Report updated Apr 16, 2026

TL;DR:This Is the Police is a premium narrative-driven management simulation where players act as a Police Chief in a corrupt city.|TL;DR:This Is the Police is a premium narrative-driven management simulation where players act as a Police Chief in a corrupt city.

This Is the Police is an established games app that is a paid app. With a 3.8/5 rating from 4.1K reviews, it shows polarized user reception.

What is This Is the Police?

This Is the Police is a premium narrative-driven management simulation where players act as a Police Chief in a corrupt city. It blends resource management with a deep, branching story and moral decision-making. The game targets mature strategy fans and differentiates itself through high-quality voice acting and a gritty noir atmosphere, positioned as a premium $7.99 title without ads or microtransactions.

Current Momentum

v1.1

Unity update

AI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.

Active Nemesis

911 Operator

911 Operator

By Games Operators S.A.

Other Rivals

112 Operator
Do Not Feed the Monkeys
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You
Death and Taxes
Frostpunk: Beyond the Ice
Peace, Death!
60 Seconds! Reatomized
Suzerain

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Adventure
#72
NEW

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?

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What Are The Key Features?

Narrative-Driven ManagementDifferentiator

A deep, branching story where player choices directly influence the fate of the protagonist and the city.

Police Department OperationsStandard

Manage staff, respond to emergency calls, and allocate resources in a high-pressure environment.

Criminal InvestigationsStandard

Gather evidence and solve cases to dismantle criminal gangs operating in the city.

Political NegotiationDifferentiator

Balance relationships with the mayor, mafia bosses, and the press to survive and secure a retirement fund.

Professional Voice ActingStandard

Full voice-over performance featuring Jon St. John.

How much does it cost?

Paid
  • One-time purchase price of $7.99

Premium upfront pricing model typical of high-quality indie ports, avoiding microtransactions or ads to maintain narrative immersion.

Who Built It?

HandyGames app icon 1
HandyGames app icon 2
HandyGames app icon 3
HandyGames app icon 4

HandyGames

(9.6K)

Delivering deep, mechanically-rich strategy and simulation games to mobile players seeking PC-quality experiences.

Portfolio

13

Apps

Paid 12
Games33%
Игры8%

Who is HandyGames?

HandyGames has established a distinct position as the mobile publishing arm for THQ Nordic, focusing on porting complex PC and console IPs to the mobile market. Their moat is the technical and design capability to translate deep economic simulations and tactical turn-based mechanics into accessible touchscreen experiences. A key strategic signal is their recent high-velocity shift toward 'Try & Buy' monetization, aimed at reducing entry barriers for their traditionally premium-style titles.

Who is HandyGames for?

  • Mid-core
  • Core gamers seeking mechanical depth
  • Particularly in the strategy
  • Simulation genres
Active

Portfolio momentum

With 22 releases in the last 6 months and over 57% of the portfolio remaining active, the publisher is aggressively updating legacy titles and launching new trial-based versions.

Last release · 33d agoActive apps · 33Abandoned · 16

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Save the Puppies Premium

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1943 Deadly Desert Premium

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Игры

What do users think recently?

Analysis in progress, available soon

What is the competitive landscape for This Is the Police?

How's The Games Market?

How does it evolve in the Games market?

ChartRankChange
iOSPaid#8522
AndroidGrossing#871

The rivals identified

The Nemesis

911 Operator

911 Operator

4.2 (31.8K)

Games Operators S.A.

Directly competes on the core mechanic of managing police resources and responding to emergency calls in a city environment.

Head-to-head analysis pending — refresh this report for a detailed comparison.

Contenders

112 Operator

112 Operator

Games Operators S.A.

📈

A more advanced sequel to 911 Operator that offers deeper management of police, fire, and medical services on a larger scale.

Do Not Feed the Monkeys

Do Not Feed the Monkeys

4.0 (1.9K)

Alawar Entertainment, Inc

📈

A narrative-driven 'digital voyeurism' sim that forces players to manage resources while making difficult moral choices.

Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You

Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You

4.8 (71)

Osmotic Studios GmbH

💀

A narrative investigation game where players manage data and surveillance to solve crimes for a state agency.

Death and Taxes

Death and Taxes

Placeholder Gameworks

A narrative management game where you decide the fate of individuals, mirroring the high-stakes decision-making of Jack Boyd.

Peers

Trade Base Exchange

Approval Rating Management

Client Fate Examination

Catastrophe Events

60 Seconds! Reatomized

60 Seconds! Reatomized

4.8 (1.9K)

Robot Gentleman sp. z o.o.

Focuses on high-pressure resource allocation and narrative events where every choice has immediate consequences for survival.

New Kids on the Block

Suzerain

Suzerain

4.6 (11.2K)

Torpor Games GmbH

📈

A deep political simulation where you manage a country's fate through dialogue and policy, similar to the political maneuvering in Freeburg.

The outtake for This Is the Police

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • High-quality narrative and world-building
  • Professional voice acting (Jon St. John)
  • Unique minimalist noir art style
  • Premium experience free of ads/IAP

Critical Frictions

  • Low review volume (69 ratings) affecting discovery
  • High barrier to entry ($7.99)
  • Limited replayability after story completion

Growth Levers

  • Introduction of DLC case packs
  • Expansion into serious gaming/ethics education
  • Community-driven narrative challenges

Market Threats

  • Direct competition from the 'Operator' series
  • Devaluation of paid apps by subscription services
  • Niche market saturation

Key Takeaways

This Is the Police is an established games app that is a paid app. With a 3.8/5 rating from 4.1K reviews, it shows polarized user reception.

Where Is It Heading?

Trend analysis

Available very soon

Disclosure

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. See methodology.

Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by This Is the Police, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

Hope this helps & keep building! · Found an error?

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Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “This Is the Police Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 16, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/games/this-is-the-police

Agent Markdown (.md)·

Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0