Set in 1981, Contraband Police puts the player in the role of a young officer trainee at a border post in mountainous Karikatka. Entry into the Acarist People's Republic is tightly controlled, and the officer is monitored. When a comrade is killed during an intervention, the post’s routine inspection work sits alongside a larger conflict that also shapes the assignments.
The core duties mix document checks with searches for smuggled goods. Officers inspect paperwork for discrepancies, use a UV flashlight to investigate suspicious vehicles, and employ tools to extract contraband. Drivers may try to escape, prompting police chases, while attacks on the station and risks on away missions bring the possibility of gunfights. Players can buy and upgrade police cars, strengthen the station, and improve inspections, while facing the rising cost of maintaining the post. Special assignments include crime puzzles, helping comrades, and thwarting rebels; decisions are described as affecting Acaristan’s future.
Contraband Police is listed as a single-player action, adventure, and simulation game. Its distinctive design alternates close attention to documents and evidence with vehicle pursuits, station management, and armed interventions, giving the border-post premise both procedural duties and higher-risk episodes.
