Papers, Please iceberg

Papers, Please iceberg is an iceberg chart topic. A text version, "The Ultimate Papers Please Iceberg" by kheyfall, is hosted on IcebergThreads, where it had 607 views as of 29 October 2026.

The IcebergThreads author describes it as: "Facts, references, mysteries, theories and all other things about Papers, Please universe."

Entries reflect the chart authors' choices and are not verified fact.

Tiers

Tiers and entries from the IcebergThreads version. Notes after a dash are shortened from the author's explanations.

The Arrival

• Arstotzka – The main country were the game story and main events happens.
• Kolechia – Arstotzka's rival country. Past conflicts have resulted in diplomatic instability between the two countries.
• Antegria – A country to the west of Arstotzka.
• Impor – A coastal country to the southwest of Arstotzka.
• Obristan – A neighbor country north of Arstotzka.
• United Federation – A country located far west of Arstotzka.
• EZIC – A anarchist organization enemy of the state of Arstotzka. Their goal is to revolutionize the country's regime.
• Jorji Costava – Most iconic entrant. In his first appearances, he has difficulty presenting the correct documentation. Later he becomes the intermediary for the inspector's escape to Obristan.
• Calensk – A border guard who starts a bribery scheme with the inspector to increase the number of arrests at the border.
• Dimitri – Ministry of Admission divisional authority of Arstotzka.
• Elisa Katsenja – A kolechian entrant who is romantically involved with the border guard Sergiu Volda.
• Inspector – The main character in game lore.
• M. Vonel – A government special investigator of Arstotzka.
• Sergiu Volda – A board guard that eventually becomes an inspector's friend. He is romantically involved with the entrant Elisa Katsenja.
• Shaddy Safadi – The first smuggler the inspector encounters in the game. If caught, he offers a sum of money to let him pass.
• Shae Piersovska – A kolechian diplomat.
• "Glory to Arstotzka" – Infamous Arstotzka's motto.
• Lucas Pope – Developer of Papers, Please.
• Achievements – There is 13 achieviments of the game on Steam.
• Steam Trading Cards Artwork – Exclusive card art from the game on Steam. There are 8 in total.
• Documents – Features used in gameplay to point out possible discrepancies in traveler's passports. As the game progresses, new documents are added, increasing the difficulty.
• Endings – There is 20 alternate endings in game.
• Vince Lestrade – The first criminal the player encounter in the game. According the journal, he's accused for the murder of his girlfriend in Republia.
• East Grestin – Part of the city of Grestin belonging to Arstotzka.
• West Grestin – Part of the city of Grestin belonging to Kolechia.
• Grestin Border Checkpoint – Grestin border checkpoint in Arstotzka.

Checkpoint

• Cobrastan – Fake country that appears on the first passport of Jorji Costava.
• Dari Ludum – A human trafficker who is affiliated with a brothel in Arstotzka called The Pink Vice.
• Nathan Cykelek – An entrant who accidentally hands the inspector two passports with similar information but differing names.
• Tokens – Currency granted by immigrants in exchange for individual favors. It works like an in-game achievement.
• Infinite Mode – Game mode unlocked after reaching ending 20 in story mode.
• Six-Year War – The name of the war between Arstotzka and Kolechia that occurred shortly before the events of the game's story. The consequences of this war are notable in various aspects of the narrative.
• Terrorism – Attacks on the border that occur occasionally by immigrants dissatisfied with its openness.
• The Pink Vice – A strip club in the city of East Grestin.
• Man in Red – Immigrant who appears on day 23. Depending on the player's choices, his identity changes, and he could be either Khaled Istom or simply an unknown person.
• Jorji is a Smuggler – Jorji engages in illegal activities during the game, one of which is smuggling.
• Cold War – The game's historical context is based on a fictional setting during the Cold War period.
• Corman Drex – The first EZIC agent encountered by the inspector.
• Papers, Please - The Short Film – Official short film adaptation of Papers, Please released in 2018.
• Marie Escalli – EZIC agent sent to investigate border violations during the 17th.
• Mikhail Saratov – EZIC agent whose name is revealed in the cipher from the decoder.
• Bribe – Activity carried out by some border officials and citizens in exchange for favors.
• Dimitri and Shae Piersovska Relationship – A romantic relationship between Dimitri and Shae Piersovska is strongly implied in the story, for example when Dimitri asks the inspector to turn a blind eye to Shae's entry.
• Stepheni Graire – EZIC agent whose name is revealed in the cipher from the decoder.
• That's Not My Neighbor – Game similar to the style of Papers, Please.
• Not for Broadcast – Game similar to the style of Papers, Please.
• Mobile and Console Versions – The mobile/console versions of Papers, Please have interface differences.
• All Endings are Canon – It has been confirmed by the creator that all endings are canon.
• "Obristan Above All" – Official motto of Obristan.
• Smuggling – Activity carried out by several immigrants on the border.
• Danic Lorun – Republian immigrant on the 21st who offers a watch in exchange for passport approval.
• Messof Anegovych – Arztotzkan immigrant from the 12th looking for engineers to hire and asks the inspector for help.
• Kordon Kallo – Kolechian diplomat called to Arstotzka to resolve a negotiation after coordinated attacks on the border.
• Filipe Hasse – A citizen who plays for a football team called Arstotzka Arskickers appears at the border on the 13th offering a pennant from his team in exchange for an entry visa.
• Lucas Pope Worked in Naughty Dog – Before starting his indie projects, Lucas Pope worked at Naughty Dog on projects such as Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Discrepancy

