- #1 GNOSIA
97% matchVery Positive94% of 5,092 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 15.3 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 28%, Visual Novel 21.3%, Mystery 16.8%, Anime 9.1%, Simulation 9%
Why You'll Like It: Features a core social deduction mechanic where you must identify hidden imposters among a group, mirroring the survival-deduction gameplay of the seed.
- #2 Raging Loop
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 10,913 reviews2017
Dev: KEMCO
Windows
Median: 24.0 hrsMean: 60.1 hrs≥1hr: 84%
The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.7%, Detective 23.5%, Mystery 20.3%, Adventure 6.7%, Story Rich 4.6%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping folk-horror visual novel that utilizes a time-loop mechanic to solve a deadly mystery in an isolated village.
- #3 AI: The Somnium Files
96% matchVery Positive92% of 9,378 reviews2019
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 15.2 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 36%, Visual Novel 21.8%, Mystery 17.3%, Anime 9%, Story Rich 4.6%
Why You'll Like It: A high-stakes detective thriller that combines complex investigation with surreal psychological puzzles.
- #4 PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 7,183 reviews2023
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.8 hrsMean: 10.2 hrs≥1hr: 87%
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 28.1%, Mystery 20.2%, Simulation 15.6%, Anime 11.7%, Horror 9.4%
Why You'll Like It: An occult-themed mystery adventure that excels at blending supernatural horror with investigative deduction.
- #5 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
94% matchVery Positive93% of 7,340 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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 28.9%, Mystery 21.5%, Detective 13.2%, Puzzle 8.7%, Anime 7.2%
Why You'll Like It: A definitive death-game mystery that forces players to solve intricate puzzles while uncovering the truth behind their confinement.
- #6 Staffer Case: A Supernatural Mystery Adventure
93% matchVery Positive94% of 4,260 reviews2023
Dev: Team Tetrapod
Windows · Mac
Median: 7.5 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Staffer Case is a new sort of mystery game, asking players to find clues, arrange them into documents, and point out the contradictions between them to solve a series of murders. Each mystery unraveled leads you closer to the truth lying at the heart of each case!
Why similar: Detective 37.7%, Visual Novel 14.4%, Mystery 14.3%, Thriller 10.8%, Anime 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: Focuses on gathering evidence and connecting clues to solve supernatural crimes in a gritty, atmospheric setting.
- #7 Tokyo Dark
94% matchVery Positive84% of 1,344 reviews2017
Dev: CherrymochiPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 5.6 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 36.7%, Visual Novel 19.9%, Mystery 14.1%, Anime 10.5%, Horror 6.9%
Why You'll Like It: A detective-led horror adventure where every choice impacts the protagonist's sanity and the outcome of the occult investigation.
- #8 Urban Myth Dissolution Center
92% matchVery Positive88% of 6,230 reviews2025
Dev: HakababunkoPub: SHUEISHA GAMES
Windows
Median: 7.0 hrsMean: 9.7 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Join forces with the psychic Director of the Urban Myth Dissolution Center and solve a variety of cases involving cursed relics, rental properties with shady histories, and dimensional anomalies. Monstrous oddities and otherworldly planes abound in this occult mystery adventure game!
Why similar: Detective 28.1%, Visual Novel 25.5%, Mystery 19.6%, Adventure 6.8%, Horror 5.9%
Why You'll Like It: An investigative game centered on solving occult-related mysteries and urban legends through careful observation.
- #9 Return to Shironagasu Island
91% matchVery Positive94% of 4,204 reviews2020
Dev: ONIMUSHI HyogoPub: TABINOMICHI
Windows · Mac
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 24.2%, Detective 21.3%, Mystery 19%, Adventure 10.1%, Thriller 7.4%
Why You'll Like It: A classic-style adventure game that traps the protagonist on an isolated island filled with dark secrets and horror.
- #10 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 38,237 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.9 hrsMean: 22.9 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 35.7%, Visual Novel 19.6%, Mystery 16.6%, Anime 9.2%, Great Soundtrack 5.4%
Why You'll Like It: A classic death-game mystery that requires players to gather evidence and engage in fast-paced debates to identify the culprit.
