Complete Your Civic Duty In Compensation Not Guaranteed

A new nation is born.

The goal of Compensation Not Guaranteed is to decide if citizens who are losing their land through eminent domain should be compensated by the government, if they are lying, or if their documents are not in order. Developed by Team Project Lunch and published by Toge Productions, we get a unique twist on a familiar successful formula, mixed with Southeast Asian flair.

The gameplay is much like Papers, Please but builds on it by adding the element of conversations based on discrepancies and recent events with the citizens. You can also choose the order and put together some of the pieces of relationships between neighbors to aid you in determining who is worthy of approval. Mixed with themes of Southeast Asia in terms of artistic style of both the documents and of the animal citizens, it's really an immersive game.

Approving is easy - everyone is happy, funds are given, and they go on their way. But if you do find any issues, the residents could get insulted, angry, scared, or worried, and you have to make these judgment calls based on their reaction. You could get a reputation for being a rule abider or lenient, as you try to balance the process with gaining the trust and respect of the citizens as this new government forms.

The game starts to play with this balance and create a narrative around following the rules or helping others. Also, buying out these places will make room for progress and new buildings, but it is also replacing the history of these neighborhoods. You will also need to keep to a budget and cannot approve all requests for buyouts and will be faced with making decisions around who you must decline, where you take their homes without pay.

It's not always as easy as a name not matching, but things like an elderly woman not having updated her last name in time for the buyout, or another citizen having a bit taken out of their land deed, making it unclear. Are you understanding of their situation or do you steal their home and put them on the street? Such is the obligation of government.

There is a tutorial and first level where you get the feel of the game and what to expect in gameplay. Even though you could not fail the game, I still feel like I failed people, and I think this is what will make the story and world so strong. When the demo ended, I was actually upset I couldn't keep playing! This is my kind of game for sure and I cannot wait until the full release.

You will be able to play the free demo on Steam starting May 1, 2025, or you can try the demo live at PAX East!