Papers, Please (2013): runs on Windows 11, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck?

Windows 11✓
Steam Deck✓ Verified
Mac✓
Linux✓ native

Gamicality score 91 / 100

Playability today ★★★★★ 4.5

Runs today4.5 / 5
Design today4.5 / 5
See the checks

Steam user reviews Overwhelmingly Positive

74,187 reviews97% positive
Steam store page

Get it on Steam Get it on GOGDRM-free

Released: 2013
Developer: Lucas Pope
Genre: Adventure, Indie
Time to beat: About 5 hours for the main story HowLongToBeat
Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam Deck
Last checked: October 31, 2026

Does Papers, Please run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11	✓Sold for Windows today, no problem on record. Source
Mac (Apple Silicon)	✓Runs on Apple Silicon. Source
Linux	✓Native Linux version. Source
Steam Deck	✓Verified by Valve. Source

Played it lately? Press Works for me or Doesn’t work on your platform, so the next player knows. One click, no account. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

A document-thriller in which you work as a border inspector for the fictional communist state of Arstotzka in 1982. Each day you check passports, permits and other papers against a growing rulebook, deciding who gets in while trying to earn enough to keep your family fed.

What people say

Critics in 2013 praised how it turns tense paperwork into a thoughtful game about morality, routine and pressure under an oppressive state, with around 20 endings that reward replaying. Common criticism was that the routine grows tedious, the second half drags, and pay depends partly on how fast you move the mouse. It is still widely regarded as a landmark indie game, though some players never warm to its deliberate drudgery.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4.5 / 5

✓Sold or given away today by an official source
✓Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
✓Single-player works without an internet connection
GOG sells a DRM-free version that plays offline (GOG).
✓All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
PCGamingWiki records no shut-down servers or lost content (PCGamingWiki).
✓Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Native widescreen and modern resolutions (PCGamingWiki).
✗No full controller support and no remappable controls
No controller support and no key remapping (PCGamingWiki).
✓Steam Deck Verified or Playable
✓No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
✓No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
✓No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no unresolved issues (PCGamingWiki).

From the Steam store, Valve’s Steam Deck rating and the sources under each check. Checks not confirmed yet don’t count.

Design today

4.5 / 5

✓Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Simple point-and-click dragging and stamping work well with a mouse, though there is no controller support. Source: gameinformer.com.
✓Menus, text and interface are clear on today's screens
The clean pixel-art desk makes documents easy to compare, although a few players found small text hard to read at times. Source: gameinformer.com, electrondance.com.
✓Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
A timeline save lets you go back to any earlier day and branch from there, so mistakes cost little. Source: gameinformer.com.
✓It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
Rules arrive one at a time through the in-game rulebook and early mistakes are cheap, although details like valid seals confused some players at first. Source: electrondance.com.
✗Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Many players and critics find the daily routine tedious and say the second half drags without a clear sense of when it will end. Source: electrondance.com, gameinformer.com.
✓Camera and movement never fight the player
The game takes place on a single fixed screen, so there is no camera or movement to fight. Source: gameinformer.com.