- #11 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
90% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,394 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.9 hrsMean: 13.6 hrs≥1hr: 81%
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 38.9%, Anime 16.5%, Dark 13.1%, Adventure 11.2%, Survival 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A tense death-game visual novel that relies heavily on group deduction and voting mechanics to survive.
- #12 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
89% matchVery Positive91% of 615 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 41.3%, Mystery 18.9%, Anime 12.6%, Thriller 7.4%, Adventure 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A complex survival mystery that uses a unique 'Senses Sympathy System' to influence narrative outcomes.
- #13 Spirit Hunter: Death Mark
89% matchVery Positive83% of 524 reviews2019
Dev: EXPERIENCEPub: Aksys Games
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 13.2 hrs≥1hr: 71%
A strange rumor is spreading through the shadows of Tokyo's H City: a mysterious disfigurement has been appearing on the bodies of certain individuals. Anyone who receives the Mark will rapidly die of unknown, horrifying causes. The countdown to death has already begun...
Why similar: Visual Novel 38.5%, Detective 22.4%, Horror 15.5%, Adventure 15.1%, Anime 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, atmospheric horror game where you must investigate urban legends to break a lethal curse.
- #14 Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
88% matchVery Positive83% of 23,146 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 37%, Visual Novel 19.3%, Mystery 14.7%, Anime 8.1%, Great Soundtrack 5.1%
Why You'll Like It: Continues the high-stakes deduction and mystery-solving gameplay of the series with a focus on uncovering hidden truths.
- #15 The House in Fata Morgana
87% matchVery Positive95% of 6,643 reviews2016
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 27.2 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: Visual Novel 27.2%, Mystery 21.1%, Anime 9.3%, Great Soundtrack 7.8%, Horror 7.6%
Why You'll Like It: A gothic mystery visual novel that excels at building suspense and uncovering dark, hidden truths over centuries.
- #16 The Murder Hotel
86% matchVery Positive93% of 73 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 34.1%, Visual Novel 18.6%, Mystery 16.7%, Thriller 9.3%, Anime 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery-focused visual novel that emphasizes detective work and character interaction in a confined setting.
- #17 SIMULACRA
86% matchVery Positive90% of 4,678 reviews2017
Dev: Kaigan Games OÜ
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 7.6 hrs≥1hr: 71%
An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.
Why similar: Detective 31.4%, Visual Novel 15.1%, Thriller 12.6%, Mystery 10.5%, Simulation 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: An immersive detective game that uses a simulated phone interface to uncover the truth behind a missing person.
- #18 428: Shibuya Scramble
85% matchVery Positive95% of 3,939 reviews2018
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 12.2 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 37.7%, Mystery 24.3%, Detective 19.7%, Adventure 8.8%, Story Rich 5.5%
Why You'll Like It: A masterful mystery game that uses a multi-perspective narrative to piece together a complex conspiracy.
- #19 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
84% matchVery Positive82% of 4,888 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 28.2%, Mystery 22.6%, Puzzle 10.2%, Anime 7.9%, Thriller 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: Features intense puzzle-solving and moral choices within a high-stakes, life-or-death environment.
- #20 Kara no Shojo
84% matchVery Positive92% of 455 reviews2018
Dev: Innocent GreyPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.1 hrsMean: 154.7 hrs≥1hr: 62%
Play as a detective tasked with catching a serial killer in this visual novel set in post-war Japan. Investigate key locations, question many complex characters, piece together clues, and try to stop the culprit before they end yet another young girl's smile.
Why similar: Detective 31.7%, Visual Novel 16.4%, Mystery 14.6%, Thriller 11.8%, Anime 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: A dark detective visual novel that focuses on forensic investigation and uncovering the truth behind gruesome crimes.
- #21 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
83% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,837 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 14.4 hrsMean: 45.5 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: Visual Novel 25.2%, Mystery 22.9%, Detective 20.2%, Great Soundtrack 10.6%, Anime 6%
Why You'll Like It: A deep, complex mystery that challenges the player to distinguish between human motives and supernatural occurrences.
- #22 Ib
81% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 5,289 reviews2022
Dev: kouriPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 16.1 hrs≥1hr: 83%
A 2D exploration adventure game set in a creepy, mysterious art gallery.
