Games Like The USB Stick Found in the Grass

You're a detective. Investigate the haunting events surrounding the murder of Ann Peterson and her boyfriend. Explore an old safehouse for clues, deduce keywords and reveal redacted words as you search Ann's digital journal, and piece together your case report as this unfortunate story unfolds.

Why similar: Investigation 48.8%, Detective 32.4%, Text-Based 15.8%, Indie 2.4%, Singleplayer 0.5%

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 27.2%, Narration 26.8%, Investigation 18.3%, Text-Based 11%, Puzzle 7.9%

A mysterious murder has shocked the inner city, and as the lead detective, it is your job to catch the real killer. Armed with words and wits, you uncover the secrets and capture the murderer, and make sure justice will be served.

Why similar: Investigation 48.2%, Detective 27.4%, Text-Based 12.9%, Puzzle 6.5%, Indie 4.1%

A short non-linear detective adventure where every clue is hidden in plain sight. Carefully read and cross-reference documents to unravel a CEO’s disappearance and expose a case of fraud.

Why similar: Investigation 51.6%, Detective 34.7%, Puzzle 9%, Indie 3.7%, Singleplayer 0.9%

Unravel a mystery: A game you can read, a book you can play.

Why similar: Investigation 40.1%, Detective 22.9%, Text-Based 15.2%, Minimalist 8.1%, Puzzle 7.5%

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: Investigation 45%, Detective 39.8%, Puzzle 11.7%, Indie 2.1%, Singleplayer 1.4%

Epigraph is a short, challenging, language decipherment puzzle game.

Why similar: Investigation 43.2%, Detective 31.3%, Puzzle 11%, Text-Based 10.7%, Indie 2.8%

Investigate a broken mind to unravel a twisted case. Deduce the truth. Restore lost memories. Listen to private conversations. Draw your own conclusions. Mind Diver is a murder mystery, where the victim is love.

Why similar: Investigation 46.2%, Detective 29.4%, Emotional 9.6%, Puzzle 8.6%, Indie 4.7%

It's a mystery game that reveals the truth through an autopsy. Be a forensic doctor and find out why the dead died.

Why similar: Detective 42.4%, Investigation 32.2%, Text-Based 14.9%, Indie 8.6%, Singleplayer 1.9%

Explore a wikipedia-like database and solve a small town mystery in Eastern Europe. Step into the shoes of a journalist in the 90s as you sprawl through articles and uncover the secrets that have been laid in front of you.

Why similar: Investigation 48.1%, Detective 31.7%, Text-Based 10.8%, Puzzle 7%, Indie 2.4%

Become an investigator in Keyword, a narrative thriller where you’ll depend on skills of logical deduction, hacking, and social engineering to solve challenging puzzles as the only means of finding your missing daughter.

Why similar: Detective 43.7%, Investigation 32.7%, Puzzle 13.8%, Indie 7.5%, Singleplayer 2.3%

Hitchhiker is a mystery game set along lost highways, where your goal is to solve the puzzle of your own backstory.

Why similar: Emotional 42.1%, Indie 26%, Puzzle 22.3%, Singleplayer 9.6%

A psychological interactive novel about a floppy disk with a mysterious program. Help Elliot cope with his mental issues and uncover the secret of the floppy disk.

Why similar: Text-Based 57%, Emotional 23.8%, Indie 19.2%

It’s 2065, and you are an interrogator-model android tasked with rooting out deviants among your own kind. You must probe for lies, monitor and exploit emotional spikes, earn the trust of your subjects, and make the final call: release, or destroy?

Why similar: Investigation 45.6%, Experimental 21.9%, Detective 20.4%, Emotional 8%, Indie 3%

As a private detective, you’ll crack word clues left by a mysterious informant, gather evidence, and uncover the truth hidden in the shadows.

Why similar: Detective 57.5%, Puzzle 31.5%, Indie 9.1%, Singleplayer 1.9%

When the truth is buried, go underground. Step into this new take on text-based adventure from the award-winning team behind Thomas Was Alone and Volume. A short story that hands you the fate of the world above, as a detective looking for answers on the Subsurface Circular.

Why similar: Investigation 49.1%, Detective 30.4%, Text-Based 17.6%, Indie 2.9%

There's only one detective to unravel this murder turned museum heist... and they're the cat's meow. Interrogate a "colorful" cast of suspects until they cough up hairballs... and the truth. Will you wrap up the case in time for an afternoon nap, and make injustice knead its last biscuit?

Why similar: Detective 43.5%, Investigation 33.6%, Puzzle 12.9%, Minimalist 10%

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: Investigation 47%, Detective 36.4%, Text-Based 13.1%, Indie 2.2%, Singleplayer 1.3%

10 CDs, 10 passwords. Find hidden messages, text, numbers to unlock next CD to continue your steganography puzzle journey.

