- #1 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 37,546 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 8.0 hrsMean: 22.8 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Investigate murders, search for clues and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you'll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies! There's only one way to survive—pull the trigger.
Why similar: Detective 25.6%, Visual Novel 14.1%, Great Soundtrack 14%, Anime 13.5%, Mystery 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: It is the closest match by far, with the same class-trial structure, murder investigations, dark humor, and trapped-students despair loop.
- #2 Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
96% matchVery Positive83% of 22,748 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 9.0 hrsMean: 30.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
Why similar: Detective 27.1%, Visual Novel 14.2%, Great Soundtrack 13.3%, Anime 12.1%, Mystery 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: This is the nearest mechanical follow-up, delivering more investigations, trials, wild tonal swings, and meta mystery twists.
- #3 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
96% matchVery Positive93% of 7,226 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 21.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Kidnapped and taken to an unfamiliar location, nine people find themselves forced to participate in a diabolical Nonary Game by an enigmatic mastermind called Zero. Why were they there? Why were they chosen to put their lives on the line? And more importantly, who can be trusted?
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.3%, Mystery 15.9%, Great Soundtrack 12%, Anime 11.5%, Story Rich 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: Like Danganronpa 2, it is a tense death-game visual novel built around a trapped cast, shocking reveals, and unraveling the mastermind's plan.
- #4 AI: The Somnium Files
95% matchVery Positive92% of 9,294 reviews2019
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 15.1 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Play as detective Kaname Date on the case of an elusive serial killer in this thrilling, sci-fi murder mystery.
Why similar: Detective 29.5%, Visual Novel 17.7%, Anime 14.9%, Mystery 13.5%, Story Rich 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: It mixes an anime murder mystery, eccentric character banter, investigation sequences, and big emotional twists in a very Danganronpa-friendly way.
- #5 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,226 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 13.4 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority- is a multi-ending horror adventure game. Sara Chidouin returns home from school late one night to discover that something's gone terribly wrong. When she comes to, she finds herself, her friend Joe, and 9 other people trapped in a mysterious place.
Why similar: Mystery 27.9%, Anime 25.3%, Psychological Horror 16.6%, Story Rich 13.2%, Dark 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: It mirrors Danganronpa's appeal with deadly group discussions, mistrust between contestants, and constant mystery-solving under pressure.
- #6 Raging Loop
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 10,315 reviews2017
Dev: KEMCO
Windows
Median: 24.2 hrsMean: 60.1 hrs≥1hr: 83%
The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.8%, Detective 21.6%, Mystery 17.1%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Story Rich 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: This is another paranoia-heavy death game where reading people, surviving repeated killings, and decoding hidden rules are the whole appeal.
- #7 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
93% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 44,036 reviews2019
Dev: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 8.8 hrsMean: 26.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Become Phoenix Wright and experience the thrill of battle as you fight to save your innocent clients in a court of law. Play all 14 episodes, spanning the first three games, in one gorgeous collection.
Why similar: Detective 32.6%, Great Soundtrack 16.5%, Visual Novel 14.9%, Mystery 11.2%, Anime 10.5%
Why You'll Like It: If your favorite part of Danganronpa 2 was tearing apart contradictions during trials, this is the clearest next step.
- #8 Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE Plus
91% matchVery Positive81% of 2,158 reviews2024
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 11.9 hrsMean: 22.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Yuma, an amnesiac detective-in-training, and Shinigami, the spirit haunting him, tackle unsolved mysteries.
Why similar: Detective 40%, Anime 19.5%, Mystery 12.6%, Visual Novel 10.9%, Story Rich 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: From Danganronpa's creator, it delivers over-the-top personalities, surreal deduction sequences, and the same love of stylish mystery escalation.
- #9 The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-
91% matchVery Positive88% of 8,507 reviews2025
Dev: Too Kyo GamesPub: Aniplex Inc.
