Best Detective Games, Ranked

Fighting crime is a staple of many video games. Players could be superheroes using powers to stop the destruction, or they could just be random individuals who find themselves in a peculiar situation needing to stop bad guys. Regardless, there’s no role more fun to take on than detective.

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Detective games are narrative-driven, giving players the ability to immerse themselves in the mystery. Finding clues, hunting suspects, and solving crimes can be satisfying. It isn’t always done well, so it’s worth praising the games that have done a good job of giving the players the tools to crack the case.

Updated December 27, 2024, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Being a detective and searching for clues is a superb fit for video games, and it has been a major genre in this industry for a long time, though sometimes developers just combine with other elements like shooting or combat to add more exciting moments.

There have been plenty of detective games from various Western and Eastern developers over many years, each delivering their very own perspective on what makes a mysterious adventure more engaging for gamers, and some of those lead to spectacular industry standards.

18

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Search For Clues, Interrogate Suspects, And Win The Case

Another outstanding entry in the visual novel category is basically a detective game that stars a lawyer. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney focuses on a rookie attorney whose main goal is to find his defendants not guilty of the crimes they are being accused of.

The primary gameplay revolves around interrogating witnesses and searching crime scenes for clues that could exonerate the client. The case comes to a head when Wright has to face off in the courtroom with a prosecutor like Miles Edgeworth and present the evidence necessary to get the job done.

17

Paradise Killer

Looking For A Mysterious Killer In A Cyberpunk World

Players looking for a little bit more control of the main character and their environment will enjoy the open-world adventure Paradise Killer. Taking place on Paradise Island, a place that doesn’t exist in reality, someone has been murdered and it is up to investigator Lady Love Dies to get to the bottom of the situation.

Players can wander the world in search of evidence and talk to various suspects to get their side of the story. The game was heavily inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft and Danganronpa.

16

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

A School-Themed Mystery With Unique Gameplay System

Visual novels are a perfect medium for detective games as they focus heavily on solving a mystery and not so much on other gameplay elements. That said, the Danganronpa series has always had a mixture of both point-and-click adventure and time-based puzzles.

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The best in the series is Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. The story revolves around a group of students from Hope’s Peak Academy being trapped on an island by Monokuma, a stuffed bear, who tells them they must kill a fellow student and not get caught to escape.

15

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials And Tribulations

Solving A Variety Of Cases And Defending The Clients

Many people consider the final game of the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy to be the best one of the lot, and it’s easy to see why this is the case. Shu Takumi was clearly at the top of his game when he crafted this masterpiece, combining logical puzzle-solving with supernatural elements to make for a bombastic entry that fans still can’t stop raving about to this day.

All the cases in this title are brilliant, exploring Phoenix’s backstory while letting Maya Fey’s character shine bright too. With many memorable character interactions, intense witness testimonies, and engrossing breakdowns, it’s easy to see why most people still consider this title to be the best Ace Attorney game to date!

14

Condemned 2: Bloodshot

Discovering Eerie Cults As An FBI Agent

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Condemned 2: Bloodshot

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A detective game that dips more into the horror genre, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is a sequel to Condemned: Criminal Origins. The 2008 game is the second chapter in the story of Ethan Thomas, an investigator for the FBI’s Serial Crime Unit.

In this game, Thomas is recruited back to his job after resigning following the end of the original game. He is tasked with solving a murder while also discovering his true nemesis, Serial Killer X, is still alive. The first-person game features melee-oriented combat as well as adventure mechanics revolving around investigating crime scenes.

13

Pentiment

A Medieval Investigation With Unique Visual Design

Pentiment is probably the most unique title from Obsidian Entertainment so far. This is one of those games that people can barely find anything exactly similar to it. Of course, there have been many detective-oriented games so far, but they have barely touched on the medieval era as precisely as Pentiment.

For those who love a trip back to the distant centuries, Pentiment is a great opportunity that not only delivers a captivating story but also recreates the details of that era superbly. This is an adventure like no other, and it might require a bit of good old English understanding.

12

The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter

A Slow-Burning Story With Shocking Twists

Another horror and investigative game, The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter focuses more on puzzles and stealth gameplay to tell its story. The player is Paul Prospero, a paranormal investigator who receives a letter from a young fan and is inspired to meet him.

Upon arriving at the fan’s hotel, Prospero learns that a 12-year-old kid, Ethan Carter, has gone missing. Prospero must deal with paranormal activity to find Carter and solve the mysteries of the small town. The game is open-world and leaves the player to discover much of the story and mechanics.

11

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Working Between Two Different Visions To Bring Back The Lost Memory

A unique twist on a detective game, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective has players solving a crime from the grave. The ghost of Sissel wakes up to discover they don’t know who they used to be and who killed them. The game revolves around finding clues to get answers to those questions.

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Along the way, Sissel must use his paranormal powers to save lives by taking control of their corpses and rewinding time. Players can jump between the Land of the Living (with time moving) and the Ghost World (where time is stopped) to ultimately figure out the mysteries in front of them.

10

The Wolf Among Us

A Gory Thriller Adventure In The Rich World Of Fables

The fate of Telltale Games was a hard one to stomach for fans who loved these adventure games and everything they brought to the table. Thankfully, a sequel to one of its most popular games, The Wolf Among Us, was finally announced after many players were disappointed that the cliffhanger ending would never see a proper resolution.

The story of Sheriff Bigby as he tries to figure out the truth behind a grizzly murder in Fabletown leads him on a wild goose chase that is executed brilliantly in typical Telltale fashion. While the puzzles and detective work itself are fairly simple, it’s the unmatched vibes, excellent presentation, and memorable characters in the game that do a great job of engrossing players till the very end.

