Games Like The Darkest Files

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 31.1%, Historical 19.4%, Investigation 18.2%, Mystery 8.8%, Puzzle 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a masterclass in deduction and evidence-based investigation that mirrors the analytical gameplay of a prosecutor.

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 31.3%, Investigation 19.1%, Historical 16.7%, Mystery 9%, Puzzle 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: Continues the excellent deduction-based gameplay of its predecessor with a focus on piecing together complex historical narratives.

Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.

Why similar: Detective 45.7%, Historical 12.7%, Mystery 11.3%, Puzzle 10.2%, Atmospheric 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: A definitive investigative experience that requires players to piece together the truth from fragmented evidence.

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 32.7%, Investigation 21.6%, Mystery 9.6%, Puzzle 9%, Atmospheric 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: A pure investigative experience that relies on exploration and document analysis to solve a cold case.

Big Brother has arrived - and it’s you. Investigate the lives of citizens to find those responsible for a series of terror attacks. Information from the internet, personal communications and private files are all accessible to you. But, be warned, the information you supply will have consequences.

Why similar: Political Sim 44.7% ★, Choices Matter 32.5%, Detective 13.4%, Simulation 3.2%, Atmospheric 1.8%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the moral weight of surveillance and document analysis within a politically charged environment.

The Occupation is a fixed-time, investigative thriller set in North West England on Saturday 24th October, 1987.

Why similar: Detective 30%, Immersive Sim 15.5%, Female Protagonist 12.1%, Mystery 7.2%, Puzzle 7%

Why You'll Like It: An immersive-sim detective game that emphasizes the importance of time and evidence in a political thriller setting.

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: Simulation 40.9%, Puzzle 25%, Atmospheric 16.5%, Adventure 7.3%, Story Rich 3.9%

Why You'll Like It: Captures the bureaucratic tension and moral dilemmas inherent in managing sensitive information in a post-war setting.

In his fight to climb the ranks and do what's right, LAPD detective Cole Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, conspiracies, and brutal murders, battling the L.A. underworld and even members of his own department.

Why similar: Detective 46.4%, Noir 23.9%, Investigation 11.9%, Mystery 5.7%, Adventure 4.8%

Why You'll Like It: Provides a deep historical detective experience with a strong focus on interrogation and evidence gathering.

Berlin 1933. “Adolf Hitler is chancellor!” We all know the consequences this message bore. Unspeakable horrors and suffering would sweep across the world. Few would stand and fight the monstrosity that was the German Reich. Will you? Lead an underground resistance group Through the Darkest of Times.

Why similar: Historical 43%, Simulation 22.9%, Adventure 14.8%, Atmospheric 9%, Choices Matter 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A historical strategy game that focuses on the resistance and the moral struggle during the WWII era.

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 50.8%, Noir 21.5%, Choices Matter 9.8%, Atmospheric 9.1%, Adventure 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: Features a deeply political narrative and investigative gameplay that forces players to confront complex moral choices.

As a judge of the Revolutionary Tribunal, preside over complicated cases of ordinary citizens, dangerous criminals, and enemies of the revolution in revolutionary Paris. Make judgments, plot political intrigue, and try to not lose your own head!

Why similar: Political Sim 36% ★, Historical 26%, Investigation 14.3%, Simulation 6.7%, Puzzle 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: A political simulation that forces players to make difficult judicial decisions in a historical context.

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: Historical 34.5%, Detective 26%, Investigation 20.1%, Mystery 7.8%, Adventure 6%

Why You'll Like It: A historical mystery that excels at uncovering long-buried secrets through dialogue and investigation.

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 46.3%, Investigation 14.5%, Historical 9.2%, Mystery 8%, Adventure 6.6%

Why You'll Like It: Classic detective gameplay that focuses on evidence deduction and moral judgment.

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 37.8%, Noir 23.7%, Immersive Sim 18%, Puzzle 6.8%, First-Person 5.8%

Why You'll Like It: An immersive-sim detective game that allows for procedural investigation in a gritty, atmospheric city.

Unravel a real conspiracy from deep within the CIA’s archives. Search classified documents and follow new leads in this non-linear investigative thriller.

Why similar: Historical 33.9%, Investigation 28.1%, Detective 17.8%, Mystery 10.1%, Adventure 9.1%

Why You'll Like It: An investigation game that tasks players with uncovering historical conspiracies through document analysis.

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 33.2%, Investigation 21.7%, Female Protagonist 14.6%, Nonlinear 11.8%, Puzzle 10%

Why You'll Like It: A non-linear investigation game that relies on the player's ability to piece together truth from video archives.

