Best Detective Games

Based on critic scores and popularity, the top detective games right now are Batman: Arkham Knight, L.A. Noire, and Return of the Obra Dinn. The list updates every day as new games and reviews come in.

The best ones do not hold your hand. In The Case of the Golden Idol you piece together what happened from frozen scenes by filling in the missing names and motives, Shadows of Doubt drops you into a simulated city with real, procedurally generated cases, and Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One lets you accuse the wrong person if your deductions are off. For more games like these, check our Games Where Choices Matter list.

The Wolf Among Us is a gripping noir mystery set among fairy tale characters hiding in New York, Heavy Rain follows four people chasing the Origami Killer, and Kathy Rain is a classic point-and-click mystery set in the 90s. Nobody Wants to Die is a stylish noir thriller set in a future New York.

Yes, and they are some of the most unusual. The Danganronpa series mixes murder mysteries with deadly class trials, and AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initiative sends you into the dreams of witnesses to find the truth. More games in this style are in our Anime Games list.

Phasmophobia turns investigation into a co-op ghost hunt for up to four players - you gather evidence, figure out what kind of ghost you are dealing with and try to get out alive. For more games to play together, see our Co-op Games list.