- #1 Heavy Rain
97% matchVery Positive85% of 27,203 reviews2020
Dev: Quantic Dream
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns. The hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer. Four characters, each following their own leads, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim.
Why similar: Choices Matter 17.3%, Detective 15.1%, Cinematic 14.6%, Narration 13.3%, Crime 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: A foundational interactive thriller that excels at blending investigation with intense, character-driven drama.
- #2 Life is Strange: True Colors
96% matchVery Positive89% of 16,479 reviews2021
Dev: Deck NinePub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.6 hrsMean: 23.8 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: Choices Matter 22.4%, Choose Your Own Adventure 15.4%, Cinematic 12.8%, LGBTQ+ 11.7%, Story Rich 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: Developed by the same creative lineage, this game features a similar small-town setting and emotional, narrative-focused gameplay.
- #3 The Wolf Among Us
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 38,793 reviews2013
Dev: Telltale
Windows
Median: 9.3 hrsMean: 11.9 hrs≥1hr: 89%
From the makers of the 2012 Game of the Year: The Walking Dead, comes a thriller based on the award-winning Fables comic books. As Bigby Wolf you will discover that a brutal, bloody murder is just a taste of things to come in a game series where your every decision can have enormous consequences.
Why similar: Detective 31.6%, Choices Matter 16.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 15.3%, Story Rich 11.4%, Cinematic 11.3%
Why You'll Like It: This noir detective story features a compelling mystery and difficult moral choices that define the protagonist's journey.
- #4 Detroit: Become Human
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 236,046 reviews2020
Dev: Quantic Dream
Windows
Median: 11.3 hrsMean: 18.3 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Detroit: Become Human puts the destiny of both mankind and androids in your hands, taking you to a near future where machines have become more intelligent than humans. Every choice you make affects the outcome of the game, with one of the most intricately branching narratives ever created.
Why similar: Choices Matter 33.2%, Cinematic 31.2%, Story Rich 17.1%, Narration 7.3%, Third Person 5.3%
Why You'll Like It: This cinematic masterpiece offers deep branching narratives and high-stakes choices that mirror the impact of your decisions in Twin Mirror.
- #5 The Council
94% matchVery Positive84% of 5,581 reviews2018
Dev: Big Bad WolfPub: Focus Entertainment
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 17.4 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Experience a Narrative Adventure where your choices and character growth truly matter. As a member of a 1793 secret society, live a tale of intrigue and manipulation on the hunt for your missing mother.
Why similar: Detective 30.1%, Choices Matter 26.9%, Story Rich 11.7%, Mystery 10.5%, Choose Your Own Adventure 7%
Why You'll Like It: This narrative-driven adventure focuses heavily on social manipulation and investigation, perfect for fans of the detective elements in Twin Mirror.
- #6 As Dusk Falls
94% matchVery Positive91% of 4,052 reviews2022
Dev: INTERIOR/NIGHTPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 7.1 hrsMean: 10.5 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Explore the entangled lives of two families across thirty years in an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT. Starting in 1998 with a robbery-gone-wrong, the character's lives depend on the choices you make.
Why similar: Cinematic 21.5%, Crime 20.1%, Choices Matter 17%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13.2%, Mystery 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: An interactive drama that forces players to make split-second decisions that drastically alter the course of the story.
- #7 Tell Me Why
93% matchVery Positive82% of 15,326 reviews2020
Dev: DONTNOD EntertainmentPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 2.0 hrsMean: 16.0 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: Choices Matter 23.2%, Cinematic 17.2%, Story Rich 12.1%, Choose Your Own Adventure 11.8%, LGBTQ+ 10%
Why You'll Like It: Also from DON'T NOD, this game explores themes of memory and trauma within a small-town setting, much like Sam Higgs' journey.
- #8 Until Dawn™
92% matchVery Positive82% of 4,574 reviews2024
Dev: Ballistic MoonPub: PlayStation Publishing LLC
Windows
Median: 9.9 hrsMean: 20.9 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Rebuilt and enhanced for PC – Until Dawn invites you to relive the nightmare, and immerse yourself in a gripping slasher horror where every decision can make the difference between life and death.