Windows
Median: 41.8 hrsMean: 64.7 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi join forces for the first time to deliver the ULTIMATE adventure game! 15 students are tasked with defending a school from grotesque monsters for 100 days. Can they make it to the end? And will they survive long enough to uncover the truth?
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.8%, Anime 20.6%, Dark Comedy 19.2%, Story Rich 11.9%, Psychological Horror 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: From Kodaka and Uchikoshi, it scratches the same itch for bizarre students, survival stakes, and twist-heavy story progression.
- #10 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
92% matchVery Positive82% of 4,838 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 11.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Nine participants awaken, trapped in an underground facility. To escape, they must play a game with deadly consequences. Who will live, and who will die? The choice is yours. Let the Decision Game begin…
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.5%, Mystery 16.9%, Great Soundtrack 12.8%, Anime 12.8%, Psychological Horror 11.5%
Why You'll Like It: It leans even darker and more fragmented, but it still offers brutal death-game tension, betrayals, and constant revelations.
- #11 Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
90% matchVery Positive82% of 7,493 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 16.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Komaru Naegi has been imprisoned inside a mysterious apartment for over a year. Her rescue is derailed when hundreds of Monokumas suddenly attack. She teams up with Toko Fukawa to survive the rampaging Monokumas, escape the crafty Monokuma Kids, and uncover the secrets of the city.
Why similar: Anime 27%, Great Soundtrack 19%, Detective 13.4%, Visual Novel 12.4%, Story Rich 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: Even with different gameplay, it preserves the series' black comedy, grotesque worldbuilding, and despair-filled narrative tone.
- #12 BURIED STARS
89% matchVery Positive84% of 2,207 reviews2021
Dev: LINE Games Corporation
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 9.3 hrs≥1hr: 90%
A mystery adventure set at the collapse site of a live survival audition show. Trapped contestants communicate with each other—and the outside world through social media—as they wait for rescue. But as unexpected events unfold, trust begins to crack, and survival becomes far more complicated.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.2%, Mystery 26.1%, Anime 23.6%, Story Rich 14.8%, Adventure 2.8%
Why You'll Like It: Its focus on a trapped cast, interpersonal suspicion, and uncovering lies after a disaster turns into a murder mystery makes it an excellent fit.
- #13 Return to Shironagasu Island
89% matchVery Positive94% of 4,118 reviews2020
Dev: HYOGO ONIMUSHIPub: TABINOMICHI
Windows
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 14.0 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A mystery adventure game and visual novel set on solitary Shironagasu Island. Discover its secrets, solve its mysteries, and escape from the ominous island!
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.5%, Detective 21.5%, Mystery 18.3%, Anime 12.9%, Psychological Horror 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: An isolated-island murder mystery with anime presentation, strong detective elements, and creepy twists makes this an easy recommendation.
- #14 GNOSIA
88% matchVery Positive94% of 4,951 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.6 hrsMean: 15.4 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Gnosia lie. Pretending to be human, they’ll get in close, trick and deceive, and then eliminate one victim at a time...
Why similar: Detective 25.2%, Visual Novel 19.1%, Anime 16.7%, Mystery 14.4%, Story Rich 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: It turns social deduction into a replayable death loop where spotting lies and manipulating group debates feels very Danganronpa-adjacent.
- #15 The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
87% matchVery Positive94% of 9,307 reviews2021
Dev: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 11.4 hrsMean: 34.9 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Immerse yourself in a dramatic yet charming and witty world of evidence-gathering, deduction and courtroom battles with this double-pack of the adventures of rookie lawyer Ryunosuke.
Why similar: Detective 31.4%, Visual Novel 18.7%, Anime 14.9%, Mystery 13.5%, Great Soundtrack 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: It offers stronger mystery writing, memorable case-solving, and dramatic courtroom showdowns for players who loved Danganronpa's trial side.
- #16 Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
86% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 8,295 reviews2023
Dev: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.6 hrsMean: 8.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, the classic puzzle-solving mystery adventure directed by Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi, is back! This long-awaited HD remaster features upgraded visuals and sound and new gallery content.
