contraband-police game sourced
Contraband Police
A first-person border-post sim set in 1981 in which the player checks drivers' documents, searches vehicles for hidden contraband, chases smugglers, and upgrades the post against gang attacks.
parts
6 mechanics, as Contraband Police does themcore · 2
Direct avatar control
The player walks the post in first person, opens and searches vehicles, drives upgradable police cars in pursuits, and uses firearms in shootouts.
Rule-checking inspection
Drivers present documents whose number grows over the campaign; small discrepancies require refusal, and suspicious vehicles are searched with a UV flashlight before tools extract hidden goods.
supporting · 4
Procedural characters
Raid defense
Gang attacks on the post are countered with purchased defense upgrades.
Treasury and budget
Cash from inspections, foiled smuggling, and interventions pays for upgrades while post maintenance costs rise over time.
Triggered event chains
Special assignments and story decisions shape the fate of Acaristan and lead to multiple endings.
core loop
check documents -> search the vehicle with UV light and tools -> extract contraband or approve -> arrest or chase fleeing smugglers -> earn cash -> upgrade the post, cars, and defenses -> story missions and raids
design notes
It moves the Papers, Please inspection loop into a 3D first-person space: document discrepancies are found on paper, but contraband is found physically by examining the vehicle with a UV flashlight and extracting it with tools. The number of documents per entrant grows over time, raising the error rate at constant attention. Inspection income funds post upgrades whose maintenance costs rise, while authored special assignments, chases, and gang raids interrupt the shift loop.