Paper Cages

About Paper Cages

Paper Cages is a single player casual simulation game with horror and comedy themes. 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 …

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Reviews

86%Audience ScoreBased on 4,337 reviews

story336 positive mentions

grinding97 negative mentions

Unique premise of playing as a grim reaper with multiple endings and storylines.
Engaging narrative with thought-provoking moral dilemmas and dark humor.
Great art style, voice acting, and atmospheric soundtrack enhance immersion.

Gameplay gets repetitive and monotonous after initial playthroughs.
Some players felt choices had limited impact or were unclear in consequences.
Certain UI and control issues cause frustration; some dialogue and humor may not appeal to everyone.

story
772 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44% positive mentions, 52% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions
The story of "Death and Taxes" is widely praised for its intriguing, witty, and thought-provoking narrative that explores themes of fate, morality, and human life through engaging character interactions and multiple branching endings. While some find the story immersive and enjoy the replayability to uncover different outcomes, others criticize it for being repetitive, slow-paced, and lacking depth or impactful choices. Overall, the game's storytelling, voice acting, and unique premise provide a compelling experience for fans of narrative-driven, choice-based games.
- “The story building in this game blew me out of this world; I was not expecting such a deep story with multiple endings, something that made me stop and think after I completed my first run of the game.”
- “Choices matter, and they are really hard, with multiple endings and branching storylines.”
- “The story is intriguing, the voice acting is well done, the characters are sincerely interesting, and the music is surprisingly pleasant, if a bit simple.”
- “The story also huffs its own farts a bit too much, since the twist is obvious in the first week, yet the game keeps talking about difficult decisions and balance like baby's first philosophy book.”
- “Spoiler: the story is a massive waste of time with multiple endings that are worse than the last and very underwhelming.”
- “It's been hours of fun and I can't wait to play more and unravel more of the story.”
gameplay
585 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25% positive mentions, 61% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions
The gameplay of "Death and Taxes" is simple, minimalistic, and heavily inspired by "Papers, Please," involving decision-making on who lives or dies in a bureaucratic desk-job setting. While initially engaging due to its unique concept, humor, art style, and voice acting, many reviewers note that the core gameplay loop becomes repetitive and monotonous over time, with limited mechanical variety or meaningful consequences. The game shines as a narrative and moral dilemma experience but lacks depth and complexity in its gameplay, which may reduce motivation for multiple playthroughs despite some added mechanics and replay value.
- “Death and taxes genuinely adds nothing to this already saturated space because it tries to achieve it in the most uninteresting way possible: the internal struggle of making such choices is literally the entire mechanic of the game, rather than being an underlying consideration that you may or may not have missed.”
- “While the gameplay is simple on the surface, the brilliance of Death and Taxes lies in its branching narrative and philosophical undertones.”
- “Blending puzzle mechanics with a dark, thought-provoking narrative, it challenges players not just to solve logic puzzles, but to wrestle with the moral consequences of their choices.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and revolves around decision making based on rules that are not well communicated, at least until you eventually buy items to reveal the actual game mechanics.”
- “The gameplay loop is dull and feels repetitive from the get go.”
- “The gameplay just felt repetitive and unsatisfying.”
humor
407 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions
The humor in "Death and Taxes" is widely praised for its quirky, dark, and often dry or sardonic tone, blending bureaucratic satire with existential and moral themes. Many find it witty, well-written, and frequently funny, with clever dialogue, memorable characters, and amusing consequences that add charm and replayability. However, humor reception can be mixed, with some feeling the jokes are repetitive, Reddit- or meme-tinged, or that the comedic efforts occasionally fall flat, yet overall the game's humor is considered a strong and defining aspect.
- “This game is an absolute hoot, with stellar voice acting, deceptively-simple mechanics, and hilarious writing.”
- “The writing is really good, the humor lands most of the time, and the choices actually made me stop and think before stamping anything.”
- “Death and taxes is a really clever and darkly funny twist on a choice-based game.”
- “This is fine for a game with this light of a tone, but it can't coexist with a repetitive gameplay loop and unfunny jokes.”
- “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
384 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57% positive mentions, 42% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions
The game features a distinctive, hand-drawn art style that is widely praised for its charm, cohesiveness, and fitting tone, blending dark humor with a unique aesthetic. The visuals are described as simple yet polished, with great character design, atmospheric colors, and pleasing animations that complement the game's theme. While some find the style repetitive or uneven at times, the graphics, combined with excellent voice acting and music, create an immersive and aesthetically appealing experience that many consider a strong highlight of the game.
- “The art style is unique and simply fabulous.”
- “The hand-drawn, minimalist art style gives the game a distinct charm, complementing its dark yet humorous tone.”
- “The graphics are fantastic and is the one thing that takes this game above Papers Please; the colors are bright and a couple different locations you can visit are also as atmospheric as you'd expect living in the clouds or wherever Death is located.”