Why similar: Detective 50%, Puzzle 23.6%, Text-Based 16.2%, Indie 8.5%, Singleplayer 1.8%

A short find it game that helps you make sense of a tragic accident as you uncover a piece of the story with each item found.

Why similar: Emotional 89.2%, Singleplayer 6.7%, Indie 4.1%

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: Investigation 40.4%, Detective 27.2%, Narration 26.3%, Indie 3.1%, Puzzle 2.3%

Explore the shifting manor of the enigmatic Henri Villemaine and uncover the truth behind his family’s sudden disappearance. Bend reality to recreate the scenes from his diary and expose long-buried secrets. What if your role in this case went beyond that of a simple investigator?

Why similar: Narration 40.5%, Investigation 27.5%, Puzzle 17.6%, Emotional 13.8%, Singleplayer 0.7%

A deep and immersive narrative puzzle game.

Why similar: Investigation 83.7%, Puzzle 10.4%, Indie 4.3%, Singleplayer 1.6%

Something has been taken. Enter a new Grid and forge alliances via visual novel gameplay, uncovering truths through Identity Disc puzzles. Make critical decisions and plot your own course in a world without a creator.

Why similar: Detective 48.4%, Investigation 37.1%, Puzzle 13.3%, Singleplayer 1.2%

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: Investigation 57.4%, Detective 30.1%, Puzzle 9%, Indie 2.3%, Singleplayer 1.3%

A narrative puzzle-thriller that blurs the lines between games and books, reality and fiction, puzzles and storytelling.

Why similar: Investigation 46.1%, Detective 30%, Text-Based 13.7%, Puzzle 8.9%, Singleplayer 1.2%

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 67.3%, Puzzle 20.2%, Investigation 6.5%, Singleplayer 3.3%, Indie 2.7%

Flower in Us is a short, story-driven mystery adventure that invites players to unravel hidden secrets.

Why similar: Investigation 81.5%, Puzzle 15.8%, Indie 2.2%, Singleplayer 0.5%

Inspired by JCS videos and similar Interrogation analysis. Match evidence with statements. Play good cop/bad cop. Make choices. Learn what makes people tick. Unravel the mystery.

Why similar: Investigation 66.4%, Text-Based 20.2%, Puzzle 13.4%

Atmospheric first person adventure game focusing on immersion and exploration. Meet strange characters, discover secrets and try to unfold the mystery of the Fragmentation.

Why similar: Investigation 93.1%, Indie 5.3%, Singleplayer 1.5%

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 62.6%, Investigation 16.6%, Puzzle 13.4%, Indie 6.6%, Singleplayer 0.9%

This is a suspense reasoning interactive work with real people. You will play the protagonist "Qi Yi", find evidence in a series of murders, piece together the truth, and find the ultimate murderer, all of which will lead you to an unpredictable future.

Why similar: Investigation 47.7%, Detective 42.8%, Indie 7.2%, Singleplayer 2.3%

The Magnificent Trufflepigs is a first-person, metal-detecting narrative game. It combines laid-back detecting and exploration with a dramatic story, all set in a beautiful English countryside. It’s a game about trying to find something.

Why similar: Indie 73.3%, Singleplayer 26.7%

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: Investigation 56.8%, Detective 32.2%, Puzzle 9.6%, Singleplayer 1.5%

A missing person case straight out of 1995. Search the early internet, dig through emails and dusty floppy discs, and uncover the secrets behind the disappearance of Victoria Mason.

Why similar: Detective 77.2%, Puzzle 22.8%

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

Why similar: Investigation 67.2%, Puzzle 15.4%, Detective 9.3%, Indie 6.9%, Singleplayer 1.3%

Forgotten Hope is a short, single-player narrative-driven video game presented through the eyes of a teenage girl who is trying to reconnect with her past to find answers.

Why similar: Narration 64%, Investigation 26.2%, Minimalist 6.9%, Indie 2%, Singleplayer 0.8%

Officer Jia has vanished, leaving a classified message pointing to the CaseCracker 2.0 system. Tear through suspects' alibis, look beyond the text, and extract hidden threads from seemingly unrelated intel. Will you find the ultimate truth, or a trap?

Why similar: Detective 53.1%, Text-Based 30.1%, Puzzle 13.9%, Singleplayer 2.9%

Confronted with fragmented narratives and deceptive persons of interest, you must isolate crucial evidence. Shatter logical loopholes from testimonies and reconstruct the crime scene from subtle clues. Can you survive this immersive battle of wits?

Why similar: Detective 66.5%, Puzzle 19.9%, Minimalist 13.7%

The Wake is a record of past wounds opened at a three-day funeral. The journal is encoded with a simple substitution cipher that the player must break in order to reveal the writer’s psyche and discover the contradictions that define him.