Why similar: Horror 17.5%, Anime 15.9%, Puzzle 13.7%, Surreal 12.4%, Story Rich 11.8%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror game that relies on exploration and puzzle-solving to escape a surreal, dangerous environment.
- #23 Spirit Hunter: NG
82% matchVery Positive90% of 290 reviews2019
Dev: EXPERIENCEPub: Aksys Games
Windows
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 20.7 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Beware the Creeping Horror... Face nightmares you thought were merely urban legends. Uncover a dark mystery, making deadly decisions just to survive. Play this chilling companion story to the award-winning Spirit Hunter: Death Mark game and bring the terror home.
Why similar: Visual Novel 50.6%, Adventure 23.2%, Horror 18.4%, Anime 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: Follows a similar structure to occult detective games where you must investigate dangerous spirits to survive.
- #24 NineHells
82% matchMixed43% of 423 reviews2024
Dev: caffeineline
Windows
NineHells is a psychological horror first person single player, with an unraveling mystery, enriched with voice acting, and has virtual haunted attraction feeling. You play as Davie a man trying to remember his past while traveling though Hell. Play and find out what in the Ninehells is going on!
Why similar: Adventure 20.5%, Horror 18.3%, Indie 15.3%, Dark 13.8%, Exploration 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror adventure that focuses on uncovering dark secrets through exploration and environmental storytelling.
- #25 Tangle Tower
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 6,631 reviews2019
Dev: SFB Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 6.7 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Unravel a thrilling mystery by exploring a strange and twisted mansion, discovering curious clues, interrogating peculiar suspects and solving unique puzzles. Will you be able to uncover the secrets of Tangle Tower?
Why similar: Detective 45.5%, Visual Novel 16.2%, Mystery 13.8%, Puzzle 6%, Story Rich 4%
Why You'll Like It: A charming yet mysterious detective game that requires linking clues and interrogating suspects to solve a murder.
- #26 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
80% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,734 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 37.8%, Mystery 26.5%, Anime 12.7%, Story Rich 5.7%, Dark 5.4%
Why You'll Like It: A quintessential occult mystery set in a rural town where paranoia and hidden secrets drive the narrative.
- #27 Staffer Retro : A Supernatural Mystery Quest
77% matchVery Positive90% of 1,084 reviews2026
Dev: Team Tetrapod
Windows · Mac
Staffer Retro is a mystery adventure game where you uncover past incidents related to ‘Mana’, the source of supernatural powers. Gather information through dialogue and exploration, and piece together clues found in documents to guide the choices of Verita Retro, the protagonist.
Why similar: Detective 31.1%, Visual Novel 14.2%, Thriller 14.1%, Mystery 13.9%, Simulation 6.7%
- #28 The Silver Case
81% matchVery Positive89% of 1,192 reviews2016
Dev: GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 8.5 hrs≥1hr: 84%
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 31.7%, Visual Novel 17%, Mystery 16.4%, Anime 6.7%, Adventure 5.7%
Why You'll Like It: A stylized detective game that focuses on uncovering the truth behind a series of bizarre, occult-adjacent murders.
- #29 Detective Grimoire
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 2,547 reviews2014
Dev: SFB Games
Windows
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 4.4 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Detective Grimoire has been called to investigate a murder. The owner of a small tourist attraction, seemingly killed by the mythical creature his attraction is based around... Explore the area, inspect the crime scene, grill suspects, solve puzzles, hunt for clues & uncover the secret of the swamp!
Why similar: Detective 42.4%, Visual Novel 21%, Mystery 14.6%, Puzzle 7.4%, Story Rich 4.6%
Why You'll Like It: A focused detective game that tasks players with exploring a mysterious location and interviewing suspects to solve a crime.
- #30 Novena Diabolos
78% matchVery Positive96% of 57 reviews2021
Dev: H5DEV GamesPub: Giiku Games
Windows · Mac
One reporter, trying to survive nine days in an isolated village. Four demonesses who are out for blood. Several supernatural murders... Welcome to Hope Hill!
