The Department Brings Real Welsh Policing to Narrative Detective Games

Copa Gaming Reveals The Department, a Narrative Detective Sim Rooted in Real-World Welsh Policing

Detective games have come a long way since L.A. Noire, but there still aren’t many that lean into modern, grounded police work. That’s where The Department comes in – a new narrative detective sim from indie studio Copa Gaming, inspired by real-world Welsh policing and built around one simple idea: if you’re wrong, you’re wrong.

Set in a fictional South Wales city, The Department puts you in the role of Detective Sergeant Morgan Lewis, a transfer trying to adjust to a new country, a new culture, and a growing sense that something darker is lurking beneath everyday cases. You’ll search crime scenes, interview witnesses and suspects, log evidence, and connect your own dots without glowing waypoints or guaranteed “correct” prompts to fall back on.

The Department – Official Trailer

Official trailer for The Department. Footage © Copa Gaming.

The Department / Trosedd

Release: Planned Early Access – mid 2026 (target)

Genre: Narrative detective sim, Investigation, Crime

Developer / Publisher: Copa Gaming
Platforms: PC — Steam

Think like a detective – no hand-holding

Copa Gaming describe The Department as a detective sim that “isn’t going to give you the answers.” Instead, the game gives you tools to organise evidence and test your theories, then lets you live with the outcome. Misread a suspect, overlook a detail, or chase the wrong lead and the story will continue with those mistakes baked in, mirroring the real pressure of working cases without perfect information.

Grounded in real-world Welsh policing

Game Director Osian Williams previously served in a Welsh police force, and that experience is feeding directly into the tone and structure of the game. Rather than going for an armed response power fantasy, The Department focuses on interviews, incident rooms, and day-to-day investigation work – with an emphasis on how you handle people as much as whether you close the case.

Early Access plans and upcoming demo

Copa Gaming are currently targeting an Early Access launch in mid-2026, supported in part by Creative Wales funding. Before that, the team are running an early alpha playtest via their community channels, with a first public gameplay demo pencilled in for late Q1 2026 if development stays on track.

If you’re into methodical crime games, it might be worth wishlisting The Department on Steam now and keeping an eye on how it evolves. In the meantime, you can also check out more crime-focused coverage on Fix Gaming Channel, including our look at Crime Simulator’s co-op heists coming to Xbox Series X|S.