Games Like Return of the Obra Dinn

A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.

Why similar: Detective 44.1%, Mystery 22.8%, Puzzle 9.4%, Historical 7.9%, Story Rich 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its compact murder-tableau cases ask you to identify victims, culprits, motives, and events by carefully connecting visual clues and named characters.

A genealogical mystery straight out of 1998. Scour the early Internet for clues, uncover hidden connections, and piece together the family tree behind the secretive Roottree Corporation.

Why similar: Detective 48.8%, Mystery 22.6%, Puzzle 11.4%, Story Rich 6%, Atmospheric 4.9%

Why You'll Like It: This genealogy mystery similarly turns names, relationships, documents, and deduction into the tools for reconstructing a hidden truth.

The Award-winning detective saga returns in this standalone sequel to The Case of the Golden Idol. Uncover the truth behind 20 strange cases of crime, death and depravity in the 1970s. The world has changed dramatically - the sins of humanity have not.

Why similar: Detective 46.7%, Mystery 24.8%, Puzzle 10.3%, Historical 7.2%, Atmospheric 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: It expands the original's superb clue-linking structure with another series of dense, player-driven historical conspiracies.

Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.

Why similar: Mystery 30.4%, Great Soundtrack 21.5%, Story Rich 12.7%, Puzzle 12.3%, Atmospheric 9%

Why You'll Like It: Like Obra Dinn, it rewards piecing together a catastrophe from scattered traces until your understanding of the whole system unlocks the ending.

A hardcore deductive reasoning game for fans of the “true crime” genre. Only by unraveling the logic and grasping at the motivations behind each case can the crimes be completely solved. Perfect as a social-style mystery fiction.

Why similar: Detective 47.8%, Mystery 23.8%, Puzzle 11.4%, Atmospheric 6%, First-Person 3.5%

Why You'll Like It: You examine frozen crime scenes in first person and use spatial observation and inference to determine exactly what happened.

Become the most celebrated detective of all time: Sherlock Holmes! Use your impressive talents as a detective to solve six thrilling and varied cases: murders, missing persons, spectacular thefts and numerous investigations that sometimes lead you into the realms of the fantastic.

Why similar: Detective 58.2%, Mystery 18.5%, Puzzle 6.4%, Story Rich 5.2%, Atmospheric 3.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers period murder investigations with clue collection, suspect analysis, and moral judgment, though with more conventional adventure-game structure.

What if you could hear every word spoken at the scene of a crime? “Acoustic Detectives” wanted for testing our new device! Return aurally to crime scenes and use the voices you hear to identify potential suspects and solve the mysteries. What is it that’s connecting these seemingly unrelated cases?

Why similar: Detective 44.7%, Mystery 22.3%, Puzzle 10.4%, Story Rich 8.8%, Atmospheric 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: Instead of visual snapshots, you scrub through recordings of crime scenes and assemble timelines, identities, and motives from overheard conversations.

Investigate an infamous cold case in the eerie, abandoned town of Painscreek. Search for evidence, connect the dots and uncover who killed Vivian Roberts. Can you expose the truth behind this town’s dark secrets?

Why similar: Detective 42.6%, Mystery 22.9%, Puzzle 9.1%, Story Rich 7.9%, Atmospheric 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: This demanding first-person cold-case investigation leaves you to read documents, track leads, and independently solve an abandoned town's murders.

Follow amateur geologist and reluctant detective Nancy Maple to the ghost town of Crimson, Ontario to investigate the discovery of a massive diamond in this retro-inspired, EGA text parser mystery adventure!

Why similar: Mystery 36.6%, Detective 24.8%, Historical 14.1%, Retro 8%, Multiple Endings 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: A richly written 1914 mystery built around interviewing suspects, studying evidence, and reaching conclusions from details rather than guided quest markers.

You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

Why similar: Puzzle 38.2%, Mystery 13.4%, Atmospheric 9.6%, Difficult 9.3%, First-Person 9%

Why You'll Like It: Although less narrative-driven, its isolated first-person world and escalating visual logic puzzles offer a similarly uncompromising sense of discovery.

