Contraband Police

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. GamingTrend
    May 22, 2023
    85
    Contraband Police gives players meaningful choices, both big and small, that make the player feel like they have an impact on the world they find themselves in. Fun and interesting adventures are frequent and well paced, and the game offers a polished core gameplay loop with an action spin that greatly expands on what Papers Please started.
  2. PLAY! Zine
    May 15, 2023
    80
    To put it simply, Contraband Police is an FPS version of Papers, Please. As a ‘’border patrol sim’’, it offers a great experience and adds some interesting fresh elements to the genre, but is let down by its low replay value.
  3. Oyungezer
    Mar 27, 2023
    80
    It's impossible for someone who likes Papers Please not to enjoy Contraband Police. Similar mechanics, similar story, similar depth... but all in 3D! There's also open-world driving, side missions, hidden treasures and gunfights. One of the nice surprises of the year.
  5. KeenGamer
    Mar 27, 2023
    80
    Contraband Police looks like a simple document checking game at the outset. But if you dedicate some time to play it, you will find a decent story and varied gameplay. A good balance of activities prevents the game from feeling boring too quickly, and the story is surprisingly deep. You actually feel like you are a border patrol officer with large responsibilities, managing more than just your welfare. While the game gets harder as time goes on, there’s always something to do that keeps you on your toes.
  6. Eurogamer Poland
    Mar 7, 2023
    80
    Great combination of simulation and action elements. Lackluster visuals spoil the experience a little, but it's still worth giving this game a chance, because exploring its various gameplay mechanics is a lot of fun.
  7. SECTOR.sk
    Mar 29, 2023
    75
    Crazy Rocks developers, under the auspices of a Polish distributor PlayWay, offer a successful probe into the life of a customs officer in a totalitarian state. It's not bad, and in particular, you can only rarely find such content in games.
  8. GameSpace
    Mar 20, 2023
    75
    The best way to describe Contraband Police is a pinch of Paper's Please mixed with a lot of action and a bit of sim/management. The story and side missions are pretty good and well developed at the moment.
  9. GameGrin
    Mar 14, 2023
    70
    Contraband Police is an enjoyable experience, but it has some annoying bits to deal with and there are definitely better alternatives with similar premises and gameplay.
  10. Movies Games and Tech
    Apr 4, 2023
    65
    Ultimately, Crazy Rocks makes a valiant attempt at evolving the formula but doesn’t quite stick the landing. If you want another game in the same vein as Papers, Please but with a little extra spice and an additional dimension then this is the absolutely game for you.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Polygon
    May 3, 2023
    The campaign can be completed in a few sittings, and it’s punctuated by some fun choices — but I’m hungry to keep checking for contraband.

Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Discussed PC Game of 2023
1
#1 Most Shared PC Game of 2023

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 32
  3. Negative: 3 out of 32
  1. MetaK
    Mar 21, 2023
    10
    Great Game Ever! if you like Paper Please that is game for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  2. Zski
    Mar 14, 2023
    7
    What a pleasant surprise. The immediate comparison in mind is obviously to Papers Please, but this is far greater in scope. Think PapersWhat a pleasant surprise. The immediate comparison in mind is obviously to Papers Please, but this is far greater in scope. Think Papers Please mixed with My Summer Car, or any other solid indie “life simulator”. Its far more than just checking documents as you do in Papers Please, it goes far deeper in terms of gameplay mechanics and moral choices. While each of the gameplay mechanics are very different in terms of quality and execution, they flow extremely well together and compliment one another. For example the transition from very well refined document/cargo inspection to a relatively unpolished shooting sequence is still an excellent variety of gameplay, even if some of the other sequences aren’t as great. Then your performance is rewarded with money, which can be used to purchase equipment/upgrades for you to do your job better, or some minor luxuries. The moral choices are cool but poorly executed. Granted I think this will be ironed out in time, but it almost feels kind of pointless doing anything other than the moral choice, simply because the moral choice pays so well. Once they balance some of the economics of the game, I think this will better highlight the moral choices. One unfortunate thing about the game is that once you figure out the formula of who to search and where to search, it loses a lot of its magic. Its a game that is best played going in blind.

    The presentation is far from perfect, but good enough to get the job done. Given the size of the studio that made the game, it’s very impressive. But objectively, the graphics and the sound is good enough. The animations are pretty rigid as well. The core enjoyment is the detailed oriented gameplay. I am enjoying this game, and I am excited to see what is in store for the future. I hope more people give it a chance, because there are a lot of hours of fun to be had here. Its around 15 or so hours for a play through before I started to feel a little burned out.    … Full Review »
  3. Skyyfall
    Mar 12, 2023
    5
    Bad parody of papers please! You can immediately see that the game is too indie, there are a lot of bugs, the plot is straightforward andBad parody of papers please! You can immediately see that the game is too indie, there are a lot of bugs, the plot is straightforward and boring, the game is too long, the control of the cars is terrible, it bothers you to check documents already for 10 days and it’s not as interesting to check as in the original. If you want to get acquainted with this genre of the game, then it's better to play papers please! This game is already worth playing only for strong fans of the genre or you are interested in the concept itself, but I can say right away that most likely you will quickly abandon this game.… Full Review »
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