Contraband Police
GameBy Crazy Rocks
12 documents in the library are about Contraband Police, from writers such as PlayWay, GameDiscoverCo and Game World Observer. Each has a summary and key insights with the page they come from.
Connections
The documents about Contraband Police on the inner ring, the other games and companies they name on the outer one. Select a cover to see it up close and open it in a new tab; drag to move, pinch or Ctrl + scroll to zoom.
Key figures from the reports
As of December 1, 2024, Contraband Police reached 1.043 million copies sold on PC, while Crime Scene Cleaner achieved 513,000 copies sold and $6.3 million in net revenue.
PlayWay, 2024 · PlayWay Q3 2024 Financial Results
The title outperformed other notable PlayWay releases in its first 60 days, including Infection Free Zone ($5.41M) and Contraband Police ($5M).
Game World Observer, 2024 · Crime Scene Cleaner: Performance Analysis on Steam
One year after its March 2023 release, Contraband Police has generated $10 million in net revenue on Steam from 836,000 copies sold.
Game World Observer, 2024 · Contraband Police Hits $10 Million in Net Revenue on Steam
On Steam
Steam estimates as of 9 Oct 2026. Revenue is premium revenue on Steam only: game sales, without DLC.
- Revenue to date
- $15.9M
- Units sold
- 991K
- Last 12 months
- $2.1M
- 128K units
- Price
- $29.99
- Positive reviews
- 95%
- of 26K reviews
- Peak players
- 8,123
- at the same time
- Followers
- 96K
- Average playtime
- 14 h
| Year | Share of the best year | Revenue | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $7.7M | 533K | |
| 2024 | $3.9M | 210K | |
| 2025 | $2.8M | 156K | |
| 2026 so far | $1.5M | 92K |
On Steam since Mar 8, 2023 · Developer Crazy Rocks · Publisher PlaywaySteam store page
Documents about Contraband Police
Is 'Marketing Before You Build' a Good Discovery Idea in 2026?
The practice of marketing video games before full development—often referred to as "marketing before you build"—has emerged as a strategic approach for indie studios to validate market interest and mitigate financial risk.
- Marketing before full development is becoming a standard risk-mitigation strategy for indie studios to validate market interest and secure funding before committing significant capital.
- Early validation through short-form viral content and cinematic trailers can drive massive initial interest, as evidenced by 'Cartel Pilots Wanted' securing over 200,000 Steam wishlists in one week.
- The primary risk of this approach is a disconnect between initial 'vibes' and final gameplay, which can lead to poor reception if the finished product fails to meet the expectations set by early promotional material.
PlayWay Annual Results Update: 2025
PlayWay’s 2025 annual results demonstrate a period of operational transition characterized by record financial performance alongside a strategic shift toward consolidating growth within its core simulation segment.
- PlayWay reported strong 2025 annual growth with a 10.5% increase in revenue, a 15.8% rise in operating profit, and a 59.5% surge in net profit attributable to shareholders.
- The company maintains a strong financial position with 266 million PLN in cash and deposits against minimal liabilities, supporting a 7% dividend yield.
- Management is shifting strategy by reducing the number of subsidiaries and divesting assets, such as its stake in Big Cheese, to consolidate focus on core simulation franchises.
Wykaz zmian w Sprawozdaniu z działalności PlayWay S.A. i Grupy Kapitałowej PlayWay S.A.
This document details specific amendments made to the activity report for PlayWay S.A. and its Capital Group, dated April 25, 2025.
- PlayWay S.A. reported consistent total group revenues of 302.9 million PLN for 2024 and 273.9 million PLN for 2023.
- House Flipper 1 remains the group's primary revenue driver, accounting for 25.5% of total 2024 revenue, with lifetime sales reaching 5.26 million units and 3.59 million units for its DLCs.
- Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 DLC has surpassed 5.2 million units sold, while the series maintains a 15.3% share of the group's 2024 total revenue.
Raport Bieżący ESPI Nr 2/2025: Korekta Raportu Rocznego i Skonsolidowanego za 2024
The Management Board of PlayWay S.A. issued a formal correction regarding its annual and consolidated annual reports for the 2024 fiscal year, which concluded on December 31, 2024.
- PlayWay S.A. issued a formal correction to its 2024 annual and consolidated reports to rectify clerical and presentation errors regarding Steam sales data.
- The correction specifically addresses misclassified sales figures for the title 'Contraband Police', which were previously aggregated under a miscellaneous category for the 2023 calendar year.
- The adjustments ensure that 'Contraband Police' is now disclosed as a standalone line item to accurately reflect its individual commercial performance.
PlayWay Q3 2024 Financial Results
PlayWay’s financial results for the third quarter of 2024 demonstrate significant growth, characterized by a 24% year-over-year increase in net revenue, which reached approximately $17.9 million.