Take on the role of a private investigator in this immersive detective simulator. Solve murders and other crimes in a procedurally generated and persistent city where every NPC lives and breathes their own independent lives. Find the killer quickly… or they will kill again!

Why similar: Detective 66.2%, Noir 10%, Puzzle 9.4%, First-Person 4.5%, Atmospheric 4.4%

Why You'll Like It: Its procedural sandbox cases let you search apartments, inspect records, follow routines, and build each murder case through your own detective work.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person story-driven mystery. Purchase this game to get both the original and the Unreal Engine 4 remaster called The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux.

Why similar: Detective 42.4%, Mystery 21.6%, Atmospheric 7.7%, Great Soundtrack 5.4%, Story Rich 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: This atmospheric first-person mystery has you reconstruct violent events from environmental evidence in an eerie, isolated setting.

Paradise Island, a world outside reality. There’s been a murder that only "investigation freak" Lady Love Dies can solve. Gather evidence and interrogate suspects in this open world adventure. You can accuse anyone, but you’ll have to prove your case in trial. It’s up to you to decide who’s guilty.

Why similar: Detective 46.3%, Mystery 22.3%, Story Rich 10.1%, Atmospheric 7.9%, Multiple Endings 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: This surreal open-ended investigation lets you gather evidence at your own pace and decide whether you have enough to accuse a suspect.

The Forgotten City is a narrative-driven time loop adventure in ancient Rome. Discover the ruins of an ancient underground city, travel 2000 years into the past, and unravel the mystery of who destroyed it by cleverly exploiting the power to wind back time. The fate of the city is in your hands.

Why similar: Mystery 35.2%, Great Soundtrack 17.3%, Story Rich 13.2%, Atmospheric 8.9%, First-Person 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its looping ancient-city mystery is solved by observing cause and effect, learning secrets, and gradually understanding an interconnected community.

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 45%, Mystery 21.4%, Historical 8.1%, Great Soundtrack 8%, Story Rich 7.5%

Why You'll Like It: Its historical courtroom mysteries rely on exposing contradictions, testing testimony, and untangling elaborate cases with memorable characters.

Step into a living illustrated world in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps.

Why similar: Detective 40.2%, Mystery 22.4%, Historical 15.8%, Story Rich 12%, Multiple Endings 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: A beautifully researched historical mystery where testimony, social context, and imperfect evidence shape your conclusions across generations.

In this award-winning puzzle adventure game, play as the Traveler on a quest to reunite the Peoples of the Tower. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the Myth of Babel.

Why similar: Detective 32.1%, Puzzle 26.7%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%, Mystery 9.7%, Atmospheric 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the satisfaction of slowly deciphering an unknown system, replacing Obra Dinn's identities and fates with languages and cultural clues.

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 41.1%, Mystery 23.2%, Puzzle 12.8%, Story Rich 9.3%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: Its inventive supernatural investigations revolve around revisiting crucial moments, uncovering causes of death, and cleverly manipulating chains of events.

The Sexy Brutale — a never-ending masked ball featuring intrigue, murder and the (quite possibly) occult! Relive the same mysterious day where the guests at the casino mansion are being murdered by the staff over and over again...

Why similar: Detective 36.1%, Mystery 23.3%, Puzzle 12.8%, Great Soundtrack 12.8%, Story Rich 6.5%

Why You'll Like It: You repeatedly observe a masked ball's murders from different angles, using a time loop to understand events and alter their outcomes.

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 48.6%, Mystery 15.6%, Puzzle 9.2%, Story Rich 7.1%, Noir 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: A charming point-and-click murder mystery centered on examining clues, interrogating an eccentric cast, and resolving an impossible crime.

GET AWAY WITH MURDER. Highly replayable detective game where you're the one whodunnit. From the creators of 80 Days and Heaven's Vault.

Why similar: Detective 54.8%, Mystery 17.5%, Puzzle 13.2%, Historical 11.9%, Adventure 2.6%

Why You'll Like It: This inverted whodunit has you play the killer, but its looping structure gives an excellent understanding of alibis, timelines, and how mysteries are constructed.

Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is a groundbreaking role playing game. You’re a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.

Why similar: Detective 58.8%, Story Rich 15.9%, Atmospheric 7.4%, Great Soundtrack 6.6%, Noir 6.1%

Why You'll Like It: Its central murder investigation is more role-playing focused, but its exceptional writing and evidence-led interviews make every lead feel consequential.

Enter The House of Da Vinci, a new must-try 3D puzzle adventure game. Solve mechanical puzzles, discover hidden objects, escape from rooms and dive into the authentic atmosphere of the Renaissance. Use all your wits to find out what's behind your master's disappearance.

Why similar: Mystery 30.3%, Detective 23.8%, Puzzle 15%, Atmospheric 8.6%, Historical 7.8%

Why You'll Like It: Its elaborate period mechanisms and observational first-person puzzle-solving offer a strong fit for Obra Dinn players who especially enjoyed close examination.

Paris, 1894. Class differences and pervasive racism finally lead to a tragedy. A year later you find yourself on trial, accused of a brutal murder. How far will you go to exonerate yourself? Will you lie? Manipulate the evidence? Frame others? Act insane? Confess? Your imagination is the limit.

Why similar: Detective 35.8%, Mystery 17.2%, Great Soundtrack 9.1%, Historical 6.5%, Story Rich 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person courtroom mystery about reconstructing a murder through testimony, evidence, and choices over which version of events to present.

A woman is interviewed seven times by the police. Search the video database and explore hundreds of authentic clips to discover her story in this groundbreaking and award winning narrative game.

Why similar: Detective 68.7%, Puzzle 16.4%, Story Rich 12.1%, Singleplayer 2.9%

Why You'll Like It: You solve its central case by searching fragmented interview footage, drawing links between statements, identities, and omissions yourself.

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...

Why similar: Mystery 30.2%, Puzzle 21.1%, Atmospheric 13.8%, Story Rich 11.1%, Horror 7%

Why You'll Like It: Its folkloric historical mystery emphasizes speaking with locals, interpreting old stories, and uncovering the disturbing past of an English village.

Spot the lie and beat the liars in 'Contradiction' - the all-video murder mystery adventure!

Why similar: Detective 48.9%, Mystery 20.4%, Story Rich 7.6%, Atmospheric 7.4%, Puzzle 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: This FMV detective game makes close listening essential, as you compare statements and directly confront suspects with inconsistencies.

In 1936, something terrible happened at Galley House. Decades later, with a strange contraption that reveals echoes of the past, you must uncover the truth behind this grisly mystery. A new puzzle from the creators of The Roottrees are Dead.

Why similar: Detective 42.2%, Mystery 28.6%, Puzzle 12.1%, Story Rich 8.3%, Atmospheric 4.6%

A steampunk-ish detective adventure from the creator of A Golden Wake and Shardlight! Can you help private investigator Miles Fordham find justice for his clients and track down his partner's killer before his entire world comes apart?

Why similar: Detective 46.6%, Mystery 22.8%, Story Rich 7.8%, Noir 6%, Atmospheric 5.3%

Why You'll Like It: This Victorian detective adventure presents multiple cases whose outcomes depend on which leads and conclusions you pursue.

The Séance of Blake Manor is a supernatural detective mystery, set in 1897 Ireland, where you investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane in a remote hotel full of secrets and other-worldly occurrences.

Why similar: Detective 37.6%, Mystery 16.8%, Puzzle 8.5%, Historical 8.1%, Story Rich 6.6%

What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state. As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive.

Why similar: Mystery 25.5%, Story Rich 22.1%, Great Soundtrack 13.8%, Atmospheric 13%, Walking Simulator 7.5%

In 1921: a kidnapping, a revolution... Investigate and uncover the truth behind a dark, mysterious story.

