In 2025, Contraband Police: Prologue remains the standard “free entry point” for one of the most successful simulation games of recent years. While the original Prologue was released in 2021, it has seen a resurgence in late 2025 due to the main game’s long-awaited arrival on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Here is everything you need to know about the Prologue and the current state of the franchise:
1. What is the Prologue?
The Prologue is a free, standalone version of the game that serves as a 5-day training mission. It is essentially a polished “vertical slice” of the full experience.
- The Setting: You are a young officer trainee in the communist Acarist People’s Republic in 1981.
- The Mission: Under the watchful eye of Commissioner Andreyev, you learn the core mechanics: checking passports, inspecting vehicle technical conditions, and hunting for hidden contraband using UV lights and axes.
- The Loop: It ends after five in-game days, at which point you are encouraged to purchase the full game to continue your career and engage with the larger story.
2. Major 2025 News: Console Release
The biggest news for Contraband Police in 2025 was the November 7 release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Full Feature Parity: The console version launched with all the PC updates, including the Inspector Mode (an endless mode) and the Challenge Mode.
- Controller Support: The Prologue (and the main game) now has fully optimized controller layouts, which were also patched back into the PC version for Steam Deck users.
3. Gameplay Mechanics in the Prologue
If you are playing the Prologue today, you’ll experience the refined 2025 version of the tutorial:
- Document Control: Checking for misspelled names, expired dates, and mismatched passport numbers.
- Search & Seize: Using tools like saws and pitchforks to rip apart seats or tires where drugs and money are hidden.
- Combat: You’ll face your first “post attack” where you must defend the border station using a pistol or AK-47 from rebels.
- The Choice: Even in the Prologue, you begin to see the tension between the government and the “Blood Fist” rebels, a choice that defines the full game’s campaign.
4. Comparison: Contraband Police vs. Police Simulator (2025)
There is often confusion between this game and Police Simulator: Patrol Officers.
- Contraband Police: Focused on the 1980s, border security, and gritty, often violent encounters in a fictional country.
- Police Simulator: Recently released a “Contraband Expansion” on November 19, 2025. This is a modern-day DLC that adds border-style inspection stations to the US-inspired city of Brighton. It is much more “by-the-book” and less action-focused than Contraband Police.
Why People are Playing it Now
The Prologue currently has an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam because it offers a significant amount of high-quality gameplay for $0. It’s widely considered the best “job simulator” for fans who enjoyed Papers, Please but want to experience that world in a 3D, first-person perspective.