector.

So, you've just booted up Papers, Please and you're wondering about the world you're about to dive into. The game kicks off right after a pretty significant event: Arstotzka has just finished a 6-year war with its neighbor, Kolechia. Arstotzka got back the part of Grestin that belonged to them. Now, you're stepping into the shoes of an immigration inspector at the border.

Your main gig is to control who gets into Arstotzka from the Kolechian side of Grestin. It sounds straightforward, but this is where the game gets interesting. You'll be dealing with all sorts of people – immigrants, tourists, job seekers – and among them are the ones you really need to watch out for: smugglers, spies from a group called EZIC, and even terrorists. You've got a set of tools, like checking documents, using the Ministry of Admission's systems to inspect, search, and fingerprint people. Your job is to decide who gets to come in, who gets sent back, and who ends up in detention. It's all about making those tough calls based on the paperwork and the rules you're given.

Papers, Please was made by Lucas Pope and came out back in August 2013. You can grab it on pretty much all the major platforms like the App Store, Steam, and gog.com.