Choose Papers, Please
Choose Papers, Please if you want an Adventure game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 38,957 Steam reviews back the pick.
Papers, Please vs Able Black
Papers, Please and Able Black both land in Indie on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Indie games on Steam. Papers, Please (2013) is 3 years older than Able Black (2016). Able Black scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Papers, Please (97.3% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Able Black
Choose Able Black if it's currently about 90% cheaper on the Steam Store. Able Black launched in 2016.
Both Papers, Please and Able Black sit in Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Papers, Please |  Able Black | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Indie |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 97.3% positive (38,957 reviews) | 100% positive (22 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Lucas Pope | Skot Leach |
Side by side
- Both are Indie games on Steam.
- Papers, Please (2013) is 3 years older than Able Black (2016).
- Able Black scores higher on Steam reviews (100% positive) than Papers, Please (97.3% positive).
- Able Black is currently ~90% cheaper on Steam than Papers, Please (0.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Papers, Please is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Able Black has no Deck rating yet.
Papers, Please vs Able Black — FAQ
- Should I play Papers, Please or Able Black first?
- If you want chronology, Papers, Please (2013) came out before Able Black (2016). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Papers, Please and Able Black similar?
- They overlap on Indie on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Papers, Please run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Papers, Please is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Able Black doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.