Why similar: Detective 32.9%, Mystery 17%, Great Soundtrack 12.6%, Visual Novel 9.6%, Story Rich 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: It is lighter and more puzzle-focused, but the inventive mystery structure and constant surprise payoffs hit a similar sweet spot.
- #17 CHAOS;CHILD
86% matchVery Positive93% of 3,973 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 81.1 hrs≥1hr: 82%
From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.5%, Mystery 16.7%, Anime 16.6%, Great Soundtrack 15.8%, Story Rich 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: This dark anime thriller dives into serial murders, psychological instability, and conspiracy-heavy twists that overlap well with Danganronpa's tone.
- #18 PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
85% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,978 reviews2023
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 10.2 hrs≥1hr: 88%
How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead? Discover the depths that some will go to in this horror-adventure game.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.7%, Anime 25.2%, Mystery 20.3%, Story Rich 11.8%, Horror 7.4%
Why You'll Like It: Its unsettling atmosphere, clever mystery construction, and steady parade of reveals make it a great pick for Danganronpa fans who want more suspense.
- #19 Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
84% matchVery Positive88% of 4,341 reviews2024
Dev: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 35.8 hrsMean: 55.5 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Join rookie attorney Apollo Justice and his mentor, the legendary Phoenix Wright, in this collection of 3 games! This title features 16 episodes (including previously DLC-only episodes) and supports English, French, German, Japanese Korean, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
Why similar: Detective 32.4%, Visual Novel 19.8%, Anime 13.5%, Mystery 12.1%, Great Soundtrack 10%
Why You'll Like It: This trilogy keeps the investigation-and-contradiction formula going with bigger twists and a slightly sharper dramatic edge.
- #20 Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 4,611 reviews2024
Dev: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 31.2 hrsMean: 34.7 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Miles Edgeworth's dramatic turnabouts take center stage! Experience both Ace Attorney Investigations games in one gorgeous collection! Investigate crime scenes and solve tough, intriguing cases through logic and deduction. When Edgeworth's past and present collide, his future begins!
Why similar: Detective 32.3%, Visual Novel 17.4%, Mystery 15.6%, Great Soundtrack 12.9%, Story Rich 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: It emphasizes crime-scene deduction and flashy logic battles, which makes it a strong fit if Danganronpa's investigation phase hooked you.
- #21 Fatal Twelve
84% matchVery Positive92% of 1,027 reviews2018
Dev: LYCORISPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.2 hrsMean: 10.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Shishimai Rinka was a high schooler who ran a small café named Lion House in place of her grandmother. She lived her life much like any other person her age, but one day, she was caught up in an explosion while returning home on the train alongside her friend, Hitsuji Naomi.
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.2%, Anime 19.5%, Mystery 15.7%, Great Soundtrack 14%, Story Rich 11.8%
Why You'll Like It: This supernatural survival story centers on contestants investigating each other's secrets to stay alive, echoing Danganronpa's lethal social mystery.
- #22 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
83% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,754 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 14.4 hrsMean: 44.8 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Umineko When They Cry is the 2nd series of Sound Novel released by 07th Expansion. The steam version features renewed character sprites which is swappable from the classic art.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 26.6%, Visual Novel 17.4%, Mystery 15.2%, Detective 13.9%, Anime 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: This is a massive murder-mystery visual novel that constantly challenges you to argue through impossible crimes and unreliable truths.
- #23 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 6,552 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 21.5 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.7%, Anime 20.4%, Mystery 19.7%, Great Soundtrack 11.6%, Story Rich 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: It captures the same feeling of friendship collapsing into paranoia, suspicion, and horrifying violence beneath a bright anime surface.
- #24 The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass
81% matchVery Positive87% of 290 reviews2021
Dev: Trinitite Team
Windows · Mac · Linux
An intricate mystery visual novel. Search text, piece together clues, and jump around the story to unravel the tangled events within the sealed tower.
