Off the AppStore: Droning bureaucracy in The Registry

• Start your 9-to-5 at the registry for new IDs and such
• Examine everyone's paperwork carefully and give your stamp of approval or DENIAL
• Be fast, efficient, and make use of work cred to make things easier on yourself

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or  APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game, though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

You may or may not be aware of the rude awakening that is Papers, Please (a game that inexplicably continues to evade the mobile platform), about doing border control for a police state. It was depressing bureaucratic horror with a story and mechanics that really pull you into what's going on and whether you should even be doing this job. Other games and creators have tried to capture this similar feeling and have succeeded to varying degrees, but the bureaucratic simulator still has plenty of space to fill. The creators, Fiki, emmyalshafeay, and Sarah Alaa, are going to pour into The Registry to see how it fits.

Congratulations! You've just started your new job at the Registry, where it's up to you to fulfil a number of services such as issuing new ID cards. As part of your job, you're expected to have an eye for detail as you examine each of the applicants. You won't see their real faces; they are just words on the piles of paper they're handing to you. You're expected to do an accurate, efficient job with each person who comes to your window, then decide whether to approve or deny their application before you send them on their way, happy or not.

Your main tools are your two hands as you examine the application and the accompanying documents to see if everything adds up. You can accept a couple of omissions, but blatant plagiarism, identity theft, and clerical errors are not acceptable. If you see anything that makes you want to slash the paper with your red highlighter, pick up your big denied stamp and slam it at the bottom. As time goes on, applicants will get craftier with their paperwork, but at least you'll be able to go to the shop and pick up some much-needed tools and fuel to hopefully make the job easier.

The Registry is a 2D top-down bureaucratic puzzle-simulator about working at a registry for new documents. It easily pulls you in with the reality of mundanity and relatability, but steps up the difficulty to keep you hooked and trying to do a good job. The longer you play, the greater each success (and failure) feels. But don't worry if you mess up because at the end of the day, making mistakes is all part of the job… until you get fired.

The Registry is available to download and play from its itch.io page!