- #1 The Painscreek Killings
97% matchVery Positive91% of 6,246 reviews2017
Dev: EQ Studios
Windows
Median: 5.1 hrsMean: 6.4 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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: Investigation 24%, Detective 19.7%, Mystery 18%, Walking Simulator 11%, Story Rich 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: This game is the gold standard for pure investigative gameplay, requiring you to explore a town and piece together clues without hand-holding.
- #2 The Roottrees are Dead
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 9,873 reviews2025
Dev: Evil Trout Inc.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.8 hrsMean: 9.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 26.7%, Mystery 21.1%, Investigation 19.6%, Noir 7.6%, LGBTQ+ 7.2%
Why You'll Like It: A deep detective experience that focuses on piecing together complex family histories and secrets through meticulous investigation.
- #3 Gone Home
96% matchMostly Positive77% of 18,436 reviews2013
Dev: Fullbright
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 4.4 hrs≥1hr: 81%
June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM. You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something's not right. Where is everyone? And what's happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.
Why similar: Walking Simulator 43.6%, LGBTQ+ 19%, Female Protagonist 9%, Story Rich 7.6%, Exploration 5%
Why You'll Like It: It perfectly captures the intimate experience of snooping through a house to uncover the hidden lives and secrets of its inhabitants.
- #4 The Suicide of Rachel Foster
95% matchMixed68% of 6,887 reviews2020
Dev: ONE-O-ONE GAMESPub: Daedalic Entertainment
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Coming back to the family hotel after years, a young woman finds herself trapped with the ghosts from her past and an old cellular telephone as the only way to unveil a terrible truth.
Why similar: Mystery 24%, Walking Simulator 21.6%, Female Protagonist 15.9%, Story Rich 11.6%, Realistic 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: Set in a confined, atmospheric location, this game excels at building tension through exploration and uncovering dark family secrets.
- #5 Life is Strange: True Colors
94% matchVery Positive89% of 16,841 reviews2021
Dev: Deck NinePub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.6 hrsMean: 25.2 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Alex Chen hides her 'curse': the psychic power of Empathy, the ability to absorb the emotions of others. When her brother dies in a so-called accident, Alex must embrace her power to find the truth.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 25.8%, Female Protagonist 14.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 11%, Cinematic 10.8%, Story Rich 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: This cinematic adventure features strong LGBTQ themes and a focus on uncovering the secrets of a small town through character-driven interactions.
- #6 Paradise Killer
94% matchVery Positive93% of 4,509 reviews2020
Dev: Kaizen Game WorksPub: Fellow Traveller
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
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: Crime 21.4%, Investigation 18.6%, Detective 16.6%, Mystery 13.6%, Female Protagonist 11.1%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a stylish, open-world approach to investigation where you must interview suspects and gather evidence to solve a complex crime.
- #7 The Invisible Hours
93% matchVery Positive91% of 527 reviews2017
Dev: Tequila WorksPub: Game Trust
Windows
Median: 48 minMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 49%
The Invisible Hours is a complex murder mystery in VR, in which players freely explore an intricate web of interwoven stories within a sprawling mansion. This is not a game. This is not a movie. This is a piece of immersive theatre with many tangled threads.
Why similar: Mystery 44.2%, Detective 32.4%, Adventure 23.4%
Why You'll Like It: This title offers a unique voyeuristic perspective, allowing you to observe characters in a mansion to solve a murder mystery in real-time.
- #8 Tell Me Why
92% matchVery Positive82% of 16,033 reviews2020
Dev: DONTNOD EntertainmentPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 2.0 hrsMean: 16.2 hrs≥1hr: 60%
Tell Me Why is the multi-award winning episodic adventure game from Dontnod Entertainment in which twins use their supernatural bond to discover the truth of their troubled past.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 23.7%, Cinematic 15.1%, Story Rich 10.7%, Walking Simulator 10.3%, Mystery 9%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy mystery that explores family trauma and secrets through the eyes of two protagonists in a beautifully realized setting.
