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) | – | 57 | 23 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 75% | 70 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 62% | 61 | 1868 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 16, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 1868 total reviews in window · weighted 77.8 up / 147.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (22)
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.
- 75
“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers: Nintendo Switch Edition is a unique experience that feels like you're living the life of a cop on the city streets. The gameplay loop is enjoyable, though some bugs do mar the experience. If you like simulation games and thrive on law and order, you might get a kick out of this.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is certainly one of the better simulators I've had the opportunity to try. I'm looking forward to the new gameplay options and features that will hopefully be added to the game over time. Unfortunately, like any simulator, I found this one to be stereotypical after playing it for a while. However, a couple of hours of gaming fun will certainly do the trick. After all, giving fines and listening to people's angry remarks is humorous.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is boring, morally straightforward and passively buggy, but there's still some fun to be found in its simplistic simulator-based gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“While it delivers an element of its promise, the implementation isn’t great”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Being a Simulator of sorts, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is not for everyone. It shines in highlighting the general norms of rules and regulations. From infractions to investigations, it draws a clear line between the good and the bad when it comes to the right way of policing the public. But a lot of its good aspects are overshadowed by its slow-paced campaign activities and an inanimate world. Thankfully, all hope is not lost as the devs do have a promising Q2 2023 roadmap to address most of these issues. But as it stands in its current state, you should only get it if you have a knack for Simulators or wait for a sale.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I enjoyed my time with Police Simulator: Patrol Officer. The potential issue with the game is that it sounds more exciting than it is. People may jump into this game expecting to play GTA: V Cop Edition. This isn’t that. It is much more in line with other simulator games where the procedure is more important than the action. If you like the slow-paced, more methodical gameplay of other simulator titles, this is worth a look.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers definitely display some positives to pose as a potential, but it is in dire need of updates to address the issues preventing the game from reaching it. It's a game with potential that comes with a few noticeable shortcomings that must be addressed very soon.”
read full review ↗ - 30
“Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is a game that should not have been made. It provides a core gameplay experience that is neither realistic enough to be a simulation nor interesting enough to be an actual game. At the same time, it unironically tries to cater to a fantasy that positions everyday people as enemies to be dealt with. Shamelessly borrowing the trappings of the Grand Theft Auto series without any of the satirical overtones leads to an unsettlingly pro-violence experience. It is even difficult to enjoy the game's impressive environmental design thanks to a litany of visual glitches. Police Simulator: Patrol Officers misses the mark in almost every regard.”
read full review ↗ - 65
- 65
“Police Simulator Patrol Officers portrays a solid foundation of a police officer’s career along with the ability to improve. While there are a large amount of options and crimes available to us for investigation, those which are absent along with some buggy features detract from would could be an extremely complete representation”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The goalpost may not have been particularly high, but Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is the best police sim game we’ve played. It’s far from perfect, but if you like the idea of dealing with petty crimes and road traffic accidents, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this. The detail-oriented approach will appeal to those who like to do things by the book, though others may find it laborious. But that’s the case with just about any simulation game, is it not?”
read full review ↗ - 40
“As far as simulators go, it's not the worst. To the game's credit, it does offer the dull, mundane day-to-day routine that a lot of actual police officers call a career. If you want to spend hours writing tickets and slowly progressing in a meaningless career in law enforcement, you can do it here without the risk of being vilified on social media. But it could have been so much more had the systems in play been deeper and more robust, not to mention, fun. Instead, Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is a bit of a buggy mess that feels half-baked and not ready for patrol just yet. Back to the academy with this one.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Update 22.3.2 is liveAug 4, 2026
- Update 22.2.2Jan 14, 2026
- Out now: New Callouts, new Patrol Car, Wig-Wags, new Skins, and more!Dec 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- New Callouts, new Patrol Car, Wig-Wags, new Skins, and more – now in Open Beta!Dec 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update 21.7Dec 4, 2025
- Update 21.5Nov 28, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update 21.4Nov 26, 2025
- Contraband Expansion: Hotfix Update 21.1.3Nov 22, 2025
- Contraband Expansion: Hotfix Update 21.1.2Nov 20, 2025
- Contraband Expansion: Hotfix Update 21.1.1Nov 19, 2025
- Out now: The Mission Update, the Vanguard Police Vehicle, and more!Oct 30, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix Update 19.2.1Oct 2, 2025
- Hotfix Update 19.1.2Sep 25, 2025
- Hotfix Update 19.1.1Sep 23, 2025
- Thank you for playing The Self-Defense Update – Here's what happens next!Sep 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Out now: The Self-Defense Update, Accident Pack, and new Uniform Packs!Sep 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- The Self-Defense Update Launches on September 17, 2025 – Open Beta starts NOW!Sep 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update 18.2Aug 12, 2025
- Hotfix Update 18.1.1Jul 22, 2025
- Out now: The Quality-of-Life Update & Adventurer Police Vehicle!Jul 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update 18.0 is coming: Start of Open Beta #1Jul 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- State of Development – A first look at The Quality-of-Life UpdateJun 29, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- With the next update: Open Betas on Steam are coming back!Jun 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Update 17.0 – Hotfix 3May 29, 2025
- Update 17.0 – Hotfix 1 & 2May 22, 2025
- Out Now: The Garage & Tools Update!May 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- TL;DR: The Garage & Tools UpdateMay 13, 2025
- State of Development – How the next update is progressingApr 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 16.1.2 – Bug fixes, improvements, and more details about the next update!Mar 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 14.6Sep 4, 2024
- Patch 14.5Aug 14, 2024
- A Quick Update about ModdingAug 12, 2024
- Patch 14.1 – Bug fixes, improvements and more, on and off the highway!Jun 21, 2024significant · resets scoring window
…and 18 earlier patch announcements.