Comparison

Papers, Please vs Medieval Life

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Papers, Please

Step into the shoes of a border inspector in a dystopian communist state. Examine documents, interrogate travelers, and decide who is allowed to enter. Your choices impact your family's survival and the fate of the nation.

Highlights
  • Dystopian border inspector simulation
  • Document examination and verification
  • Interrogation and decision-making
  • Multiple endings based on choices
  • Unlockable multitouch support
  • Game Center achievements and leaderboards
Features
Read full description

A dystopian document thriller. The award-winning, critically-acclaimed border inspector game. ______________________________________ "Congratulations." "The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled." "For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint." "An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling." "Glory to Arstotzka." ______________________________________ Awards ◉ Best Game of 2013 - The New Yorker ◉ Best Game of 2013 - Wired Magazine ◉ Top Indie Game 2013 - Forbes Magazine ◉ Best Strategy & Simulation Game 2014 - BAFTA ◉ Grand Prize Winner 2014 - Independent Games Festival ◉ Excellence in Design Winner - IGF 2014 ◉ Excellence in Narrative Winner - IGF 2014 ◉ GameCity Prize Winner 2014 - GameCity ◉ Cultural Innovation Award 2013 - SXSW ◉ Best PC Game 2014 - LARA Game Awards ◉ Innovation Award - GDCA 2014 ◉ Most Innovative 2014 - Games For Change ◉ Best Gameplay 2014 - Games For Change ◉ Best Game of 2013 - Ars Technica ◉ Best Game of 2013 - PC World ◉ Best PC Game of 2013 - Destructoid ◉ Best Story of 2013 - Destructoid ... and more ______________________________________ Story The communist state of Arstotzka has just ended a 6-year war with neighboring Kolechia and reclaimed its rightful half of the border town, Grestin. Your job as immigration inspector is to control the flow of people entering the Arstotzkan side of Grestin from Kolechia. Among the throngs of immigrants and visitors looking for work are hidden smugglers, spies, and terrorists. Using only the documents provided by travelers and the Ministry of Admission's primitive inspect, search, and fingerprint systems you must decide who can enter Arstotzka and who will be turned away or arrested. ______________________________________ Features Includes the complete original game with all 31 days and 20 endings. Also adds unlockable multitouch support for faster paperwork, an enhanced inspection mode, Game Center achievements, leaderboards, mid-day resume, and more. ______________________________________ Warning This game contains mature themes, non-photographic nudity, and brief moments of pixelated violence.

About

Medieval Life

Rule a medieval kingdom as nobility, making strategic decisions to govern, build, and expand your realm. Engage in diplomacy, warfare, and political intrigue to guide your people to prosperity and greatness. Cultivate heirs and subjects through education, and host grand events to maintain morale.

Highlights
  • Royal governance as emperor, king, or duke
  • Build and expand your dominion
  • Strategic decision-making for prosperity
  • Heir and subject education system
  • Organize feasts, hunts, and pilgrimages
  • Conquer and defend rival kingdoms
  • Engage in political scheming and intrigue
Features
Read full description

Embark on a captivating journey through the annals of history in "Medieval Life," an immersive and strategic mobile game for iOS that puts you in the shoes of medieval nobility. As a ruler of your own realm, you'll navigate the complexities of governing, strategizing, and building your legacy in a dynamic medieval world. Immerse yourself in this medieval simulation and guide your realm to greatness. Key Features: Royal Aspirations: Step into the regal shoes of a monarch, whether it's an emperor, empress, king, queen, duke, duchess, count or countess. Your destiny awaits as you strive to lead your realm to greatness. Build and Expand: Develop your realm from the ground up. Expand your dominion and create a flourishing civilization. Strategic Governance: Rule with wisdom and make vital decisions that will shape the fate of your people. Manage your gold and army, administer justice, and ensure the prosperity of your subjects. Education: Cultivate the minds of your heirs and subjects through an intricate education system. Raise a generation of learned individuals who will shape the future of your realm. Organize Feasts and Hunts: Host grand feasts and thrilling hunts to entertain your court, boost morale, and celebrate your victories. Go on Pilgrimages: Embark on spiritual journeys to holy sites, seeking blessings and guidance. Your faith and actions can shape the destiny of your realm. Conquer/Defend: Lay claims on your rival kingdoms and be prepared to use your mighty army to expand your kingdom, but be prepared to have to defend those new lands at any point! Engage in epic battles and utilize strategy to come out Victorious! Scheme: Plot intrigues and political machinations to gain the upper hand. Your ability to scheme and strategize will be pivotal in achieving your ambitions. Customizable Characters: Personalize your character's and stand out as a ruler of singular style and character. Medieval Life is the ultimate medieval simulation game, offering a blend of strategy, history, and role-playing, all in the palm of your hand. Will you be a wise diplomat, a cunning strategist, or a fierce conqueror? Rule your realm with wisdom and power, or engage in political scheming to outmaneuver your rivals.

Screenshots

Papers, Please4 screens
Medieval Life4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Medieval Life at Free against Papers, Please's $4.99. Papers, Please's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Medieval Life is free to download; Papers, Please costs $4.99 up front. Medieval Life sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Papers, Please asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Papers, Please against 4.8 for Medieval Life. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 2.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Papers, Please's written reviews are positive against 77% of Medieval Life's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Papers, Please ships an update weekly, Medieval Life every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Papers, Please versus Medieval Life: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPapers, PleaseMedieval Life
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (1.2K ratings)4.8 (2.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.6% of reviews — better77.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K2.6K — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#9 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB68 MB
Age rating17+12+
Developer3909Naji Studios

Customer experience

Papers, Please

All ratings1,202 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews997 reviews
Positive79.6%
Neutral7.5%
Negative12.8%

Medieval Life

All ratings2,406 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews582 reviews
Positive77.3%
Neutral11.5%
Negative11.2%

Bugs and requests

Papers, Please

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Medieval Life

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Screen freezes when trying to declare war
  • Inability to see neighboring realms
  • Inconsistent behavior with heir selection
  • Crashes when advancing to the next generation

Requested features

6 requests
  • Expand the map to include more regions like Europe
  • Add more interaction options with other kingdoms
  • Introduce more random events and challenges
  • Improve the war and combat mechanics
  • Implement resource management and building features
Show 1 more
  • Allow same-gender marriages and relationships

In-app purchases

None

Papers, Please

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Medieval Life

One-time6
  • 80 Gems$0.99
  • 500 Gems$4.99
  • Ad Free Base Game$4.99
Show 3 more
  • 1200 Gems$9.99
  • 2500 Gems$19.99
  • 6500 Gems$49.99

Questions

Is Papers, Please free?
Papers, Please costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Medieval Life free?
Medieval Life is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Papers, Please or Medieval Life?
Medieval Life is rated higher. Papers, Please averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Medieval Life averages 4.8 from 2.6K ratings.
Do Papers, Please or Medieval Life have ads?
Medieval Life shows ads; Papers, Please does not.
Which is updated more often, Papers, Please or Medieval Life?
Papers, Please ships an update weekly, and Medieval Life every 3 weeks. Most recently, Papers, Please was updated on November 11, 2026 and Medieval Life on November 12, 2026.

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