- #9 The Case of the Golden Idol
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,922 reviews2022
Dev: Color Gray GamesPub: Playstack
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.9 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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: Investigation 19.5%, Detective 18.2%, Mystery 16.1%, Crime 14.7%, Historical 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: This game provides a challenging and rewarding deduction experience that forces you to observe every detail of a crime scene.
- #10 Marie's Room
91% matchVery Positive93% of 6,688 reviews2018
Dev: Kenny Guillaume
Windows
Median: 54 minMean: 14.7 hrs≥1hr: 42%
Marie's Room is a short story exploration game about an unconventional friendship between two classmates. You play as Kelsey, remembering Marie's room as it was twenty years ago. But something’s off. What happened to Marie?
Why similar: Walking Simulator 25.6%, Story Rich 21.1%, Female Protagonist 16.4%, Mystery 16%, Atmospheric 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A short, atmospheric walking simulator that focuses entirely on exploring a single room to piece together a past mystery.
- #11 Blackhaven
89% matchVery Positive81% of 315 reviews2021
Dev: Historiated
Windows
Blackhaven is a first-person narrative game that follows Kendra Turner, a college intern at Blackhaven Hall, a historic mansion burned during the American Revolution. Working alone on a holiday, Kendra uncovers a trail of secrets and misdeeds that spans centuries and may determine her future.
Why similar: Mystery 18.5%, Historical 17.8%, Walking Simulator 14.9%, Story Rich 12.2%, Female Protagonist 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: A historical exploration game that tasks you with uncovering secrets in a museum setting through careful observation.
- #12 The Occupation
90% matchMixed60% of 414 reviews2019
Dev: White Paper GamesPub: Balor Games
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 93%
The Occupation is a fixed-time, investigative thriller set in North West England on Saturday 24th October, 1987.
Why similar: Detective 24.8%, Mystery 18.9%, Female Protagonist 13.3%, Investigation 9.3%, Story Rich 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: This game emphasizes stealthy investigation and time-sensitive snooping to uncover a conspiracy within a 1980s setting.
- #13 What Remains of Edith Finch
88% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 52,461 reviews2017
Dev: Giant SparrowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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: Walking Simulator 25.7%, Story Rich 22.5%, Mystery 21.1%, Female Protagonist 12.9%, Atmospheric 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: It is the pinnacle of environmental storytelling, using unique gameplay mechanics to reveal the tragic secrets of a family home.
- #14 The Flower Collectors
89% matchVery Positive82% of 163 reviews2020
Dev: Mi'pu'mi Games GmbH
Windows
Barcelona, 1977. An ex-cop in a wheelchair witnesses a murder, and teams up with a young ambitious journalist to bring the truth to light. With camera, binoculars and transmitter in hand, uncover the town’s secrets from your balcony in this soul-searching detective mystery.
Why similar: Noir 18.6%, Crime 15.7%, Detective 14%, Investigation 13.8%, Mystery 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: It focuses on observation and social dynamics, tasking you with solving a mystery from the perspective of a balcony.
- #15 Twin Mirror
87% matchMostly Positive77% of 1,721 reviews2021
Dev: DON'T NOD
Windows
Median: 6.1 hrsMean: 8.7 hrs≥1hr: 78%
The small town of Basswood will be changed forever by ex-investigative journalist Sam Higgs in this thrilling narrative experience from award-winning studio DON'T NOD. Will you find the truth – no matter the cost?
Why similar: Crime 14.7%, Cinematic 14%, Detective 13.9%, Mystery 10.3%, Interactive Fiction 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological detective story that uses a unique 'mind palace' mechanic to reconstruct crime scenes and uncover truths.
- #16 Open Roads
86% matchMostly Positive77% of 355 reviews2024
Dev: Open Roads TeamPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.9 hrsMean: 3.1 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Long-lost family secrets. Hints of a hidden fortune. And miles to go before they sleep. Tess Devine’s relationship with her mom has never been easy, but they’re about to set out together on a journey into the past that they’ll never forget.
