The creator of Papers, Please wants developers to make weirder, more personal games

Papers, Please creator Lucas Pope received the Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards, recognizing his contributions to the industry.
In his acceptance speech, Pope expressed a desire for developers to create “unique, off-beat, experimental, creative, and personal games” that showcase their individuality.
Pope advises developers to make small, personal games that resonate with their own interests and passions, as he did with Papers, Please.
He recommends releasing these games on platforms like Itch.io, where they can connect with players who share similar tastes and preferences.
Pope’s goal is for the gaming industry to prioritize creativity and individuality over commercial success, allowing developers to create games that truly reflect their own unique visions.

Lucas Pope, the solo creator of games like Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, received the Pioneer Award from the annual Game Developers Choice Awards this year. It’s a major achievement that puts him in a league with industry giants like Gabe Newell, Yu Suzuki, and Roberta Williams.

“Now that I’m an official pioneer, I have some requests,” he said in his brief acceptance speech. “World peace, obviously. But for this crowd, I’d be happy if you kept making the kinds of unique off-beat, experimental, creative, and especially personal games that I love.”

It was similar to something Pope had said to me earlier – especially the personal part. I had asked him what advice he might have for developers just starting out. “Make something personal, make it small, release on [Itch.io]. Try to find the people who like the same things you do and then make the things you enjoy.”

“I want this kind of game. I like looking at documents.”

Games, for him, have always been about “making something that I want to play,” Pope said. With Papers, Please, where you have to make tough decisions while working as an immigration inspector in a fictional country, “it was, â …

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Q. Who received the Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards?

A. Lucas Pope, the solo creator of games like Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn.

Q. What is one of Lucas Pope’s wishes for developers after receiving the Pioneer Award?

A. He wants them to continue making unique, off-beat, experimental, creative, and personal games.

Q. What advice did Lucas Pope give to developers just starting out?

A. He advised them to “make something personal, make it small, release on Itch.io” and find people who like the same things they do.

Q. What is one of Lucas Pope’s interests that inspired his game Papers, Please?

A. Looking at documents.

Q. According to Lucas Pope, what drives him when creating games?

A. He wants to create something he himself would want to play.

Q. Who are some industry giants that Lucas Pope was compared to after receiving the Pioneer Award?

A. Gabe Newell, Yu Suzuki, and Roberta Williams.

Q. What is Itch.io, according to Lucas Pope’s advice for developers?

A. A platform where small games can be released.

Q. What does Lucas Pope want from the gaming industry in terms of game development?

A. He wants more unique, off-beat, experimental, creative, and personal games.

Q. Who gave an interview to The Verge about Lucas Pope’s wishes for developers?

A. The interviewer (not specified).

Q. In what year did Lucas Pope receive the Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards?

A. 2025 (mentioned in the text).