Papers, Please
News, coverage and analysis tracking Papers, Please across the outlets.
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The Sunday Papers
This week's gaming news roundup covers several distinct topics. Papers, Please is highlighted for its poignant exploration of identity and documentation, while the VR game Gunman Contracts is criticized for common VR foibles despite glimpses of potential. Concerns are raised about potential layoffs at The Coalition following Gears of War: E-Day, alongside broader industry layoffs driven by AI and economic pressures. The article also touches on Hollywood's history of fads leading to flops and features an interview with an artist creating humorous street art.
I feel like I'm running a corner store in Dredd or Cyberpunk 2077
The upcoming cyberpunk simulation game Probably Stolen offers a deep shopkeeping experience on a dystopian space station, allowing players to trade in a wide variety of goods, from contraband to basic supplies. The demo showcases mechanics reminiscent of Papers, Please and Strange Horticulture, with elements of Dredd and Fallout in its world-building and resource management.
Vi tar spelhelg med Järven och övningskörning i GTA V
Several individuals share their gaming plans for the weekend, featuring a variety of titles across different genres. Plans include playing Sea of Stars, Fire Emblem, Grand Theft Auto V for practice, and exploring new games like Japanese Drift Master and Marvel's Wolverine. Some are revisiting classics for educational purposes or preparing for upcoming releases.
Former PlayStation indie boss Shuhei Yoshida and the founder of TIGSource are throwing a Game Poem jam that "challenges traditional boundaries between art forms"
Former PlayStation indie boss Shuhei Yoshida and TIGSource founder Jordan Magnuson are judging a new game jam hosted by the National Film & Television School, focused on creating 'videogame poems.' The jam challenges participants to blend poetry and game design, with submissions needing to be playable in a browser.
The Best Games To Play When Your PC Is Basically A Potato
This guide highlights PC games that can run on older or less powerful hardware, focusing on titles that offer engaging gameplay without requiring high-end components. The selection includes a variety of genres from roguelikes like Balatro and Hades to simulation games like Factorio and Stardew Valley, all chosen for their accessibility and low system requirements.
Phasmophobia Studio Launches A Publishing Label With These Five Exciting Games
Phasmophobia developer Kinetic Games has launched a new publishing label, Kinetic Publishing, and announced its initial lineup of five games. The diverse slate includes the FMV thriller Precognition, the cozy mage life-sim Aether Wizard Life, the unique metroidvania Shellbound, the tense space simulator Contact Protocol, and the witchy racing game Crescent County. These titles are slated for release between 2027 and 2028 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Vilka är det som jobbar med FZ?
This article introduces the staff behind the Swedish gaming website FZ, describing them as passionate gamers with diverse tastes and strong opinions. It highlights their backgrounds, favorite games, music, films, and books, aiming to connect them with the FZ community.
I'm very into this Papers, Please-esque puzzle game about identifying traitors to the socialist motherland
What Awaits, Aleksey? is a new puzzle and mystery game that draws comparisons to Papers, Please. Players take on the role of Aleksey Lutomski, a security service agent in a fictional 20th-century communist state tasked with identifying dissidents by examining evidence like letters and wiretapped conversations. The game features a physical, mechanical interface and presents players with challenging choices regarding loyalty to the state.
'Balatro' Plays Winning Hand at GDCA 2025, Receiving Game of the Year
Balatro, the indie roguelike deckbuilder from solo developer LocalThunk, won Game of the Year at the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The game also secured wins for Best Debut, Best Design, and the Innovation Award. Other notable winners included Astro Bot for Best Audio and Best Technology, and Sam Lake received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Are these the 100 most influential games of all time?
Kitfox Games CEO Tanya Short discusses a list of the 100 most influential video games of all time, compiled by professional game designers. The list, assembled through the Polaris game design retreat, aims to serve as a tool for designers to improve their craft and create influential games.
Varför indiespel är det viktigaste vi har
Indie games are crucial for innovation in the gaming industry because they allow for risk-taking that is too expensive for AAA developers. While large studios focus on safe, predictable titles, indie developers can experiment with unique ideas, leading to the creation of new genres and trends. This is reflected in Steam's revenue, where indie games constitute a significant portion of sales, demonstrating player preference for creative and novel experiences over blockbuster sequels.
Gaming industry pioneer Don Daglow reflects on key moments of his career
Gaming industry veteran Don Daglow reflects on his five-decade career, from early mainframe experiments to pioneering MMORPGs and city-building games. He emphasizes the importance of player connection and fun over technological spectacle, drawing parallels between early interactive theater and modern game design. Daglow also shares insights on industry cycles, the risks of large budgets, and the enduring value of emotionally resonant games.
Gas Station Simulator Devs Drop Airport Contraband Demo April 23
DRAGO Entertainment announced that their new roguelike simulation game, Airport Contraband, will release a demo on Steam on April 23. The game tasks players with acting as a customs officer in a tropical airport, balancing legal duties with requests from local cartels. This follows the success of their previous title, Gas Station Simulator.
Papers, Please dev, Lucas Pope, isn't talking about new game due to AI concerns
Developer Lucas Pope, known for Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, is withholding details about his new game due to concerns about artificial intelligence. He expressed worries that AI could be used to copy or exploit his work, impacting the creative process he values. Pope is not interested in using AI to speed up development, emphasizing the importance of understanding all aspects of game creation.
Papers, Please, Return of the Obra Dinn dev Lucas Pope won't talk about current game in case it "gets slurped up by AI"
Lucas Pope, the developer behind Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, is hesitant to discuss his current game due to concerns about artificial intelligence. He fears that details about his work could be copied or absorbed by AI, making him uncomfortable sharing progress.
"Video games are cooked": Publisher head says "it doesn't matter" how many of us hate gen AI, Pandora's box has opened and "it's gonna get used now"
Mike Rose, founder of No More Robots, believes generative AI's integration into game development is irreversible, likening it to Pandora's box. He notes the increasing prevalence of AI-generated assets in game demos and the competitive pressure it creates for publishers. Despite player backlash, Rose asserts that the ease of AI tools will lead to their widespread adoption, fundamentally changing how games are made.
How does Papers, Please creator Lucas Pope deal with sharing his work in this era of AI? A severe lack of posting
Lucas Pope, the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, is hesitant to share details about his current projects due to concerns about AI content scraping. He expressed this sentiment during a podcast appearance, noting that the current internet climate makes him uncomfortable discussing his work in progress. Pope also reflected on the pressure of following up his critically acclaimed titles.
Return of the Obra Dinn developer Lucas Pope doesn't feel comfortable talking about new projects because maybe they'll be "slurped up by AI"
Indie developer Lucas Pope, known for Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, is hesitant to discuss his upcoming projects due to concerns about them being "slurped up by AI" or copied. He expressed this sentiment on the "Mike & Rami Are Still Here" podcast, noting a general discomfort with revealing work-in-progress details in the current climate. Pope also reflected on his past successes and whether he should continue developing new titles.
AI Yi-Yi!
OpenAI insiders reportedly lack trust in CEO Sam Altman, according to Ars Technica. Game developer Lucas Pope expressed concerns about his work being "slurped up by AI," highlighting broader anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence in creative industries.
After making 2 of the best indie games of all time, Lucas Pope won't even talk about his third because "it's getting slurped up by AI or people are gonna copy it"
Indie developer Lucas Pope, known for Return of the Obra Dinn and Papers, Please, is hesitant to discuss his upcoming project due to concerns about AI data scraping and idea theft. He also expresses self-doubt about replicating the success of his previous acclaimed titles.