• Simon Wens – Resident serial killer of Arstotzka.
• The Truth of Arstotzka – Official daily newspaper of the state of Arstotzka.
• Nirsk – Hometown of Inspector and Sergiu Volda. The city is mentioned at specific points in the game and is described as a terrible place to live.
• Get Big Town – An Arstotzka academy eventually publicized by an entrant.
• Arstotzka Arskickers – A football team from Arstotzka.
• Ministries – Arstotzka's administration is made up of different ministries, each responsible for specific civic areas.
• The New Arstotzka – Name of the new state of Arstotzka after EZIC completed its conspiracy.
• Arstotzka's Corruption – Arstotzka's corruption is notable across a wide range of areas, including bribery, human trafficking, smuggling, and the exchange of irregular favors.
• Meskor Engineering – Arstotzka engineering company run by Messof Anegovych is hiring engineers.
• Khaled Istom – Assassin who aims to ruin EZIC's plans. Depending on his choices, he later becomes the man in red.
• Simon Wens is a Michael Meyers Reference – Simon Wens shares striking similarities with Michael Meyers, both in appearance and in his bloodthirsty activities. This is likely a reference.
• Inspector's Sister Arrested Reason – At one point in the game, the inspector's sister is arrested, and the player is forced to take her daughter into his home. The reason for her arrest is never explained.
• Julia – One of Simon Wens' victims and daughter of the vengeful father who later seeks revenge.
• LCD, Please – Demake version of Papers, Please produced in celebration of the game's 10th anniversary.
• The Republia Times – Prequel game to Papers, Please that takes place in the same universe.
• Apocashop – Game similar to the style of Papers, Please.
• Not Tonight – Game similar to the style of Papers, Please.
• Lil' Guardsman – Game similar to the style of Papers, Please.
• The Other Countries Are Worse Than Arstotzka – Despite Arstotzka's chaotic political context, there are indications that other countries are probably even worse. This idea is supported by the political persecution of the Antegrian whistleblower,…
• "Long Live Republia" – Possible motto of the country of Republic.
• "For Kolechia" – Phrase uttered by terrorists before committing suicide at the border. Possibly a Kolechia motto.
• Vince Lestrade is a Oscar Pistorius Reference – Oscar Pistorius was an Olympic and Paralympic athlete accused of murdering his girlfriend. His story bears a striking resemblance to that of Vince Lestrade.
• Papers, Please USA Edition – A parody version of Papers, Please.
• Human Traffic – Activity carried out by criminals through the Pink Vice brothel.
• Please, Don't Touch Anything Reference – There is a playable minigame in Please, Don't Touch Anything that references Papers, Please as an easter egg.

