Contraband Police | VGC Score 88

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

Component	Positive	Quality (0-100)	Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)	–	76	15
All-time Steam reviews	95%	90	1000
Metacritic user ratings	–	79	35
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)	94%	88	3000
Calibration prior (typical game)	–	72	50

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 88.3, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 25,792 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Nov 20, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 3849 total reviews in window · weighted 216.4 up / 16 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (19)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

85
Gaming Professors
trust 76Jun 6, 2023
“Contraband Police is a border guard simulator that really hits the mark. The game’s atmosphere is top-notch (the sound design plays a significant role in this), and one of its major strengths is its refusal to fall into gaming clichés. The story is weaker, and there are no cinematic cutscenes, but on the other hand, the setting of a communist state and the moral dilemmas are portrayed brilliantly for younger players. Some mechanics still need work, but I would personally buy the final product.”
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80
Jump Dash Roll
trust 76Mar 14, 2023
“Contraband Police isn't as morally grey or engaging as Papers, Please, but its defined gameplay loop evolves the bureaucracy simulator genre into something that's worth playing. ‍”
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80
PLAY Zine
trust 75May 15, 2023
“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.”
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75
ZTGD
trust 68Dec 18, 2025
“It’s engaging, tense in all the right moments, and strangely absorbing once you settle into the rhythm. The rough edges in combat and driving hold it back, and the repetition eventually starts to rub, but the core loop is strong enough to earn its stripes on console.”
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70
GamesCreed
trust 66Mar 20, 2023
“Contraband Police has good graphics and a pretty dynamic storyline to keep you curious about what’s happening. From day-to-day occurrences to hopping into a van in the hopes of making it to a side quest in time. You’ll find that there is much more to the game than meets the eye.”
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80
Eurogamer
trust 66Mar 7, 2023
“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.”
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75
SECTOR.sk
trust 66Mar 29, 2023
“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.”
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70
GameGrin
trust 65Mar 14, 2023
“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.”
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80
Oyungezer
trust 62Mar 27, 2023
“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.”
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80
CrazyGameCommunity.it
trust 62Nov 9, 2025
“Contraband Police, also on Console, confirms the quality of the title. It is a particular game, at times surprising, which manages to bring bureaucracy and adrenaline, morality and opportunism together.”
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80
Oyungezer Online
trust 61Mar 27, 2023
“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.”
read full review ↗
100
Thumb Culture
trust 60Nov 22, 2025
“Contraband Police has certainly surpassed my expectations. Never would I have thought that looking through documents and searching through contraband outside of my job would be fun. I am excited to experience the DLC mode Crimson Fall, which is due to come soon. I will therefore be awarding Contraband Police with the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.”
read full review ↗

…and 7 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

Update 10.7.3.1
Nov 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.7.3
Sep 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.7.2
Aug 6, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.7.1
Jul 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.7.0
Jul 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Holiday Update!
Jun 17, 2025
Update 10.6.5
Jun 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.6.4
May 27, 2025
Spring Update!
May 14, 2025
Update 10.6.3
May 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.6.1
Dec 10, 2024significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.6.0
Nov 25, 2024significant · resets scoring window
Holiday Update!
Aug 1, 2024
Update 10.5.0
Aug 1, 2024significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.4.10
Jul 9, 2024
Update 10.4.9
Jun 19, 2024significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.4.8
May 9, 2024significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.4.7
Apr 23, 2024significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.4.6
Apr 15, 2024
Update 10.4.5
Apr 9, 2024
Update 10.4.4
Apr 5, 2024
Update 10.4.3
Apr 4, 2024
Update 10.4.2
Apr 2, 2024
Update 10.4.1
Mar 29, 2024
Anniversary Update!
Mar 28, 2024
Anniversary Update playtest continues!
Mar 21, 2024
Annversary Update playtest has just started!
Mar 15, 2024
Update 10.2.18 - January summary
Jan 31, 2024
Update 10.2.8
Jan 9, 2024
Update 10.2.6
Dec 28, 2023
Update 10.2.5
Dec 21, 2023
Update 10.2.4
Dec 14, 2023
Update 10.2.3
Dec 11, 2023
Update 10.1.5
Nov 21, 2023
Update 10.1.3
Nov 10, 2023
Update 10.1.2
Nov 3, 2023
Update 10.1.1
Oct 31, 2023
Update 10.1.0
Oct 26, 2023significant · resets scoring window
Update 10.0.5
Oct 18, 2023
Update 10.0.4
Oct 16, 2023

…and 7 earlier patch announcements.