- “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.”
- “Every single aspect of this game is good, but also terribly repetitive - the setting and its art style, the characters and a few dialogs, the papers, and the gameplay.”
- “Graphically the game felt fairly polished, though some of the visual effects felt a bit dated so I give that a 7.5 out of 10. It mostly achieved the visual style it was going for.”
music
306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61% positive mentions, 36% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
The game's music is widely praised for its stylish, jazzy, and atmospheric soundtrack that perfectly complements the art style and mood, enhancing the immersive, contemplative gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the calming, subtle elevator and lounge jazz vibes, along with excellent voice acting and sound design, though some note the limited track variety can become repetitive over extended play. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a key strength, adding depth and charm to the game’s unique bureaucratic setting.
- “Musically, Death and Taxes leans into a somber, jazzy, and melancholic soundtrack that enhances the game’s meditative mood.”
- “The soundtrack reflects the emotional weight of your job—the loneliness, the routine, the pressure—while also adding an artistic atmosphere to what is essentially a paperwork simulator.”
- “The soundtrack is moody, featuring slow-paced jazz that emulates the best in elevator music (I promise this is a compliment), and fits the aesthetic extremely well!”
- “Music and sound effects were a bit repetitive and boring for me.”
- “Finally, I have to note god awful bland piano music playing in the background throughout the whole thing.”
- “You are incessantly subjected to the same damn diegetic, public-domain-quality elevator music again and again.”
replayability
300 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45% positive mentions, 51% neutral mentions, 4% negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through multiple endings, branching choices, and a new game+ feature, encouraging players to explore various outcomes and strategies. While some find replay value slightly limited due to repetitive gameplay and short length, many praise its engaging narrative, humor, and depth that make multiple playthroughs rewarding. Overall, replayability is a key strength, especially for those interested in completing different endings and achievements.
- “The replay value is incalculated, as you will need multiple playthroughs to achieve all the different endings and unlock all of the achievements.”
- “There are so many different endings, characters, opportunities, dialog options, and of course, life or death choices that the game is 100% replayable.”
- “It's just...one thing after another, and sometimes even if you're going for a specific achievement things just don't line up the right way and it loses its replayability after the first few runs.”
- “It was a short game as well, so I think getting it on sale is a must. While there are different endings, you have to go through the same unchanging days again, so it doesn't have a ton of replayability.”
- “The game also encourages multiple playthroughs but fails to provide real replay value. Even the first playthrough starts to drag towards the end.”
- “Limited replayability once you’ve seen all story branches.”
grinding
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3% positive mentions, 5% neutral mentions, 92% negative mentions
Grinding in the game is widely described as tedious, repetitive, and exhausting, especially when pursuing all achievements or multiple playthroughs. While some find the initial gameplay engaging, the necessity of repeating similar tasks, dialogues, and navigation diminishes enjoyment and can break immersion. Overall, grinding is a significant drawback that may deter completionists and those sensitive to repetitiveness.
- “You can skip certain things on 'New Game+' so the grinding is not tedious.”
- “If not grinding for achievements, you can easily beat it in a couple of hours.”
- “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.”
- “I wanted to 100% this game, but after the third run the game starts to get really tedious and the immersion is broken: the first run feels like an interactive story, the next runs just feel more and more like any other game, not because of the story or anything, its very well made and the characters are very endearing, but the gameplay loses its magic and you're no longer thinking about moral dilemmas but instead just calculating numbers, I get it, it makes sense because of the corporate theme of the game, I did not miss the point, but if you're trying to be moral and save the humans it feels very wrong, and very very tedious as I said before, that is the main gripe.”
- “All the good things told aside, as soon as you start playing you should already be looking to do every achievement for it to not become the most tedious consecutive hours of gameplay you are gonna have, there are so many RNG-based achievements that I've even thought that some achievements were broken, this game is alright to enjoy it, but for real the devs should add a skip text button or something because every re-run is like 30 or 40 minutes like it or not and believe, you are gonna re-run a lot.”
emotional
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions
Reviews of the game's emotional aspect are mixed, with some players feeling a meaningful, often heartwarming or existential connection, particularly through narrative and the character Fate, while others find it detached, clinical, and lacking emotional investment. The game’s slow pace and abstract consequences lead to emotional disconnect for some, though it still delivers moments of impact and moral weight that resonate deeply for others. Overall, it blends intellectual challenge with emotional depth but may feel emotionally heavy or draining depending on the player’s engagement.
- “Despite those limitations, Death and Taxes succeeds brilliantly at what it sets out to do: deliver a smart, stylish, and emotionally engaging morality simulator wrapped in existential questions and a sharp sense of humor.”
- “You’ll encounter tales that range from heartbreaking to absurd, often forcing you to question the fairness of your choices.”
- “Death and Taxes is a compelling fusion of puzzle and narrative, offering a rare gaming experience that blends intellectual challenge with emotional depth.”