Why similar: Investigation 23.3%, Cinematic 18.3%, Detective 14.2%, Interactive Fiction 12.7%, Story Rich 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-focused exploration game that centers on a mother-daughter relationship and the secrets hidden in their family history.
- #17 Call of the Sea
86% matchVery Positive88% of 6,354 reviews2020
Dev: Out of the Blue GamesPub: Raw Fury
Windows
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 5.9 hrs≥1hr: 75%
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: Investigation 17.4%, Mystery 17%, Female Protagonist 16.9%, Walking Simulator 11.7%, Story Rich 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: A period-appropriate mystery that blends atmospheric exploration with clever environmental puzzles.
- #18 Syberia: The World Before
84% matchVery Positive90% of 5,031 reviews2022
Dev: Microids Studio ParisPub: Microids
Windows
Median: 6.3 hrsMean: 9.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Embark on a quest for identity through time, as you piece together the puzzle of two lives.
Why similar: Cinematic 14.6%, Detective 13.6%, Investigation 12.8%, Mystery 12.6%, Female Protagonist 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: A rich, story-driven adventure that balances exploration with a compelling mystery spanning two different time periods.
- #19 Murder by Numbers
85% matchVery Positive84% of 1,683 reviews2020
Dev: MediatonicPub: The Irregular Corporation
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 12.6 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Solve Pixel Puzzles to find clues. Use those clues to interrogate witnesses. Work your way to the truth... ...and uncover the mystery of Murder by Numbers!
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 17.5%, Investigation 17.3%, Crime 15.6%, Detective 14.4%, Female Protagonist 10%
Why You'll Like It: A character-driven mystery that combines investigation with puzzle-solving and a strong female lead.
- #20 Firewatch
83% matchVery Positive91% of 99,247 reviews2016
Dev: Campo SantoPub: Panic
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 13.5 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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: Walking Simulator 30.8%, Mystery 27.3%, Story Rich 18.3%, Atmospheric 7.6%, Adventure 7%
Why You'll Like It: While set in the wilderness, it captures the same sense of isolation and mystery-solving through dialogue and environmental clues.
- #21 Kathy Rain
84% matchVery Positive92% of 4,001 reviews2016
Dev: Clifftop GamesPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Set in the '90s, Kathy Rain tells the story of a strong-willed journalism major who has to come to terms with her troubled past as she investigates the mysterious death of her recently deceased grandfather.
Why similar: Detective 21.7%, Mystery 21.5%, Female Protagonist 18%, Noir 15.7%, Adventure 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A classic-style detective mystery featuring a strong female protagonist investigating dark secrets in a small town.
- #22 Mind Diver
81% matchVery Positive95% of 370 reviews2025
Dev: Indoor SunglassesPub: PLAYISM
Windows
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: Noir 19.3%, Crime 15.9%, Investigation 14.4%, Detective 13.5%, Mystery 11.7%
Why You'll Like It: A unique detective game that allows you to dive into memories to solve a mystery through observation and deduction.
- #23 The Darkest Files
80% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 744 reviews2025
Dev: Paintbucket Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Germany, 1956. The war is over, but justice is not served. Former Nazis walk free, while their victims lie in unmarked graves. As a prosecutor, you'll unearth long-buried evidence, confront witnesses and hunt down perpetrators. Will you have the courage to bring these "ordinary men" to court?
Why similar: Detective 20.7%, Noir 18.3%, Investigation 14.5%, Historical 14.4%, Female Protagonist 13.2%
Why You'll Like It: A historical detective game that focuses on gathering evidence and building a case through meticulous investigation.
- #24 Rainswept
82% matchVery Positive87% of 309 reviews2019
Dev: Frostwood Interactive
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 7.4 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Rainswept takes you on an emotional adventure in a small town shaken by a double shooting. Join Detective Stone and unravel a tangled web of love, relationships, and unresolved trauma in this character-driven murder mystery game.
Why similar: Crime 25.5%, Detective 19.4%, Walking Simulator 12.7%, Interactive Fiction 10.7%, Mystery 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: A crime-focused narrative game that explores the dark side of a small town through the eyes of a detective.