Why similar: Detective 25.9%, Visual Novel 19%, Mystery 10.8%, Thriller 9.2%, Anime 8.8%
- #31 Sunlight Scream
78% 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 29.4%, Visual Novel 15.5%, Mystery 12.9%, Thriller 7.7%, Dating Sim 7.4%
- #32 The Occult Detective
77% matchMostly Positive71% of 332 reviews2025
Dev: Battlecry Studio
Windows
A narrative detective game blended with supernatural elements. Play as a rookie investigator, discover vital clues in every case, dive into unscripted interrogations and uncover truths that break minds. But with each revelation, the world feels... less human.
Why similar: Detective 34.9%, Visual Novel 20.3%, Mystery 13.4%, Anime 8.9%, Puzzle 6.7%
- #33 Lucid9: Inciting Incident
76% matchVery Positive90% of 1,041 reviews2016
Dev: Fallen Snow Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Lucid9 is a visual novel focused on a web of intricate mysteries set in the fictional 2018 metropolis of Isamu. Lucid9: Inciting Incident is the first part of the story, focused on a string of disappearances that occur at a prestigious, uppity boarding academy.
Why similar: Visual Novel 33.3%, Mystery 21.1%, Anime 12.7%, Simulation 11.4%, Detective 6.6%
- #34 Five Stages of Pink
75% matchVery Positive98% of 94 reviews2022
Dev: Kaffein
Windows · Mac · Linux
Psychological horror and mystery game about a boy who desperately wants a Normal life in the most abnormal city in the world. Help Timor understand his cruel life in this supernatural city and investigate murders while trying to escape Death. This is a visual novel and point and click game.
Why similar: Detective 36%, Visual Novel 19.7%, Mystery 17.7%, Anime 7%, Horror 5.9%
- #35 Subway Exorcist Girl
74% matchVery Positive83% of 324 reviews2025
Dev: 纤指游戏Pub: Delicate Fingers
Windows
A subway train plagued by strange occurrences. A part-time exorcist girl arrives to confront the supernatural chaos, with the unknown ahead.
Why similar: Detective 30.5%, Visual Novel 17.2%, Mystery 14.7%, Thriller 9.1%, Horror 7.2%
- #36 Folie Fatale
73% matchVery Positive86% of 2,679 reviews2024
Dev: Kanmidoko (神海処)Pub: 346lab Localization
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 84%
All capture targets are mentally "Jirai"(landmine)!? Meet these eccentric boys, reveal the truth beneath in this Psycho-love-horror VN!
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.6%, Thriller 19.9%, Mystery 16.5%, Dating Sim 12%, Simulation 9%
- #37 Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo
73% matchMostly Positive80% of 139 reviews2025
Dev: DankHeartsPub: WhisperGames
Windows
Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo is a multi-ending mystery adventure game. A group of boys and girls who have lost their memories gather in a “Tokyo” that is both familiar and unfamiliar. They must trace their lost memories to escape the bizarre labyrinths. Are they prepared to confront their “true selves”?
Why similar: Detective 37%, Visual Novel 21.9%, Mystery 12.5%, Anime 9.8%, Adventure 8%
- #38 The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass
74% matchVery Positive87% of 295 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 36.5%, Visual Novel 19.1%, Mystery 18.7%, Anime 7.7%, Story Rich 4.5%
- #39 The NOexistenceN of you AND me
70% matchVery Positive93% of 21,931 reviews2024
Dev: 0x0Real StudioPub: Nino Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 18.2 hrs≥1hr: 70%
Use "game" as a medium to showcase the world of "you/girl". Explore the truth of "you/girl/world" through the form of a "visual novel".
Why similar: Visual Novel 49.2%, Anime 16%, Dating Sim 10.6%, Story Rich 8%, Surreal 6.7%
- #40 Abnormal1999:Sector 49
72% matchVery Positive96% of 140 reviews2024
Dev: QZQ Studio
Windows
Abnormal1999: Sector 49 is a challenging mystery puzzle game. You play as Sam, searching for your daughter in the abandoned Sector 49. Collect 10 consciousnesses to open the portal and escape.
Why similar: Adventure 27.8%, Mystery 26.5%, Puzzle 19.3%, Horror 12%, Exploration 7.5%
- #41 Charon's Staircase
75% matchMixed61% of 77 reviews2022
Dev: Indigo Studios - Interactive StoriesPub: SOEDESCO
Windows
In this first-person horror mystery game, you set out to bury the horrible past of a tyrannical government. Retrieve and destroy the documents that unravel the secrets that lie beneath Oack Grove. Will you discover the terrifying truth and find your way out?