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 31.3%, Noir 23.7%, Puzzle 9.5%, Mystery 7.6%, First-Person 7.3%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric detective mystery that focuses on exploration and puzzle-solving.

Unravel the mysteries of death, and find the answers to life.A unique Mystery-Adventure Game:The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story

Why similar: Historical 38.6%, Detective 24.9%, Mystery 10.6%, Adventure 6.9%, Atmospheric 5.9%

Why You'll Like It: A historical mystery that challenges players to piece together clues to solve a multi-generational puzzle.

As a detective tasked with bringing down a dangerous terrorist group, you fight on two fronts: interrogating suspects & managing your team and its reputation. With time running out, how far will you go to stop these criminals? Manipulation, threats or even torture? Does the end justify the means?

Why similar: Political Sim 34.5% ★, Detective 29.6%, Noir 22.6%, Atmospheric 6.6%, Choices Matter 4.8%

Why You'll Like It: Focuses heavily on the mechanics of interrogation and the pressure of dealing with political suspects.

This Bed We Made is a third-person mystery game in which you play as a maid in a 1950s hotel and snoop around strangers' rooms to uncover their deadly secrets. Discover what links guests together in this tale of love, heartbreak and murder!

Why similar: Detective 21.1%, Noir 18.9%, Historical 14.7%, Investigation 14.5%, Female Protagonist 13.3%

Why You'll Like It: A mystery-solving game with a female protagonist set in a period-accurate environment.

Whispers of a Machine is a Sci-Fi Nordic Noir that tells the story of Vera, a cybernetically augmented detective in a post-AI world, who investigates a string of murders and unravels a dark conflict over forbidden technology.

Why similar: Detective 34.3%, Female Protagonist 16.4%, Noir 15.7%, Adventure 10.4%, Puzzle 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: A detective adventure featuring a female protagonist and a strong focus on narrative investigation.

Play as a sharp-witted detective in late 19th-century Leipzig, Germany, in this retro pixel-art point & click adventure. Search for clues, question suspects, and piece together evidence on your deduction board to solve four gripping murder cases.

Why similar: Detective 33.6%, Historical 29.2%, Investigation 18.5%, Adventure 7.2%, Choices Matter 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A historical detective adventure that emphasizes period-appropriate investigation methods.

Hauma is a deduction visual novel set in Munich. Discover a conspiracy amongst the upper echelons of society alongside former detective Judith, while visiting real locations in a comic-inspired look.

Why similar: Detective 26.5%, Noir 20%, Investigation 14.8%, Female Protagonist 13.2%, Puzzle 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A detective narrative featuring a strong female lead and a focus on uncovering secrets in a noir setting.

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

Why similar: Detective 26.8%, Historical 17.6%, Investigation 14.3%, Female Protagonist 11.1%, Puzzle 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A challenging detective game that requires careful investigation and puzzle-solving.

In this detective RPG, you untangle a thick web of intrigues, lies, and secrets that surround a mysterious death. Find the origin of eerie telegraph signals, question the villagers, decipher the strange symbols that are suddenly appearing all over town - and hide from the danger lurking in the moor.

Why similar: Detective 26.5%, Historical 22.9%, Investigation 14.8%, Nonlinear 8.9%, Mystery 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: A focused detective investigation that prioritizes mystery and exploration.

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: Investigation 33.5%, Mystery 16.9%, First-Person 12.9%, Adventure 12.1%, Atmospheric 11.4%

Why You'll Like It: A historical mystery that blends investigation with moral dilemmas and time-loop mechanics.

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 23.4%, Historical 18%, Noir 15.8%, Investigation 11.7%, Puzzle 6.8%

The stage is set. Imagine an old baroque manor, perhaps a hotel or a museum, somewhere in central Europe. A woman wanders in search of answers.

Why similar: Puzzle 29.6%, Female Protagonist 18.8%, Adventure 17.4%, Mystery 14.9%, Noir 9.8%

Join the District Crime Agency in this isometric, modern noir deduction thriller. Explore crime scenes in complex dioramas, organize your evidence effectively, and blur the lines between right and wrong to present your case. Do you have what it takes to be a real detective?

Why similar: Detective 37.2%, Noir 24.3%, Puzzle 10%, Female Protagonist 8%, Adventure 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A detective game that focuses on connecting clues and building a case board to solve crimes.

Roleplaying in the ruins of interplanetary capitalism. Live the life of an escaped worker, washed-up on a lawless station at the edge of an interstellar society. Inspired by the flexibility and freedom of TTRPGs, explore the station, choose your friends, escape your past and change your future.

