Paper Cages

About

Paper Cages is a single player puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by Placeholder Gameworks and was released on November 2, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Wake up, get dressed, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, go to work. A true horror story. A game about mental health. Made for Spelkollektivet's 2019 Halloween Game Jam! The main theme was Horror, and the sub-themes were: Archenemy, Profession, Personal. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mental health, depression, anxiety, self-loathing, dysphoria, eating disorders The theme we chose was: Personal + Archenemy …

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,685 reviews

story291 positive mentions

grinding74 negative mentions

The game features a rich story with amusing gameplay and well-developed characters.
The art style and music are exceptional, creating a captivating atmosphere.
The game encourages replayability with multiple endings and choices that impact the narrative.

The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious after a few playthroughs.
Some players found the writing and dialogue to be dull and lacking depth.
The game has a lack of clear consequences for choices, making it feel less impactful.

story
666 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The game's story is rich and engaging, featuring a unique premise where players navigate moral dilemmas as a grim reaper, with choices that significantly impact the narrative and lead to multiple endings. While many players appreciate the humor and depth of the characters, some find the pacing slow and the story occasionally predictable or lacking in complexity. Overall, it offers a blend of dark humor and thought-provoking themes, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of story-driven games.
- “I see what the developers wanted to create: tough decision making, being the decider of humanity's fate, a sprawling story with consequences.”
- “The story makes you wonder what will happen next, like a good book.”
- “The story is engaging and I love how who you pick to live or die affects the game storyline and you can see how it affects the world and what your tasks become.”
- “The pacing is painfully slow, and the story really isn't strong enough to make me care.”
- “However, the story is mediocre and decision making didn't show much complicated and multi-layered consequences after I finished it for the first time.”
- “I kept telling myself that perhaps all the repetitiveness and frustration is contributing to the story or a climax, but after 1.5 hours of playing there has been zero development in the story.”
gameplay
474 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The gameplay of "Death and Taxes" has drawn mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, often comparing it unfavorably to "Papers, Please." While some appreciate the engaging narrative and humor, others find the core mechanics monotonous and lacking depth, leading to a tedious experience after initial playthroughs. Overall, the game offers a unique premise and charming art style, but its gameplay may not satisfy those seeking more complexity or variety.
- “The gameplay is relatively simple yet surprisingly engaging.”
- “The game’s simple mechanics are elevated by its strong writing, making it a great choice for players who enjoy introspective games with a darkly comedic edge.”
- “The gameplay and progression are similar to 'Papers, Please', albeit with much higher stakes.”
- “The gameplay loop is dull and feels repetitive from the get-go.”
- “The main issue is that the gameplay doesn't evolve over time.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive, your actions only have abstract consequences and you have no emotional attachment to the people whose fate you're deciding.”
humor
342 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in "Death and Taxes" is widely praised for its dark, absurdist, and often morbid wit, effectively blending lightheartedness with thought-provoking themes. Players appreciate the clever dialogue, engaging voice acting, and the game's ability to evoke laughter while tackling serious subjects like life and death. However, some reviews note that the humor can be hit or miss, with a few finding it lacking or overly simplistic at times. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy quirky, dark humor and a unique narrative experience.
- “Death and Taxes is a thought-provoking and humorous narrative puzzle game with a unique concept.”
- “It's funny, whimsical, and definitely has great replay value.”
- “The humor is great and had me chuckling quite a bit, and the fourth wall breaks were unexpected and pretty cool.”
- “Unfunny game that tries way too hard.”
- “Day three: same (don't bother to read the news; after a while, they are not funny anymore).”
- “I cannot overstate how painfully unfunny I found this game.”
graphics
327 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their unique and charming art style, which many players find visually appealing and well-executed. The combination of beautiful hand-drawn visuals, engaging character designs, and a fitting soundtrack enhances the overall experience, although some players noted that the graphics can feel repetitive over time. Overall, the aesthetic quality is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The game is very artistically and graphically rich and pretty.”
- “The art style is really satisfying to look at and the soundtrack in the game is also really chill.”
- “Absolutely loved this game, the art style is so damn good.”
- “The choice of design/art style piqued my interest, but unfortunately the game didn't offer anything 'new' to the eye as it progressed - the style stayed the same with a few colorful highlights, which is good for the feeling, but became dull.”
- “The game appears entertaining and interesting on the store page but once you actually play it you find the music lacking in variety, your choices don't really matter as long as you don't lose, and placeholder gameworks seems to have invested too much into providing aesthetics than the gameplay loop and layers.”
- “Despite being 2D flat storyboard graphics, the UI and cutscenes glitch out with unplayable frequency.”
music
260 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
35%
3%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many players praising its charm, quality, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. While some noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive over time, the majority found it to be beautifully composed and fitting for the game's themes, contributing significantly to the immersive experience. Overall, the combination of engaging music, excellent voice acting, and appealing art style creates a captivating environment that players appreciate.
- “The soundtrack complements the game impeccably, enhancing the emotional resonance of each moment and further immersing players in the captivating world.”
- “The music is beautiful and manages to make you feel like you belong in any environment, but there seems to be a general lack of connection between the tracks.”
- “The music is fantastic and the story really sucks you in.”
- “Music and sound effects were a bit repetitive and boring for me.”
- “Finally, I have to note the god-awful bland piano music playing in the background throughout the whole thing.”
- “The music in this game is mostly elevator music; it fits the game just fine, but it won’t be a soundtrack you’ll be downloading anytime soon.”
replayability
248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
51%
4%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as high due to its multiple endings and branching narrative paths, encouraging players to explore different choices and outcomes. However, some reviewers noted that the gameplay can become repetitive after a few runs, which may diminish the overall replay value for certain players. Overall, while many find the game engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, others feel that the limited scope and repetitive elements may impact long-term interest.