Why similar: Detective 34.8%, Visual Novel 18.1%, Mystery 16.9%, Anime 15%, Story Rich 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: It is ideal if you loved building theories, untangling impossible events, and slowly understanding an intricate closed-circle mystery.
- #25 The Shell Part I: Inferno
79% matchVery Positive91% of 1,407 reviews2023
Dev: Innocent GreyPub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 11.4 hrsMean: 115.0 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Unravel a string of gruesome murders terrorizing Tokyo in this mystery-thriller visual novel. The secrets of a case from six years prior may just be the key to the current unending cycle of tragedy—and the thing that cracks this woeful world’s shell may be one girl’s smile.
Why similar: Detective 34.7%, Visual Novel 19.7%, Mystery 15.5%, Psychological Horror 9.3%, Anime 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: It is a grim detective visual novel with disturbing murders and a heavy emphasis on uncovering an unsettling larger truth.
- #26 Tokyo Dark
81% matchVery Positive84% of 1,343 reviews2017
Dev: CherrymochiPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Legend tells of a door deep below Tokyo's sewers. All who enter are lost forever. Detective Ito's partner is missing. Explore Tokyo & uncover the darkness that lays beneath the streets in this Point & Click - meets Visual Novel - narrative adventure that questions the very core of Ito's sanity.
Why similar: Detective 30.1%, Anime 17.5%, Visual Novel 16.4%, Mystery 11%, Psychological Horror 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: Its mix of detective work, psychological horror, and choice-driven anime storytelling makes it a solid fit for the darker side of Danganronpa 2.
- #27 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
80% matchVery Positive91% of 603 reviews2016
Dev: YetiPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 14.2 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Rescue squad captain Watase Kasasagi wakes up without his memories in the middle of his most critical mission yet-- a nuclear meltdown at a research facility. In an unfamiliar place and without his years of training, he must rescue the survivors and escape...
Why similar: Visual Novel 35.9%, Anime 22.3%, Mystery 15.6%, Story Rich 11.5%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: Its trapped cast, lethal situation, and layered reveals about motives and hidden connections will appeal to Danganronpa mystery fans.
- #28 SHINRAI - Broken Beyond Despair
79% matchVery Positive91% of 128 reviews2016
Dev: Gosatsu Visual Novels
Windows · Mac · Linux
A secluded mountain resort, 10 friends, 1 murderer. Investigate, interrogate and present evidence as you solve various mysteries throughout the night. Will you be able to reach the truth and uncover the culprit’s identity? Or will your deductions lead you to blame someone completely innocent...?
Why similar: Detective 39%, Visual Novel 20.5%, Mystery 16.8%, Anime 8.8%, Story Rich 5.9%
Why You'll Like It: This compact murder-mystery VN delivers investigation, social tension, and branching suspicion in a way that feels nicely Danganronpa-like on a smaller scale.
- #29 STEINS;GATE 0
77% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 8,213 reviews2018
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 126.8 hrs≥1hr: 88%
If you can't save the one you love… How can you save humanity? Sequel to the visual novel cult classic. Experience an alternate worldline of STEINS;GATE.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.2%, Great Soundtrack 24%, Anime 21.5%, Story Rich 14.1%, Mystery 3.7%
- #30 Death Come True
78% matchMostly Positive77% of 955 reviews2020
Dev: IzanagiGames
Windows
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 3.0 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Everything rides on your choices in this new wave interactive movie game. Experience a thrilling science fiction mystery in full-length live-action format—from genius creator of the "Danganronpa" series, Kazutaka Kodaka!
Why similar: Visual Novel 40.1%, Mystery 33.9%, Story Rich 13.3%, Horror 6.6%, Adventure 5.2%
Why You'll Like It: Written by Kazutaka Kodaka, it offers a frantic death-loop mystery with the same taste for shocking turns and stylish presentation.
- #31 Doki Doki Literature Club!
