The creator of Papers, Please encourages developers to make weirder and more personal games

Lucas Pope, the loner behind the iconic Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, received this year’s prestigious Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards. The award honors those who have had a significant impact on the video game industry, and Pope is now officially on par with figures like Gabe Newell, Yu Suzuki, and Roberta Williams.But, like his games, Lucas’ speech at the ceremony was different from the standard thank-you’s – instead of pathos, he chose a sincere and almost ironic tone. “Now that I’m a pioneer, I have a couple of requests “In receiving the award, Pope addressed the audience with his characteristic humor: “Well, now that I’m officially a pioneer, I have a couple of requests. First, world peace, of course. But seriously, I’ll be happy if you continue to make weird, unconventional, experimental, creative and, most importantly, personal games. That’s the kind of stuff I love. “This thought echoed what he said earlier in a private conversation with reporters. When asked what advice he would give to aspiring developers, Pope said simply and precisely, “Create something personal. Make a small game, release it on [Itch.io]. Find people who like the same things you do, and make something you enjoy. “Sincerity as a driving forceThis philosophy fully reflects the path of Lucas Pope himself. His games are not blockbusters with billion-dollar budgets, but unique authorial statements. Papers, Please, for example, turned a seemingly boring job as a border guard into an emotionally and morally intense experience. Return of the Obra Dinn became one of the most original detectives of the decade, both in mechanics and visual style.