This Is the Police

This Is The Police looks and sounds gorgeous, but becomes dull and repetitive after the first couple of hours.

67%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, replayability

73% User Score Based on 6,984 reviews

Critic Score 54%Based on 32 reviews

Platforms

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About

"This Is the Police" is a narrative-driven strategy game where you play as Police Chief Jack Boyd, navigating a corrupt city amidst crime and intrigue. Manage your staff, respond to emergencies, and investigate crimes, while dealing with mafia underworld and political manipulations. Your choices and approach to situations will determine your retirement outcome in a city on the brink of chaos.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 7,016 reviews

story2.1k positive mentions

grinding265 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story that keeps players invested.
Unique art style and excellent soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere.
Interesting moral dilemmas and choices that impact gameplay.

Gameplay becomes repetitive and tedious, especially in the later stages.
Many choices feel meaningless and do not significantly affect the outcome.
The game is too long, leading to a lack of engagement and pacing issues.

story
5,537 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The story of "This Is the Police" is a gripping and dark narrative centered around Jack Boyd, a police chief navigating a morally complex world filled with corruption, crime, and difficult choices. While many players appreciate the well-written dialogue, engaging voice acting, and noir atmosphere, some criticize the linearity of the plot and the lack of meaningful consequences for player decisions, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience that can detract from the overall enjoyment of the story. Despite its flaws, the narrative remains a significant draw for players, making it a noteworthy experience for those who enjoy story-driven games.
- “The story is well-written and compelling, and it makes for an experience that is actually worth your time.”
- “The story is gripping and keeps me on the edge of my seat; it plays out like a movie!”
- “The voice actors give proper full-on performances, the artistic style fits the setting well, and the narrative carries this game from an average point-and-click game into a captivating story that will have you laughing at the hilarity one moment and stopping your jaw from hitting the floor the next.”
- “And it feels like a grind just to continue the story.”
- “The story forces you to make the decisions it wants you to, otherwise you get a game over.”
- “Unfortunately, the story runs out of gas, with fewer events as the story nears its conclusion.”
gameplay
2,700 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
58%
14%
The gameplay in "This Is the Police" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it becomes repetitive and tedious over time, particularly during the lengthy 180-day campaign. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and the strategic elements of managing police resources, others criticize the lack of depth and meaningful choices, leading to a grind that detracts from the overall experience. The engaging story and atmosphere often overshadow the gameplay, making it feel like a vehicle for narrative rather than a compelling game in its own right.
- “The gameplay loop is fun if a bit repetitive.”
- “For the gameplay itself, while it can sometimes be stressful, I really enjoyed managing the police station and juggling the day-to-day grind with my principles, the occasional conflicting guidance and politics, while also trying to achieve the long-term goal.”
- “The gameplay is so unique, giving you the responsibility of managing crimes, responding to them, dealing with various situations, investigating and solving crimes with detectives, working with criminals, and so much more!”
- “Gameplay gets repetitive quickly.”
- “The gameplay itself gets quite repetitive, the mechanics are slowly introduced, but the overall dispatching and managing of crime scenes gets old very quickly - which is an issue, because that makes up the bulk of the game.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive and never changes and the game goes for far too long.”
music
1,350 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its fantastic jazz and blues soundtrack, which effectively enhances the noir atmosphere and immerses players in the setting. However, many players find the requirement to manually select music each day tedious and wish for an autoplay feature to streamline the experience. Overall, while the soundtrack is a highlight, the repetitive nature of music selection can detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “The game has a lot of charm, intriguing characters, and a fantastic musical score.”
- “Speaking of sounds, the music in this game is just phenomenal.”
- “If you're into jazzy, noir-style music, then this game is an absolute must-play.”
- “Everyday selecting the song to play gets tiresome if you do it for the 50th time and towards the later half of the day the song is finished.”
- “It ends in the middle of the day and you either play without music or have to pick a track again and watch the whole clip of putting the disk/cassette inside once more.”
- “The biggest pity in this game, really for me this is aside of the detective system the worst one, is that you have to pick your own songs while in a shift.”
graphics
746 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The graphics of "This Is The Police" are characterized by a unique, minimalist art style that blends comic book aesthetics with low-poly designs, which many players find charming and fitting for the game's narrative. While some appreciate the simplicity and how it enhances immersion, others feel it lacks detail and can hinder gameplay, particularly during investigations. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received for their artistic approach, complementing the game's themes and storytelling effectively.