- #25 A Case of Distrust
81% matchVery Positive82% of 609 reviews2018
Dev: An Open Ben
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.8 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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: Noir 19.2%, Investigation 14%, Detective 13.6%, Mystery 11.3%, Female Protagonist 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: This detective mystery uses a distinct 1920s noir aesthetic and dialogue-based investigation to uncover the truth.
- #26 Virginia
82% matchMixed64% of 3,376 reviews2016
Dev: Variable StatePub: 505 Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Virginia is a single-player first-person thriller set in a small town with a secret. Experience a missing person investigation through the eyes of graduate FBI agent Anne Tarver.
Why similar: Detective 18%, Cinematic 17.3%, Mystery 14.5%, Walking Simulator 13.9%, Female Protagonist 12.4%
Why You'll Like It: This cinematic, dialogue-free mystery captures a surreal noir mood that mirrors the investigative tension of the seed game.
- #27 Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story
77% matchVery Positive94% of 399 reviews2026
Dev: Lowbirth Games
Windows
Lost & Found is a standalone, short story game taking place aboard a 1960s transatlantic ship. Play as Sophie Roy in her new job as a stewardess, and help solve a curious series of thefts in this narrative-driven mystery set after the events of This Bed We Made.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 12.3%, Cinematic 11.9%, Investigation 11.6%, Detective 11.1%, Mystery 8.1%
- #28 The Séance of Blake Manor
77% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 3,820 reviews2025
Dev: Spooky DoorwayPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Linux
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 11.0 hrs≥1hr: 81%
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: Noir 23.9%, Detective 18.1%, Investigation 16.5%, Mystery 13.8%, Historical 10%
- #29 Night Cascades
79% matchVery Positive92% of 221 reviews2022
Dev: Hanako Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
The city is on fire, and the Devil is to blame - or is it? Two women must solve an occult-themed mystery set in an alternate 1980s while unraveling the secrets of their past. Hunt for clues and interrogate suspects in this interactive yuri visual novel.
Why similar: Noir 19.7%, LGBTQ+ 17.7%, Crime 15.1%, Detective 13.5%, Investigation 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: A visual novel that blends LGBTQ themes with a detective mystery set against a 1980s backdrop.
- #30 Paper Perjury
78% matchVery Positive89% of 228 reviews2024
Dev: Paper Cat Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
It all started with a simple robbery. When that thread was pulled, a tapestry of mysteries was revealed. Solve cases and outsmart criminals in a detective story full of lies, confessions, and maybe even a murder or two.
Why similar: Detective 21.6%, Investigation 20.6%, Crime 17%, Mystery 14.6%, Female Protagonist 12.9%
Why You'll Like It: A detective-focused game that features a female protagonist and emphasizes puzzle-solving to uncover corruption.
- #31 SHINRAI - Broken Beyond Despair
79% matchVery Positive91% of 128 reviews2016
Dev: Gosatsu Visual Novels
Windows · Mac · Linux
A secluded mountain resort, 10 friends, 1 murderer. Investigate, interrogate and present evidence as you solve various mysteries throughout the night. Will you be able to reach the truth and uncover the culprit’s identity? Or will your deductions lead you to blame someone completely innocent...?
Why similar: Investigation 17.7%, Detective 16.5%, LGBTQ+ 14%, Crime 13.5%, Mystery 13.4%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy mystery that focuses on investigation and uncovering the truth behind a series of tragic events.
- #32 Nancy Drew®: Sea of Darkness
78% matchVery Positive93% of 232 reviews2017
Dev: HeR Interactive
Windows
Set a Course for Danger and Discovery!
Why similar: Investigation 23.6%, Detective 21.1%, Mystery 20.4%, Female Protagonist 14.9%, Story Rich 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: This title is a classic example of the 'snooping' subgenre, requiring you to explore environments and solve puzzles to uncover a mystery.
