Zip ties are one of the most useful stealth tools in Crime Simulator -- restrain a witness and they cannot reach a phone to call the cops. But they are not in the starting shop, and the unlock method is not obvious. Here is what the community has confirmed.
What Zip Ties Do
Zip ties restrain an NPC for the duration of the run. While tied up, they cannot:
- Call the police
- Sound an alarm
- Raise the alert level
They are essential for high-value heists where you need to move through an area without triggering a response. The alternative is knocking them out -- which works but is louder and can trigger witnesses in adjacent rooms.
One limitation confirmed by community testing: zip-tied NPCs will eventually break free after a few seconds (reports suggest around 5-10 seconds). A community mod on NexusMods addresses this by making ties permanent, but in the base game, do not leave a zip-tied NPC unattended for long.
How to Unlock Zip Ties
Confirmed unlock method: Zip ties are a world bonus reward -- earned by completing runs, not bought from a shop.
Community reports from Reddit and Steam discussions agree on the unlock path:
- Complete a full run (finish a heist and return to base)
- Zip ties appear as a world bonus reward that can be purchased after completing enough runs
- Once unlocked as a world bonus, buy them from the regular shop
A Steam community post from July 2025 states: "The cable ties are unlockable at the end of the game, so just keep playing." A Reddit post from 8 months ago confirms: "You unlock it as a reward when you finish a run, and then you can buy it in the shop."
The key detail: you do not find zip ties as loot during runs. They are purely a progression unlock. The more runs you complete, the higher your world bonus tier, and the more items become available for purchase.
World Bonus System Basics
World bonuses are permanent, account-wide unlocks in Crime Simulator. They reset between save files but persist across runs on the same account.
According to the Steam community guide "Understanding Crime Simulator": world bonuses include both items (like zip ties, the crossbow, the invisibility tool) and game features (drop-off boxes, difficulty modifiers).
The fastest players reach 10 world bonuses in around 10 runs. The full list of 25 world bonuses takes longer -- community reports suggest 20 runs for dedicated players.
To check your current world bonus tier, look for the world bonus shop interface when you return from a run. Items you have unlocked will show as available for purchase.
Zip Ties vs Other Restraint Methods
| Method | Stealth | Duration | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zip Ties | High | Short (5-10s) | World bonus |
| Knock Out | Medium | Until run ends | Starting equipment |
| Nothing | None | N/A | Default |
Complete unlock path: runs build world bonus tier, which unlocks shop purchase.
Zip ties are worth unlocking early. They give you a silent restraint option that knockouts do not -- if you need to move through an area without making noise, zip ties are the tool.
For the full world bonus progression and which rewards to prioritize, see the invisibility tool guide which covers the world bonus system in detail.
Tips
- Zip ties break after one use -- treat them as consumable, not a permanent tool
- One community report mentions finding zip ties "just laying around" as rare loot in addition to the world bonus unlock path -- this may be a rare spawn but the primary method is world bonus progression
- Budget for zip ties in your loadout cost for high-stakes runs where silence is critical