The booth from the inspector's point of view.
The inspector's booth is a crucial element of the gameplay in Papers, Please. It serves as the main interface for the game. It is where the inspector works, and where entrants who wish to enter Arstotzka submit their documents to be cleared for entry.
Gameplay
Information on the booth in the rulebook.
The inspector must interact with various parts of the booth to detect discrepancies and handle documents. The booth features a shutter, a counter and the time and date. The rulebook, audio transcript and bulletin are all stored there as well.
The display at the bottom has three other non-mentioned features - an entrant-counter just below the audio functions, a weight display in the bottom right corner, and behind the shutter, a measuring line used to determine the height of entrants.
Shutter
The shutter is a metal gate between the inspector and the person on the other side. A lever on the side is used to open and close it. When the detain option is used, the shutter closes automatically and open when the next entrant arrives. Currently, this only serves to increase immersion but does not actually affect gameplay since the gate can be opened whenever.
The wall on the other side gives an indication of the height of the entrant as mentioned above. Additionally, various items may be hung up on the wall, such as plaques given to the inspector.
Counter
The counter is where all documents are handed to the inspector. Other items, such as Pink Vice slips, EZIC orders, tokens, and bills are also displayed here when the inspector receives them. Citations that normally print out from the bottom of the main window can be moved here to make room for document handling.
Time and date
The current time and date are displayed in the bottom left corner. Discrepancies can be brought up by highlighting this and the relevant document in inspection mode.
Rulebook
- Main article: Rulebook
The rulebook contains information crucial to the determination of entry approval, such as issuing cities, valid seals and all the updated rules of the game.
Audio transcript
- Main article: Audio transcript
The audio transcript is a record of all dialogue exchanged between the inspector and the person on the other side of the booth. Discrepancies such as duration of stay and reason for entry can be brought up by highlighting the transcript and the relevant document.
Bulletin
- Main article: Official bulletin
The bulletin is given by the Ministry of Admission each day, with updated information. The day's news, rule changes and new features can be found here.
Upgrades
Four upgrades are available for the inspector's booth. They need to be purchased for 5 credits each, and will speed up the process of inspections by binding various functions to keys.
The first upgrade (hit space to enter inspection mode) becomes available for purchase on day 5 and remains available until bought. The next upgrade will become available three days after the previous has been bought.
| Name | Description | Earliest day available | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect Mode | Hitting the spacebar will open the inspection mode. | day 5 |  |
| Stamp toggle | Hitting the tab or enter key will show the stamp bar. | day 8 |  |
| Rulebook Shortcuts | Tabs to each section of the rule book will appear, enabling switching without returning to the front page. | day 11 |  |
| Quick Inspect | Double clicking an object/entry will enter the inspection mode and highlight the selected object/entry. Also allows double clicking to cancel inspect mode. | day 14 |  |
Additionally, some upgrades are installed by Ministry of Admission for the purpose of meeting its requirements, such as a filing cabinet (for passport confiscation), the reason for denial stamp, and gun cabinet, which is locked but comes with a key to the tranquilizer. While these are upgrades, they are usually there because of a new policy that complicates gameplay.