- #33 The Crimson Maid
74% matchVery Positive88% of 113 reviews2026
Dev: GrimTalinPub: Wales Interactive
Windows
A marriage between first person exploration and visual novel, blessed with a sprinkle of puzzle gameplay. Immerse yourself in a period drama that intertwines romance with murder mystery, as a young cleric who must resist or give in to the charms of a strikingly beautiful maid.
Why similar: Crime 22.7%, Mystery 20.2%, Investigation 17.4%, Walking Simulator 11.2%, Story Rich 10.2%
- #34 The Last Case of John Morley
74% matchVery Positive82% of 329 reviews2025
Dev: Indigo Studios - Interactive StoriesPub: JanduSoft
Windows
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: Noir 25.5%, Detective 16.7%, Mystery 12.6%, Walking Simulator 11.8%, Interactive Fiction 8.9%
- #35 Lady in Mystery
76% matchVery Positive94% of 168 reviews2021
Dev: nolsoft
Windows
Welcome to a small detective agency in old Seoul. Lady in Mystery is a Yuri mystery visual novel set in 18th-century Joseon. Choose one of four women to grow closest to Heesoo, the disguised detective. Your choices may lead to love, revenge, or darker paths than you imagined.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 23.7%, Crime 15.5%, Mystery 15%, Female Protagonist 12.6%, Historical 12%
- #36 Connected Clue
73% matchVery Positive88% of 120 reviews2026
Dev: Alpheratz Games Pub: CFK Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac
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: Crime 23.1%, Noir 18.6%, Detective 17.6%, Investigation 16.8%, Mystery 12.5%
- #37 Murder Mystery Machine
76% matchMixed55% of 179 reviews2021
Dev: Blazing GriffinPub: Microids
Windows
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 64%
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: Noir 26.6%, Crime 24.4%, Detective 20.8%, Mystery 13.2%, Female Protagonist 5.8%
- #38 Black Closet
75% matchVery Positive92% of 272 reviews2015
Dev: Hanako Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Command your minions to solve mysteries and cover up scandals in a high-class boarding school, where the competition is cut-throat and image is everything. But be careful - one of your minions is a traitor.
Why similar: Noir 22.7%, LGBTQ+ 17.6%, Detective 16.6%, Investigation 13.3%, Female Protagonist 10.6%
- #39 UNMEMORY
75% matchVery Positive84% of 101 reviews2020
Dev: PATRONES & ESCONDITES
Windows · Mac · Linux
Unravel a mystery: A game you can read, a book you can play.
Why similar: Noir 20.6%, Mystery 15.5%, Investigation 14.7%, LGBTQ+ 13.9%, Detective 12.3%
- #40 Alex Hill: Whispers at White Oak Inn
71% matchVery Positive93% of 388 reviews2025
Dev: hannahontrek
Windows · Mac
A young woman died near the White Oak Inn. Now, her spirit is roaming around, and an employee is receiving strange letters. What dark secrets wait to be found? The clock is ticking and you, as Alex Hill, must uncover the truth before it’s too late.
Why similar: Detective 20.9%, Mystery 18.8%, Crime 16.9%, Investigation 11.9%, Female Protagonist 11.3%
- #41 Lake
72% matchVery Positive87% of 5,864 reviews2021
Dev: GamiousPub: Whitethorn Games
Windows
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 7.2 hrs≥1hr: 72%
It's 1986 - Meredith Weiss takes a break from her career in the big city to deliver mail in her hometown. How will she experience two weeks in beautiful Providence Oaks, with its iconic lake and quirky community? And what will she do next? It's up to you.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 19.9%, Walking Simulator 17.6%, Female Protagonist 15.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 12.5%, Story Rich 11.4%
- #42 Ms.Director
73% matchVery Positive97% of 69 reviews2021
Dev: SketchyNonsense
Windows
Cameras and heads are rolling in this noir inspired RPGmaker horror game. Save the spectral starlets trapped in the deadly director's mansion, and escape without joining them in their fate.
