Orbital Checkpoint

Orbital Checkpoint is a game about inspecting travelers at an interplanetary border station in 2187. As a rookie inspector at GSA-42, you check passports and luggage, then decide who may enter. Travelers include diplomats, station laborers, independent couriers, touring recreational androids, beasts with heavy trunks and unusual alien beings.

Inspect travelers

Passports show each traveler’s photograph, full name, species, homeworld, expiration date and GSA validation stamp. You verify their details and credentials, including biometric photos, entry stamps and galactic work permits. Rules and required documents become more complex as new regulations and emergency protocols arrive.

An Inspector’s Manual and daily station briefings help you keep up with changing requirements. Rules may impose medical quarantine on the Blorgon species, reduce the baggage limit to 20 kilograms after a conveyor belt failure in Sector 7, invalidate tickets to certain dock gates during emergency drills, or prohibit Acid Lemons from planet Xlorp.

Search the luggage

Bags have a declared weight, a list of stated contents and unique sensor signatures. When something seems suspicious, you can use the X-Ray Scanner to look inside. It can reveal illicit spices, illegal military laser pistols, banned Acid Lemons, unstable energy canisters, unidentified biological eggs or harmless souvenirs. If you find explicit contraband without a special permit, you can arrest the traveler. The scanner can also break down.

Shifts and expenses

Each shift lasts up to three minutes, and you can clock out early after meeting your daily quota. Accurate paperwork earns Credits; missed details and incorrect stamps bring penalties and automated reprimands. After work, you return to your cramped station quarters and decide how to spend your earnings.

• Oxygen supply: skipping it shortens your next shift because of respiratory fatigue.
• Station rent and rations: help keep your baseline stress levels low.
• Scanner maintenance: neglect makes the X-Ray Scanner slow and prone to malfunctions.
• Synthetic coffee: helps keep your focus and observation sharp.
• Luggage explosion insurance: covers the risk of volatile cargo on your counter.

Career and choices

You can advance from an unpaid intern to a high-clearance Senior Inspector, unlocking more demanding documents and travel items. Persistent characters present branching moral dilemmas: you can follow company policy, act according to your conscience or prioritize financial security. A xenological catalog lets you discover, scan and collect records on dozens of alien species native to the Milky Way.