9

AI: The Somnium Files

Tracing A Serial Killer In The Dystopian Tokyo

One of the most underrated mystery games that was released recently, the intriguing world of AI: The Somnium Files is easily one of its biggest draws. Fans simply can’t get enough of the futuristic setting of Tokyo present in this title, with the story and gameplay making full use of this unique backdrop. It’s a unique experience that fans of detective games can expose themselves to.

The idea of investigating killings by exploring one’s memories is a simple yet riveting concept that is executed brilliantly in this game. AI: The Somnium Files may not be a perfect detective game… but it sure comes pretty close, which is high praise indeed.

8

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

A Well-Executed Spin-Off From A Beloved Franchise

Ace Attorney fans hated the fact that this unique spinoff hadn’t been released on Western shores for a long time. While a fan localization had covered the first game and was actively working on the second title, players still weren’t satisfied until they got an official translation from Capcom themselves.

Thankfully, the studio finally listened to its fans and released both games in a coveted collection that allowed players to check out the journey of Ryunosuke Naruhodo from a fledgling student of law into one of the most adept and smartest lawyers in both Japan and Great Britain. The first game is pretty great and sets the foundation for a masterful second title that gives a satisfactory conclusion to pretty much every plot thread that was present in the series.

7

Alan Wake 2

Investigating The Horrors Of A Twisted Mind

The horror elements and action-packed shooting scenes might be a big part of Alan Wake 2, but at the heart, it is still a game about investigation just like the original one. In fact, Alan Wake 2 does add to those detective-oriented moments by allowing players to experience the game as an FBI agent.

However, it’s actually the Mind’s Place that gives Alan Wake 2 players the pure detective experience. It’s where players connect the clues they have found and try to get to that big picture, revealing the whole truth behind the terrors they see.

6

Shadows Of Doubt

The Ultimate Detective Experience

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Shadows of Doubt

Stealth

Adventure

First-Person

Systems

Developer(s)

ColePowered Games

Released

April 24, 2023

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

Shadows of Doubt might be the dream game for anyone with a love for detective games. It just lets the player live the life of a detective in a sandbox world. The players accept a variety of cases, search different locations for clues, and sometimes face action moments.

The game also has a primary case about a serial killer, which is the ultimate challenge for the player. The best thing about Shadows of Doubt is the fact that it gives the player the freedom to find and solve the cases in their own way, without forcing a path.

5

Her Story

Feeling The Real Challenges Of Being A Detective

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Her Story

Adventure

Puzzle

Indie Games

Simulation

Casual

Systems

Developer(s)

Sam Barlow

Released

June 24, 2015

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

It’s rare to come across a live-action video game, but Her Story keeps the action to a minimum as the goal is to just watch and solve the mystery. The game takes place on an old computer monitor. When it turns on, it reveals several files that include interrogations that were filmed and transcribed.

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Using the tools on the computer, the goal for the player is to piece together the suspect’s story to determine whether or not she is guilty in the murder investigation.

4

Heavy Rain

A Branching Cinematic Story With Difficult Choices To Make

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Heavy Rain

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Released

February 23, 2010

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

One detective for a game is usually enough, but four is unheard of. The exception here is Heavy Rain. The four protagonists aren’t necessarily detectives by title, but they all are looking into the same thing: The Origami Killer. The main protagonist, Ethan Mars, is trying to get his son back after he is taken by the killer.

Along the way, journalist Madison Paige, FBI profiler Norman Jayden, and private investigator Scott Shelby join in helping find out who the killer is and finding out if Ethan’s son is alive. The action-adventure game has multiple endings and uses quick-time events.

3

L.A. Noire

Living The Life Of A Detective In An Open-World Rockstar Hit

Film noirs can be cheesy for viewers, but playing a detective in a noir setting can be fun. L.A. Noire perfectly encapsulates the concept while executing an intensely deep story. The game follows Detective Cole Phelps as he works up the ranks in the Los Angeles Police Department, working five different beats along the way.

His big case comes when he needs to investigate a morphine distribution ring he has personal connections with. The action-adventure involves melee combat as well as an interrogation mechanic that involves reading people’s reactions.

2

Return Of The Obra Dinn

Investigating The Lost Memories Of A Missing Ship

Lucas Pope is a legend in the indie gaming scene, with Papers, Please serving as a great way to integrate a compelling and sad narrative with a gameplay loop that made every decision all the harder to carry out. However, while Papers, Please was a great game in its own right, some people argued that it wasn’t a fun game to play — a criticism that fans of the game understand, even if they may not necessarily agree with it.

Thankfully, Return of the Obra Dinn strikes a perfect balance between integrating unique gameplay mechanics while making the game pretty fun to play through too. Players have to explore an abandoned ship, having the power to hear the events leading up to a person’s death before getting a single still shot of the person at the moment of demise. In a bid to figure out each person’s identity and their manner of death, players have to explore this scene of death, uncover all the clues, and correctly guess the identities of every person on the ship, which makes for a tantalizing and engaging experience in every way.

1

Disco Elysium

Investing Crimes While Dealing With Inner Demons

This detective game falls under a different genre than the rest: RPG. Disco Elysium has players enter the game knowing nothing about the detective they are playing since he is struggling with amnesia. Regardless, he has been tasked with solving a murder mystery. The game has no combat and relies entirely on skill checks and dialogue.

The game has 24 skills that players will use to get through the game. The player has full control of the character’s feelings and traits, allowing the player to find their own path towards solving the case ahead.

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