Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition: Complete Guide

A guide to Wei Shen's undercover life in Hong Kong: the three XP tracks, fighting and gunplay, collectibles that make you stronger, side activities, the included DLC episodes, and a smart order to do everything in.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Definitive Edition (October 2014), including the October 2014 patch that enabled HD world textures by default. No patches since; the game is complete. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Edition note: Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (Steam app 307690) includes all 24 previously released DLC items, among them the story episode Year of the Snake, the horror episode Nightmare in North Point, and the Zodiac Tournament. If textures look blurry, check your graphics settings: a 2014 patch turned the HD world textures on by default.

Quick Start

Three XP tracks run at once: Triad XP (brutal fighting), Police XP (avoiding civilian damage and doing cop work), and Face XP (side missions and reputation). Each unlocks its own upgrades.
Melee is the core of the game. Learn to counter (enemies flash red before attacking) and use environmental kills (grab an enemy and drag them to a highlighted object).
Collect Jade Statues. Return them to the martial arts master at the club in North Point to learn new combat moves.
Pray at Health Shrines to raise your max health.
Open Lockboxes for cash and unique clothes.
Hack security cameras to set up drug busts, and take on Cop Cases (police investigations); both give Police XP.
Clothes matter. Outfit sets give bonuses; Face level unlocks better gear.
Use safe houses to save, change clothes, and access your vehicles.
Try the action hijack: while driving alongside another car, jump across and take it.
Don't neglect Police XP. Civilian damage and property destruction during missions lower your Police XP score at the end of each mission.

Setting and Characters

Wei Shen, an undercover Hong Kong police officer, infiltrates the Sun On Yee triad. His handlers are Superintendent Thomas Pendrew and Raymond Mak; his triad contacts include Winston Chu (his first boss), Jackie Ma (a childhood friend) and the elderly chairman Uncle Po. Danger comes from rival lieutenants inside the Sun On Yee, such as "Big Smile" Lee and "Dogeyes" Lin, as well as rival triads. Wei's loyalties are tested between cop and triad life.

Districts: North Point, Central, Aberdeen, Kennedy Town.

XP and Progression

Track	How you earn it	What it unlocks
Triad XP	Brutal melee, environmental kills, violent style during missions	Stronger strikes, unblockable attacks, better combat recovery
Police XP	Minimizing civilian and property damage during missions, Cop Cases	Gun skills, car stealing without alarms, lower heat, disarms
Face XP	Favors, side missions, reputation actions	Face level perks such as health regeneration, cosmetic unlocks, vehicle delivery

Mission scoring: after story missions, Triad XP and Police XP are scored. Police XP starts full and loses points for collateral damage; Triad XP fills with how violent and stylish you are.

Combat

Melee

Move	Use
Strike combos	Light/heavy attack chains; mix them for different combos
Counter	Press when an enemy flashes red
Grapple	Grab enemies; slam or throw them
Environmental kill	Grab and drag enemies to highlighted objects (phone booths, fans, fish tanks, dumpsters)
Weapons	Knives, tire irons, cleavers; they break with use

Tips:

Counter first, then attack. Most deaths come from swinging into enemy combos.
Grapple big enemies to control the fight.
Environmental kills end fights quickly and boost Triad XP.
Jade Statue moves (from the martial arts master) add powerful combos. There are 12 Jade Statues.

Gunplay

Guns are rare in Hong Kong. When you get them, use cover.
Vaulting over cover triggers slow-motion aiming for easy headshots.
Police XP upgrades improve gun handling and disarms.
Shooting tires during car chases disables pursuers.

Driving

Races, chases and missions rely on cars and bikes.
Ram to take down pursuers.
Action hijack: drive alongside another car and jump to it.
Car delivery (Face perk) brings your car to you.

Collectibles and Upgrades

Collectible	Effect
Jade Statues (12)	Return to the martial arts master to learn moves
Health Shrines	Pray to raise max health over time
Lockboxes	Cash and exclusive clothes
Security Cameras	Hack to set up drug busts (Police XP)
Dates	Dating characters reveals collectible locations on your map

Strategy: do Health Shrines and Jade Statues early; they make fights and missions much easier.

Side Activities

Favors: help locals for Face XP.
Cop Cases and drug busts: police investigations, plus busts set up by hacking security cameras, for Police XP.
Street races (cars and bikes) for cash and vehicles.
Fight clubs for Triad XP and money.
Karaoke mini-game.
Cockfighting and Mahjong for gambling.
Dates with several characters; each gives a map reveal of collectibles.