- “The art style is great and pretty much timeless.”
- “Furthermore, the art style and soundtrack fit this game perfectly; it immerses you in this crime-riddled 80s city like no other game does!”
- “The game's spare art style is fitting and beautiful, and lends itself to what the game speaks to - tough times and tough choices.”
- “With the graphics and art being so basic, there needs to be more to do.”
- “I'm not a fan of the visuals (or lack of), and I would much have preferred a 3D visual experience in the game.”
- “The graphics don't exactly reel you in right off the bat so you might think that you're about to play just another crappy game with low production values.”
grinding
275 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
3%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being slow, tedious, and repetitive, with many players noting that the enjoyment diminishes significantly after the initial hours. While some appreciate the narrative and management elements, the overwhelming sentiment is that the gameplay becomes a monotonous grind, particularly in the mid to late stages, leading to frustration and a sense of artificial lengthening. Overall, players suggest that the grind is a deliberate design choice to reflect the mundane aspects of police work, but it often detracts from the overall experience.
- “The narrative is just interesting enough to make you want to complete one more day, and having to choose which cop/detective to send to which call was engaging, yet not tedious.”
- “Grinding isn't necessary to progress.”
- “Too much grinding.”
- “The gameplay is fun for about 10 minutes, then it starts getting tedious.”
- “The general gameplay loop becomes more difficult over the first couple of days, but then stagnates, reducing this resource management simulator to the digital equivalent of doing the dishes, where around day 60-80 you have your 500k USD, but the main storyline is spread out over such a long period that you're painfully grinding through the non-challenging days until the bitter end.”
- “The gameplay itself is repetitive, tedious, and almost downright boring, but that's the point of it.”
atmosphere
209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
31%
2%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its rich, immersive noir style, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack and strong voice acting. Players appreciate the gritty, moody environment that effectively captures the essence of a police drama, although some note that the gameplay can become tedious over time. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a key strength, drawing players into its unique narrative and aesthetic experience.
- “The gritty atmosphere, complex characters, and tough decisions make every moment feel like I'm living out my own detective story.”
- “An overwhelmingly grim and gritty noir atmosphere so thick you can taste the big city smog, broken up by well-placed comic relief, and supported by very good voice acting given the scope of the project.”
- “The atmosphere is drenched in a thick coat of mystery, the characters are interesting, very believable, and the voice acting is superb.”
- “The atmosphere is too much to bear, and the gameplay does not redeem it, only makes it worse.”
- “This is supposed to convey atmosphere, but rapidly becomes very boring.”
- “An expertly crafted atmosphere can't hide some rigid storytelling and shallow systems, but fans of cop movies and resource management should give this one a go.”
humor
206 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and variety, blending dark and light-hearted elements that keep players engaged. Many reviews highlight the comedic scenarios and dialogue, with some moments eliciting genuine laughter, although a few note that the humor can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game's writing and voice acting contribute significantly to its comedic appeal, making it a standout feature for players who appreciate a mix of satire and absurdity in storytelling.
- “The voice actors give proper full-on performances, the artistic style fits the setting well, and the narrative carries this game from an average point-and-click game into a captivating story that will have you laughing at the hilarity one moment and stopping your jaw from hitting the floor the next.”
- “The humor in this game is hilarious too, with a very engaging story, especially the investigation side of things, where you need to gather evidence and make your decision on how things happened or to take down a serial killer.”
- “I loved the way they included the humor in the small scenarios; you could make your policemen do the funniest things while chasing a criminal (and face the consequences for it).”
- “The jokes in the reviews are not funny at all.”
replayability
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
57%
30%
Overall, the game exhibits low to moderate replayability, with many players noting that the scripted nature of events and missions leads to repetitive experiences across playthroughs. While some users appreciate the potential for different choices and outcomes, the lack of significant variation in gameplay and the predictability of scenarios diminish the incentive to replay. A few players mention the existence of an endless mode or leaderboard challenges as a means to extend replay value, but many agree that the game is best enjoyed in a single playthrough.
- “I've only beaten it once, but I'd say it's replayable; I already want to go back and try different endings.”
- “There is a ton of replayability, because you get multiple choices that have a direct impact on the lives you are dealing with.”
- “The great thing about replayability is facing different crimes and investigations.”
- “Unfortunately, it has low replay value due to the fact that each run will have the same crimes occur at the same times, but it's well worth it even if you only get one run out of it.”
