Replayability determines a sim game’s potential for lasting appeal, especially when a relaxing sim routine breaks away from the usual stresses of daily life. However, forParcel Simulatordev Dan of Dansan Digital,sim gamesoften tread the fine line between fun replayability and tedious repetitiveness. Throughout his game’s development, Dan wantedParcel Simulatorto secure package-inspecting fun without confining the game to “just” package inspection.
TheParcel Simulatortrailer teases gameplay similar to other routinary matching-type simulators, with players taking on the role of parcel inspectors ensuring a package follows its expected requirements. Through visual inspection, barcode scans, and even x-ray machines,Parcel Simulatorplayers can accept or reject parcels for shipping. In a recent Game Rant interview,Parcel Simulatordev Dan spoke about taking a simple idea, making fun gameplay elements to match it, and developing it all into a cohesive package.
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There’s A Document For That
The idea forParcel Simulatorcame when Dan stumbled across a sorting facility tour YouTube video, while playingPapers, Please. Coincidentally also an inspection game,Papers, Pleasesaw players become immigration officers in charge of a strict nation’s applications. Touted as a prime example of “video games as art,” the accessible inspection mechanics ofPapers, Pleasepaved the way for a compelling meta-narrativethrough moral dilemmas and other emotionally-driven subtexts connected with immigrant stories.
While already impressed with the critically-acclaimed inspection sim, theParcel Simulatordev’s ultimate praise didn’t focus on howpersonal playthroughs could get inPapers, Please,but on how a straightforward inspection mechanic created an enjoyable sim.
It seems strange and counterintuitive, but that’s kind of the beauty of a lot of simulator games: they take a seemingly-mundane activity and gamify it, and make it really fun, engaging, and satisfying.
Dan’s dev instincts in finding a way to gamify package inspection kicked in even during his research. Courtesy of his best friend who also worked in the sorting industry, Dan got access to pictures of “a day in the life” of a sorting specialist. However, whereas these things are typical workday dealings for his best friend, Dan saw said processes brimming with gaming potential.
I think that’s the beauty of being a sort of solo game developer is always looking at things and thinking, “Oh, could I make a game out of that idea?” Or, you know, “Could I turn this activity into a game?”
Breaking Linearity With Progress
Despite the inspiration fromPapers, Please, whereParcel Simulatordiverges from its familiar inspection mechanic is the overall gameplay loop. Dan acknowledges that elements such as checking documents can be fun and replayable, but there’s always a risk of a routinary system making asim feel boring to play.
You’re building up these inspections over and over, and you get more, more, and more things to check. That reaches a point where you’ve got this monolith that you have to check and inspect. That’s super fine and cool, but I wanted to move more towards automating some of the ones that you’ve already done quite a bit.
I think that’s where the mechanics came from, my thinking of: “Hey, I want to make this not feel like you’re doing the same thing over and over again.”
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Therefore, Dan approached the sim genre’s routinary problem inParcel Simulatorby removing the idea of plain linearity through automation. As with other sim games,Parcel Simulatoralso follows thefamiliar “tasks per day” systemwhere they need to check specific parcels. This time around, Dan gives players the freedom of building and expanding their sorting facility, giving them upgrade options and new tech that they could use to streamline aspects of parcel sorting they wish to improve.
There’s more focus on freedom for the player being able to build and expand this warehouse, however they please, to make it feel like there’s a proper progression system, and you’re really building out a proper facility. Because arguably, that is how a small sorting facility or sorting company might build up their own facility.
Beyond Parcels
TheParcel Simulatordev’s focus on progression to facilitateenjoyable replay valueextends to future ideas. Throughout our discussion, Dan mentioned concepts that fitParcel Simulatorthat may not be a part of the final release but popped into his head anyway, just from the premise of gamifying something he’s seen on TV.
Dan elaborated on this notion, explaining that some fans have comparedParcel Simulatorand popular border control television shows. In the latter’s case, episodes ofthese shows tackle contrabandhidden in what appears like ordinary parcels, demonstrating techniques and technologies that spotted these discrepancies, elaborating how they caught the perpetrators, and explaining why contraband could harm the country they’re trying to enter.
From a game development perspective, Dan cited the potential ofParcel Simulatoradapting some aspects of border control inspection. Dan also said anotherParcel Simulatorconcept may come from players being customs officers now in charge of inspecting imported packages in airports.
I also had a lot of inspiration from border control TV shows. I’ve seen a few people make the contrast between my game and these customs shows or the border control shows, and I think that’s super cool as well.
I think maybe long, long term - there are no guarantees on this - but there’s a thought of having some sort of airport where you can have suitcases coming through, and you’re checking those, too.
Parcel Simulatoris slated for a Q1 2024 release on PC. Those interested in its ongoing development can check out itsSteam pageand theofficial Twitter account.