DLC in the Definitive Edition

DLC	What it is
Year of the Snake (March 2013)	Six post-story missions with Wei back on the police force, investigating a cultist terror group
Nightmare in North Point (October 2012)	Horror episode with jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampires)
Zodiac Tournament (December 2012)	Fighting tournament in an island arena
Outfit, vehicle and weapon packs	Many cosmetic and gear packs are integrated

Money, Shopping and Safe Houses

Cash sources: story missions, Lockboxes, street races, fight clubs, betting on cockfights, and Favors.
What to buy: clothes that complete an outfit set (set bonuses beat single flashy items), and vehicles from dealerships once you have a garage to store them in.
Safe houses double as garages. Park a fast car there before long missions so it's close by when you need it.
Food and drink from street vendors give temporary buffs (such as extra damage or health regeneration). Grab something before a big fight club or mission.

Hong Kong Survival Rules

Situation	Best response
Surrounded by a gang	Grab one enemy, drag him to an environmental kill, counter the rest
Enemy with a knife or cleaver	Counter and disarm; pick up the weapon yourself
Heavy/big enemy	Grapple or use Jade Statue combos; don't trade straight hits
Police chasing you	Break line of sight in alleys, or use Police upgrades that reduce heat
Car chase	Ram from the side, shoot tires, use the action hijack on blocked roads
Low health	Back off, eat a buff food, and rely on Face-level regeneration

PC Notes

The Definitive Edition's graphics menu includes options for world detail; if the city looks low-resolution, re-check that HD world textures are enabled (a 2014 patch made them default).
Keyboard and mouse work fine for driving and shooting, but melee timing and combos feel more natural on a gamepad. Both are fully supported.
The game's save system uses checkpoints and safe houses; finish a mission before quitting to avoid redoing it.

Suggested Progression Order

Early game: focus on the story until you have your first safe house and several districts open.
Collect Health Shrines and Jade Statues as they become reachable.
Hack Security Cameras and do Cop Cases for Police XP.
Do Favors to raise Face level; unlock health regeneration and vehicle delivery.
Mid-game: street races and fight clubs for cash and Triad XP.
Late game: finish main story, then Year of the Snake, Nightmare in North Point, Zodiac Tournament.

Achievements and 100% Checklist

Completion is tracked as a percentage of "missions, cases, favors, events, jobs and races" (the Chief Inspector achievement asks for 100%). The achievements that need deliberate effort, with conditions from the Steam achievement list:

Achievement	Requirement	Tip
Case Closed	Complete all cases	Check the map for new cases regularly
Hong Kong Super Hacker	Hack every Security Camera	Pairs with the drug busts; check the map after dates
Spiritual Healing	Pray at all of the Health Shrines	Also maxes out your health
North Point / Central / West End Scavenger	Unlock every lockbox in each area	West End covers Kennedy Town and Aberdeen
Martial Law	Defeat all 4 Martial Arts Clubs	Easier once you have Jade Statue moves
Bounty Hunter	Complete all of Roland's Jobs	Side jobs that unlock through play
Wei of the Road	Complete all Street Races	A fast bike or car makes these much easier
Karaoke Superstar	90% or better on every song	Karaoke bars around the city
Mr. Nice Guy / Event Planner	All Favors / all open world Events	Favors also feed Face XP
Fashion Victim / Auto Enthusiast	Buy all clothing / all vehicles	Late-game cash sinks
Hell Money / Goodie Monster	All money shrines / all Evidence collectibles	Use a collectible map for these
Ghosts and Stuff / Hong Kong's Finest	All secondary content in Nightmare in North Point / Year of the Snake	Do these after the main story
A Slap in the Face	Kill someone with a fish	Grab one whenever it shows up as a melee weapon
Infowlable	Win 50,000 on a single cockfight	Save before betting
Safe Driver	2 minutes over 60 km/h without damaging your car	Use a highway

Face level milestones (Minor Face at level 2, Gaining Face at 5, Great Face at 10) come naturally from favors and side content.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Button-mashing melee. Counter timing wins fights.
Crashing into everything in missions. Your Police XP will suffer.
Ignoring Jade Statues. They unlock some of the best moves.
Skipping Health Shrines. Max health upgrades make hard fights easier.
Not using environmental kills. They're fast and effective.
Overusing guns. Ammo is scarce, and melee is often faster.

Advanced Tips

Chain environmental kills in big fights to thin groups.
Use counters to set up grapples for safe takedowns.
Upgrade Triad skills that make attacks unblockable; they break guards on tough enemies.
Clothes sets give bonuses; mix and match based on missions.
Face perks make free roam more fun; car delivery saves a lot of walking.
Use slow-motion cover vaults for headshots when guns come out.

FAQ

Is Definitive Edition the version to buy? Yes. It's the version sold on Steam now and includes all DLC.

How long is Sleeping Dogs? The main story is moderate length; DLC and side content add many hours.

Can I play DLC before finishing the story? Some DLC content is accessible during the story; Year of the Snake is a post-story episode.

What are Jade Statues for? Return them to the martial arts master to learn new combat moves.

Do I need a controller? Not required, but many players find melee combos easier on a controller.

Is there a sequel? No direct sequel was released. Triad Wars, an online spin-off set on the same Hong Kong map, was shut down in December 2015 and never fully launched.