- “0 replay value for me, which I was not expecting at all. I was playing through assuming I would be able to work towards very different outcomes with a different playthrough, but that is not the case at all.”
- “What’s worse is that the part of the game that’s supposed to feel fresh and exciting seems incredibly scripted and not at all based on randomness, completely sabotaging much replayability once you’ve finished your first playthrough.”
emotional
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, which evokes a range of feelings from heartbreak to frustration, often reflecting the harsh realities of life and choices made within the gameplay. Players report being significantly impacted by the story and character decisions, with many noting that the game successfully captures the complexities of human emotions and moral dilemmas. Despite some challenges in forming connections with certain characters, the overall emotional depth and engaging storyline are highlighted as key strengths.
- “Without spoiling it, it has a very emotional story.”
- “It is for adults only, but this limitation also frees this game to be as hard-hitting and emotionally challenging as it can possibly be, unashamedly and impressively captures the best and worst of humanity.”
- “The story for me is the game’s biggest strength, in that it made me want to play until the end and made me feel like my choices made a difference.”
optimization
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
77%
8%
The game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players noting that it runs smoothly even on older systems, and there are no significant crashes or lags. However, some users experienced performance issues during specific game events, particularly around the pre-election phase, which detracted from the overall experience. While the graphics are simple yet effective, the gameplay can become tedious and monotonous, leading to frustrations with the perceived lack of impact from player choices on performance outcomes.
- “The minigames, struggles, and even investigations are absolutely amazing. I remember how irreplaceable the people are; I remember sending one officer to an assault and losing them. I couldn't find a person like him; he looked cool and was probably my best officer. The cutscenes the game gives are very rewarding and really worth the effort. The voice acting was great, and the people felt alive with emotions and feelings. The game is definitely a grab for 15 bucks, and I like that the game is still being updated with game modes, setting optimizations, and graphics improvements. The devs really care about this game, and I can see it easily through the updates.”
- “Every so often you can award 'stripes' to officers, which can improve the performance of all the officers sent on a call.”
- “Nice-but-simple graphics, runs well/optimized, mellow soundtrack, and effective voice acting round out an exceptionally polished presentation.”
- “Train them, don't train them, fire them, keep them, nothing makes a difference in performance.”
- “However in the end, it all affects nothing and basically your performance throughout the entire slog of a game was meaningless.”
- “High potential, but the game was just too long and it ended unsatisfactorily, with no statistics on performance (so why'd I bother trying so hard?) and story closures that were just not affected by my choices.”
stability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous reports of freezing and bugs that disrupt gameplay, particularly during critical moments like hiring or firing decisions. While some players experienced no issues and praised the game's performance, many others found it frustratingly unstable, leading to a recommendation against purchasing it due to these persistent problems. Overall, the inconsistency in stability detracts from the overall experience, making it a gamble for potential players.
- “The game itself was pretty much bug-free, providing a smooth experience overall.”
- “Despite encountering a minor issue with Steam recognition, the game's stability was impressive.”
- “Stuck on day 5, I pass through everything and the game just freezes, cannot go further!”
- “As soon as I choose which cop to hire or fire, it automatically freezes and I have to exit the game and restart that day.”
- “Buggy as hell, do not buy.”
character development
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
26%
12%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and emotional resonance, particularly with the protagonist, Jack Boyd, and the engaging storyline. However, some players noted inconsistencies, such as characters reverting to previous traits and a lack of development among supporting characters. While the dialogue and voice acting received positive remarks, a few critiques pointed out that certain aspects of character development felt shallow or underutilized.
- “I do highly recommend a playthrough to anyone who enjoys a deep immersive story, strong character development, and management games.”
- “Phenomenal plot, fantastic character development and a compelling balance between corruption and justice.”
- “As I said, the character development is generally great, especially with Jack Boyd, as you really start to feel for him and his struggles.”
- “You achieve some character development in Act 2, but revert to your old self for Act 3.”
- “There was a chance for real character development among your officers here - as it was, they just look like a bunch of whingeing characters.”
- “The gameplay only mimics RPG elements and character development is extremely shallow.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is perceived as reasonable, with users indicating that it does not detract significantly from the overall experience.

54%Critics’ scoreBased on 36 critic reviews

Buy This Is the Police

7h Median play time

9h Average play time

20h Main story

32h Completionist

3-18h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 86 analyzed playthroughs

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This game contains adult content

63%1.7kreviews