Why similar: Choices Matter 22.7%, Interactive Fiction 16.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14.8%, Cinematic 13.4%, Third Person 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: A quintessential cinematic horror game where every choice can lead to drastically different outcomes for the cast.
- #9 Beyond: Two Souls
91% matchVery Positive88% of 39,194 reviews2020
Dev: Quantic Dream
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 10.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
A unique psychological action thriller delivered by A-list Hollywood performances by Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe, Beyond: Two Souls takes you on a thrilling journey across the globe as you play out the remarkable life of Jodie Holmes.
Why similar: Choices Matter 27.8%, Cinematic 26.5%, Story Rich 15.4%, Narration 9.6%, Adventure 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural psychological thriller that emphasizes cinematic presentation and the consequences of your actions.
- #10 Nobody Wants to Die
90% matchVery Positive84% of 6,506 reviews2024
Dev: Critical Hit GamesPub: PLAION
Windows
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 80%
Lose yourself in the dystopian world of New York, 2329; immortality comes at a price that someone has to pay. In this interactive noir story, lead the investigation using advanced technology, as Detective James Karra who risks it all in pursuit of a serial killer targeting the city’s elite.
Why similar: Detective 20.6%, Psychological 18.1%, Narration 16.2%, Interactive Fiction 14.7%, Choices Matter 11.1%
Why You'll Like It: A noir-inspired detective game that uses advanced technology to reconstruct crime scenes, echoing the Mind Palace mechanic.
- #11 Sherlock Holmes Chapter One
91% matchMostly Positive78% of 4,228 reviews2021
Dev: Frogwares
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 11.2 hrs≥1hr: 86%
In this story-driven detective thriller, a young Sherlock Holmes struggles to prove himself as he navigates an exotic, dangerous island in the Mediterranean to investigate the mystery of his mother’s death.
Why similar: Detective 22.3%, Crime 16.7%, Psychological 11.9%, Narration 10.6%, Choices Matter 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: Focuses on the investigative process and psychological deduction, allowing you to piece together clues in a way that feels rewarding.
- #12 Martha Is Dead
89% matchMostly Positive79% of 3,639 reviews2022
Dev: LKAPub: Wired Productions
Windows
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Set in 1944 Italy, Martha Is Dead is an award-winning dark psychological thriller where the lines between truth, superstition, and tragedy blur. Explore a haunting countryside, uncover disturbing memories, and peel back layers of mystery. Every choice shapes the nightmare…are you ready to face it?
Why similar: Psychological 26.7%, Cinematic 20%, Narration 18.8%, Mystery 10.3%, Story Rich 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological thriller that delves into trauma and mystery with a heavy emphasis on narrative atmosphere.
- #13 The Quarry
89% matchVery Positive82% of 22,220 reviews2022
Dev: Supermassive GamesPub: 2K Games
Windows
Median: 9.1 hrsMean: 20.3 hrs≥1hr: 82%
When the sun goes down on the last night of summer camp, nine teenage counselors are plunged into an unpredictable night of horror. The only thing worse than the blood-drenched locals and creatures hunting them are the unimaginable choices you must make to help them survive.
Why similar: Choices Matter 42.7%, Cinematic 33%, Story Rich 9.8%, Realistic 5.9%, Violent 3.9%
Why You'll Like It: This title offers a high-production, choice-heavy narrative experience that keeps the tension high throughout the investigation.
- #14 Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo
87% matchVery Positive82% of 998 reviews2021
Dev: Pendulo StudiosPub: Microids
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 9.7 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Can you trust your own mind? Immerse yourself in a psychological thriller of a new kind, playing with the limits between reality and fantasy. Freely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s universe.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 15.8%, Cinematic 15.5%, Detective 15.3%, Narration 13.5%, Psychological 13.4%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological thriller that mirrors the investigative and introspective themes found in Twin Mirror.
- #15 The Invincible
86% matchVery Positive89% of 9,176 reviews2023
Dev: Starward IndustriesPub: 11 bit studios
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 9.4 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Rethink human’s dominion in The Invincible: a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanisław Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that’s driven by science.
