10 Best Short Films Based On Video Games

This Russian short film perfectly captures the dystopian Arstotzka, whilst, like the game, being set largely in a singular room. What started as a fan film, Papers, Please soon became a official adaptation upon receiving authorisation from Lucas Pope, the sole developer of the original game. One need look no further than the Steam reviews, which are firmly at 'Overwhelmingly Positive'

Yes, it's objectively visually simple, with its single room setting, but its simplicity does not detract from the inherently compelling nature of the film, much like the game. While ten minutes is not a lot of time to get across large amounts of plot, Papers, Please feels more like an arthouse thriller than a modern video game movie, as it focuses more on the individual emotions of characters and the totalitarian atmosphere than the over the top action of many video game blockbusters.

In short, Papers, Please reinvented what it meant to be a video game movie, showing that not everything has to be high octane action spread over a thin plot.