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 223,416 reviews2017
Dev: Team Salvato
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 38.5 hrs≥1hr: 74%
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.5%, Anime 21.5%, Psychological Horror 16.1%, Great Soundtrack 14.2%, Story Rich 6.8%
- #32 Yet Another Killing Game
74% matchVery Positive97% of 237 reviews2025
Dev: Soulseer Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
You wake up in a house, alone with two beautiful girls... But no one is allowed to leave until one of you DIES. Why is this happening? What is the purpose of this “killing game”? But most importantly...WHO SHOULD DIE?!
Why similar: Visual Novel 23%, Anime 22.8%, Mystery 20.4%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Story Rich 11.6%
- #33 Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp
78% matchMixed62% of 767 reviews2022
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 9.7 hrs≥1hr: 85%
With an all-star dream lineup of characters from each Danganronpa game, gather Hope Fragments at a tropical resort. Explore Jabberwock Island and develop your Dangan characters. Gather money through battle and upgrade your equipment, then defeat bosses and move on to the next island!
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.7%, Anime 30.9%, Mystery 16%, Adventure 9.2%, Funny 6%
- #34 STEINS;GATE
75% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 26,241 reviews2016
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 67.1 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, STEINS;GATE was awarded Famitsu magazine's coveted annual Game of Excellence award and was voted one of the most emotionally charged “tear-inducing games” ever made, in a Famitsu poll. It is a gripping and moving Visual Novel, which has already spawned manga and anime adaptations.
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.7%, Great Soundtrack 21.2%, Anime 20.8%, Story Rich 12.2%, Mystery 6.6%
- #35 Corpse Party
77% matchVery Positive89% of 1,384 reviews2016
Dev: GrisGrisPub: XSEED Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 17.2 hrs≥1hr: 81%
A group of friends unknowingly perform an occult ritual that traps them in an otherworldly elementary school. Here, the vengeful spirits of young children threaten their lives and their sanity, and the only hope of survival is to uncover the chilling details behind the murders of those trapped before them...
Why similar: Anime 28.8%, Visual Novel 19.9%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Horror 12.1%, Great Soundtrack 11%
- #36 Kumitantei: Old-School Slaughter
73% matchVery Positive91% of 314 reviews2026
Dev: Mango FactoryPub: Akupara Games
Windows
Kill each other...for science! The class of '89 is trapped in an elite school killing game. Investigate, solve, and expose your classmates in Kumitantei™: Old-School Slaughter, an episodic murder-mystery ADV card-battler inspired by retro anime.
Why similar: Detective 31%, Visual Novel 16.2%, Anime 16%, Mystery 13.7%, Psychological Horror 7.2%
- #37 Persona 4 Golden
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 85,870 reviews2020
Dev: ATLUSPub: SEGA
Windows
Median: 13.1 hrsMean: 45.2 hrs≥1hr: 90%
A coming of age story that sets the protagonist and his friends on a journey kickstarted by a chain of serial murders.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 30.2%, Anime 18.5%, Detective 18.3%, Mystery 12%, Story Rich 10.7%
- #38 12 Hours to Die
76% matchMostly Positive73% of 226 reviews2020
Dev: Wesley ReitsmaPub: Westeford
Windows · Mac · Linux
A mystery visual novel about six students forced to play a 12-hour long killing game.
Why similar: Detective 37.1%, Visual Novel 23.6%, Mystery 15.4%, Anime 12.3%, Dark 3.6%
- #39 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi
75% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,894 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 16.9 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 25%, Anime 17.2%, Mystery 15.3%, Great Soundtrack 12.4%, Psychological Horror 10.1%
- #40 Umineko When They Cry - Answer Arcs
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 1,518 reviews2017
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 18.8 hrsMean: 53.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
This is the 2nd half of the Umineko When They Cry sound novel series, featuring episodes 5 through 8. This steam version features multi-language options, swap-able renewed character sprites, as well as the original BGMs and un-cut content.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 27.8%, Visual Novel 18.1%, Mystery 15.4%, Detective 13.3%, Anime 8.8%
- #41 428: Shibuya Scramble
73% matchVery Positive95% of 3,846 reviews2018
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 83%
A kidnapping on the streets of Shibuya brings together a hot-blooded detective, hard-hitting journalist, former gang leader, the head researcher of a big pharma manufacturer and a part-timer stuck in cat costume for a series of events each more unexpected and outrageous than the last.