Why similar: Detective 43%, Mystery 15.2%, Adventure 7.8%, Puzzle 7.3%, Dark 5.8%
- #42 Other Side Of Mist And Mountain
73% matchMostly Positive72% of 93 reviews2024
Dev: Universe Studio
Windows
In 2005, a sophomore student named Maha Igarashi boarded a private train to Soukyo City. However, she vanished upon alighting at the "Kisaragi" station. Five years later, her lover, Shizuno Yokoyama, initiated an investigation into her disappearance, unraveling a series of mysteries along the way.
Why similar: Detective 20.9%, Visual Novel 14.1%, Mystery 13%, Thriller 11.5%, Simulation 10.6%
- #43 Red Line
72% matchVery Positive97% of 185 reviews2023
Dev: Rolling Cat StudioPub: indienova
Windows · Mac
Moving into a shabby apartment, a saturnine girl with hidden secrets finds a notebook that allows her to communicate with another world. A thrilling adventure taking place across multiple timelines ensues.
Why similar: Detective 26.1%, Thriller 21.4%, Mystery 20.7%, Puzzle 8.1%, Visual Novel 7.5%
- #44 Train of Afterlife
76% matchMixed51% of 183 reviews2015
Dev: Zeiva Inc
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 97%
Train of Afterlife is a mystery, psychological, horror Visual Novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 36.7%, Simulation 15.9%, Mystery 10.1%, Adventure 9.9%, Anime 9.8%
- #45 Cat in the Box
71% matchVery Positive94% of 1,562 reviews2020
Dev: Gustav
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Cat in the Box is a horror adventure game. Help the poor girl explore the mansion and escape from unknown entities that are pursuing her. Use a variety of tools and your wits to overcome any challenges you face. At times, you'll even have to wake yourself from nightmares to survive.
Why similar: Mystery 27.3%, Horror 21.3%, Thriller 13%, Adventure 12.8%, Indie 6%
- #46 Reaplaced
71% 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 37.6%, Mystery 15.8%, Visual Novel 15.6%, Anime 8.2%, Horror 7.2%
- #47 Anomalies Detective
71% matchMostly Positive75% of 75 reviews2024
Dev: ChenGame
Windows
A psychological horror game with a chapter-based plot, thriller and unusual elements! You are a novice paranormal detective, exploring secrets and finding ways to escape in an infinite loop of scenes. Many unusual things happen during this process, as if some strange force wants to devour you...
Why similar: Horror 33.5%, Adventure 26.1%, Exploration 18.9%, Indie 17.7%, Singleplayer 3.8%
- #48 Unusual Tales: Deep Below
68% matchVery Positive96% of 83 reviews2026
Dev: Jall
Windows
You, a normal working Joe, decide to try to solve the mystery of the missing girl... Will you make it out alive? A horror game filled with mystery!
Why similar: Horror 31%, Adventure 29.5%, Mystery 24.6%, Indie 6.5%, Atmospheric 5.1%
- #49 Nightmare Zapping
69% matchVery Positive99% of 76 reviews2023
Dev: Maldo19
Windows
A horror channel browsing game where each channel holds a different nightmare to experience, explore them and find out the truth about what has happened in a small town where the inhabitants have disappeared.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.4%, Mystery 19.4%, Anime 11.2%, Horror 10.8%, Dark 7.3%
- #50 [Chilla's Art] Missing Children | 行方不明
70% matchVery Positive84% of 654 reviews2020
Dev: Chilla's Art
Windows
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 1.4 hrs≥1hr: 68%
Missing Children | 行方不明 is a Japanese horror-themed adventure game about a bully detective searching for reported missing children.
Why similar: Simulation 30.5%, Adventure 15.8%, Horror 14.7%, Indie 12.3%, Mystery 11.2%
- #51 [Chilla's Art] Night Security | 夜間警備
68% matchVery Positive89% of 991 reviews2023
Dev: Chilla's Art
Windows
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 1.7 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Night Security | 夜間警備 is a Japanese psychological horror game about night security.
