Games like Papers, Please
If you like Papers, Please (simulation, puzzle and dystopia), these 10 games are similar in what you do and how you play. They go from most to least similar.
Do Not Feed the Monkeys
- In common: story and thinking
When you fancy a strange, darkly funny story that lasts just a few hours and has more than ten endings.
Return of the Obra Dinn
- In common: thinking and story
- Difference: more exploring
When you fancy feeling like a real detective and your mind is sharp. Every confirmed deduction is a small victory.
Keep Driving
- In common: story and thinking
- Difference: more relaxed
When you want a trip you can finish in an afternoon: each run lasts one to four hours and there are several endings.
Monkey Island™ 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge™
- In common: thinking and story
- Difference: more exploring
When you're in the mood for a funny point-and-click adventure where you can't die and the game gives you hints if you get stuck.
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
- In common: thinking and story
- Difference: more relaxed
When you want to laugh with a classic adventure that's over in a few afternoons and where you can barely die.
Game Dev Tycoon
- In common: short sessions and thinking
- Difference: less story
When you want a simple tycoon game for one or two afternoons, where every game you release is a small challenge.
Chants of Sennaar
- In common: thinking
- Difference: more exploring
When you want to think calmly and feel like a linguist: every word you decipher is a small victory.
This War of Mine
- In common: thinking and story
- Difference: more exploring
When you want survival with moral weight that shows war from the civilians' side rather than the soldier's.
The Talos Principle
- In common: thinking and short sessions
- Difference: less management
When you want to think calmly through well-designed puzzles and reflect a little along the way.
Undertale
- In common: story
- Difference: more exploring
When you want a special, short story you can finish in a few sessions.
How we pick them
We compare the tags the Steam community gives each game with our own classification: what you do (action, story, building…), the difficulty, how long sessions last and whether you play alone or with others. Nobody pays to appear.
About Papers, Please
You're a border inspector in a fictional totalitarian country. You check passports for discrepancies while the rules change every day, and each mistake costs your family money. A paperwork game that turns into a moral dilemma.
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