# Contraband Police > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Contraband_Police > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Contraband_Police.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraband_Police > Source revision: 1353632110 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 2023 video game 2023 video game Contraband Police Developer Crazy Rocks Studios Publisher PlayWay Engine Unity[1] Platforms Microsoft Windows PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S Release Microsoft Windows 8 March 2023 Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S 7 November 2025 Genres Puzzle, Simulation Mode Single-player ***Contraband Police*** is a video game developed by Crazy Rocks Studios and published by PlayWay, released in March 2023 for [Microsoft Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows). Two years prior a [demo version](/source/Game_demo), called *Contraband Police: Prologue* was published. The game was also released for [PlayStation 5](/source/PlayStation_5) and [Xbox Series X/S](/source/Xbox_Series_X%2FS) on 7 November 2025. The premise of the game is working as a [border guard](/source/Border_guard) and head of the border post, in a fictional [communist](/source/Communism) country called Acaristan in 1981 (in some cases the game can go onto other years). ## Gameplay The player performs the duties of a border officer. He is responsible for checking entrants' documentation and searching for contraband. The player will also deal with terrorists raiding the border post or smugglers attempting to flee when illegal items are found. Moreover, he will occasionally have to perform field missions, which range from intercepting contraband to investigating crimes.[2] An endless mode has been added in March 2024 as a part of the Anniversary Update. ## Reception *Contraband Police* was positively received on release, with [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic) aggregating reviews as "generally favorable" out of 10 critic reviews.[3] A review from *[Eurogamer Poland](/source/Eurogamer)* commented: the game is a "great combination of simulation and action elements", and its "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".[4] *[Polygon](/source/Polygon_(website))* observed that the game was a "surprise hit on [Steam](/source/Steam_(service))" and assessed it as "a little janky but deeply compelling".[5] ## See also - *[Papers, Please](/source/Papers%2C_Please)* ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (4 January 2024). ["Made with Unity: 2023 in review"](https://blog.unity.com/games/made-with-unity-2023-review). *[Unity Technologies](/source/Unity_Technologies)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240113211703/https://blog.unity.com/games/made-with-unity-2023-review) from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Marshall, Cass (3 May 2023). ["Contraband Police asks: What if Papers, Please gave you a gun?"](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23708583/contraband-police-review-border-simulator-papers-please). *[Polygon](/source/Polygon_(website))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230506213247/https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23708583/contraband-police-review-border-simulator-papers-please) from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Contraband Police critic reviews"](https://www.metacritic.com/game/contraband-police/critic-reviews/?platform=pc). *www.metacritic.com*. Metacritic. Retrieved 30 December 2023.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Musicie zagrać w ten symulator. Recenzja Contraband Police"](https://www.eurogamer.pl/contraband-police-recenzja). *Eurogamer.pl* (in Polish). 7 March 2023. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230401230643/https://www.eurogamer.pl/contraband-police-recenzja) from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2025. [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.] 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Marshall, Cass (3 May 2023). ["Contraband Police asks: What if Papers, Please gave you a gun?"](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23708583/contraband-police-review-border-simulator-papers-please). *Polygon*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230506213247/https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23708583/contraband-police-review-border-simulator-papers-please) from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2025. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Contraband Police](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraband_Police) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraband_Police?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.