Why similar: Detective 35.2%, Mystery 27.7%, Horror 14.1%, Adventure 10.9%, Dark 6.8%
- #52 Notch - The Innocent LunA: Eclipsed SinnerS
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 3,299 reviews2015
Dev: Angels Blue Digital EntertainmentPub: DigitalEZ
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 163.0 hrs≥1hr: 92%
This is an isolated town, a town of memories that have been forgotten by its people. However, this small town has not been quiet and peaceful since the murders began... Time passes by, where are the sinful spirits going? Are my memories reality, or just a dream?
Why similar: Thriller 18.9%, Mystery 17.4%, Visual Novel 16.8%, Anime 8.2%, Horror 7.2%
- #53 Hazy Mind
67% matchVery Positive87% of 347 reviews2024
Dev: betetiro
Windows · Mac · Linux
You can't remember anything, and all you can see is HER. Delve into your story and uncover the truth behind what happened to you and your parents.
Why similar: Visual Novel 41.7%, Anime 14.7%, Adventure 12.9%, Horror 9.7%, Story Rich 9.6%
- #54 9 Souls
66% matchVery Positive91% of 64 reviews2025
Dev: Sandstorm in a BottlePub: DreamStudios
Windows
An atmospheric horror journey between reality and madness. Three paths lie ahead only one is free of anomalies. Observe closely. Choose wisely. Save the lost souls.
Why similar: Horror 21.7%, Simulation 20.9%, Puzzle 17.9%, Dark 11.2%, Adventure 10.5%
- #55 it's always monday
70% matchMostly Positive79% of 291 reviews2016
Dev: Alon Zubina
Windows
Median: 30 minMean: 13.9 hrs≥1hr: 32%
it's always monday - is a first person exploration game
Why similar: Adventure 87.1%, Simulation 4.1%, Mystery 2%, Visual Novel 1.9%, Indie 1.6%
- #56 Mercury Abbey
65% matchVery Positive91% of 997 reviews2024
Dev: YiTi GamesPub: Gamirror Games
Windows
In a mansion surrounded by mist, as the curse made by the Alchemist and Fairy reappears, the danger is quietly lurking in the darkness, awaiting its visitors.Follow Harrod and Willie to unravel an incredible story in Mercury Abbey, and go on an adventure that you would only find in mystery novels.
Why similar: Detective 46.4%, Visual Novel 14.2%, Puzzle 11.4%, Adventure 7%, Anime 6%
- #57 Deluge: Threnody of Crashing Waves
67% matchVery Positive86% of 262 reviews2022
Dev: leavesPub: socah
Windows · Mac · Linux
In the not so distant past, the Isle of Abbot underwent a mysterious evacuation event. Delve into the secrets of this unsettling place and elicit the girls' tragic fate. An interactive visual novel with psychological and lovecraftian undertones.
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.9%, Mystery 22.3%, Dating Sim 17.1%, Simulation 13.7%, Anime 13.5%
- #58 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
66% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 32,585 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 10.4 hrsMean: 32.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Jabberwock Island—You and your classmates were ready for fun in the sun until Monokuma returned to restart his murderous game! Trapped in a kill-or-be-killed situation, your only hope rests in solving the island’s mysteries.
Why similar: Detective 37.6%, Visual Novel 17.5%, Mystery 14.6%, Anime 9.2%, Great Soundtrack 5.2%
- #59 초동수사 - 증언/증거 추리게임
66% matchVery Positive80% of 61 reviews2025
Dev: leeroom shin
Windows · Mac
A time-limited investigation mystery game where you uncover the truth using only evidence and testimony.
Why similar: Detective 32%, Simulation 22.1%, Visual Novel 19.5%, Adventure 12.1%, Mystery 11%
- #60 Deluge: Sermon for the Dead
66% matchMostly Positive78% of 115 reviews2024
Dev: leavesPub: socah
Windows · Mac · Linux
High school girls have been disappearing from Abbotsford. Unravel the mystery before all things wash away in a tidal wave of deep despair. An interactive visual novel with psychological and lovecraftian undertones.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.8%, Mystery 24%, Dating Sim 13.6%, Anime 12.6%, Adventure 7.9%
