Hello Detective! Looking for a good mystery or want to solve the murder of the century?
Point and click adventure games have been a staple for PC gaming since its inception.
The genre has become more varied over time with different styles of gameplay including detective games.
With a long history of games in the genre, there’s no shortage of great titles to choose from. To make sure you play only the best titles, here are the top 25 best detective games for PC.
25. Lamplight City
Lamplight City gameplay
With a Victorian-era setting and plenty of steampunk visual flair, Lamplight City is a stylish take on the well-established point and click detective game. Playing as private investigator Miles Fordham, you solve a variety of cases all while Miles attempts to maintain his sanity when his former partner starts speaking to him from beyond the grave. Lamplight City shines the most by giving you the freedom to progress through the game’s cases as you like. Every action has a consequence, and Lamplight City effectively puts you in the mindset of a detective with careful consideration of how your actions will shape the investigation.
Lamplight City features beautifully designed 2D environments with a Steampunk aesthetic.
Lamplight City explores issues like class divide and fear of emerging technologies within the city’s various districts.
24. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition gameplay
In this update of a PC classic, you control Gabriel Knight, a struggling author and bookstore owner, as he investigates a series of grisly murders that are the inspiration for his upcoming novel. Set in New Orleans, the game explores the city’s relationship with voodoo to create a unique blend of horror and adventure. Originally released in 1993 to critical acclaim, the 20th-anniversary edition features updated graphics, a remastered soundtrack, and new puzzles while maintaining the original’s classic gameplay and aesthetics.
Gabriel Knight’s bookstore looks better than ever with the 20th-anniversary edition’s updated graphics.
Voodoo plays an important part in both the game’s story as well as the environment’s designs.
23. Puzzle Agent
Puzzle Agent gameplay
The company that produces erasers for the White House has suddenly stopped production without notice. Featuring a much more lighthearted tone than other entries on this list, this is the subject of your investigation in Puzzle Agent. As Nelson Tethers, the sole member of The U.S. Department of Puzzle Research, you’ll work through a variety of puzzle types (from jigsaws, logic puzzles, math problems, and mazes) to solve this mystery. The highlight of the game is the unique, cartoon visual style designed by comic artist Graham Annable. Fans of later Telltale Games titles like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and Batman should investigate Puzzle Agent immediately.
The characters in Puzzle Agent are as quirky and colorful as the game’s visual style.
Every puzzle in Puzzle Agent is a different style than the last and keeps the gameplay fresh throughout.
22. The Sinking City
The Sinking City gameplay demo
Inspired by the works of horror master H.P. Lovecraft, The Sinking City is an open world detective game set in a half-sunken city that is under the control of supernatural forces. It’s up to you to uncover the mystery behind the supernatural entities and restore peace and order to the city. The game promises players a great deal of freedom in their investigation with different modes of travel and multiple endings for every case. Though the game has yet to be released, every detail currently known about Frogwares’ upcoming The Sinking City should be enough to get any fan of detective games excited. The Sinking City is set to be released on March 21, 2019.
The Sinking City is an open world detective game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. What’s not to love?
The Sinking City’s open world includes underwater environments that are explorable with a diving suit.
21. The Darkside Detective
The Darkside Detective gameplay
Step into the pixelated shoes of Francis McQueen – lead detective in a series of quirky supernatural investigations in Twin Lakes City. One of the simpler entries on this list from a gameplay perspective, The Darkside Detective excels thanks to its unique pixelated visual style, memorable characters, sense of humor, and electronic score. This “micro-adventure” is an easily digestible game for anyone looking for a quick fix point and click detective game with lots of humor sprinkled throughout. While the gameplay is largely linear, the game’s style and humor are simply too charming to resist and help it stand out in a crowded genre.
The Darkside Detective’s pixelated visual style and humor help it stand out among other point and click adventure games.
The Darkside Detective is packed with loving references to classic 80s films.
20. The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes gameplay
The first of three entries on this list to feature Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes finds the titular detective trying to prove his innocence in a case where he’s the prime suspect. This entry in Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes series distinguishes itself with a dark and gruesome tone. This is seen in both the story and the gameplay with Holmes and Watson investigating grisly murder scenes with ample amounts of blood and gore and body parts that must be inspected to progress the game. Gamers looking to test their wits will find a lot to love here as the game is packed with challenging puzzles worthy of the great Sherlock Holmes.
No list of great detective games would be complete without at least one appearance from Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson.
More gruesome than the famed detective’s previous adventures, the graphic nature of The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is not for the faint of heart.
