1998: The Toll Keeper Story

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1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a single player simulation game. It was developed by GameChanger Studio and was released on October 28, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a narrative simulation centered on Dewi, a pregnant toll keeper navigating survival amid civil unrest and economic collapse in a fictional Southeast Asian country. Players manage vehicle inspections and moral dilemmas, balancing rules and compassion while facing escalating chaos. Each decision impacts Dewi’s safety and her unborn child’s future.

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Single-Player

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 169 reviews

story36 positive mentions

The game features a heartfelt and engaging narrative that effectively portrays the struggles of its protagonist, Dewi, during a tumultuous historical period in Indonesia.
The art style is unique and beautifully captures the atmosphere of the 1998 setting, enhancing the emotional impact of the story.
Gameplay mechanics are enjoyable and provide meaningful choices that affect the outcome, making it a compelling experience for players who appreciate narrative-driven games.

The gameplay can become repetitive over time, leading to potential boredom for some players as they navigate similar tasks day after day.
There are issues with the user interface, such as the placement of dialogue and rulebook elements, which can obstruct important information during gameplay.
Some players have reported bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, particularly related to vehicle identification and dialogue cutoffs.

story
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The story of "1998: The Toll Keeper Story" is widely praised for its emotional depth and engaging narrative, set against the backdrop of Indonesia's 1998 riots. Players appreciate the heartfelt character development and the impactful themes of survival and motherhood, which resonate deeply and evoke strong emotions. While the gameplay may have its flaws, the storytelling is considered a standout feature, making it a must-play for those seeking a profound narrative experience.
- “It was such a rollercoaster and a heartbreaking story.”
- “A wonderful story and characters – I especially liked the main character.”
- “1998: the toll keeper story is much more than just a document inspection game; it’s a devastatingly personal look at survival during a national collapse.”
- “The story feels real and emotional...”
- “The story thoo, idk my heart can take this or not, it's about life in economic crisis, heavily influenced from what happened in Indonesia's 98 tragedy (and probably mixed with recent tragedy).”
- “It really provokes emotions in the story and player decisions, especially there are some NPCs whose behavior really asks to be hit with a scanner.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
The gameplay is often compared to "Papers, Please," featuring simple yet engaging mechanics that involve decision-making with moral consequences. Players appreciate the blend of simulation and narrative, noting that while the gameplay can feel overwhelming at times, it remains fresh and enjoyable throughout. The game effectively combines a gripping story with minimal mechanics, creating a unique experience that resonates emotionally with players.
- “Gameplay is pretty simple but can also feel complex and stressful given the choices that we make could affect the bigger picture, and thus the ending.”
- “The gameplay is engaging and satisfying with its puzzle-like investigation.”
- “The gameplay isn’t very long either, so you could finish it in a day!”
- “Gameplay wise, dialogue getting cut short whenever I printed a customer their receipt is bugging me especially if it's a lore relevant dialogue.”
- “Despite its high emotional density, the gameplay is very simple—based on the mechanics of a toll keeper—yet this simplicity only amplifies the weight of every moral choice you are forced to make for the sake of survival.”
emotional
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its emotionally evocative storytelling, featuring a heartfelt narrative that explores complex themes of socioeconomic struggle and moral dilemmas. Players report experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, with poignant moments and relatable characters that enhance the overall impact of the story. The combination of engaging dialogue, immersive artwork, and meaningful choices creates a powerful and memorable emotional experience that resonates long after gameplay.
- “The narrative is heartfelt and engaging and is delivered in a variety of ways, including dialogue, cutscenes, diary entries, and news articles.”
- “This wonderful story will take you on an emotional roller coaster as you navigate the life of this woman working at a toll booth; your choices matter, and there might be some tough ones...”
- “This is a game that directly touches the player’s emotional side from every angle, delivering a truly unique and powerful experience, making it highly worth playing and an absolute must-play for anyone seeking a profound and impactful story.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
37%
