POLICE SIMULATION GAMES
Police games come in many variations, some are more arcade-like, with emphasis on combat and swift justice, and others are more complex and considered, looking more at policing as a practise, focusing on investigation and interrogation. Whatever you prefer, there is quite a selection and what follows are the games that we’ve covered on the blog that touch on this genre.
(Last updated Feb 2025)
🚨Future Cop L.A.P.D:
You’re a mech operating officer in a dystopian version of Los Angles (jokes aside), so there isn’t much in the way of policing in this one, but thematically, it’s great. Very brutal sci-fi law enforcement.
🚨RoboCop:
Very much lacking on the simulation front, but this game does feature some elements that make it more than just a shooter. Crime scene investigations, issuing of tickets, questioning perps. Quite simple, but all good stuff. I started with the demo, but have since picked up the full game, and it’s basically more of the same, which is what I was looking for.
🚨The Precinct:
I spotted this during the Steam Next Fest, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the little slice of the game that is available in the demo. There is much potential here - and is a real policing simulation. It’s grounded, and in order to play you must act within the law (which is often not the case with these kinds of games). I’m yet to play the full release, but it looks promising.
🚨World's Scariest Police Chases:
This one focuses more on the vehicular aspects of policing, and while its rudimentary, for a PS1 title, it’s quite accomplished. Within the bounds of the game, you have to keep within the law, but more often than not, you can shoot wildly at whoever you’re chasing. Fun, but quite short. Good sandbox mode though.
Honourable mentions:
👮Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven:
You aren’t the police in this one, but some of the simulated iteration with the police in the original Mafia are quite interesting, especially for such an old title. For example, speeding will catch the attention of the police, and if you pull over, they’ll issue you with a speeding ticket, rather than ram you to bits. Quite refreshing!
👮Grand Theft Auto 3:
While you can be the police (sort of) with vigilante mission, they are quite basic in GTA3. That doesn’t make it any less fun though, and seeing how many crooks you can waste before your police cruiser blows up is always a good challenge. When you’re facing the law, there isn’t much nuance however. The Liberty City Police Department are very rammy, but escalating your wanted level in GTA is always great, and seeing how long you can survive is, at least in my opinion, why the games are so enduring.
What are some of your favourites in this genre? And do you have any in particular that you’d recommend or like to see me cover? I do have a few on my list that either touch upon or fully delve into policing that I’ll eventually write about, such as Police Simulator: Patrol Officers, The LCPDFR mod for GTA V, Max Payne, Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza, G-Police, L.A Noire, S.W.A.T, and Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, but let me know your thoughts in the comments!