Best Female Detectives in Games, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Video games with compelling female detectives offer riveting gameplay and great writing.
• Detectives like Anaya, Lynne, Ema Skye, Kyoko Kirigiri, Aya Brea, and Naoto are standout characters.
• From a minor role to a central figure, female detectives in video games help navigate intriguing mysteries.

Being a detective is one of the coolest professions, and has been portrayed in every type of medium, from movies to video games. Gamifying investigations and making players feel smart for making astute observations and correct judgments is hard to accomplish. That’s why the best detective games are lauded for their stories and satisfying mysteries. Some video games feature detectives in a more passive role, often aiding the main character.

Plenty of video games have featured compelling female detectives who are memorable to control or interact with. Players love them as a result of riveting gameplay, great writing, or a combination of both. These are gaming’s leading ladies when it comes to sleuthing.

8 Anaya (Mass Effect 2)

An Asari Detective Who Plays A Minor Role

Before players can recruit Samara in Mass Effect 2, they must speak with an Asari detective in Nos Astra named Anaya, who gives players a lead on where to find this Justiciar. Anaya doesn’t have a huge role to play in the game, but makes a notable impression in the short time she has.

She considers it an honor to interact with a Justiciar, and has some fun observations about Shepard based on how players react to her. It’s a shame that Mass Effect doesn’t feature more detectives, since Anaya gives a glimpse of what solving a mystery could be like in the series.

7 Lynne (Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective)

A Rookie Detective Who Aids Sissel In His Adventure

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is one of the best video games for fans of the puzzle-adventure genre. Shifting Sissel’s spirit to different objects and manipulating them to prevent avoidable deaths is a huge part of what makes this game so special.

During his adventures, Sissel will team up with a rookie detective named Lynne, whom he must save several times throughout his prolonged investigation. She is a huge help when it comes to interacting with the physical, and plays a critical role in helping Sissel uncover the mystery surrounding his demise.

6 Ema Skye (Ace Attorney)

Aids Apollo As The Detective In His Cases

The Ace Attorney games feature numerous investigation sections where lawyers analyze clues left at the scene of a crime to figure out the true perpetrator in each case. As one would expect, these police investigations involve detectives that the protagonists must work with to get access to crime scenes and find valuable clues.

Gumshoe is a lovable character who’s a fairly competent detective despite being rather airheaded at times. Some fans were saddened to see him replaced in the Apollo Justice trilogy by Ema Skye, an up-and-coming detective who uses scientific tools to uncover clues. However, this endearing homicide investigator becomes a stalwart companion to Apollo in no time, giving him the tools he needs to find critical evidence to solve most cases.

5 Kyoko Kirigiri (Danganronpa)

The Ultimate Detective Gets Roped Into A Twisted Killing Game

Danganronpa is perfect for gamers who want a twisted take on Ace Attorney‘s formula. In this visual novel, talented students are forced into a killing game where they must uncover the perpetrator of each crime in Class Trials to ensure their survival. The first title may be rough around the edges, but features its fair share of excellent cases and memorable characters.

One of these personalities is Kyoko Kirigiri, a mysterious student whose Ultimate ability isn’t revealed until players make progress in the game. It turns out that Kyoko is the Ultimate Detective, making it clear why she was a huge help for protagonist Makoto as he solved cases and uncovered valuable clues.

4 Aya Brea (Parasite Eve)

A Detective For The NYPD Who Must Stop A Mutated Being

Parasite Eve is one of the most unique games in the JRPG genre, using a brief yet meaningful runtime to let players enjoy a harrowing adventure full of body horror and evolutionary shenanigans. After seeing an entire theater spontaneously combust around her, detective Aya Brea rises to the occasion and chases down Melissa, an actress who has been taken over by the malevolent entity known as Eve.

It’s up to this NYPD detective to hunt Eve down and prevent her from laying waste to the entire world. Aya is one of the best female detectives in gaming, and it’s a shame that the series hasn’t continued to give this protagonist the time in the spotlight she deserves.

3 Naoto Shirogane (Persona 4)

A Young Genius Who Works As A Detective For The Police

Persona 4 Golden is full to the brim with a host of memorable party members, and Naoto is no exception. The conflict she has over her gender and whether people would take her seriously if she were a man makes for some insightful commentary on the nature of society, which has aged beautifully.

This genius detective slowly becomes more comfortable in her skin, and players who impress her with their own detective skills can pursue a romance with Naoto if they wish. She’s a powerful character with impressive abilities who is a must-have for some of the hardest battles in Persona 4 Golden.

2 Nancy Drew

The Legendary Teenage Detective

• Appears in a total of 33 video games

While Nancy Drew may have seen her debut in literature, more than a whopping thirty games feature this young detective in a central role, earning her a mention here. Most of these titles, which are made by by HeR Interactive, are point-and-click adventures with a riveting mystery at the heart of things.

The classic gameplay of these titles, coupled with an easy-to-follow plot, makes it clear why the Nancy Drew games are perfect for young players to sink their teeth into. That being said, these titles are fun for all ages and are worth playing for fans of classic adventure games.

1 Carmen Sandiego

Was An Ace Detective Before Becoming A Criminal Mastermind

The antagonist in a series of popular edutainment video games, Carmen Sandiego is a criminal mastermind who must be hunted down in every game before she can steal another monument or national treasure. For a simple video game designed for kids, there’s a fair amount of backstory to this character that fans appreciate.

Carmen used to be an ace detective for the ACME Detective Agency before getting bored with catching criminals over and over again. She wanted a fresh challenge and decided to fool ACME itself, succeeding more often than not as she enacted one daring heist after the other.