Why similar: Narration 22.3%, Interactive Fiction 21.7%, Choices Matter 21.1%, Mystery 15.4%, Story Rich 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-driven mystery set in a surreal environment that prioritizes discovery and atmospheric storytelling.
- #16 Telling Lies
88% matchMixed63% of 1,290 reviews2019
Dev: Sam BarlowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 83%
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: Detective 23.4%, Crime 20.9%, Interactive Fiction 15.9%, Mystery 11.8%, Realistic 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: A non-linear investigative experience where you must piece together a complex story by analyzing video clips.
- #17 Erica
86% matchMostly Positive78% of 1,713 reviews2021
Dev: Flavourworks
Windows
Median: 2.1 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 74%
Erica is a live-action, FMV thriller that puts you directly at the heart of the mystery. Your choices, your consequences.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.5%, Detective 15.9%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14%, Choices Matter 13%, Crime 12.5%
Why You'll Like It: An interactive live-action thriller that keeps you engaged through constant decision-making and mystery-solving.
- #18 Call of Cthulhu®
85% matchMostly Positive79% of 13,295 reviews2018
Dev: Cyanide StudioPub: Focus Entertainment
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 7.3 hrs≥1hr: 87%
1924. Private Investigator Pierce is sent to look into the tragic death of the Hawkins family. Plunge into a world of creeping madness and cosmic horror. Cryptic clues, shadowy figures, and pure terror bar your way as you fight to retain your sanity and solve an otherworldly mystery.
Why similar: Detective 40.3%, Narration 15.5%, Mystery 14.2%, Story Rich 13.3%, Choices Matter 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: Combines investigative gameplay with psychological horror, forcing players to question their own sanity while solving a mystery.
- #19 Late Shift
84% matchVery Positive86% of 9,107 reviews2017
Dev: CtrlMoviePub: Wales Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 7.1 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Late Shift is a high stakes FMV crime thriller. Forced into a brutal London heist, your choices matter in this interactive cinematic experience with adaptable storylines that lead to one of seven conclusions. Your decisions are you.
Why similar: Choices Matter 28%, Choose Your Own Adventure 19.7%, Interactive Fiction 18%, Crime 13.3%, Story Rich 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A high-stakes FMV thriller that relies entirely on player choices to navigate a complex criminal conspiracy.
- #20 Murdered: Soul Suspect
84% matchVery Positive86% of 17,132 reviews2014
Dev: Airtight GamesPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 8.2 hrs≥1hr: 91%
MURDERED: SOUL SUSPECT™ takes players into a whole new realm of mystery where the case is personal and the clues just out of reach, challenging gamers to solve the hardest case of all… their own murder.
Why similar: Detective 48.6%, Crime 18.4%, Mystery 12.9%, Third Person 7.8%, Story Rich 6.3%
Why You'll Like It: Features a unique detective perspective where you must solve your own murder using supernatural abilities.
- #21 Life is Strange: Double Exposure
82% matchMixed69% of 9,290 reviews2024
Dev: Deck Nine GamesPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 13.2 hrsMean: 16.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
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: Choices Matter 21.6%, Choose Your Own Adventure 15.7%, LGBTQ+ 13.4%, Cinematic 11.1%, Story Rich 10.6%
Why You'll Like It: Continues the narrative-heavy, choice-driven tradition of the series with a focus on supernatural investigation.
- #22 Tails Noir
83% matchMixed67% of 3,357 reviews2021
Dev: EggnutPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 63%
Tails Noir is a post-noir narrative adventure. Become raccoon private eye Howard Lotor and explore dystopian Vancouver inhabited by animals as you uncover a deeply personal story of change and transformation.
Why similar: Detective 29.5%, Cinematic 21.5%, Interactive Fiction 21%, Mystery 12.5%, Story Rich 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: A stylish, atmospheric noir detective game that focuses on dialogue and uncovering a dystopian conspiracy.
- #23 The Sinking City Remastered
82% matchMostly Positive76% of 5,182 reviews2021
Dev: Frogwares
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Powered by Unreal Engine 5, The Sinking City Remastered brings the eerie, atmospheric world of Oakmont back to life with enhanced gameplay and fully relit environments, perfect for both newcomers and returning players.
