{"id":775025,"date":"2025-11-30T11:58:53","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T11:58:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/BCrX4sSsCAxb6thBH9CpsX"},"modified":"2025-11-30T11:58:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T11:58:53","slug":"lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops\/","title":{"rendered":"Lucas Pope&#8217;s new Playdate exclusive is a delightful riff on Papers, Please, but for farty Martians and sad cyclops"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div class=\"youtube-video\" data-nosnippet >\n<div class=\"video-aspect-box\"><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xRuG9Ooe9hM\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It took Mars After Midnight six seconds to make me laugh. Before starting a new save file I checked the settings menu\u2014always check the settings menu\u2014to find only a single option with a check box: &#8220;Mirth.&#8221; Uncheck it, and Mars After Midnight&apos;s playful squiggly text stops shaking about so much. I wouldn&apos;t dare, to be clear. Mirth is what I&apos;m here for in Lucas Pope&apos;s new game, which has the air of Ryan Gosling doing Serious Actor roles for years before embracing his inner Kenergy.<\/p>\n<p>Mars After Midnight, a new Playdate exclusive (alas!) that costs $6, is a clear descendant of Pope&apos;s breakout game <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/papers-please-review-1\/\">Papers, Please<\/a>, a work of striking political commentary conveyed through the simple simulation of manning an immigration checkpoint. The simulation of Mars After Midnight is much the same, but with different stakes: I&apos;m a goofy looking three-eyed alien minding the door for a late-night support group, and it&apos;s up to me to invite the right people into the party. My first night on the job, a crude drawing taped to the back of the door gives me clear instructions: only one-eyed Martians are allowed tonight, and <em>they better be<\/em> <em>sad<\/em>. No smiley cyclops allowed.<\/p>\n<p>A flick of the Playdate&apos;s crank opens up the peephole in the door, where some absolutely delightful freakazoid of a Martian will be waiting to enter. These characters are the reason to play Mars After Midnight, as each one is good for at least a chuckle\u2014you can see how much work went into <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/dukope.itch.io\/mars-after-midnight\/devlog\/532640\/face-generator-updates\">the procedural generator Pope designed<\/a>. Four-eyed Furbies, duck-lipped pig men, and fish-faced fang faces will all come knocking. The tiny handheld&apos;s d-pad lets you peer around the edges of the peephole, checking the Martian for some telltale characteristics that will determine if they fit the clientele for later events.<\/p>\n<p><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dukope\/status\/1767597964221190281\">Pope has said<\/a> he made Mars After Midnight for his kids, calling it &#8220;my usual repetitive isn&apos;t-this-just-work bs, only more carefree.&#8221; I can see why his kids would love it: there&apos;s an exaggerated cartoony sense of life in every animation, and the events are all primed for mirth regardless of that check box in the options menu. The second night I was after farty Martians: some would let a big wet one rip the second I opened the peephole, while others would sheepishly stand at the door for a few seconds before squeezing out a little squeaker. I slammed the peephole shut on any Martians who couldn&apos;t prove themselves properly flatulent.<\/p>\n<p>Events quickly start giving you extra tools to use in your bouncer duties, like a magnifying glass for zooming in on the patrons for Gnat Knife Handling night (unarmed gnats strictly forbidden) or a blowhorn for the Flinching Fellowship (only those who cower when I blast a noise in their face make it in the door). There&apos;s a surprising amount of depth here even in the early events, like having to open the peephole just a sliver to check if a patron&apos;s nervous smile will disappear when we make eye contact.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery inline-layout\">\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-wrap\" style=\"display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;\">\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 1 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"3CzXx7xBsKaV8pv9JjZEs8\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.05.58.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 2 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"EUTgtHAJs3TavMd4FEJNq9\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.04.44.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops-1.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 3 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"YKzSaTiVCX2JD7JbwR7if9\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.17.20.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops-2.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 4 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"re3FCMzVJ4ULb9HyyPBXL9\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.16.08.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops-3.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 5 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"YKP3uZQ2UPtypQ9o6oMZA9\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.14.34.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops-4.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 6 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"V5dsTmjZmcqCooVcnA9C59\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.13.35.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops-5.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inlinegallery-item\" style=\"flex: 0 0 auto;\"><span class=\"slidecount\">Image 7 of 7<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:400px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:60.00%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"Qw3YmD7oVX9fJqaYBox4y8\" name=\"Mars After Midnight 2024-03-13 18.08.40.gif\" alt=\"Mars After Midnight\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops-6.gif\" mos=\"\" link=\"\" align=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"240\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\"\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Lucas Pope)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But it all feels very low stakes and fun, without the grim trappings of sending refugees away to their deaths a la Papers, Please, or the sense of never being able to do enough in a day. There&apos;s no time limit that I&apos;ve run into, but Mars After Midnight still applies some light pressure by having you arrange food for the guests in between door knocks as a way to earn some extra cash. When a knock comes and I have a stack of plates in one tentacle and a tray of dune bug pie in the other, I feel the slight panic of needing to hurry to the door.<\/p>\n<p>A light strategy layer begins to emerge after a couple nights, asking you to advertise meetings to the proper communities of Martians and opening up new mechanics, like a tool called the Blab-o-Dex that deciphers Martian speech (<a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/dukope.itch.io\/mars-after-midnight\/devlog\/653705\/synthesizing-martian-speech\">an entire sound system Pope developed for the hell of it<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I feel like there&apos;s probably a bit more depth to Mars After Midnight I haven&apos;t uncovered yet, like events that demand more scrutiny of each Martian&apos;s appearance <em>and<\/em> behavior at the same time. But it&apos;s already a very pleasant videogame. Like Pope&apos;s masterpiece <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/return-of-the-obra-dinn-review\/\">Return of the Obra Dinn<\/a>, you can just somehow tell the art and design and music all came from a single mind\u2014a mind now a bit more indulgent of fart jokes, to all our benefit.<\/p>\n<p>Mars After Midnight is sadly a Playdate exclusive, though I reckon its crank mechanic would&apos;ve worked quite well with a mouse scroll wheel. Maybe it&apos;ll get a port someday, but in the meantime keep an eye on <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/dukope.itch.io\/mars-after-midnight\">the Itch.io page<\/a>. If it&apos;s released there, you can play it on PC via the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/help.play.date\/manual\/simulator\/\">Playdate Simulator<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/games\/sim\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It took Mars After Midnight six seconds to make me laugh. Before starting a new save file I checked the settings menu\u2014always check the settings menu\u2014to find only a single option with a check box: &#8220;Mirth.&#8221; Uncheck it, and Mars After Midnight&apos;s playful squiggly text stops shaking about so much. I wouldn&apos;t dare, to be clear. Mirth is what I&apos;m here for in Lucas Pope&apos;s new game, which has the air of Ryan Gosling doing Serious Actor roles for years before embracing his inner Kenergy. Mars After Midnight, a new Playdate exclusive (alas!) that costs $6, is a clear descendant of Pope&apos;s breakout game Papers, Please, a work of striking political commentary conveyed through the simple simulation of manning an immigration checkpoint. The simulation of&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt-more\"><a class=\"blog-excerpt button\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/lucas-popes-new-playdate-exclusive-is-a-delightful-riff-on-papers-please-but-for-farty-martians-and-sad-cyclops\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":775026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":[748,763],"class_list":["post-775025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc-gamer","tag-games","tag-sim"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lucas Pope&#039;s new Playdate exclusive is a delightful riff on Papers, Please, but for farty Martians and sad cyclops | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It took Mars After Midnight six seconds to make me laugh. 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