UPDATE: It looks like Apple and Pope might have resolved this issue.
"Just talked to Apple," said Pope. "The initial rejection for porn was a misunderstanding on their part. They suggested I resubmit with the nudity option."
This doesn't change Apple's general policy and double standard approach to games and apps, but we'll take it.
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When Papers, Please was released, it was an obvious candidate for tablets. An iPad version is coming very soon, but designer Lucas Pope has revealed Apple's restrictive guidelines means it's been altered.
Most notably, Pope was forced to remove the player's ability to screen individuals, which allowed you see them semi-naked. The decision to (or to not) screen was one of many uncomfortable decisions players grappled with in Papers, Please, and it's removal from the iPad version dulls some of the game's impact.
The iPad version has no full nudity option for the search scanner photos. Apple rejected that build for containing "pornographic content."
— Lucas Pope (@dukope) December 11, 2014
I did this iPad version myself. The Vita port has way more dependencies so there's still no ETA on that. I probably announced it too early.
— Lucas Pope (@dukope) December 11, 2014
The iPad version is coming tomorrow, December 12.