Why similar: Detective 30.1%, Narration 19%, Choices Matter 15%, Third Person 12%, Story Rich 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: An open-world investigation game that leans into psychological dread and uncovering deep-seated town secrets.
- #24 Firewatch
81% matchVery Positive91% of 96,852 reviews2016
Dev: Campo SantoPub: Panic
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 13.5 hrs≥1hr: 87%
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 36.5%, Story Rich 34.7%, Adventure 15.3%, Drama 10.6%, Singleplayer 2.9%
Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in environmental storytelling and mystery, focusing on the relationship between characters in an isolated setting.
- #25 What Remains of Edith Finch
81% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 49,863 reviews2017
Dev: Giant SparrowPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 2.6 hrsMean: 6.4 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: Story Rich 35.5%, Narration 25.2%, Mystery 23.4%, Drama 7.7%, Adventure 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: An evocative narrative exploration game that uncovers the dark, tragic history of a family through interactive vignettes.
- #26 Life is Strange: Reunion
77% matchVery Positive92% of 2,457 reviews2026
Dev: Deck Nine GamesPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 6.8 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 87%
The saga of Max and Chloe, and the fate of Caledon, is yours to decide! Play as both Max and Chloe as an all-new story builds towards an epic climax. The fire will force Max and Chloe to make devastating decisions. Can they find a future together… Before everything burns?
Why similar: Cinematic 21.3%, Choices Matter 15.9%, Choose Your Own Adventure 15%, LGBTQ+ 11.8%, Third Person 9.7%
- #27 The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
80% matchVery Positive88% of 8,931 reviews2014
Dev: The Astronauts
Windows
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 54.8%, Mystery 27.1%, Story Rich 11.3%, Adventure 5.5%, Singleplayer 1.2%
Why You'll Like It: A beautiful detective game that uses supernatural elements to help the player reconstruct past events at a crime scene.
- #28 Oxenfree
79% matchVery Positive91% of 12,023 reviews2016
Dev: Night School Studio
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 5.3 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift. You are Alex, and you’ve just brought your new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight island party gone horribly wrong.
Why similar: Choices Matter 38.7%, Story Rich 28.8%, Mystery 23.8%, Adventure 7.3%, Singleplayer 1.4%
Why You'll Like It: A dialogue-heavy supernatural mystery where your choices and relationships with other characters drive the narrative forward.
- #29 This Bed We Made
77% matchVery Positive91% of 2,983 reviews2023
Dev: Lowbirth Games
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 87%
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: Crime 15.2%, Cinematic 14.4%, Detective 14%, Mystery 10.5%, Interactive Fiction 8.6%
- #30 Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
76% matchVery Positive86% of 5,787 reviews2025
Dev: DON'T NOD
Windows
Median: 11.2 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: Choices Matter 16.5%, Cinematic 14.7%, Interactive Fiction 14.4%, Psychological 14.2%, Mystery 10.7%
- #31 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
79% matchMostly Positive77% of 13,275 reviews2019
Dev: Supermassive GamesPub: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 8.6 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of stand-alone, branching cinematic horror games that can also be played online with a friend. In Man of Medan, five friends set sail on a holiday diving trip that soon changes into something much more sinister.
Why similar: Choices Matter 39.9%, Cinematic 30.8%, Story Rich 10.6%, Adventure 6.4%, Violent 5.6%
Why You'll Like It: A cinematic, choice-driven experience that emphasizes the survival of its characters through branching narrative paths.
- #32 Tacoma
78% matchVery Positive86% of 4,721 reviews2017
Dev: Fullbright
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 4.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure from the creators of Gone Home. Set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088, explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.
Why similar: Story Rich 37.9%, Mystery 28.6%, Adventure 16.1%, LGBTQ+ 14.9%, Singleplayer 2.4%
Why You'll Like It: A narrative-focused game where you uncover the truth of a space station's past by interacting with recorded holographic memories.
- #33 Gone Home
78% matchMostly Positive77% of 18,234 reviews2013
Dev: Fullbright
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 4.3 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: Story Rich 27.4%, LGBTQ+ 26.7%, Interactive Fiction 16%, Mystery 11.1%, Narration 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: A foundational title for environmental storytelling that tasks you with uncovering the secrets of an empty house.