- “The game offers multiple endings depending on your choices, which encourages replayability as you experiment with different decisions.”
- “It is definitely replayable since your decisions determine the ending of the game, so you can play over and over until you get all of the endings.”
- “The replayability is great as well, along with few normal endings arising from world falling into disarray, there are few unique endings as well.”
- “Not a huge lot of gameplay, but on sale like right now on humble bundle, it is still worth it; apparently getting all achievements takes a full playthrough, which is understandable but a bit lame as there isn't that much replay value, I'd think.”
- “The biggest negative of the game is its lack of replayability.”
- “While the game does have a certain degree of replayability, I cannot deny the fact that the game does get a bit bland after a few cycles.”
grinding
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
7%
91%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially when attempting to achieve 100% completion. While the initial playthroughs can be engaging, subsequent runs often feel like a chore, as players are required to repeat similar tasks and dialogues without significant variation. Overall, the grinding experience can detract from the enjoyment, making it a significant point of frustration for those seeking to explore all the game's content.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Be aware that if you are an achievement hunter, this one can be a bit on the tedious side, as it requires multiple (eight? nine? can't rightly recall at the moment) playthroughs for one of its achievements, and a bit of numerical balancing to unlock one specific achievement, the requirements for which are not made clear to the player.”
- “The main gameplay, choosing who lives and dies, became really tedious.”
- “The game’s concept, while seemingly illustrious at first, becomes a tedious process of minimal playing, interrupted by poor voice acting and even more disappointing gameplay - like 'Papers, Please', but without the constraints, difficulty, or introspection offered by other games in its genre.”
emotional
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
8%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it heartwarming and capable of evoking genuine feelings, others criticize it for lacking depth and emotional connection to the characters. Many reviews highlight a disconnect between the player and the narrative, making choices feel abstract and less impactful, though some moments do resonate strongly, leading to emotional responses. Overall, the game elicits a mix of feelings, from joy and warmth to frustration and detachment, depending on the player's engagement with the story and characters.
- “I got invested just enough in the story to be left feeling bad about the ending I got, so the game at least made me feel something.”
- “The soundtrack complements the game impeccably, enhancing the emotional resonance of each moment and further immersing players in the captivating world.”
- “Practically the most emotional game I've ever played.”
- “I felt detached from the character, which made it hard to connect with the story on an emotional level.”
- “The storyline was boring and failed to evoke any real emotions.”
- “Without any time constraints, the game felt aimless and lacked emotional depth.”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
48%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its strong voice acting, music, and detailed art style, which contribute to an immersive experience. While many players appreciate the world-building and charm, some note inconsistencies and a lack of cohesion that detracts from the overall impact. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a highlight, though there are suggestions for further development to enhance its lasting effect.
- “Amazing atmosphere, very interesting world building (during the first play-through).”
- “The attention to detail in character animations and the grimly charming environments contributes to the overall atmosphere.”
- “With an outstanding soundtrack and a charming atmosphere, Death and Taxes is a well-crafted experience.”
- “In overall, the idea of the game is great, but the immersion in the atmosphere is mediocre.”
- “The atmosphere is all wrong, and I think it's due to poor writing.”
- “While the atmosphere of the game is solid, the visual presentation struggles to be cohesive.”
optimization
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on a variety of systems without noticeable performance issues or crashes. Its simple point-and-click mechanics contribute to a polished experience, allowing players to enjoy the gameplay and voice performances without technical distractions. Overall, it delivers a visually appealing and stable performance, even on low-end devices.
- “It's a fairly simple point-and-click type of game, so it runs smoothly on practically any system and there aren't any noticeable problems with performance or crashing.”
- “The game is visually appealing and runs smoothly.”
- “Polished, well-executed, optimized, and full of easily-missed subplots and details that really tie the whole experience together.”
- “While the game is interesting, I definitely felt like I didn't have much agency over my own personal performance.”
- “After stamping all the profiles, they get faxed off to management and players get their daily performance review.”
- “Watching over you is Fate himself, judging each day's performance.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
Reviews indicate that while the game features appealing character designs and some engaging side plots, the overall character development is limited and lacks depth. Players express a desire for more substantial interactions and backstories, particularly for side characters and those encountered in the game world. The potential for richer character development is acknowledged, but current efforts are seen as minimal and underwhelming.
- “There is a great potential in this game or something like it that has more character development and world interaction to really find out how everyone got here and how big the place is where you work.”
- “Also, some character development for those you see in the pub would be nice as well.”
- “There is an attempt at two interesting side plots happening with the voices in the mirror and the very minor character development that happens with your boss.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
88%
The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the experience, such as incorrect game mechanics and repetitive dialogue. However, others have noted a lack of significant issues, suggesting that stability may vary between individual experiences. Overall, while there are some graphical glitches, the game is generally considered playable.
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
- “I've played for hours without encountering any bugs, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I can always rely on it to perform consistently.”
- “It's also surprisingly buggy for such a simple game.”
- “Feels buggy, unpolished, and tries too hard to be funny.”
- “It is also buggy in that it incorrectly reports you are 'destroying the world' even as other game mechanics clearly show you're saving the world.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews suggest that the game's monetization strategy is perceived as a quick cash grab, with concerns about misleading advertising on platforms like Steam. Players feel that the quality of the game does not justify its pricing, indicating dissatisfaction with the overall value proposition.
- “I seriously consider that this game may have been made by a student undertaking such a course, and they decided to publish it as a quick cash grab.”
- “I think Steam is pushing the advertising in a very misleading direction.”