- “No time constraints, feel detached from the character, boring storyline.”
atmosphere
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44% positive mentions, 49% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its calm, introspective, and often grim tone, enhanced by a fitting, subtle soundtrack and strong voice acting that together create a relaxing yet emotionally resonant experience. Its unique art style, sometimes likened to Sin City or Papers, effectively supports the mood and storytelling, though some note occasional cohesion issues and repetitive dialogue in later playthroughs. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a key strength, providing immersive world-building and a thoughtful, artistic ambiance.
- “The whole game has this calm atmosphere while everything around you slowly falls apart.”
- “The soundtrack reflects the emotional weight of your job — the loneliness, the routine, the pressure — while also adding an artistic atmosphere to what is essentially a paperwork simulator.”
- “With an outstanding soundtrack and a charming atmosphere, Death and Taxes is a well-crafted experience.”
- “On budget, the atmosphere was not as striking, and while the choices you make affect events downstream, it didn't feel as comprehensive, interesting, or personal.”
- “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.”
optimization
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on a wide range of systems without performance issues or bugs. Its simple gameplay and polished execution ensure stable performance even on low-end hardware. Overall, optimization is solid, allowing players to focus on the story and choices without technical distractions.
- “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.”
- “Polished, well-executed, optimized, and full of easily-missed subplots and details that really tie the whole experience together.”
- “Runs well; no bugs or performance issues.”
- “While the game is interesting, I definitely felt like I didn't very much have any agency on my own personal performance.”
- “After stamping all the profiles, they get faxed off to management and players get their daily performance review.”
character development
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23% positive mentions, 54% neutral mentions, 23% negative mentions
The game features visually striking and humorous character designs that suit its bleak setting, but actual character development is minimal and underutilized. While there are some minor sideplots and brief development with certain characters like the boss, overall the narrative lacks depth and interaction to fully explore the characters and world.
- “The muted color palette and stark character designs give the world a bleak, bureaucratic feel, while occasional splashes of humor — like dressing your grim reaper in a Hawaiian shirt or wizard hat — add levity to the otherwise grim setting.”
- “The characters are hilarious and the character design really fits the premise.”
- “There is 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.”
- “The writing is passable, with the character design being somewhat thoughtful but a lot of the times the characters aren't that necessary.”
- “There is an attempt at two interesting sideplots happening with the voices in the mirror and the very minor character development that happens with your boss.”
- “To be fair, the plot with your boss ('fate') is actually somewhat interesting, but very very short with no significant character development.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 78% negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting a bug-free and crash-free experience, while others note various glitches and bugs, such as incorrect game messages and visual inconsistencies. Overall, the game feels somewhat unpolished but generally remains playable despite occasional minor issues.
- “+Not buggy, has never crashed on me or glitched out in any way”
- “It's also surprisingly buggy for such a simple game.”
- “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.”
- “As many people have said, it is a little repetitive during the middle part, and there are a few glitches here and there - for example, the barkeep saying that 'I need to change my looks because I have had the same look the whole time,' when I changed my look at least once a day.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
Users criticize the monetization of the game for relying heavily on advertising, which they find misleading and reminiscent of low-effort, cash-grab titles. They also feel the game offers less content compared to older free flash games despite its commercial nature.
- “I honestly remember playing big games on flash that were veritably free (minus the advertisements and viruses) that had more overall content than Death & Taxes.”
- “I seriously consider that this game may have been made by such 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.”

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Play Times

5h Median play time

5h Average play time

3-7h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 21 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Paper Cages is a casual simulation game with horror and comedy themes. Common tags for Paper Cages include indie, psychological, narrative, psychological horror, dark comedy and others.

Paper Cages is available on Web Browser, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Paper Cages.

Paper Cages was released on November 2, 2019.

Paper Cages was developed by Placeholder Gameworks.

Paper Cages has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked Paper Cages for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Paper Cages is a single player game.

Similar games include Death and Taxes, Beholder 2, Yes, Your Grace, No, I'm not a Human, Road 96 and others.

Paper Cages

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About Paper Cages

Games Like Paper Cages

Death and Taxes

Beholder 2

Yes, Your Grace

No, I'm not a Human

Road 96

Beholder

Afterparty

Always Sometimes Monsters

Lil Guardsman

Little Misfortune

Reviews

story

gameplay

humor

graphics

music

replayability

grinding

emotional

atmosphere

optimization

character development

stability

monetization

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Paper Cages

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