18 Best Indie Games Of The Decade (So Far)

17. Papers, Please

Lucas Pope
Lucas Pope

Speaking of unique titles, bet back when you first picked up your pad to whizz through Sonic's Green Hill Zone, you didn't think the future would produce a game where you're a border control agent, sorting through documents for hours on end.

See, PP's unique hook is not in its gameplay - at least not mechanically - instead it's in the moral questioning of your own being as you process the line of people trying to enter the fictional country of Arstotzka.

Being that you have a family to take care of alongside your own administrative overlords being more than happy to get rid of you if you're not performing, typical scenarios involve things like potentially separating a husband and wife if one of their passports is in order, yet the other gets flagged.

You can let them both in, sure, but you'll get a mark against your name. More marks means less money for food and medicine, and that can lead to your son getting ill or a grandparent going cold and hungry for the night. There's an overarching story that touches on a rebellious plot coming your way, and you'll slowly rank up different abilities for your little toll booth (along with the option to shoot anyone who makes a break for freedom), but for the divide between what's necessary to survive for yourself versus the majority?

That's up to you.

Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.