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Over the years, both new and old Best Detective Games on Steam games have given us some great, exciting adventures with mysterious cases that our humble hero has to solve, finding the bad guy and putting the world back in order.
Just like there are great detectives in movies, books, and TV shows, there are also great detectives and games that put us on difficult missions to solve the most gruesome and interesting crimes.
There aren’t many things that are more fun to read than a good mystery. And while it’s fun to read or watch these kinds of stories in books, TV shows, or movies, games take it a step further by letting you investigate yourself and feel the satisfaction of solving a case for yourself.
Best Detective Games on Steam Comparion Table
| Name | Genre | Platform | Modes | Price | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disco Elysium | RPG, Adventure | PC, PS4, PS5, NS | Single player | $39.99 | Visit Website |
| The Wolf Among Us | Adventure | PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XB1, iOS, Android | Single player | $14.99 | Visit Website |
| Blacksad: Under the Skin | Adventure | PC, PS4, XONE, NS | Single player | $39.99 | Visit Website |
| Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers | Adventure | PC, Mac, iOS | Single player | $19.99 | Visit Website |
| The Painscreek Killings | Adventure | PC | Single player | $9.99 | Visit Website |
| Unheard – Voices of Crime | Adventure | PC, NS | Single player | $3.99 – $7.99 | Visit Website |
| Grim Fandango | Adventure | PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | Single player | $14.99 | Visit Website |
| The Occupation | Adventure | PC, PS4, XONE | Single player | $19.99 | Visit Website |
Disco Elysium
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 | OS: Windows 10 |
| Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo | Processor: Intel Core i5 |
| Memory: 4 GB RAM | Memory: 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible GPU | Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible GPU |
| Storage: 22 GB available space | Storage: 22 GB available space |
Disco Elysium is an RPG game with a noir theme and a lot of turns and twists. The Final Cut is better than the first version that came out. This game isn’t like most RPGs because it has a lot of talking.
You play as a detective who can get better at what they do by doing skill checks. Even the smallest things, like rolling the dice, can cause skill checks that can be good or bad for your character.
The Good
- A unique mix of playing detective, taking on a role, and telling a story.
- A story with a lot of depth and a lot of interesting characters.
- Hand-painted art and music that fits the mood make for an immersive experience.
- Themes that make you think about politics, philosophy, and the way people live.
The Bad
- Players who like games with a lot of action might not like it.
- It takes a lot of time to fully understand the complicated story and world.
The Wolf Among Us
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7 | OS: Windows 10 |
| Processor: 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent | Processor: 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent |
| Memory: 3 GB RAM | Memory: 4 GB RAM |
| Graphics: ATI or NVIDIA card w/ 512 MB VRAM | Graphics: ATI or NVIDIA card w/ 1 GB VRAM |
| Storage: 2 GB available space | Storage: 2 GB available space |
In this iridescent noir setting, all of our childhood dreams live together in a dirty, dangerous place called Fabletown, which is in modern-day Manhattan. Detective Bigby, you play the role of the Big Bad Wolf.
In this mystery game from Telltale Games, you have to keep the town in order while looking into the violent deaths of fairytale characters. The main way to find justice is by making choices in the dialogue.
The Good
- Based on the popular Fables comic book series, the story is gripping and grown up.
- Choices and their results affect how the story goes, giving it replay value.
- The unique cel-shaded art style makes for a very interesting look.
The Bad
- Instead of traditional game mechanics, the focus is on quick-time events and making decisions.
- Some people might feel uncomfortable with the game’s dark and adult themes.
Blacksad: Under the Skin
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor: Intel Core i5-3450 or AMD FX-6300 | Processor: Intel Core i5-4690 or AMD FX-8350 |
| Memory: 8 GB RAM | Memory: 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 480 |
| Storage: 30 GB available space | Storage: 30 GB available space |
Blacksad: Under the Skin puts you in the middle of a dark corruption scandal in the underworld of New York City. With its dark anthropomorphic characters and amazing 1950s vibe, the game feels like a detective novel.
Since her father died, Sonia Dunn runs the gym and has to deal with its money problems. In a time of need, she hires private investigator Blacksad to look into Yale’s disappearance. It’s a strange case that will take our brave detective to the worst parts of New York.
The Good
- A unique detective adventure game with anthropomorphic animals set in the 1950s.
- Interesting murder mystery plot with many different paths.
- Beautiful hand-drawn graphics and an atmosphere that pulls you in.
The Bad
- Some people might not like how the setting and characters are based on animals that act like people.
- Sometimes technical problems and bugs can make it hard to play.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 | OS: Windows 7/8/10 |
| Processor: 1 GHz processor | Processor: 1.4 GHz processor |
| Memory: 256 MB RAM | Memory: 512 MB RAM |
| Graphics: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c | Graphics: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c |
| Storage: 2 GB available space | Storage: 2 GB available space |
It makes sense to start this list with one of the great detective games that came before it. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, You play the main character, a writer with a southern accent who is voiced by none other than Tim Curry and has more to do with the bloody events in the area than he would like.
