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Games like Police Stories: The Academy

HypeTrain Digital · 2022 · Windows

Steam: 90 % positive of 1,539 reviews, as of Oct 28

Welcome, trainee! Use tactics and special equipment to become a true cop in the free version of Police Stories: The Academy. Neutralize criminals, search for clues and find a "rat" in the police station alone or in co-op with a partner.

24 games that play like Police Stories: The Academy and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: Police Stories, Door Kickers and Hot Brass.

Player tags

  • Simulation
  • Strategy
  • Action
  • Shooter
  • Top-Down Shooter
  • 2D
  • Top-Down
  • Pixel Graphics
Map region: Open-World Action
Open on Steam ↗

Steam reviews

What players say

Players find this short free prologue tense and fun, but most say it is too brief and needs more levels, with crash and bug complaints.

Most reviewers recommend the free prologue, calling it a tense, tactical top-down shooter where clearing rooms and choosing when to shoot matter more than running in. Many players like the room-by-room pacing and the tie-in to the main Police Stories series, and some say it works as a good introduction to the full game. The main complaint is length: the prologue has only a few missions, which players finish in under an hour, and many ask for more levels. Some players report crashes at the end of missions and bugs with progression and co-op. Recent reviews are more critical than the older helpful ones, with several focusing on crashes and unfinished content, though Steam's overall rating remains very positive.

Praised

  • Tense tactical gameplay

    Players enjoy careful room clearing, checking corners and deciding when to shoot instead of running in.

    Many players
  • Good introduction to the series

    Players see it as a useful preview of the main game and its mechanics, story and tutorials.

    Many players
  • Surrender system

    Players single out the option to make suspects surrender rather than kill them as a standout feature.

    Some players
  • Cheap and fun in co-op

    Players enjoy playing with friends and find the free prologue good value for its price.

    A few players

Criticised

  • Too short

    Players say the prologue has only a few missions and can be finished in under an hour, which is too little content.

    Many players
  • Crashes at mission end

    Players report the game crashing at the end of missions, forcing them to replay.

    Some players
  • Bugs and unfinished feel

    Players report progression bugs, network and co-op problems, controller issues and a sense that the product is not finished.

    Some players
Who it suits
Suits players who enjoy tactical top-down shooters and want a short, cheap taste of the Police Stories series, especially with a friend.
Who should skip it
Should be skipped by players who want a substantial amount of content or who are put off by crashes and unfinished features.

Summarised by AI from 41 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Police Stories: The Academy

These games are close to it by gameplay and by look, so they appear in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Police Stories: The Academy

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. Ready or Not79 % positive of 268,205Shared: Shooter · Realistic · Tactical
  2. SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition67 % positive of 353Shared: Simulation · Strategy · Tactical
  3. Alpha Response76 % positive of 790Shared: Shooter · Realistic · Tactical
  4. Police Chief Simulator: Prologue - Early Days84 % positive of 544Shared: Simulation · Strategy · Realistic
  5. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege82 % positive of 1,567,358Shared: Strategy · Shooter · Realistic
  6. Police Chief Simulator73 % positive of 1,015Shared: Simulation · Strategy · Realistic
  7. The Precinct86 % positive of 8,015Shared: Simulation · Top-Down Shooter · Realistic
  8. One-armed robber91 % positive of 54,315Shared: Simulation · Strategy · Shooter
  9. Fast and Low82 % positive of 739Shared: Shooter · Tactical · Crime
  10. EMERGENCY69 % positive of 7,042Shared: Simulation · Strategy · Top-Down
  11. Flashing Lights - Police, Firefighting, Emergency Services (EMS) Simulator79 % positive of 16,234Shared: Simulation · Shooter · Realistic
  12. Riot Control Simulator: Rookie Day62 % positive of 919Shared: Simulation · Realistic · Crime

By look

Looks like Police Stories: The Academy

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. Party Hard 277 % positive of 2,445
  2. GARAGE: Bad Trip72 % positive of 407
  3. Halfway69 % positive of 892
  4. Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine92 % positive of 3,753
  5. Party Hard90 % positive of 9,862
  6. Redie81 % positive of 281
  7. Sword of the Stars: The Pit82 % positive of 1,133
  8. Streets of Rogue96 % positive of 17,277
  9. Alien Shooter96 % positive of 3,955
  10. Night Raider84 % positive of 1,924
  11. Quasimorph81 % positive of 7,570
  12. Door Kickers94 % positive of 8,055

At a glance

What games like Police Stories: The Academy have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Police Stories: The Academy: Simulation (19 of 24), Shooter (15) and Strategy (12).
  • They came out between 2011 and 2026, 12 of them after Police Stories: The Academy (2022).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Door Kickers: Action Squad (94 % positive of 8,797).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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