Thank You For Your Application: Please

Modern take on a cult classic

Steam Page

Basic info:

Genre: Simulation

Release date: 19th June 2026

Price: £14.99

Platforms: Steam

Developer: IceLemonTea Studio

What else have they made?

This is their first game

My Plathrough:

Playtime: 6,4 hours (2 endings)

What it reminded me of: Papers, please and Not Tonight!

Rating: 21/30 solid 7/10

A pixel art scene depicting three figures in a dimly lit office. The central figure has a television for a head, while the two individuals on either side stand confidently with crossed arms.

What is it about?

After 15 rounds of interviews, you become an interviewer yourself.

This near-future dystopia has got it all: unemployment, evil robots, discrimination, bribery and existential dread.

We are however, one of the lucky ones in Thank You For Your Application. We have a job! This means we get to clock in, ruin other people's dreams, clock out, go to our capsule of a room and dissociate while scrolling on the internet until we do it all again.

Most of the gameplay focuses on reviewing people's documents and deciding if they qualify for the next round of interviews. If you played Papers, Please! then you already know that the rules keep getting harder and change every day, so you need to stay alert.

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Originality and overall vibes: 🤖🤖🤖🤖 out of 5

I feel like while we haven't seen this specific game before, it is not bringing anything particularly new to the table. It did everything right in terms of the atmosphere and the work simulation part of the game (my favorite bit), and at the same time, the three distinct ending routes were clear from early on, and I was not surprised by the game at any point.

I liked the social commentary it offered and it was not being shy about any of it either, which was refreshing. I feel like the budget and the size of the game were the biggest things that were holding it back, but it all makes sense for a first game from these devs.

Visuals and Style: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖out of 5

Monochromatic soul-less pixel art: just how I like it!

The game wasn't trying to overdo it and at the same time managed to create some quite memorable visuals. I like the simplicity of the look. You might think that giving it 5/5 is too generous, but I disagree. If it works, it works.

A serene snowy evening at the harbor, framed by a large window, showcases distant cranes and a bridge under a starry sky.

Audio Design: 🤖🤖🤖 out of 5

This game is basically full of elevator music. It is good elevator music. That is it. Some satisfying audio effects accompany the tasks you carry out during your workday; other than that, there is no voice acting and no real variety in music.

I think it is quite standard to not have voice acting in such small games, so I didn't really mind and I found it almost meditative to just get lost in the job while listening to the chill sort of lo-fi music. I can see how it COULD become extremely repetitive after a while.

Gameplay and Controls: 🤖🤖🤖🤖 out of 5

I LOVE WORK SIMULATION GAMES - THE MORE MUNDANE THE BETTER.

Therefore, I really enjoyed the gameplay loop. It was a bit stressful at times and I felt weirdly motivated to do my best (was I slowly becoming a corpo-slave?!).

If you are getting this game, please beware that you are genuinely going to be doing a boring admin job. There are a few other activities, but the majority of your time is spent on one screen. I find that relaxing, but if you don't, then you will struggle

The UI was a bit clunky at times, which was rectified later on when you purchased access to using keyboard keys as shortcuts. I believe the game was originally not developed in English and some things definitely felt lost in translation.

In terms of difficulty, it also felt quite forgiving. I definitely didn't feel as hopeless while making decisions as with some similar games.

Story: 🤖🤖 and out of 5

(no spoilers)

While I enjoyed the gameplay, I didn't really care for the story.

Some major things happened during the playthrough that should have affected me (maybe?) and while we could question my emotional intelligence, I feel like I just wasn't attached to the characters enough. As I mentioned in the intro, I felt like I could see the "good", "neutral" and "bad" ending basically lined up from the first decision.

I would definitely say this is a game you come back to because you want to get a specific achievement or try something new, I can't see the story being the reason behind replays.

Some things also remain unexplained, but maybe I will be able to figure it out in future playthroughs.

In a futuristic, neon-lit world, two figures with television sets for heads gaze through a window, with a cityscape and elevated train in the background.

Value for Money: 🤖 🤖 🤖 out of 5

It is the same price as Not Tonight and more expensive than Papers, please. If you haven't played those yet, I would start there first. If you are like me and have an unscratchable itch for "Papers, please"-likes then it is definitely worth the money.

What I liked:

• Visual style

• The gameplay loop

• Kicking rich, snobby kids out of the interviews

• The chill music

  
  

What wasn't quite so good:

• The game felt quite linear at times

• Language and controls weren't that smooth

• I wish there was a bit more depth, or maybe more control at times? (ie replying to people on the internet forum was very limited)

A solid addition to the genre. It will definitely scratch the itch if you are yearning for some good old admin repetitive work under an unfair regime of a big company. If that is already your real life, then I would perhaps advice againts playing this game.