Why similar: Visual Novel 33.5%, Mystery 20.4%, Detective 17.7%, Great Soundtrack 13.5%, Story Rich 10.5%
- #42 CHAOS;HEAD NOAH
72% matchVery Positive88% of 1,885 reviews2022
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 53.3 hrs≥1hr: 83%
CHAOS;HEAD NOAH is now available on Steam!
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.7%, Anime 18.5%, Mystery 17%, Story Rich 10.9%, Psychological Horror 9.6%
- #43 AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative
71% matchVery Positive86% of 3,714 reviews2022
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 16.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Special Agents Mizuki and Ryuki, along with their AI partners Aiba and Tama, are tasked to solve the bizarre Half Body serial killings in this sequel to the critically acclaimed AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES.
Why similar: Detective 37.4%, Visual Novel 21%, Anime 19.2%, Mystery 18.4%, Adventure 2.4%
- #44 Angels of Death
72% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 5,333 reviews2016
Dev: Vaka Game Magazine
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 53.5 hrs≥1hr: 83%
"Please... kill me." "Help me get outta here, and I'll kill you." ~ Angels of Death is a psychological horror-adventure game, consisting of four episodes.
Why similar: Anime 25.7%, Psychological Horror 16.5%, Story Rich 14.7%, Great Soundtrack 11.9%, Horror 8.6%
- #45 STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 1,872 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 12.9 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Fall in love with the lab members all over again in this sweet and slapstick romantic comedy!
Why similar: Visual Novel 48.4%, Anime 27.6%, Dating Sim 5.9%, Funny 4.7%, Adventure 4.6%
- #46 The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 25,022 reviews2023
Dev: SEGA
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.9 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 66%
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Why similar: Detective 32.3%, Visual Novel 21.8%, Mystery 16.2%, Great Soundtrack 10.5%, Psychological Horror 5.9%
- #47 The Murder Hotel
69% matchVery Positive95% of 66 reviews2025
Dev: Wegenbartho Games
Windows
Interrogate suspects, search for clues, & uncover a dastardly plot, as you solve a string of mystifying murders to help reluctant detective Ilmarinen escape the foreboding Fafnir Hotel.
Why similar: Detective 33.1%, Visual Novel 18.1%, Mystery 15.5%, Anime 14.8%, Story Rich 8.4%
- #48 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 31,431 reviews2021
Dev: Team SalvatoPub: Serenity Forge
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 82.9 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Welcome to the club! Write poems for your crush and experience the terror of school romance in this critically-acclaimed psychological horror story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.7%, Anime 26.4%, Psychological Horror 21.3%, Story Rich 9.5%, Dating Sim 8.4%
- #49 KOEWOTAYORINI SP / 声之寄托SP
71% matchVery Positive95% of 240 reviews2018
Dev: あみそ組Pub: Pujia8 Studio
Windows
Median: 48 minMean: 36.2 hrs≥1hr: 48%
Escape by means of "Voice"! The second installment of the new feeling puzzle and escape game! You are being held in a room that you haven't been to before. The only thing you can do is using telephone to ask for hint from a cooperator.
Why similar: Anime 19.3%, Visual Novel 17.4%, Dark Comedy 12.6%, Mystery 11.2%, Story Rich 7.6%
- #50 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,326 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 21.8 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.2%, Great Soundtrack 17.7%, Anime 17.2%, Mystery 15.1%, Story Rich 8.4%
- #51 Birth ME Code
70% matchVery Positive84% of 100 reviews2020
Dev: Miracle Moon
Windows
The second entry of the Abime Series. Play as the mastermind in a death game where you must find the traitor while concealing your identity. Six hours, one school, six deaths. Nine participants fight for survival: it's kill or be killed, trust or deceive, escape or die.
