1998: The Toll Keeper Story – An Engrossing Work Sim

“Oppressive violence and hatred may, ultimately, turn [the] sheep into wolves.” – T.F. Hodge

Overview

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a narrative-focused toll booth attendant simulator. Players take on the role of Dewi and must navigate a series of choices both at work and in her personal life, culminating in one of multiple available endings.

Narrative

1998: The Toll Keeper Story follows Desi, who works as a toll booth attendant in a fictional Southeast Asian country called Janapa. The nation is struggling under a corrupt government, there is a financial crisis, prices are soaring, protests are breaking out, and civil unrest is rife. As people around her are losing their jobs, Dewi must continue to do hers to help support herself, her taxi driver husband, and her unborn child. In doing so, she will be faced with a number of choices, even the most seemingly minor of which can change the course of events and lead her towards one of many different endings.

The narrative is heartfelt and engaging and is delivered in a variety of ways, including dialogue, cutscenes, diary entries, and news articles. This fully envelops the player in the plight of the country as well as that of Dewi and her husband, Heru and creates a strong sense of immersion into the game world. There are some poignant and emotional moments within the story, and these are made all the more evocative by the strong narrative design.

Gameplay

1998: The Toll Keeper Story plays very similarly to games such as Paper, Please and Lil’ Guardsman, sitting comfortably somewhere between the two in terms of narrative, gameplay, and styling. As Dewi, players must man the toll booth, charge different vehicles the correct rate, and ensure all rules and criteria are met. The number of rules increases gradually as the game progresses day by day. Failure to comply with all applicable criteria will result in a penalty being taken from Dewi’s wages.

There are a number of criteria and rules to follow, the foremost being to ensure that each vehicle pays the correct toll depending on the type of vehicle and that the correct change is given. As the days go on, more are added, such as further documentation that must be scoured for discrepancies, checking money for forgeries, adhering to maximum weight for different types of vehicles, checking for contraband, and restrictions on which vehicles can pass each day and who they can be carrying. Fines must be added to people’s fares if they fail to meet any of the criteria. Some vehicle owners must also be reported, which will lead to them being escorted away for questioning by security, with no toll or fines being paid.

At the end of each day, Dewi receives her wages, 20% of the tolls and fines collected, plus any bonuses that can be awarded for things such as distributing flyers and correctly reporting people. This will, however, include deductions such as any incurred penalties, as well as money for food and rent. Also shown are any donations made by Dewi. If someone does not have enough to pay the toll, players can choose to make up the difference from Dewi’s personal funds. Sometimes this will result in rewards such as gifts of food from the customer.

Many of the decisions made at the toll booth will have consequences and influence the narrative. A small example of this is when a football player cannot afford the full toll; if Dewi does not assist and denies him entry, this impacts the game and negatively affects the already low mood across the country. Other decisions have much more serious consequences, and it is not always clear what the best course of action is. It is often a case of trying to adhere to one’s morals, not getting fired, and making enough money to simply get by.

At the end of each day in 1998: The Toll Keeper Story, a short cutscene, usually at Dewi’s home, plays out. There is some dialogue between Dewi and other characters, such as her husband, landlady, or best friend. This is then followed by a diary entry where players are invited to learn more about Dewi’s personal struggles, her thoughts, and her feelings. Players can also add their own notes to the diary along with stickers, with more sticker choices added each day.

The gameplay is a lot of fun. The puzzle and investigative aspects are highly satisfying and are made even more so by the levels of immersion afforded by the engaging and emotive narrative. The gradual increase of criteria means that the gameplay is not overwhelming, but also that it remains interesting and fresh throughout.

Styling

1998: The Toll Keeper Story uses a sketchy cartoon art style and a muted colour palette. There is a lot of detail and texture, really bringing the game world to life. The lighting is subtle but does add some atmospheric depth to the visuals. The end-of-day cutscenes use a distinct, heavily muted, almost sepia colour palette that distinguishes them from the rest of the game. The UI and toll keeper utilities are presented in a clear and usable way that results in smooth gameplay that allows players to focus on making their decisions and enjoying the process and narrative.

Music in 1998: The Toll Keeper Story is minimalist and subtle. The game uses a small range of tracks to emphasise the emotions of the characters and the turmoil that they experience. Music is mostly limited to cutscenes and other sections outside of the main gameplay. The various sound effects, such as the beeping of the metal detector and the noise of vehicles pulling up to the toll booth, create a well-rounded and believable environment, increasing player immersion.

Summary

1998: The Toll Keeper Story is a fantastic game with a lot to offer; a single playthrough will take around 4-5 hours. The gameplay is engaging and satisfying with its puzzle-like investigation. The choices presented do not always have clear consequences, but they do really matter and can affect the ending. This is refreshing compared to some games that offer choices that have little to no impact. The emotive narrative has a political and a personal side that will interest a broad audience, and the multiple endings mean that the game has good replay value and can be enjoyed multiple times. The artwork is delightful and presented in a way that really suits the gameplay and the sometimes harrowing narrative. I think this game is brilliant. I would especially recommend it to anyone looking for a slightly less intense Papers, Please, but it will also appeal to fans of multiple genres.

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