Even though some of the puzzles are frustratingly impossible to solve, the voice acting, art, music, and story are still great. Gabriel Knight is a scumbag, but that’s part of his old-fashioned charm. The strange FMV sequel is also worth watching.
The Good
- The story of this classic point-and-click adventure game with a supernatural mystery element is very interesting.
- The immersive experience is made better by well-developed characters, interesting conversations, and voice acting.
- Puzzles that are hard to solve and investigative parts of the game keep players interested.
The Bad
- Graphics and game mechanics that are too old may not appeal to modern gamers.
- Some people might find the pace slow and the puzzles hard to figure out without hints.
The Painscreek Killings
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 | OS: Windows 10 |
| Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalent | Processor: Intel Core i5 or equivalent |
| Memory: 4 GB RAM | Memory: 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible GPU | Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible GPU |
| Storage: 12 GB available space | Storage: 12 GB available space |
In 1995, a shocking murder sent shock waves through the town of Painscreek. The murder is still not solved, and most people have left the town. You play as Janet, a young reporter who is sent to the town to look into a cold case.
Even though The Painscreek Killings isn’t a horror game, exploring the empty town can be very scary. The game doesn’t give you much help, so you have to do real detective work to find out what’s going on in town.
The Good
- In this one-of-a-kind detective mystery game, players have to solve a murder case in a town that has been left to fall apart.
- Puzzles and open-world exploration are part of the non-linear gameplay.
- The plot is interesting and there are many secrets to find.
The Bad
- Players need to be patient and pay close attention to details as they look for clues and put together the puzzle.
- Some players might find it hard to figure out what to do without being shown how.
Unheard – Voices of Crime
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor: Intel Core i3-2100 or equivalent | Processor: Intel Core i5-6600 or equivalent |
| Memory: 4 GB RAM | Memory: 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or equivalent | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 or equivalent |
| Storage: 2 GB available space | Storage: 2 GB available space |
Instead of testing your ability to see, like most detective games do, Unheard tests your ability to hear. This story-driven game lets you move from room to room and listen in on conversations at a police station instead of controlling a character.
You’ll use an Acoustic Detective System to listen to a series of conversations and figure out who is talking based on their voices. There will be a list of questions, and to solve the case, you will have to pick out the right person.
The Good
- Players solve crimes by listening to conversations in this audio-based detective game that is both new and different.
- Engaging and immersive games that require you to listen carefully, think critically, and figure out what’s going on.
- Cases that are interesting and have different storylines and endings that depend on what the player chooses.
The Bad
- Players who like action or visuals may not like that there aren’t any traditional game mechanics.
- Needs good hearing and close attention to detail, which can be hard for people with hearing problems.
Grim Fandango
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor: 1 GHz processor | Processor: 1.4 GHz processor |
| Memory: 4 GB RAM | Memory: 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 9.0c | Graphics: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 11 |
| Storage: 6 GB available space | Storage: 6 GB available space |
In the world of Grim Fandango, when you die and start your journey to the Land of the Dead, you are given a travel agent who decides how you get there based on how many good things you did while you were alive.
In this point-and-click detective game, Manny’s journey is both funny and dark. He starts out as a travel agent and then becomes a noir detective when he finds out that his boss has been cheating the system and sending a lot of people on a hard journey to the Land of the Dead.
The Good
- A classic adventure game with a unique setting that was inspired by film noir.
- A good story with interesting characters, funny conversations, and clever puzzles.
- Version that has been remastered and has better graphics, voice acting, and controls.
The Bad
- Mechanics and controls that are too old may not appeal to all modern gamers.
The Occupation
| Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor: Intel Core i5 or equivalent | Processor: Intel Core i7 or equivalent |
| Memory: 6 GB RAM | Memory: 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or equivalent | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent |
| Storage: 9 GB available space | Storage: 9 GB available space |
Some detective games tend toward the fantastic, but The Occupation feels surprisingly real. This thrilling story takes place in real time and is set in England in the 1980s.
When a minute goes by in the real world, a minute goes by in the game. If you want to solve the case before it’s too late, you’ll have to race against the clock and make the most of every second.
The Good
- The game is a unique and immersive investigation thriller set in an Orwellian world, and the stories can go in different directions.
- Real-time gameplay that happens in a set amount of time, which adds tension and a sense of urgency.
- Storytelling that doesn’t go in a straight line, with choices and results that change how the story goes.
The Bad
- Needs players to be able to carefully observe, investigate, and make decisions, which may not be right for all players.
- Some players might find the limited amount of time to play stressful or difficult.
FAQs
Chronicles of Crime is a game where you and your friends work together to investigate crimes in London. You’ll use an app to scan the QR codes on all of the game’s cards, and you can (optionally) use virtual reality glasses to look for clues in different places.
One person leaves the room and becomes the Detective. While It is out, the other players choose who they think is the murderer (or Killer). Request that the Detective come back and stand in the middle. The murderer starts to “kill” people one by one by giving them a wink.