Why similar: Atmospheric 50.7%, Adventure 34.2%, Story Rich 12%, Indie 3%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy game that explores deep moral choices and atmospheric storytelling in a complex world.

Scene Investigators is a hardcore deductive reasoning game for fans of the "true crime" genre. Step into re-created crime scenes, observe closely for pieces of evidence, analyze possible motives behind the crimes, and uncover what truly happened.

Why similar: Detective 30.9%, Investigation 22.3%, Immersive Sim 11.8%, Puzzle 9.3%, Mystery 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: A hardcore deduction game that requires meticulous evidence analysis to solve complex crime scenes.

A first-person exploration game based on the actual memories of a 92-year-old grandmother, told to players in her own voice. Take pictures of what remains of her abandoned childhood home to uncover the dark, traumatic events that she had to fight through as a teenage girl.

Why similar: Historical 45.5%, Female Protagonist 21.6%, First-Person 10%, Atmospheric 9.4%, Adventure 5.5%

Why You'll Like It: A documentary-style historical game that explores the past through personal accounts and atmospheric exploration.

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 40.8%, Investigation 17.4%, Puzzle 12.2%, Mystery 10.8%, Atmospheric 6.7%

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 36%, Investigation 19.4%, Noir 14.3%, Puzzle 8.1%, Mystery 8%

Profession Investigator is an immersive simulator with a text-based interface in which you have to deal with real criminal cases. The game uses materials from court archives and specialized literature.

Why similar: Detective 38.3%, Simulation 15.1%, Immersive Sim 12.5%, Adventure 11.6%, Puzzle 11.3%

Connected Clue is a quarter-view detective adventure game inspired by the atmosphere of 19th-century mystery novels. Gather clues, see through lies, and uncover the identity of the culprit shrouded in secrecy!

Why similar: Detective 30.5%, Investigation 15.9%, Noir 15.9%, Female Protagonist 10.9%, Puzzle 9%

An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.

Why similar: Detective 38.2%, Immersive Sim 18.4%, Puzzle 9.7%, Simulation 8%, Mystery 7.3%

Welcome to the FDI. As our newest Operator, your role is to use your detective skills to assist our field agents and investigate mysterious crimes. Use cutting-edge FDI software to dig for clues, solve puzzles, and uncover the truth.

Why similar: Detective 32.9%, Investigation 19.1%, Immersive Sim 14.2%, Puzzle 9%, Mystery 7.6%

Open the doors between your everyday reality and a dark unholy world to unveil the mystery of the disappearance of your child. Explore both worlds to find clues, solve puzzles, decide whether you infiltrate or fight brutal enemies and stand up to an aberrant establishment.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 29.9%, Puzzle 17.2%, Atmospheric 14.4%, First-Person 13.5%, Mystery 12.9%

You're hired to dig up graves at a local church, looting valuables while demonic activity escalates. You must find and return all the burnt bones to stop the demonic activity. Each night you will dig for valuables to find bones, fend off growing corruption, and survive to solve the mystery.

Why similar: Immersive Sim 30.5%, Nonlinear 18.5%, Mystery 15.9%, First-Person 15.8%, Simulation 7.6%

Embark on a quest for identity through time, as you piece together the puzzle of two lives.

Why similar: Detective 25.3%, Historical 18.4%, Female Protagonist 13.4%, Investigation 12.9%, Puzzle 9%

Some stories are better left in the dark. But some will find you. In Riese, echoes don’t always answer the same. A narrative FPP/VR experience about a past that refuses to stay silent.

Why similar: Detective 27.7%, Investigation 22.3%, Puzzle 11.7%, Immersive Sim 10.4%, Mystery 10.1%

A demon has possessed you and used your body to tear a swath of bloodshed through New York. You are now free, but life as you knew it is over. Your only path forward is joining the Unavowed - an ancient society dedicated to stopping evil. No matter what the cost.

Why similar: Detective 34.2%, Adventure 13.7%, Female Protagonist 13.2%, Noir 11%, Mystery 10.6%

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: Female Protagonist 29.3%, Puzzle 17.4%, Investigation 15.6%, Atmospheric 12.8%, Adventure 11.5%

Lead the Police investigation in the afterlife!

Why similar: Adventure 28.9%, Female Protagonist 24.3%, Puzzle 19.1%, Mystery 13.2%, Atmospheric 10.7%

The Derailed is a first-person psychological horror game. Beneath the dusty arches of a nearly forgotten depot, shadows of the past tremble. Whether you want to or not, you will have to uncover the dark secrets of this place.