Why similar: Detective 38.1%, Mystery 17.7%, Puzzle 8.7%, Historical 7.5%, Story Rich 7.1%

When 3 NYU students kill themselves, nobody thinks that a sinister force is at work. Nobody but fledgling medium Rosa Blackwell & her new spirit guide Joey Mallone.

Why similar: Detective 37.5%, Mystery 30.2%, Story Rich 7.6%, Noir 5.8%, Adventure 4.8%

Why You'll Like It: A concise paranormal detective adventure in which dialogue, ghostly testimony, and environmental clues reveal the stories behind deaths.

Welcome to Mt. Holly, where every dawn unveils a new mystery. Navigate through shifting corridors and ever-changing chambers in this genre-defying strategy puzzle adventure. But will your unpredictable path lead you to the rumored Room 46?

Why similar: Mystery 39.4%, Puzzle 24.4%, Story Rich 12.6%, Atmospheric 8.2%, First-Person 6.2%

Step aboard the 1914 Orient Express in this award-winning mystery adventure from Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner. Described as one of the best adventure games of all time, The Last Express is an intrigue-filled adventure set aboard the luxurious Orient Express.

Why similar: Mystery 32.4%, Detective 30.9%, Historical 10.7%, Story Rich 10%, Atmospheric 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: This real-time 1914 train mystery rewards eavesdropping, following passengers, and carefully uncovering a web of historical intrigue.

LOSE YOUR MIND. EAT YOUR CREW. DIE. Take the helm of your steamship and set sail for the unknown! Sunless Sea is a game of discovery, loneliness and frequent death, set in the award-winning Victorian Gothic universe of Fallen London.

Why similar: Story Rich 26.2%, Great Soundtrack 24.6%, Atmospheric 17.7%, Naval 11.5% ★, Horror 5.6%

Draugen is a single-player, first-person Fjord Noir mystery set in 1920s Norway. Explore a forgotten coastal village in your search for your missing sister, accompanied by your independent and enigmatic young ward. Norwegian Game of the Year 2019.

Why similar: Detective 34.7%, Mystery 20.4%, Story Rich 8.8%, Puzzle 8.3%, Historical 8.1%

Disembodied souls linger in this old estate. To each one, utter their name.

Why similar: Detective 39%, Mystery 18.6%, Puzzle 8.3%, Historical 7.5%, Story Rich 6.5%

A murdered priest. A secret list. Hunt Nazi fugitives across the globe in this gritty 1971 detective thriller. Analyze evidence, follow leads, and make sharp deductions before the trail goes cold. From the creators of Family, Rivals, Conspiracy, Echo Beach and Riley & Rochelle.

Why similar: Detective 51.2%, Mystery 20.7%, Puzzle 9%, Atmospheric 5.6%, Noir 4.9%

Baba Is You is a puzzle game where the rules you have to follow are present as blocks you can interact with. By manipulating them, you can change how the game works, repurpose things you find in the levels and cause surprising interactions!

Why similar: Puzzle 47.3%, Difficult 21.3%, Great Soundtrack 15.8%, Indie 7.9%, Singleplayer 4.9%

Join Norah, a woman plagued by a mysterious illness, in her search for her missing husband in this adventure puzzle game set on a lush island paradise. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals and unlock forbidden secrets in a moving tale of mystery and love.

Why similar: Mystery 25.9%, Puzzle 19.3%, Story Rich 14.3%, Historical 10.1%, Atmospheric 9.5%

Discover what connects a lost ship’s disappearance with Devil’s Island and a local family’s unsolved murder.

Why similar: Mystery 43.1%, Puzzle 20.3%, Great Soundtrack 10.6%, Story Rich 6.4%, Adventure 6%

Why Am I Dead At Sea is an adventure game where you solve the mystery of your own murder. As a ghost, you will have to possess people and use them to investigate your surroundings. But in this place no one is who they seem...and everyone has a secret.

Why similar: Mystery 56.5%, Story Rich 18.2%, Indie 9.3%, Adventure 6.8%, Multiple Endings 5.2%

What are the most important moments in your life? Lost At Sea is a game about life and death, about coming to terms with your past and about family. Set on a beautiful island, this game will force you to face your fears and take stock of your life through imaginative puzzles and a relatable story.