Why similar: Noir 30.1%, Investigation 23.6%, LGBTQ+ 18.7%, Historical 11.8%, Story Rich 5.9%
- #43 Life is Strange: Double Exposure
71% matchMixed68% of 10,597 reviews2024
Dev: Deck Nine GamesPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 11.1 hrs≥1hr: 90%
When Max Caulfield finds her friend Safi dead in the snow, she tears open the way to a parallel timeline. Here, Safi is still alive - and still in danger! With her new power to Shift between two timelines – can Max solve and prevent the same murder?
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 28.1%, Female Protagonist 14.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 10.7%, Mystery 10.7%, Cinematic 9.1%
- #44 Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
69% matchVery Positive91% of 3,910 reviews2023
Dev: Summerfall StudiosPub: Balor Games
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 11.3 hrs≥1hr: 67%
Gods. Romance. Murder. Musical Numbers?! Play as Grace in a world where Greek Gods live in hiding among us. Change your fate as you draw friends, foes & lovers into song using your powers of musical persuasion to unravel the mystery of the Last Muse's death.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 18.4%, Cinematic 18.1%, Female Protagonist 15%, Interactive Fiction 13.9%, Choose Your Own Adventure 11.3%
- #45 Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders
72% matchVery Positive81% of 3,072 reviews2016
Dev: Artefacts StudioPub: Microids
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The ABC Murders is an adventure and investigation game adapted from the classic Agatha Christie novel. You are the famous private detective Hercule Poirot and, once again, you find yourself up against a mysterious serial killer who goes by the name of "ABC".
Why similar: Noir 22%, Crime 14.3%, Detective 13.6%, Investigation 10.8%, Female Protagonist 9.6%
- #46 Hauma - A Detective Noir Story
71% matchMixed69% of 135 reviews2023
Dev: SenAm GamesPub: Assemble Entertainment
Windows
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: Noir 20%, Crime 15.5%, Investigation 13.4%, Detective 13.1%, Mystery 10.5%
- #47 Knee Deep
73% matchMostly Positive78% of 177 reviews2015
Dev: Prologue Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 93%
When a washed-up actor hangs himself on location, a spotlight is cast on the backwater Florida town of Cypress Knee. Your screen becomes a stage on which you investigate this mysterious death as three distinct characters.
Why similar: Noir 24.7%, Mystery 19.2%, Crime 17.8%, Female Protagonist 10.4%, Third Person 8.9%
- #48 Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
67% matchVery Positive86% of 6,312 reviews2025
Dev: DON'T NOD
Windows
Median: 11.4 hrsMean: 12.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Embark on a new narrative journey by the creators of Life is Strange. Film your summer of 1995 and create memories of a lifetime with your new friends. 27 years later, confront the dark secrets that made you all promise to never speak again after that fateful summer.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 24.5%, Mystery 14.4%, Cinematic 13.7%, Female Protagonist 13.1%, Story Rich 8.7%
- #49 Jenny LeClue - Detectivu
70% matchVery Positive87% of 1,379 reviews2019
Dev: Mografi
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 9.2 hrs≥1hr: 72%
JENNY LECLUE is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet, mysteries and puzzles to solve across a vibrant, atmospheric world.
Why similar: Crime 20.8%, Detective 17.5%, Cinematic 16.3%, Mystery 14.9%, Female Protagonist 11.5%
- #50 She Sees Red - Interactive Movie
70% matchMostly Positive78% of 3,168 reviews2019
Dev: Rhinotales
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 3.2 hrs≥1hr: 75%
She Sees Red is a mature, hard-boiled interactive thriller. When someone is killed inside a nightclub, an experienced detective vows to put the murderer behind bars. Make choices that affect the narrative and experience several different endings in this blood-red interactive movie.
Why similar: Cinematic 26.3%, Female Protagonist 14.6%, Detective 14.3%, Choices Matter 12.1%, Story Rich 9.9%
- #51 Detective Ridelle
68% matchVery Positive99% of 90 reviews2024
Dev: PuzzLab
Windows
Detective Ridelle is a cozy murder mystery game featuring escape room style puzzles. Find clues, interrogate suspects, solve the mystery - before it's too late.