- #34 Syberia: The World Before
75% matchVery Positive90% of 4,837 reviews2022
Dev: Microids Studio ParisPub: Microids
Windows
Median: 6.3 hrsMean: 9.5 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Embark on a quest for identity through time, as you piece together the puzzle of two lives.
Why similar: Detective 20.3%, Cinematic 17.9%, Narration 15.9%, Mystery 10.6%, Story Rich 8.8%
- #35 Rainswept
76% matchVery Positive87% of 301 reviews2019
Dev: Frostwood Interactive
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 7.5 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: Detective 22.3%, Crime 22%, Interactive Fiction 16.6%, Psychological 11.9%, Cinematic 8.2%
- #36 Kona II: Brume
73% matchVery Positive83% of 491 reviews2023
Dev: ParabolePub: Ravenscourt
Windows · Linux
Median: 7.1 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Northern Québec, 1970. A bizarre mist —the Brume— is disconnecting a rural mining village from its quiet reality. Step into the shoes of Detective Carl Faubert as he unfolds the mysteries haunting the region while battling for his own survival.
Why similar: Detective 24.3%, Narration 19.6%, Interactive Fiction 16.4%, Mystery 13.1%, Story Rich 8.6%
- #37 Dahlia View
74% matchVery Positive85% of 358 reviews2021
Dev: White Paper Games
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 9.1 hrs≥1hr: 58%
A child is missing. The police are failing. And you're a retired detective with a bit too much time on your hands. Time to throw out the rules & do whatever it takes to bring the child home. From the developers of I AM RIPPER, The Occupation & Ether One.
Why similar: Detective 22.2%, Cinematic 18.4%, Interactive Fiction 11.7%, Narration 10.7%, Mystery 8.2%
- #38 Virginia
75% matchMixed64% of 3,351 reviews2016
Dev: Variable StatePub: 505 Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 5.3 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 25.9%, Cinematic 20.5%, Psychological 16.2%, Interactive Fiction 12.7%, Mystery 11.9%
- #39 The Shapeshifting Detective
74% matchMostly Positive77% of 1,677 reviews2018
Dev: D'Avekki Studios LtdPub: Wales Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.2 hrsMean: 5.7 hrs≥1hr: 92%
The Shapeshifting Detective is a supernatural murder mystery FMV game where you play as a detective who can shapeshift into other characters, allowing you to unlock secret conversations and private encounters.
Why similar: Detective 45.2%, Choices Matter 22%, Mystery 12.9%, Adventure 9%, Story Rich 7.8%
- #40 State of Mind
73% matchMostly Positive78% of 2,268 reviews2018
Dev: Daedalic Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 7.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
State of Mind is a futuristic thriller game delving into transhumanism. The game explores themes of separation, disjuncture and reunification, in a world that is torn between a dystopian material reality and a utopian virtual future.
Why similar: Story Rich 34.1%, Interactive Fiction 22.2%, Third Person 16.3%, Adventure 14.4%, Drama 9.4%
- #41 Love Shore
72% matchMixed70% of 76 reviews2023
Dev: Perfect Garbage
Windows · Mac · Linux
Play as Sam or Farah as they attempt to navigate the neon thrills of their cyberpunk city Love Shore, solve murders, fight gods and maybe fall in love.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 18.9%, Cinematic 17.2%, Choices Matter 15.4%, Crime 13.7%, Narration 13.3%
- #42 I Saw Black Clouds
73% matchMixed62% of 633 reviews2021
Dev: Ghost Dog FilmsPub: Wales Interactive
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 81%
After the unexpected death of a close friend, Kristina returns to her hometown looking for answers, only to unearth a string of dark secrets. I Saw Black Clouds is an interactive psychological thriller with supernatural elements and branching storylines.