19. Murdered: Soul Suspect
Murdered: Soul Suspect gameplay
Murdered: Soul Suspect stands out from other detective games on the strength of its premise alone. You play as police detective Ronan O’Connor as he tracks down a notorious serial killer, the Bell Killer, in present-day Salem, Massachusetts. However, Ronan is killed while confronting the Bell Killer in the game’s very first scene and must solve his murder and identify the killer so he can be reunited with his late wife in the afterlife. Now a ghostly apparition, Ronan is gifted with several supernatural abilities that players must use to complete their investigation.
Now a ghost, detective Ronan O’Connor stands above his former body in Murdered: Soul Suspect.
Players can use a variety of supernatural abilities to complete their investigation, including communicating with other ghosts and spirits.
18. Unforeseen Incidents
Unforeseen Incidents gameplay
In Unforeseen Incidents, you control Harper Pendrell, a small-town handyman who meets a woman on the street as she dies from a mysterious illness. The woman asks Harper to deliver a letter and players are then thrust into a tangled web of mysteries and conspiracies to stop the disease from spreading around the world. The distinct visual style of Unforeseen Incidents alone warrants its position on this list. With its beautiful hand-painted 2D graphics, Unforeseen Incidents offers a visual experience that few other games can match. With its unique visual flair, strong writing, and engaging puzzles, Unforeseen Incidents is a must play for fans of detective games.
The gorgeous hand-painted visuals of Unforeseen Incidents are worthy of being on display at an art museum.
Seriously, the art style in Unforeseen Incidents is so good that even junkyards look beautiful.
17. The Wolf Among Us
The Wolf Among Us gameplay
If you’ve ever had the very specific desire to solve a series of murders with Snow White as your trusted partner, then this game was almost literally made for you. Adapted from the Fables series of comic books, The Wolf Among Us is a gritty take on beloved fairytale and folklore characters. Set in New York City in 1986, the game has you play as Bigby Wolf as you investigate a series of murders that threaten the Fables’ quiet existence. The game’s graphics bring the visual style of a comic book to life on screen and the synth-heavy score is evocative of the 80s setting. While The Walking Dead is easily Telltale Games’ biggest commercial achievement, The Wolf Among Us is arguably the studio’s best game as the developer’s signature gameplay style feels most suited for this type of hard-boiled detective game.
Not your parents’ Snow White: The Wolf Among Us is a dark take on some of history’s most beloved fairy tale characters.
The neon color palette brings the games New York 80’s setting to life.
16. A Detective’s Novel
A Detective’s Novel gameplay
A Detective’s Novel focuses on a wealthy industrialist who dies under mysterious circumstances (are there any other kind of circumstances in detective games?) one evening. To solve this case, you play as Detective Knox, a 29-year-old detective famous for having solved over 100 cases at his young age. A Detective’s Novel is a visual novel, meaning its gameplay elements are light and the focus is mostly on telling the story. This may turn off more hardcore gamers, but the story and characters of A Detective’s Novel are enough to entice any fan of the genre. As the game is heavy on dialogue, the colorful cast of characters makes this game stand out along with the anime-influenced character designs. The piano-driven score is also worthy of praise and provides the perfect accompaniment to match the mood for each scene.
What do you get when you blend a visual novel with detective style gameplay? You get A Detective’s Novel, of course!
Most of the game’s choices come from dialog trees that progress the story and your investigation.
15. Return of the Obra Dinn
Return of the Obra Dinn gameplay
Set in 1807, the Obra Dinn returns to port after having been lost at sea five years prior. As this is a detective game and requires a compelling mystery, all the crew members and passengers aboard the ship have mysteriously died. You play as an insurance agent for East India Company tasked with uncovering the names and fates of the sixty bodies aboard the ship. In a list full of games with unique visual styles, the monochromatic graphics of Return of the Obra Dinn are particularly noteworthy. It’s also starkly different than the gameplay style of something like A Detective’s Novel with the focus being the player’s own deductive reasoning abilities to solve the logic puzzle at the game’s core.
The monochromatic visual style in The Return of the Obra Dinn establishes a uniquely haunting atmosphere.
The puzzles put players’ deductive reasoning abilities to the test if they want to solve the game’s central mystery.
14. Gemini Rue
Gemini Rue gameplay
On the planet Barracus, former assassin turned detective Azriel Odin desperately searches rain-soaked environments for his missing brother. Worlds away, Delta-Six wakens in a hospital with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Though seemingly unconnected, players control both characters in Gemini Rue as their paths intersect and mysteries are unraveled. Unlike most point and click adventure games, Gemini Rue also features action segments with cover-based shooting mechanics. Anyone looking for a cyberpunk detective game in the vein of Blade Runner will feel right at home in Gemini Rue’s sci-fi dystopia.
The rain-soaked environments of Gemini Rue create a classic neo-noir atmosphere.
Gemini Rue features two central protagonists whose stories intersect over the course of the game.
13. Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You Gameplay
Inspired by George Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You is set in an authoritarian-ruled country called The Nation. After a series of terrorist attacks on The Nation’s capital, it’s up to you to use Orwell, a sophisticated government program capable of accessing every citizen’s digital activity, to uncover the identities of the terrorists. Unlike most detective games, crime scenes and suspects are never investigated in person. Instead, the player accesses suspects’ social media posts, emails, dating profiles, and personal files to gather clues and progress the investigation.
The gameplay of Orwell takes place on screens and has you accessing people’s digital communications for clues.
Funny cat videos are always a must watch – even in fictional nations under authoritarian rule.
12. >observer_
>observer_ Gameplay
Set in a dystopian 2084 Poland, Observer explores a world ravaged by plagues, wars, and drug epidemics. As people turn to VR to escape their bleak realities, a new police force known as Observers is established with the ability to hack people’s minds to solve crimes. You play as Dan Lazarski, an Observer investigating a trail of grisly murders while also searching for your brother. From the developers of Layers of Fear, Observer effectively blends classic detective style gameplay with disturbing psychological horror.
The dark cyberpunk atmosphere of Observer is equally engaging and terrifying.
The game stars Rutger Hauer who previously acted in the sci-fi cyberpunk masterpiece Blade Runner.
11. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments gameplay
Featuring six separate cases, some directly adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a must play for fans of the legendary detective. The cases are varied, ranging from murders, thefts, and missing trains, and will test your wits and prove yourself to be worthy of walking in Holmes’ shoes. The game’s highlight is the deduction system which tasks players with connecting relevant pieces of information to reach different conclusions. Each case has several possible solutions each with their own ending, adding a high replay value to the adventure.
Sherlock Holmes’ best skill is looking dapper and stylish even when crouched next to a skeleton.
The game’s vibrant and colorful environments contrast the story’s dark themes.
10. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter gameplay
Set in Red Creek Valley, Wisconsin in 1973, you play as paranormal investigator Paul Prospero as he seeks to discover the truth behind a young boy’s disappearance. After receiving a cryptic letter from 12-year-old Ethan Carter, Paul visits the boy’s home and it doesn’t take long before bodies start piling up. Stranger yet is the presence of supernatural forces that disrupt the quiet lives of Ethan and his family. Focusing less on puzzle solving, the game emphasizes exploration as you traverse the open world and experience the story at your own pace.
If there was ever a perfect time to vanish, it would certainly be just prior to getting struck by an oncoming train.
The rural Wisconsin setting provides a unique backdrop for the game’s open-world.
9. The Painscreek Killings
The Painscreek Killings gameplay
A town has been abandoned and the only remaining residents have been murdered. Playing as a young journalist, you’re sent to the town to investigate what happened and uncover dark secrets about the town’s history. Perhaps the most striking aspect of The Painscreek Killings is the sense of how alone you are in the world. In a literal sense but also figuratively as the game provides no on-screen assistance to tell you what to do or where to go next. The game even suggests that you take your own notes to keep track of clues and information instead of automatically storing files in a journal. This may turn some off, but anyone looking to put their detective skills to the test in an open-world with no assistance will be instantly drawn into The Painscreek Killings.
Quiet desolation is the name of the game in The Painscreek Killings.
This luxurious family room seems like the perfect place to get together with friends and family and enjoy a nice game of Clue. Too bad everyone is gone.
8. Contradiction – Spot the Liar!
Contradiction – Spot the Liar! gameplay
After a young girl’s death by drowning is believed to be a suicide, new evidence suggests that she might have been *gasp* murdered! As Inspector Frederick Jenks, it’s up to you to question and gather information from local villagers and friends of the deceased to solve the case. The game is presented almost entirely through live-action footage with most of the gameplay focusing on interviewing suspects. The main objective is to analyze how suspects respond to your questions and identify any contradictions in their stories. For optimal effect, it’s recommended to play the game with others to get multiple opinions on a suspect’s innocence.
Fingers crossed that a sequel is made where you investigate the events of another FMV “classic,” Night Trap.
Does this face look innocent or guilty to you? Players must carefully watch suspects’ faces to look for any signs that they’re lying.
7. Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure gameplay
In a futuristic San Francisco, old-school hard-boiled detective Tex Murphy wakes in his office with a hangover and no memory of the last seven years. Unfortunately, booze isn’t the cause of Tex’s memory loss as mysterious markings on his body and the disappearance of his love Chelsee suggest something more treacherous is afoot. Mixing live action video and explorable 3D environments, Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure is a classic detective game full of murders, femme fatales, swindlers, and previously unseen Nikola Tesla inventions. If you’re still not sold, the game also features a performance from Larry Thomas, best known for playing The Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. Enough said.
The stylistic influence of Blade Runner is seen in yet another game on this list.
Surprisingly, this scene featuring a lens flare emitting from a literal lens was not directed by J.J Abrams.
6. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair gameplay
There’s nothing better than a nice, relaxing getaway with friends on a tropical island. That is until your high school headmaster, Monokuma (who also happens to be a psychopathic living teddy bear), traps you and your classmates on the island. Leaving the island is impossible unless you agree to Monokuma’s game: you must kill one of your classmates and not be caught in the subsequent investigation and trial. Gameplay is split into three sections: interacting with other characters and advancing the story in Daily Life, investigating murder scenes in Deadly Life, and identifying culprits in Class Trial. With a truly unique tone and style, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is a real treat for fans of anime and detective games alike.
I’m hella stoked for more gamers to discover the deliciousness that is Danganronpa 2.
I long for the day when courtroom trials are enhanced with dramatic “COUNTER” graphics.
5. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony gameplay
Set in a new school with a new cast of students, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony continues the murderous adventures of the maniacal Monokuma. This time, Monokuma has trapped 16 students in a school with another twisted game. Each student must kill another student and get away with the murder. If no one is killed in the first two days, Monokuma promises he will kill all the students. The game features much of the same style and gameplay from the previous entry with plenty of brand new minigames to enjoy in between the mayhem.
Monokuma is the greatest stuffed serial killer since Chucky.
The game’s colorful environments are explored in a first-person perspective.
4. Bohemian Killing
Bohemian Killing gameplay
In a drastic shift from most detective games, Bohemian Killing finds you as the prime suspect of a murder where you must prove your innocence. Set in Paris in 1894, the game alternates between the trial and the events leading up to the murder. Part of the game takes place in court as you listen to testimonies from witnesses and learn more about the evidence presented against you. As the judge asks you questions, the game flashes back before the murder where you must carefully consider your choices to refute the charges brought against you. Bohemian Killing’s concept alone makes it one worth checking out.
This scene certainly looks incriminating for you. Can you find evidence to prove your innocence or will you successfully lie your way to freedom?
Explore a highly detailed version of 1894 Paris
3. Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper
Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper gameplay
In 1888 London, a series of gruesome murders captures the attention of the public, the press, and the one and only Sherlock Holmes. With crime scenes that have left the local police puzzled with no leads on the killer’s identity, it’s up to Holmes to solve the murders and discover the true identity of his most deadly adversary to date, Jack the Ripper. Environments can be explored in both first and third-person perspectives as you investigate grisly crimes scenes for any traces of evidence. Crossing one of the greatest fictional detectives with one of the most notorious serial killers of all time sounds like a recipe for success, and Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper lives up to its premise and is one of the best detective games on PC.
Unfortunately, there will be little time for noted stouts and celebrated ales with Jack the Ripper on the loose.
The game offers glimpses at Jack the Ripper’s murders without ever revealing the killer’s identity.
2. Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders
Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders gameplay
Adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name, you play as famed detective Hercule Poirot to solve a series of murders committed by a mysterious killer known simply as “A.B.C.” The game features all the classic elements of a detective game including interviewing witnesses and suspects, solving puzzles, gathering clues from crime scenes, and drawing conclusions based on the collected evidence. What sets the game apart from others in the genre is the strength of its story and characters. This is not surprising since the game is adapted from one of Christie’s most celebrated works. Christie is regarded as one of the greatest mystery novelists of all time and the game brings her story to life with the addition of fun gameplay mechanics.
Although the subject matter is dark, the game’s graphics are colorful and vibrant.
Control Detective Poirot from a third-person perspective to look for clues and uncover the identity of the elusive A.B.C. killer.
1. L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire gameplay
Set in 1947 Los Angeles, you play as Cole Phelps, a World War II veteran with a passion for justice who climbs the ranks of the L.A.P.D. with hopes of uprooting the rampant corruption in the city. Though the game is a fictional story, cases draw heavily on real-life events from the era like the Black Dahlia murder and features local crime boss Mickey Cohen. Developed in part by Rockstar Games, L.A. Noire is much more than Grand Theft Auto set in the 1940s. The game features everything from driving and chase segments, shootouts, puzzles, suspect interrogations, and classic crime scene investigations. The game is perhaps most notable for pioneering the use of MotionScan technology to capture realistic facial expressions from actors. The technology plays a pivotal role when questioning witnesses and suspects as certain facial gestures help suggest if a character is lying. The game is so cinematic that it holds the honor of being the first video game ever to be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Simply put, L.A. Noire combines all the best elements from other detective games into an immensely satisfying and immersive experience. Beyond just fans of detective games, L.A. Noire is a must play for every gamer.
Danger and mystery lurk beyond every corner in the streets of L.A. Noire.
The game’s realistic facial animations play a pivotal role in your investigation as a suspect’s facial tics suggest whether they’re telling the truth.
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