Sleeping Dogs 2012

About

On Steam, 94% of 10,251 player reviews are positive (Very Positive). 32 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 35 in the last 30 days. Valve rates it Unsupported on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 17 hours, doing everything about 41 hours.

Sleeping Dogs is a third-person open-world action-adventure game set in contemporary Hong Kong. Players control Wei Shen, an undercover police officer who infiltrates a Triad organization called the Sun On Yee. Gameplay emphasizes melee combat using martial arts moves, grapples, and environmental attacks over gunplay, alongside driving, parkour, and open-world exploration. The game features a triple experience system split between Triad, Police, and Face progression paths, each unlocking different abilities and rewards.

Story

Wei Shen, a Hong Kong-American police officer and martial artist, returns to Hong Kong on assignment from the SFPD to infiltrate the Sun On Yee, one of the city's most powerful Triad organizations. Reconnecting with his childhood friend Jackie Ma, Shen enters the criminal underworld as a low-level gang member, quickly earning the trust of local boss Winston Chu. As he rises through the ranks, Shen must maintain his cover while feeding intelligence back to his police handlers, all while the Sun On Yee's internal power struggles threaten to consume everyone around him. Caught between his duty as a cop and the bonds he forms with the people he is betraying, Shen finds the line between his identities blurring. When a brutal massacre tears the organization apart and triggers a war for its leadership, Shen is drawn deeper into the violence, forced to question who he can trust on either side of the law.

What is happening now

Sleeping Dogs is a 2012 open-world action game blending beat-em-up combat with shooter mechanics, set in Hong Kong's underworld. The game has remained relatively dormant since its original release, though it continues to surface in industry conversation. Recent developments have brought renewed attention to the title. A 2011 prototype version has leaked online and become playable for PC users, offering a glimpse at an earlier iteration featuring different animations and voice work. Meanwhile, the game's designer has suggested a sequel could theoretically happen, though it would require careful alignment of industry conditions - specifically a lean development approach that made strong use of the open-world framework. A planned film adaptation starring Simu Liu has also kept the property in the spotlight, contributing to ongoing fan interest in a franchise that otherwise hasn't expanded since 2012.