Not Tonight 2 (2022)

As poignant and important as its predecessor, Not Tonight 2 utilises its addictive gameplay and rich storytelling to tackle some of contemporary America's most divisive issues in a way that manages to stay fun and humorous.

Panic Barn wears their beliefs on their sleeve, and that perspective informs the story in a way that makes it impossible to divorce their worldview from how they've envisioned our lives. With that caveat, if you give it a chance, Not Tonight 2 is an expansion of the original into a much more multilayered game with depth that makes for a more fulfilling experience. Coupling that with a tried-and-true queue management core and a cross country road trip makes for a game that is a big step above its predecessor.

Not Tonight 2 looks to build upon Not Tonight and the Papers, Please formula, but veers too far away from what gave the first its impact. One-off challenges and the veering between serious and slapstick make the game feel too unfocused, ultimately detracting from the game. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it still looks and sounds great, but there are a few too many negatives and it's ultimately a shadow of the first.

Not Tonight 2 is a shining example of how not to make an engaging video game.

I had a blast playing Not Tonight 2. I enjoyed the story of quirky characters stuck in a dystopian America. The road trips across the country are unsettlingly on the edge of ridiculous and totally what the World will look like in a few years. The pixel art and animation are outstanding, and I found myself staring at the screen instead of playing the game. If you enjoyed Papers, Please or the previous game in this series, give Not Tonight 2 a whirl. Not Tonight 2 is worthy of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.