16%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful art style, featuring a charming, 90s-inspired aesthetic that effectively conveys mood and atmosphere. Players appreciate the delightful visuals, smooth gameplay, and how the art complements the storytelling, creating an immersive experience. The muted color palette and hand-drawn textures add depth, making the graphics both appealing and fitting for the game's narrative.
- “The art style is unique and beautiful.”
- “Visually, the art is extraordinary, utilizing a distinct 90s-inspired aesthetic that masterfully sets a dark, tense, and atmospheric mood, successfully portraying the tumultuous period of national collapse and personal vulnerability.”
- “The game uses a sketchy cartoon art style and a muted color palette.”
- “The muted, hand-drawn visuals feel like faded memories—warm but worn.”
- “The use of dot textures, old-paper aesthetics, and that constant bluish filter creates a perfectly grounded and atmospheric mood.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its subtle yet impactful lighting and extraordinary visuals, which draw on a distinct 90s-inspired aesthetic to create a dark and tense mood. Reviewers note the thick, immersive atmosphere that effectively conveys themes of national collapse and personal vulnerability, enhanced by attention to detail in textures and color palettes. Overall, the game's atmosphere significantly contributes to the overall experience, making it both engaging and evocative.
- “The lighting is subtle but does add some atmospheric depth to the visuals.”
- “Visually, the art is extraordinary, utilizing a distinct 90s-inspired aesthetic that masterfully sets a dark, tense, and atmospheric mood, successfully portraying the tumultuous period of national collapse and personal vulnerability.”
- “I've barely scratched the surface, but the atmosphere in this is already incredibly thick.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers decent replayability due to its multiple endings and achievements, appealing to players interested in exploring different narrative outcomes. However, some users feel that the short length and limited exploration options may reduce overall replay value.
- “A good amount of replayability value to get all achievements and endings.”
- “The emotive narrative has a political and personal side that will interest a broad audience, and the multiple endings mean that the game has good replay value and can be enjoyed multiple times.”
- “It's pretty short and has other endings, so replayability is available.”
- “The replayability is low because we are not very interested in exploring the story, which is limited.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is praised for its charming and minimalist quality, effectively enhancing the emotional depth of the story. With a small range of tracks that evoke nostalgia and resonate with the characters' experiences, the soundtrack complements the heartwarming yet bittersweet narrative. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's artistic appeal and emotional impact.
- “Lovely art style and charming music, good pacing, and your choice does affect the ending that you get.”
- “The music in 1998: The Toll Keeper story is minimalist and subtle, featuring a small range of tracks to emphasize the emotions of the characters and the turmoil that they experience.”
- “The soundtrack is lovely, and the art has that nostalgic 90s vibe to it.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is highlighted by beautiful designs and a deeply emotional storyline that resonates with players, enhancing their connection to the characters.
- “Beautiful character designs and an incredibly powerful, emotionally charged storyline.”
- “The character development is so rich and nuanced, making each character feel real and relatable.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, facing challenges that truly shape their personalities.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this game is characterized by its directness and emotional resonance, contrasting with the more obscure dark humor often found in similar titles. Players appreciate the quality of the writing and artwork, noting that the humor is complemented by charming elements, such as a cute kitten.
- “While I feel like a lot of these 'Papers, Please' style games tend to keep things obscure about their location with a bit of dark humor added, this game is more in your face and really evokes emotions for the characters you encounter.”
- “Nothing bad to say; the writing is good, the artwork is great, there is some humor, and there is a cute kitten.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game is well-optimized, with no bugs or performance issues, contributing positively to their overall experience.
- “Dude, my math skills have improved and optimized from playing this!”
- “Another great game, no bugs, and no performance issues whatsoever.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a simulation game.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is available on PC, Phone, Windows, Tablet and others.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story was released on October 28, 2025.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story was developed by GameChanger Studio.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a single player game.

Similar games include A Space for the Unbound, Citizen Sleeper, DISTRAINT 2, Rendezvous, Neo Cab and others.

1998: The Toll Keeper Story

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