Why similar: Experimental 41.3%, Text-Based 27.6%, Puzzle 13.2%, Minimalist 9.3%, Indie 8.6%

As a young soldier returning to an eerily deserted home, you'll explore enigmatic rooms and uncover a haunting, tragic story. Experience an atmospheric journey filled with suspense, mysterious encounters, and a deep narrative.

Why similar: Narration 51.5%, Investigation 31%, Emotional 7.9%, Indie 4.6%, Puzzle 3.5%

No flashy visuals, just pure mental gymnastics. Actively search, cross-reference, and unravel the truth from a complex database. In this hardcore text-based deduction game, the devil is always in the details. Detective, are you ready?

Why similar: Detective 49.1%, Text-Based 29.6%, Puzzle 14.9%, Indie 4.5%, Singleplayer 1.8%

A deceptively difficult deduction game about one very unfortunate family. Revisit their worst moments, form your own conclusions, and solve this silly yet challenging mystery.

Why similar: Investigation 54.7%, Detective 35.2%, Puzzle 9.8%, Singleplayer 0.2%

Play as Tristan and solve puzzles to recover human consciousnesses in the year 2071. Investigate environments, uncover secrets, and make choices that affect the ending. Explore a neon-noir world with a low poly aesthetic inspired by the 90s.

Why similar: Investigation 41.2%, Detective 24.8%, Text-Based 20.2%, Puzzle 11.6%, Singleplayer 2.2%

A time-limited investigation mystery game where you uncover the truth using only evidence and testimony.

Why similar: Investigation 47.7%, Detective 35.8%, Text-Based 11.1%, Indie 4.5%, Singleplayer 1%

Four private lives. One big lie. Search through secretly recorded video conversations to discover the truth. The successor to the acclaimed Her Story.

Why similar: Investigation 50.1%, Detective 34%, Puzzle 8.8%, Indie 5.6%, Singleplayer 1.6%

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 67.2%, Puzzle 22.7%, Indie 6.7%, Singleplayer 3.4%

Locals whisper of a roadside diner that’s lost its color. You are sent to investigate.

Why similar: Detective 58.6%, Puzzle 21.8%, Minimalist 19.6%

Explore the intertwined fates of humans and youkai in this interactive fiction. As an unwitting protagonist, enter the sealed realm of Gensokyo to investigate a series of bizarre murders. Unearth ancient secrets and witness a gripping saga hidden for millennia.

Why similar: Narration 41.4%, Detective 27.8%, Investigation 15.1%, Text-Based 14.2%, Indie 1.1%

Jack Beckham is found dead, hanging in his apartment alone. Police rule it a suicide. His father, refusing to accept the conclusion, hires you to investigate. Delve into the clues left behind in his apartment to discover what really happened.

Why similar: Investigation 49%, Detective 34.3%, Puzzle 9.9%, Indie 5.7%, Singleplayer 1.1%

A Battle of Wits with AI: Solve the case by conversing with a suspect robot using GPT to gather evidence. What single truth emerges from countless dialogues and pieces of information?

Why similar: Investigation 53%, Detective 29.6%, Text-Based 17.3%

Immerse yourself in the winter forest and help a lost soul to find a piece of itself. What is awaiting you there.. or who?

Why similar: Detective 80.2%, Indie 14.5%, Singleplayer 5.2%

An emotional point-and-click hard sci-fi adventure game about exploring an abandoned space station. Follow messages left by the long-gone staff to learn the outcome of the research team and the secrets they left behind.

Why similar: Emotional 43.4%, Puzzle 37.6%, Indie 14.1%, Singleplayer 4.8%

Go on a voyage of discovery following the traces of a mysterious culture. Discover diverse landscapes, investigate abandoned artifacts, and wake strange machines from their slumber.

Why similar: Puzzle 58%, Indie 31.2%, Singleplayer 10.7%

A short narrative and exploration game about Zach, June, and a strange phenomenon. You're Zach and, stuck in your home, you will do everything to keep hearing June's voice messages. What is happening out there?

Why similar: Narration 77.2%, Indie 14.2%, Emotional 8.6%

A detective narrative puzzler without pre-set options! Raise your questions at will, and an AI-host will answer only with 'yes' or 'no.' Drive the investigation with your curiosity; the path to solving the mystery lies in questions you ask. Can you dig out the truth through your questions?

Why similar: Detective 74.6%, Puzzle 23.7%, Singleplayer 1.7%

Every life has a story. Every story has regret. But what if you could change the past? LOVE is a puzzle game about finding the things we’ve lost in ourselves and the people who help us find them.

Why similar: Indie 43.4%, Puzzle 26.2%, Emotional 26%, Singleplayer 4.5%

Explore an unknown and abandoned world. Each step, each puzzle, brings you closer to discovering the history and secrets of a lost civilization. Can you find the light?

Why similar: Investigation 59%, Emotional 17.3%, Puzzle 13%, Indie 8.9%, Singleplayer 1.8%