While Parcel Simulator fulfills the power fantasy of inspector-wannabes who always wanted to check parcels from the business end of a barcode scanner, the game takes things a step further by letting gamers control sorting on their terms. Touted as a “parcel inspection simulator,” Parcel Simulator starts as a “day in the life” of a sorting specialist who eventually starts to tackle parcels with more challenging requirements with more equally-creative upgrades.
Where Parcel Simulator sets itself apart from the routine nature of most sims is its intended endgame: players may skip parcel checks entirely once they have a platoon of conveyer belts and auto-scanners at their disposal. It’s a sorter’s dream - all thanks to the power of automation. The Best War Games recently spoke with Parcel Simulator solo dev Dansan Digital—also known as Dan—about this process of automation and why/how he incorporates all of this into the title.
Automated systems were part of the “bigger picture” that Dan envisioned for players. As gamers tackle more difficult parcel checks, the game also gives them access to upgrades that work around various parts of the inspection system.
The idea is you're starting with a very small initial area where you're manually picking up packages and inspecting them. Over time, you're building up these really fun, automated systems and intricate designs to build a thriving parcel sorting center. That's the high-level overview.
The Parcel Simulator trailer already teases hands-on processes where players ensure parcels meet specific instructions through visual inspections and barcode scans. However, little details such as short conveyor belts and signs of space just behind shelves also hint toward a management sim tucked behind the game’s premise of an inspection simulator.
Parcels, Please
While initial inspiration may have come from Paper, Please's straightforward premise, Dan also recognized the potential of the title’s inspection mechanic juxtaposed with a sorting facility. On top of Papers and sorting facilities requiring document checks, special rules also apply to particular immigration scenarios and specific parcels. While these commonalities could be enough to make a package inspection game, the Parcel Simulator dev wanted to take things further.
You can make a full parcel sorting facility. There's less of a specific focus on just the parcels and maybe more building systems around them. Like, can you build conveyor belts that take parcels from A to B, and maybe do some of these inspections for you automatically?
Because there are some things that you might be able to upgrade - like barcode scanning or scales or things like that - and do some of these things automatically through the sorting facility.
In the Parcel Simulator dev’s eyes, the progression from manual inspection to automated scans makes sense from the perspective of both real-world businesses and gameplay. Whereas a business owner would want to expand a growing venture through automated processes, so too would a sim gamer want to automate basic tasks while focusing on more challenging gameplay.
Automated Systems Elevate Fun
Dan elaborates on the gameplay loop gamers can expect in their playthrough of Parcel Simulator, and the addition of automated processes adds an element of progression to otherwise plain replayability. As players get the hang of Parcel Simulator, there comes a point where the sequence of picking up a barcode scanner, scanning a parcel, and verifying its validity becomes second nature.
In Dan's explanation, a key aspect of how this works relies on the game encouraging players to think outside the box. The Parcel Simulator developer cites the simple barcode scanning mechanic as an example, elaborating on how the game’s mechanics can make this otherwise plain element more enjoyable through automated systems.
The idea is that you automate some of these processes that either become a little bit mundane or you already know how to check. After you've already had that fun and engaging experience with them, you get your sorting facilities to do some of those checks for you. And then over time, it means that the parcels that come on through are very specific ones that you need to check manually.
When players already have fun with one process, the game offers a way to automate those processes so gamers can focus on the next “new” thing. Dan said that after parcel scanning, this new process could be content-checking. At first, players open the packages, check them for contraband, and then reseal them before taking them up to shipping. Just like barcode scanning, Dan wanted to make sure there was a next level for this.
Maybe these packages have things like contraband that need an x-ray machine. But instead, you could get an automated x-ray machine that will make the parcel go along the conveyor and show on a screen what's inside. If there's contraband, you know that instant that you need to either deny that parcel or put it into a separate pile for contraband parcels.
Creating piles for contraband and approved parcels introduces yet another mechanic players could look forward to after improving on their x-ray gameplay, and it’s likely that this parcel-sorting mechanic has another layer of automation hidden inside it. Parcel Simulator hinting at a straightforward progression with an automation system creation mini-game on the side makes for quite an in-depth experience at launch.
Getting That Automation Right
The way the Parcel Simulator developer explained the game’s parcel automation mechanic reflects in-depth research on Dan’s part. Information gathered from various sources provided the closest equivalent to witnessing parcel checks without worrying about the logistics of being present. And as a solo developer with limited resources and manpower, the internet has proven valuable in Parcel Simulator’s game development.
The internet is such a good resource these days for finding things, as there's a lot you can find online - even for things like inspection techniques. I've used a ton of stuff from YouTube and Reddit for finding what the day-to-day in the life of a sorting facility worker actually looks like and the sort of things that they are checking.
Dan's contacts further added to the depth of research he’s found online. Aside from a pending site visit with his partner’s relative, Dan's best friend also provided insights as an employee in one of these sorting facilities. Insights provided by photographs and research paved the way for the realism in Parcel Simulator’s visual design and gameplay. Anyone who’s seen a sorting facility would get an air of familiarity with the game’s mechanics, while players who will see this for the first time through Parcel Simulator would get a gamified yet reasonably accurate take on the concept.
As a sim enthusiast, Dan understood the relevance of maintaining a degree of realism with in-game mechanics for a worthwhile sim experience. However, Dan also didn’t mind playing a bit more with his imagination when providing automated systems in Parcel Simulator, even if such tech didn’t exist or wasn’t ordinarily used in the industry.
Obviously, some things are more gamified than others. There are some things that are maybe not super, super 100% realistic, but that's for the sole purpose of making it feel fun and making it feel properly gamified. I think that's totally valid, and all games do that just to make things more fun in some ways.
Parcel Simulator is slated for a Q1 2024 release on the PC. Those interested in its ongoing development can check out its Steam page and the official Twitter account.