Become a Security Officer in Contact Protocol
Cold Zephyr Games has released the first public demo for Contact Protocol, a starship job simulator inspired by Papers, Please, on Steam. The game places players in the role of a space traffic officer working along the busy trade routes to Jupiter. Each passing ship must be verified against company records to ensure safe passage, but the space lanes are not as simple as they appear.
During your shift, you will inspect incoming vessels, compare their information with corporate databases, and determine whether they should be allowed through. Some captains represent legitimate businesses, while others may be smugglers, corporate rivals, or individuals hiding something far more suspicious.
The demo includes a slice of the game’s first act and offers around 40 minutes of gameplay. Players will encounter ten ship inspections that combine scripted moments with procedural elements. In addition, there are 10 character scenes in which your decisions influence how events unfold. Depending on your choices, up to seven extra scenes may appear, creating different narrative paths.
Investigating ships requires more than simple observation. Players will gather information through multiple methods, including connected data systems such as a personal notebook and digital company records. Some checks also involve small puzzles that must be solved to verify documents or uncover hidden details.
The demo also contains a strange mystery that players have already begun discussing. Many initially believe it is a bug, yet no one has fully explained or resolved it.
The story begins as an unknown group starts destroying corporate vessels near Jupiter. Whether the attackers are Martian nationalists, pirates, or something else entirely remains unclear. As you investigate passing ships, every decision carries weight, and trust becomes a two-way judgment in the depths of space.