The Precinct

The starting point for The Precinct was American Fugitive (2019), the previous game from British indie studio Fallen Tree Games. The top-down sandbox game put players in the role of a criminal on the run from the law. Soon after, they came up with the idea for their next game, which would be set on the other side, from the perspective of a cop. The idea for The Precinct was born. It's a single-player, top-down, open-world, arcade-action police game with simulation elements - a kind of classic 80s cop movie with an interactive sandbox, set in a fictional US metropolis called Averno City, where other, somewhat clichéd cops also do their duty.

The starting point for The Precinct was American Fugitive (2019), the previous game from British indie studio Fallen Tree Games. The top-down sandbox game put players in the role of a criminal on the run from the law. Soon after, they came up with the idea for their next game, which would be set on the other side, from the perspective of a cop. The idea for The Precinct was born. It's a single-player, top-down, open-world, arcade-action police game with simulation elements - a kind of classic 80s cop movie with an interactive sandbox, set in a fictional US metropolis called Averno City, where other, somewhat clichéd cops also do their duty.

Players assume the role of Officer Nick Cordell Jr, a rookie cop fresh out of the academy, who is the first line of defence for the citizens and is trying to solve the mystery of his father's murder, however, the story is not the game's strong point. Players patrol the streets and respond to callouts to fight criminals in the sandbox city, from parking violations to bank robberies, breaking up brawls, preventing burglaries, scanning cars, street races, and drug deals, as well as chases (on foot, in a patrol car, or in a helicopter) and shootouts. Most of the gameplay takes place outdoors, but there are a small number of building interiors to visit during open gameplay and as part of the story.

To keep things lively, the crimes in the city are procedurally generated. However, after a while, a certain routine creeps into virtual policing, so the linear story takes over to drive the game forward more effectively. While the city could be more varied, it is impressive for a core team of five. Nevertheless, variety is lacking over time.

At the end of each interaction with a suspect, players will receive XP for their performance - the more they play by the rules and correctly identify the actual aspects of the crime, the more XP they will receive. Otherwise, they receive penalties, so it is important to pay attention to details. It is also important to take the appropriate approach and not use excessive force, otherwise the mission will fail very quickly. It's not possible to be a bad cop. And yes, Nick Cordell has a partner to follow and assist him. It is also possible to call in patrol cars, roadblocks, spike strips and more as a sort of progression. As a beat cop, there is no detective work or puzzles to solve. The same goes for elaborate investigations. It is more about the action on the streets.

The Precinct was developed by Fallen Tree Games, founded in 2012 in Nottingham, UK by Joe Moulding and Lewis Boadle. With a portfolio of releases ranging from the mobile puzzle series Quell to the open-world sandbox American Fugitive, the team is now fully remote. Originally scheduled for release in late 2024, The Precinct's five-person core team at Fallen Tree Games decided to delay the game in order to polish the final product and implement bug fixes. The decision was made in part due to the popularity of the demo at the Steam Next Fest. Over 300,000 people played the demo in just one week. "We read through over 1,300 demo reviews, along with more than 700 comments in our Discord and across social media," the team said. "It definitely lifted our spirits and showed us that we're heading in the right direction!"

The publisher is Kwalee, a games publisher and developer based in Leamington Spa, UK, with a growing catalogue of PC and console games including Wildmender, Robobeat, Voidwrought, In Sink and The Spirit of the Samurai, as well as upcoming titles Hordes of Hunger and GladiEATers. Kwalee was founded by Codemasters co-founder David Darling CBE.

The Precinct was released on 13 May 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A limited retail edition from Microids and distributed by astragon is also available for consoles.

Conclusion

It's classic cop action in the style of 1980s cop movies, set in an urban sandbox city. However, the variety of gameplay diminishes over time.

Features

• Tribute to 80s cop movies
• Top-down open world arcade Action
• Simulation of a city