Lucas Pope on designing the Papers, Please digital game.
2022; 2:00 minutes; Producer: Chris J. Gauthier; Courtesy of Lucas Pope

Lucas Pope worked alone with limited production capability over a short nine-month period, regularly alternating between programming, art making, and composing music, to create his dystopian thriller. Its design — stark Soviet-style graphics, a highly limited palette, and a plodding rhythmic anthem of synthesized horns and drumming — contributed to the game’s immense popularity.