Why similar: Mystery 21.5%, Great Soundtrack 19.3%, Puzzle 14.5%, Atmospheric 9.8%, Story Rich 9.2%

Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.

Why similar: Puzzle 33.3%, Mystery 20.1%, Story Rich 13.5%, First-Person 8.5%, Adventure 6.4%

Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.

Why similar: Great Soundtrack 17.4%, Puzzle 16.8%, Story Rich 14.1%, Indie 12%, Atmospheric 9.8%

Step into the mind of John Morley, a 1940s detective on his final case. Explore shadowed places long forgotten by time, and piece together crime scenes in a narrative adventure steeped in mystery, unexpected twists, and a truth buried for decades.

Why similar: Detective 39.5%, Mystery 17.5%, Puzzle 9.5%, Story Rich 7.7%, Noir 7.2%

An archaeologist uncovers a lost history in an ancient space Nebula. Award-winning narrative adventure game with hieroglyphic language puzzles, from the creators of 80 DAYS.

Why similar: Mystery 37.8%, Puzzle 16.3%, Atmospheric 11.3%, Story Rich 8.7%, Great Soundtrack 8.5%

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 49.9%, Mystery 18.9%, Great Soundtrack 14.2%, Story Rich 8.5%, Puzzle 6%

Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see.

Why similar: Mystery 35%, Puzzle 27.3%, Atmospheric 14.7%, Horror 6.5%, Retro 6%

An interactive thriller about a man trapped in a time loop. Featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.

Why similar: Mystery 37.3%, Puzzle 17.8%, Story Rich 13.7%, Great Soundtrack 8.1%, Atmospheric 6.5%

Northern Canada, 1970. A strange blizzard ravages Atamipek Lake. Step into the shoes of a detective to explore the eerie village, investigate surreal events, and battle the elements to survive. Kona is a chilly interactive tale you won't soon forget.

Why similar: Detective 50.2%, Atmospheric 8.2%, Great Soundtrack 8%, Story Rich 7.4%, First-Person 4.9%

Investigate. Interrogate. Descend into a world of intrigue to untangle the Mystery of the Malign.

Why similar: Mystery 34.7%, Puzzle 16.1%, Story Rich 13.1%, Detective 12%, Atmospheric 10.7%

SAIL THE STARS. BETRAY YOUR QUEEN. MURDER A SUN. Sunless Skies is a Gothic Horror roleplay game with a focus on exploration and exquisite storytelling.

Why similar: Story Rich 31.1%, Great Soundtrack 28.8%, Atmospheric 21.1%, Indie 7.2%, Singleplayer 7.1%

Inscryption is an inky black card-based odyssey that blends the deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles, and psychological horror into a blood-laced smoothie. Darker still are the secrets inscrybed upon the cards...

Why similar: Story Rich 39.2%, Puzzle 35.8%, Horror 13.2%, First-Person 9.5%, Adventure 2.4%

Greetings Enforcer, and thank you for enlisting in the Hypnospace Patrol Department! As the world falls into its slumber, Hypnospace becomes a bustling global village. These virtual streets aren't going to police themselves!

Why similar: Detective 39%, Great Soundtrack 16%, Mystery 13.1%, Puzzle 7.8%, Story Rich 7.3%

Gorogoa is an elegant evolution of the puzzle genre, told through a beautifully hand-drawn story designed and illustrated by Jason Roberts. Winner of Debut Game at the 2018 BAFTA Games Awards, as well as Best Mobile Game and the Innovation Award at the GDC 2018 Choice Awards.

Why similar: Puzzle 37.8%, Mystery 19.2%, Great Soundtrack 12.6%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Story Rich 8.7%

DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.

Why similar: Mystery 51.5%, Atmospheric 16.4%, Story Rich 12.1%, Horror 6.5%, Adventure 5%

Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.

Why similar: Mystery 29.9%, Story Rich 16.4%, Great Soundtrack 14.3%, Atmospheric 13.8%, Walking Simulator 8.1%