Why similar: Detective 22.6%, Investigation 19.6%, LGBTQ+ 18%, Mystery 17.5%, Female Protagonist 12.6%
- #52 Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
66% matchVery Positive94% of 3,222 reviews2024
Dev: SimogoPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 8.5 hrsMean: 12.7 hrs≥1hr: 82%
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: Mystery 32.5%, Female Protagonist 17%, Noir 14.3%, Story Rich 12%, Adventure 10.8%
- #53 Intruder In Antiquonia
69% matchVery Positive91% of 117 reviews2022
Dev: Aruma Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Intruder In Antiquonia is a narrative mystery adventure that will immerse you in the Internet-hostile town of Antiquonia. Sarah does not remember who she is and how she got there. Help her solve the mysteries of her past while exploring beautiful hand-drawn environments.
Why similar: Detective 18.1%, Investigation 17.7%, Mystery 16%, Female Protagonist 11.4%, Interactive Fiction 8.7%
- #54 The Inheritance of Crimson Manor
68% matchVery Positive88% of 940 reviews2022
Dev: MediaCity Games
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Explore a beautiful and Enigmatic Victorian Manor with a dark secret, In this gothic horror story first person exploration puzzle game filled with fine art, secret passages and mysterious mechanical puzzles playing as the executor of the last will from the enigmatic Railroad Magnate Hadley Strange.
Why similar: Mystery 20%, Walking Simulator 18.6%, Crime 18.6%, Investigation 13.9%, Story Rich 9.7%
- #55 Tokyo Detectives
70% matchMixed69% of 59 reviews2021
Dev: Rincho Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Detective Game. Murder Investigation. Interrogate witnesses. Rebut with evidence.
Why similar: Crime 22.6%, Investigation 22%, Detective 21.6%, Mystery 15.2%, Female Protagonist 9.7%
- #56 Chinatown Detective Agency
69% matchMostly Positive72% of 159 reviews2022
Dev: General Interactive Co.Pub: Balor Games
Windows · Mac
Chinatown Detective Agency is a cybernoir point and click adventure blending stunning retro design with innovative mechanics. Play as Amira Darma, an ex-cop who has just opened her own detective agency. Choose your clients, travel around the world and solve dangerous cases using real world research.
Why similar: Noir 20.9%, Crime 17.1%, Investigation 15.4%, Detective 14.7%, Mystery 10.8%
- #57 Murder at the Birch Tree Theater
65% matchVery Positive96% of 129 reviews2026
Dev: Crucible Juice Games
Windows · Mac
Uncover high drama in this whodunnit set in a small-town community theater. Gather clues by investigating the sets, casts and backstage crews of 10 theatrical productions, and piece together the story of each deadly crime.
Why similar: Noir 25.3%, Crime 17.4%, Mystery 14.8%, Detective 14.7%, Investigation 14.4%
- #58 Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer
64% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 1,354 reviews2025
Dev: Clifftop GamesPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 9.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
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: Noir 22.2%, Investigation 18.5%, Detective 16.1%, Mystery 14.1%, Female Protagonist 9.1%
- #59 Inspector Schmidt - A Bavarian Tale
67% matchMostly Positive78% of 411 reviews2023
Dev: Active Fungus Studios
Windows · Linux
In a third-person RPG detective story, set in Bavaria in 1866, the medical student Valentin Schmidt travels to Wolpertshofen, when a sudden death causes turmoil in the village. Use your skills, find clues and question the villagers to stop the murders.
Why similar: Crime 28.5%, Detective 15.8%, Mystery 13.4%, Investigation 13.1%, Historical 8.1%
- #60 The Centennial Case : A Shijima Story
67% matchMostly Positive80% of 1,127 reviews2022
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 15.1 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Unravel the mysteries of death, and find the answers to life.A unique Mystery-Adventure Game:The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story
Why similar: Mystery 17.4%, Historical 15%, Cinematic 14.7%, Detective 13.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 12.6%
