Each day, the inspector reports to the checkpoint, reviews Arstotzka’s ever-changing immigration and travel rules, and attempts to do the job properly. What begins as a straightforward Sovietpunk title soon progresses into a tale of espionage and corruption.
Anxiety sets in quickly: the pay is low and based on how many passports the inspector can process in one day. Because the inspector’s expenses are high, the incentive is to deny or allow access to as many people as possible. Too many violations will result in docked wages, however.
The narrative advances at high speeds. Over the course of 32 days, Papers, Please may end in any one of 24 different ways. The 20 official, numbered endings are somewhat cinematic, with narration and full-screen images, while the four unofficial and unnumbered endings are abrupt: resulting from the inspector’s death on the job.
Completing five of the official Papers, Please endings will unlock achievements for the player. The following are instructions for obtaining those ending achievements only. This guide assumes some prior knowledge of Papers, Please, including the EZIC tasks and certain NPCs.
Ending 3: Too Honest
This is the easiest and quickest ending to get. Simply hand over any EZIC materials in your possession to M. Vonel on Day 12, and you’ll unlock the Too Honest achievement for your trouble.
Ending 9: Hired Rifle
On Day 23, EZIC will create a diversion to provide the inspector with an opportunity to shoot the man in red. Killing him with the sniper rifle unlocks the Hired Rifle achievement.
Ending 18: Snowier Pastures
Ending 18 may be unlocked on Days 29, 30, and 31. The inspector must escape to Obristan with all living family members, meaning players must save enough credits and confiscated passports to get the entire household out of Arstotzka. You will need one passport and 25 credits for each emigrating family member.
Ending 19: Member of the Order
The inspector must successfully complete at least four of the five EZIC tasks and must not interfere with the Day 31 attack. EZIC will reward the inspector’s loyalty with a better apartment and a government position, and the Member of the Order achievement will unlock.
Ending 20: Glory to Arstotzka
The inspector must not complete any of the EZIC tasks and must kill or tranquilize both EZIC attackers on Day 31. If the player does not escape to Obristan, the Arstotzkan government will allow the inspector to continue working at the border checkpoint. The Glory to Arstotzka achievement will unlock, and the code for endless mode will become available.
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