Why similar: Psychological 21.7%, Cinematic 17.6%, Choices Matter 14.4%, Interactive Fiction 14.2%, Choose Your Own Adventure 11.9%
- #43 Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
72% matchMostly Positive80% of 14,245 reviews2016
Dev: Frogwares
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Experience a fantastic adventure with unique gameplay that blends investigation, action and exploration in a breath-taking thriller that will test the limits of your nerves and intelligence. Play as the great detective and track down evil in the darkest corners of London and the human soul…
Why similar: Detective 28.6%, Crime 22%, Mystery 11.7%, Choices Matter 10.3%, Third Person 9.6%
- #44 Eternal Threads
70% matchVery Positive86% of 817 reviews2022
Dev: Cosmonaut StudiosPub: Secret Mode
Windows
Median: 2.0 hrsMean: 7.8 hrs≥1hr: 58%
Eternal Threads is a single-player, first-person story-driven puzzle game of time manipulation, choice and consequence.
Why similar: Detective 25.5%, Interactive Fiction 19.2%, Choices Matter 15.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14%, Mystery 11.8%
- #45 Road 96: Mile 0
70% matchMixed68% of 1,995 reviews2023
Dev: Digixart
Windows
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 4.9 hrs≥1hr: 67%
The prequel to Road 96. Play Zoe and Kaito where it all started. Change their destinies!
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 30.8%, Choose Your Own Adventure 23.5%, Choices Matter 21%, Story Rich 11.8%, 3D 7.9%
- #46 Burn Me Twice
71% matchVery Positive82% of 266 reviews2020
Dev: Null Reference Studio
Windows
A narrative adventure that combines the exploration and investigation of the enigmatic town of Düstenburg and its people, with trials that test your knowledge about the case.
Why similar: Detective 21.8%, Narration 18.7%, Interactive Fiction 16.4%, Cinematic 13.8%, Mystery 9.7%
- #47 The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
71% matchMixed55% of 5,741 reviews2022
Dev: Supermassive GamesPub: Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A group of documentary film makers receive a mysterious call inviting them to a modern-day replica of serial killer H.H. Holmes ‘Murder Castle’. But on arrival they soon discover they’re being watched, and even manipulated, and suddenly there is much more at stake than just their ratings…
Why similar: Narration 14.8%, Choices Matter 14.4%, Crime 13.8%, Psychological 12.2%, Cinematic 9.5%
- #48 Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
68% matchVery Positive83% of 2,656 reviews2023
Dev: Frogwares
Windows
Median: 3.8 hrsMean: 9.1 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Experience a nerve-racking Lovecraftian adventure, rebuilt from the ground up with modern graphics and gameplay. Become Sherlock Holmes, and find yourself at the heart of the terrifying Cthulhu Mythos as you investigate a series of mysterious disappearances in Europe and the US.
Why similar: Detective 29.7%, Narration 19%, Choices Matter 14.2%, Mystery 13.2%, Story Rich 10.3%
- #49 SIMULACRA
70% matchVery Positive90% of 4,596 reviews2017
Dev: Kaigan Games OÜ
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 71%
An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.
Why similar: Detective 32.3%, Psychological 19.6%, Choices Matter 16.9%, Mystery 11.1%, Story Rich 10%
- #50 Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina)
67% matchVery Positive91% of 185 reviews2024
Dev: Unreliable Narrators
Windows
Explore 17th century Canadian wilderness through the eyes of Jeanne, a French woman who crossed the Atlantic to start anew and Maikan, an Innu hunter trying to discover what’s disturbing the forest. Your choices will shape the traits of the protagonists in this narrative single-player experience.
Why similar: Narration 19.5%, Interactive Fiction 17.2%, Cinematic 16%, Choose Your Own Adventure 11.7%, Choices Matter 11.3%
- #51 Until Then
65% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 15,382 reviews2024
Dev: Polychroma GamesPub: Maximum Entertainment
Windows · Linux
Median: 7.6 hrsMean: 11.4 hrs≥1hr: 80%
A fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark's life. People disappear and memories prove unreliable. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it's too late.
Why similar: Psychological 26.4%, Interactive Fiction 26.1%, Story Rich 14%, Drama 11.7%, Mystery 11%
- #52 New Tales from the Borderlands
71% matchMostly Negative32% of 2,051 reviews2022
Dev: Gearbox SoftwarePub: 2K
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 20.8 hrs≥1hr: 66%
Decide the fates of altruistic scientist Anu, her ambitious, "streetwise" brother Octavio, and the fierce, frogurt-slinging Fran. Claw and con your way through five thrilling chapters!