Why similar: Adventure 56.4%, 3D 30.8%, Singleplayer 5.3%, Story Rich 5.1%, Indie 2.5%

A mysterious woman is sitting in front of you. Who is she? And who are you? And why are you both there? Case #1472 is mystery information digging interrogation thriller game where there are more things going on than what meets the eye, but are you able to unravel what has happened?

Why similar: Detective 33.5%, Investigation 18.5%, Puzzle 13.6%, Female Protagonist 13.5%, Adventure 8.8%

Hack into crime scenes, look for evidence, analyze data, interrogate criminals, track suspects and deal with the consequences of your decisions. This is a dark and brutal detective story with a Black Mirror-esque atmosphere of digital dominance and the narrative structure of a US crime procedural.

Why similar: Detective 42.3%, Female Protagonist 19.4%, Simulation 10.9%, Atmospheric 10.2%, Choices Matter 7.7%

More than ghost hunting—this is about uncovering the truth, deep within the estate. Study the past, gather evidence, and reveal the stories that linger between life and death. A unique investigation every time ensures deep replayability.

Why similar: Detective 27.7%, Investigation 17.8%, Immersive Sim 16.9%, Simulation 10.1%, First-Person 7.8%

The Wellmonts Case is a first-person psychological horror game set in 1993, Northern Maine. As a private detective, you explore the abandoned Wellmont farm, search for clues, photograph unsettling evidence, and uncover the truth behind a family's unexplained disappearance.

Why similar: Investigation 30.3%, Atmospheric 17.8%, Mystery 17.2%, Adventure 16.3%, 3D 9.9%

Embark on a gripping journey in INDUSTRIA, an atmospheric FPS set in Cold War-era East Berlin. Unravel the secrets of a mysterious parallel dimension while searching for a missing colleague. Explore a haunting reality where the truth awaits. Discover the dark past that lies beyond.

Why similar: Female Protagonist 26.6%, Puzzle 16%, Mystery 15.1%, Atmospheric 14.7%, First-Person 12.8%

Can this last case of Oliver, all be just a small part of a bigger picture? Gather clues, unravel the mystery behind the case and uncover the truth.

Why similar: First-Person 29.3%, Atmospheric 27%, Adventure 26.7%, 3D 7.9%, Story Rich 4.5%

A Case of Distrust is a narrative mystery from 1924 San Francisco. Play as private investigator Phyllis Cadence Malone in this historical 2D adventure game.

Why similar: Detective 24.2%, Historical 19.5%, Noir 16.9%, Investigation 13.6%, Female Protagonist 10.9%

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

Why similar: Investigation 24.9%, Puzzle 15.6%, Mystery 14.6%, Atmospheric 11.7%, Detective 9.3%

Child of Lothian is a historically-accurate 3rd person stealth-adventure game where you play as an Orphan who has been robbed of her childhood as her family is put to trial during the 18th century Witch Hunt trials. The game takes place in the old town of Edinburgh.

Why similar: Immersive Sim 30.1%, Female Protagonist 28.9%, Nonlinear 17.6%, Atmospheric 8.7%, 3D 8.3%

Years after a tragic expedition, investigator Aleksei Morozov returns to the frozen mountains to uncover the truth. But some trails should never be followed...

Why similar: Immersive Sim 22.2%, Investigation 20.7%, Simulation 12.6%, First-Person 10.4%, Atmospheric 10.1%

In front of you lies a classic FMV point and click adventure game. Can you stop a serial killer who is murdering his way through Vienna? Experience a week in the life of Markus Ritter, who really just wants to lie on the couch at home, but suddenly has to juggle a job, love and the supernatural.

Why similar: Detective 31.8%, Female Protagonist 17.3%, Investigation 14.7%, Puzzle 11.1%, First-Person 8.5%

In this point-and-click urban thriller, down-and-out private eye Kathy Rain will embark on her most dangerous case yet — the pursuit of the notorious serial killer known as the Soothsayer. Find clues, gather evidence, connect the dots, and confront the murderer before the hunter becomes the hunted…

Why similar: Detective 26.4%, Noir 18.1%, Investigation 16.5%, Female Protagonist 11.1%, Puzzle 7.6%

Jane wakes up in a crypt as a ghost. You are investigating the death of her family together. Seeking and researching evidences. Building an accusation based on them. You have a laboratory to research evidences. Play and get the feeling of being a true Victorian detective.

Why similar: Detective 33.1%, Investigation 16.8%, Female Protagonist 13.8%, Puzzle 12.1%, Atmospheric 8.5%