Corruption

• Antegria's Dictatorship – There is evidence that a dictatorship has been established in Antegria. This is supported, for example, by the persecution of the Antegrian whistleblower seeking asylum in Arstotzka.
• Pravda Soviet Journal Reference – Pravda was the Soviet Union's main state newspaper during the Cold War. The similarities between it and Arstotzka's Truth suggest that the in-game newspaper is a reference to Pravda.
• Unused Journal Headlines – There are some unused newspaper headlines that should appear after a few days.
• Ministries Not Mentioned – There are a small number of ministries mentioned by Lucas Pope that never appear in the game, such as the Ministry of Propaganda and the Ministry of Seals, for example.
• The Republia Times is a Alternate Universe – There are a small number of ministries that have been mentioned previously but have never been in the game.
• The Antegrian Whistleblower Destination – The Antegrian whistleblower is a figure featured in several newspaper headlines. Her true whereabouts after seeking asylum in Arstotzka are never explained.
• Beta Version – The beta version of the game shares notable differences in development.
• Pre-Release Mini Game – Initially, during the escape to Obristan, there was going to be a minigame where the player assumed the role of an immigrant seeking a visa, but this was scrapped. This minigame was converted into a…
• Fingerprint System – Old fingerprint collection system, similar to the paper and ink system that was initially planned for the game.
• Vince Lestrade It's Not a Murder – This is a theory explaining that Vince Lestrade is being falsely accused of murder by the state of Republia as a form of persecution, given the political chaos in his home country, as seen in The…
• Timofei Wee – Passport forger known as Jorji who advertises his services through flyers.
• The Republia Times Happens After Papers, Please Events – There are indications that the story of The Republia Times takes place after the events of Papers, Please. Chief among these is the noticeable technological difference between the two stories, as The…
• Sale of Nude Photos – It was planned that the inspector could confiscate photographs of nude people to sell for a small price.
• Computer Terminal – Discarded mechanics of a computer terminal.
• M.O.A Performance Letter – Discarded mechanics that brought at the beginning of a few days a M.O.A report regarding the inspector's performance in the previous days.
• M.O.A Overwatcher – A discarded mechanism that allowed the M.O.A. to monitor the inspector's work. It eventually allowed the inspector to make mistakes without receiving demerits if the display was inactive.
• Democria – Name of the new state of Republia after the successful rebellion in The Republia Times.
• Republia and Antegria War – In The Republia Times, it is described that earlier in the game's story, Republia and Antegria were at war, an event that had a direct impact on the story.
• EZIC is a Terrorist Organization – Theory that suggests that EZIC's actions are committed as part of terrorist acts, not revolutionary ones.
• EZIC Origin – The real origin of EZIC is never explained, but it is said by an agent that "when Arstotzka was born, EZIC was already there", which gives a small clue as to its origin, but still does not fully…
• Jorji is a Renowned Smuggler – Despite being seen with contraband, carrying fake passports, and even being arrested, Jorji always ends up returning somehow. As he himself says, he has inside contacts with the police and doesn't…
• Kolechia is a Decline State – Some dialogue with other characters suggests that the war between Kolechia and Arstotzka had greater consequences in Kolechia. Segiu says at one point that despite what happens in Arstotzka, in…
• What's Happening in Antegria – Some story events hint at something happening in Antegria, whether similar or worse than what's seen in Arstotzka. For example, the case of the Antegrian whistleblower and a couple at the beginning…
• Simon Wens is a Arthur Stanley Brown Reference – Arthur Stanley Brown was a man accused of the rape and murder of two children named Susan and Judith Mackay in 1970. He may have possibly been the inspiration for the character Simon Wens, as both…
• Kurstov – Proclaimed leader of the rebellion in The Republia Times.
• Anita Sarkeesian – A feminist blogger who was referenced as an immigrant in the game. The immigrant in question happened to be a member of the Pink Vice club, which caused some controversy. Her name was later removed…

Conspiracy

• Semistan – A lesser-known country referenced in fanart of the Papers, Please extended map.
• Skoatia – A fake country believed to have existed in the game. The story originated from an old screenshot of the game's development that was never made public, which reveals a passport belonging to an…
• EZIC is in Altan – At the end of the game, the MOA decides to confiscate all passports of the residents of the Altan district, but does not state why. It is reasonable to assume that the reason for this decision is due…
• EZIC Creates Arstotzka – In a conversation with the agent, he says that "when Arstotzka was born, EZIC was there", suggesting that the group may have had some connection with the country's origins.
• M. Vonel is a EZIC Member – Meeting M. Vonel for the first time, the inspector has the opportunity to cooperate with the investigation by providing information about EZIC, but if he does so, the inspector is arrested (which…
• Other Autocratic Groups Existence – In Papers, Please we have only EZIC as the only autocratic group in existence, but they are not the only ones. In The Republia Times there is also a rebel group with the same ideals as EZIC in…
• There is a EZIC Member that was a Inspector Too in the Past – At one point, the inspector receives from an EZIC agent a key to access a sniper rifle, a weapon with real bullets. Only someone with a position in the government/MOA could have access to such a…

The Unknow

• EZIC is the Rebel Group from Republia Times – In the story of The Republia Times, there is an autocratic revolutionary group that plans to overthrow the state, as in Papers, Please. The fact that both groups have equivalent foundations, and in…

See also

• Iceberg chart
• Video game easter eggs iceberg

Sources

• IcebergThreads version: kheyfall. The Ultimate Papers Please Iceberg. IcebergThreads. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 29 October 2026.