Why similar: Cinematic 24.6%, Interactive Fiction 22.5%, Choices Matter 18.8%, Choose Your Own Adventure 17.1%, Violent 7.8%
- #53 Blake: The Visual Novel
69% matchVery Positive90% of 62 reviews2021
Dev: Ori MeesPub: LegendOri Productions
Windows · Mac
Graphic Novel meets Visual Novel in this story-rich, choice-driven thriller. Experience Blake’s journey as he encounters a clandestine nemesis, sparking a series of events that force him to choose between losing his sanity or rising to the challenge. Make the right decisions and save New Stone.
Why similar: Detective 20.6%, Interactive Fiction 17.6%, Crime 13.9%, Choose Your Own Adventure 13%, Choices Matter 11.8%
- #54 The Signifier Director's Cut
69% matchVery Positive80% of 333 reviews2020
Dev: PlaymestudioPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 89%
This story-driven adventure follows a mystery of death and despair from reality into the surreal realms of objective memories and subjective experiences. Search the mind, solve puzzles, and unravel the dark truth in this psychological thriller.
Why similar: Choices Matter 28.5%, Psychological 21.9%, Mystery 20.4%, Story Rich 15.9%, Violent 6.3%
- #55 Tron: Identity
68% matchMostly Positive79% of 290 reviews2023
Dev: Bithell Games
Windows · Mac
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 30.8%, Choices Matter 17.8%, Choose Your Own Adventure 14.4%, Mystery 13.9%, Story Rich 8.5%
- #56 Saint Kotar
69% matchMostly Positive75% of 277 reviews2021
Dev: The-Mark EntertainmentPub: SOEDESCO
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Saint Kotar is a psychological horror detective game set in a cursed valley in rural Croatia. Investigate the disappearance of your relative in the occult-ridden town of Sveti Kotar as you switch between conflicting realities through the eyes of two godly men.
Why similar: Detective 25.4%, Psychological 19.4%, Interactive Fiction 17.3%, Choices Matter 15.1%, Mystery 10%
- #57 OXENFREE II: Lost Signals
66% matchVery Positive88% of 2,044 reviews2023
Dev: Night School StudioPub: Netflix
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.9 hrsMean: 11.4 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Five years after the events of OXENFREE, Riley returns to her hometown of Camena to investigate mysterious radio signals. What she finds is more than she bargained for.
Why similar: Interactive Fiction 25.2%, Choices Matter 18.7%, Choose Your Own Adventure 18.6%, Mystery 17.4%, Story Rich 12.7%
- #58 The Medium
67% matchVery Positive89% of 9,813 reviews2021
Dev: Bloober TeamPub: Bloober Team SA
Windows · Mac
Median: 7.5 hrsMean: 13.5 hrs≥1hr: 83%
A third‑person psychological horror game where you explore both the real world and the spirit realm. As a medium drawn to a deserted resort, you’ll uncover dark secrets, confront echoes of trauma, and face the consequences of seeing more than one truth.
Why similar: Psychological 30.8%, Third Person 21.8%, Adventure 19.1%, Story Rich 17.5%, Violent 9.1%
- #59 Road 96 🛣️
66% matchVery Positive92% of 24,497 reviews2021
Dev: DigixartPub: THQ Nordic
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 7.4 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Hitchhike your way to freedom in this crazy procedurally generated road trip. No one's road is the same!
Why similar: Narration 24.4%, Choices Matter 21.8%, Interactive Fiction 18%, Choose Your Own Adventure 16.1%, Story Rich 12.9%
- #60 Dustborn
66% matchMixed67% of 635 reviews2024
Dev: Red Thread GamesPub: Spotlight by Quantic Dream
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.9 hrsMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 64%
Ragtag crew? Check. Musical gear? Check. Tour bus and robot driver? Check. Stolen package? Check! Embark on a perilous road-trip across a Divided States of America. Use the power of words to shape relationships with your crew, get out of trouble and reach your final destination.
Why similar: Choices Matter 27.3%, LGBTQ+ 18.5%, Story Rich 17%, Third Person 15.9%, Drama 12.3%