Why similar: Detective 23.9%, Visual Novel 15.8%, Mystery 15.1%, Anime 14.4%, Psychological Horror 8.7%
- #52 Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating Sim™
67% matchVery Positive90% of 6,723 reviews2022
Dev: PsyopPub: Behaviour Interactive Inc.
Windows
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 65%
Welcome to Murderer’s Island. Your companions: four dead-sexy Killers who, underneath their murderous exteriors, just want a little romance. Flirt your way into their hearts, uncovering dark twists along the way. Will you find true love, forge friendships… or get hacked to death?
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.8%, Psychological Horror 20%, Anime 17.8%, Dating Sim 10.8%, Memes 5.5%
- #53 Sunlight Scream
69% matchVery Positive84% of 81 reviews2023
Dev: Faithy Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
The hero moves to a new city. However, along with him comes a masked killer who begins to kill his friends one by one... Make decisions to build your adventure. Can you stop him before it's too late?
Why similar: Detective 29.3%, Visual Novel 15.5%, Anime 14.1%, Mystery 12.3%, Story Rich 7.6%
- #54 The Coma: Recut
70% matchVery Positive84% of 3,040 reviews2017
Dev: Dvora Studio Co., Ltd.Pub: Headup
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 9.0 hrs≥1hr: 86%
You are Youngho, a Korean high school student trapped and relentlessly pursued by a psychotic killer in the hellish corridors of Sehwa High. Run, hide, explore, and survive while piecing together the mystery The Coma in this remastered version of the Korean cult classic.
Why similar: Anime 25.7%, Visual Novel 19%, Mystery 12.5%, Great Soundtrack 11.8%, Psychological Horror 9.1%
- #55 The Silver Case
69% matchVery Positive89% of 1,150 reviews2016
Dev: GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 8.5 hrs≥1hr: 85%
The Silver Case – the debut title from world-renowned developer SUDA51 has been fully remastered and localized to English for the first time ever!
Why similar: Detective 28.2%, Visual Novel 15.2%, Mystery 13.9%, Anime 12.2%, Story Rich 7.6%
- #56 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.5 Meakashi
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,107 reviews2017
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.9 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 21.8%, Visual Novel 18.8%, Anime 16.7%, Mystery 13.6%, Psychological Horror 9.6%
- #57 CLANNAD
67% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,742 reviews2015
Dev: VisualArts/KeyPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 7.2 hrsMean: 105.9 hrs≥1hr: 83%
From the world renowned visual novel studio Key, the highly rated story of CLANNAD is now available on Steam! Improved visuals, achievement integration, and Dangopedia make this the best version of CLANNAD to date.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.8%, Anime 24.4%, Great Soundtrack 23%, Story Rich 11.5%, Dating Sim 3.6%
- #58 Reaplaced
66% matchVery Positive91% of 56 reviews2023
Dev: Mystery Gamedev
Windows · Mac · Linux
A supernatural Halloween whodunnit. Solve a chilling locked-room mystery before the grim reaper reveals the answer!
Why similar: Detective 31.6%, Anime 14.1%, Visual Novel 13.1%, Mystery 12.7%, Psychological Horror 8.9%
- #59 The House in Fata Morgana
67% matchVery Positive95% of 6,401 reviews2016
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.2 hrsMean: 26.8 hrs≥1hr: 83%
A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. "The House in Fata Morgana" is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity.
Why similar: Great Soundtrack 19.9%, Visual Novel 19.3%, Mystery 14.4%, Anime 13.6%, Story Rich 9.4%
- #60 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
67% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 932 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 20.7 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.4%, Great Soundtrack 18.8%, Anime 16.5%, Mystery 14.5%, Psychological Horror 9%
