Police Chief Simulator How to Renovate the Station
From a wrecked outpost to a desk that can take real reports.
The opening of Police Chief Simulator is a renovation job wearing a badge. Perfect Circle Team has said they wanted a literal zero-to-hero: you should remember the ruins when the precinct later runs itself. This page is the rebuild order for the Prologue and Demo, plus what the Steam page promises for the 17 September 2026 full station complex.
If you still cannot move boxes efficiently, read controls (TAB inventory, Ctrl placement). If the building is pretty but nobody files a report, return to Getting Started.
Why the station is trash
Winston Springs let the county building rot while crime moved in from the city. You inherit:
- No reliable power
- Rooms full of garbage
- Missing desks, fax, shredder, and forms
- A rotary phone that still works, because this universe enjoys analog props
- Wings taped off as “under construction” so you can see later holding cells and offices
Cleaning is not optional flavour. HQ will not deliver furniture into a registration room that is still a dump, and civilians will not queue in a dark lobby.
Restore power, then walk the rooms
The first interact after you find the building is usually power. Flip it before you start a trash marathon in the dark. Then walk every unlocked room once with empty hands so you know which wing is registration, which is the future detective office, and which is still boarded.
Bag trash into the dumpster or the marked bins. Do not store garbage in TAB “for later.” Inventory space is for incoming cartons.
Ordering versus the pawn shop
Two supply pipes exist.
Rotary phone / catalog. Furniture packs, extra forms, printer paper, replacement tools. Delivery saves trips. Open the barrier when the truck arrives. Unpack at the curb, stash boxes in TAB, then place inside.
Pawn shop (old Tony). Ron specifically sends you here for the fax, shredder, and paper forms. The shop also sells scanners, evidence boards, brooms, crowbars, fuel cans, and office extras. Demo players get into trouble buying a heater and coffee kit before the fax. Function first.
A practical cart for the reopen:
- Registration forms (buy a spare pack)
- Fax
- Shredder
- Printer paper
- Detective desk, scanner, evidence board — once the front desk already faxes
That list matches the phone call that says you are “nearly there” and still missing last equipment.
Opening boxes and placing rooms
German Steam threads asked how to open cartons. Interact with the box until it becomes the furniture piece, then use placement mode. A still-sealed carton will not snap to a desk footprint.
Room priorities:
- Registration. Counter, blotter space, fax, shredder, forms, a clear queue line from the door.
- Detective office. Desk, scanner, evidence board, enough floor that the string minigame is not inside a pile of boxes. See solve cases.
- Break / utility. Trash cans, broom, maybe a kettle after the desk earns money.
- Holding and interrogation. Teased in the construction wings and in full-game marketing. Do not expect a full jail economy in the tiny Prologue.
Keep fire extinguishers and doors unblocked. The station is small; one bad cabinet creates a trapped path when you try to sprint to the phone.
Money in, reputation out
Renovation is funded by faxed cases and the seed cash HQ transferred for cleaning. Reputation gates later rooms and staff. That is why a beautiful lobby with no fax is a failed rebuild. Stamp, fax, then buy the next room. The beginner tips page lists the décor trap in one paragraph.
As reputation rises, Steam copy says you unlock more dangerous districts and upgrade options that extend the station’s reach. Those unlocks matter more after you hire people who can watch the desk while you walk a hallway that did not exist on day one.
Full-game station fantasy
The store page pitches “from a small outpost to a thriving complex” with officers, detectives, and office workers taking work off your shoulders. Developer comments describe the end state as a thriving autonomous station. Treat the Prologue rebuild as the first wing of that complex, not the whole campaign.
Environmental destruction, extra open-world activities, and gang-leader districts are scheduled around the September launch, not around your first broom. Track them on the roadmap and prologue versus full pages.
Delivery-day checklist
- Barrier open for the truck
- Inventory empty of trash
- Cartons opened before placement
- Fax within two steps of the stamp pad
- Shredder on the same desk run
- Scanner in the detective room only
- Open lever thrown after the room is actually usable
Print that list in your head, then use the first-day checklist when you reboot a save. When the building is ready, the job stops being House Flipper and starts being a precinct — which is the point of the next guide in this dropdown, how to solve cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
How do I open furniture boxes in Police Chief Simulator?
Interact with the carton until it becomes the item, then hold Ctrl to place it. A sealed box will not sit as a desk.
Should I buy decorations first?
No. Forms, fax, and shredder reopen the station. Décor waits until cases are faxing. See the cart list above.
Why will HQ not deliver my furniture?
The registration room usually still has trash, or the gate barrier is closed. Clean first, then open the barrier.
When do holding cells unlock?
They are part of the expanded station fantasy on the Steam page. The Prologue mostly teases those wings. Follow updates as the full game launches.