- PlayWay reported a 67% year-over-year increase in net profit to $11.1 million (PLN 45.7 million) for Q3 2024.
- Quarterly net revenue grew 24% year-over-year to $17.9 million (PLN 73.5 million).
- The House Flipper IP remains the company's primary revenue driver, accounting for 23.7% of total revenue from January through September 2024 with $12.9 million in sales.
Crime Scene Cleaner: Performance Analysis on Steam
The simulation title Crime Scene Cleaner, published by PlayWay and developed by President Studio, has demonstrated strong commercial performance on the Steam platform.
- Crime Scene Cleaner generated $5.44 million in gross revenue on Steam within its first 60 days following its August 14, 2024, launch.
- The game sold over 355,000 units in its first two months, successfully recouping its initial production budget of PLN 1.4 million ($356,000) multiple times over.
- With 15.5k daily active users and a median playtime of 11 hours and 37 minutes, the title holds an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' 97% rating based on over 9,200 Steam reviews.
PlayWay Q1 2024 Financial Results
PlayWay achieved its strongest first-quarter financial performance to date in 2024, characterized by growth in both net revenue and profitability.
- PlayWay achieved its strongest Q1 performance to date, with net profit rising 27.7% to PLN 46.8 million ($11.8 million) and operating profit increasing 15.4% to PLN 47.4 million ($12 million).
- Net revenue grew 4.7% year-over-year to PLN 66.9 million ($16.9 million), driven by the company's decentralized model of holding stakes in various development studios.
- The House Flipper series is the primary growth engine, accounting for 28.5% of total revenue with an 83.7% year-over-year sales increase.
Contraband Police Hits $10 Million in Net Revenue on Steam
The border guard simulation game Contraband Police has achieved significant commercial success one year after its March 2023 release, reaching 836,000 copies sold and generating $10 million in net revenue on Steam.
- One year after its March 2023 release, Contraband Police has generated $10 million in net revenue on Steam from 836,000 copies sold.
- Developer Crazy Rocks recouped the game's $454,700 development and marketing budget within the first two days of availability.
- The game maintains an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating with a 95% approval rate from over 13,000 user reviews.
Plus: Yep, Contraband Police Actually Got It Right
This analysis evaluates the commercial performance of recent video game releases across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch for the second week of March 2023.
- Contraband Police achieved a successful launch with over 7,000 concurrent users, driven by a strong mechanical hook and an iterative development process that utilized a public prologue.
- The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition faced negative reception and poor performance on PC due to significant technical issues, highlighting the impact of polish on commercial success.
- Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse performed well in its Western debut, contrasting with the mixed results seen across other high-profile remasters during the second week of March 2023.
Contraband Police: How It Hit Big and Why Game Hook Matters
This analysis explores the commercial success of the simulation title Contraband Police to illustrate the importance of a strong "game hook" and effective genre iteration.
- Contraband Police sold 250,000 units in its first month following a March 2023 release, supported by a 306,000-unit pre-launch wishlist.
- The game achieved a median playtime of over six hours and a low 9% refund rate, driven by a 'fast follow' strategy that added physical vehicle inspections and driving mechanics to the document-checking genre.
- PlayWay’s development model relies on identifying commercially viable themes and assigning them to developers, a strategy that successfully captured primary markets in the U.S. (19%), China (16%), and Germany (11%).
Plus: Wo Long & Phantom Brigade Debut With a Flourish This Week
The primary objective of this analysis is to evaluate the commercial performance and market reception of major video game releases during the first week of March 2023.
- Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty achieved a record-breaking 75,000 peak concurrent users on Steam for Koei Tecmo, despite receiving a 35% 'Mostly Negative' review rating due to poor PC optimization and control schemes.
- The negative reception of Wo Long highlights a growing consumer trend where high-end console-to-PC ports face significant revenue and brand damage when technical performance is substandard.
- Limbus Company successfully captured a niche audience, reaching over 23,000 peak concurrent users and securing high grossing positions on its launch platform.
Raport Bieżący Nr 87/2017: Zawarcie Umowy Inwestycyjnej oraz Objęcie Udziałów w Spółce Total Games
PlayWay S.A. has formalized a strategic investment agreement to acquire a majority stake in the Warsaw-based developer Total Games Sp. z o.o.
- PlayWay S.A. acquired a 69% controlling stake in Warsaw-based developer Total Games Sp. z o.o. in December 2017.
- The investment involved a 194,000 PLN capital injection by PlayWay combined with the purchase of existing shares from a founding partner.
- The primary objective of the acquisition is the development of the PC title Contraband Police and subsequent gaming projects.