Crime investigation games on PC. The best detective games. Agent: Special Assignment

Games in the detective genre are released quite rarely. However, true fans of the genre always have plenty to choose from. But what are the best detective video games? We have compiled our TOP, consisting of two parts.

20. Shadow of Memories

Developed in 2002 KSET.

This is a forgotten game from Konami will have you traveling between time periods, trying to unravel the mystery of why someone keeps killing you, and why you keep waking up unharmed. A strange game with some very interesting ideas.

19. The Wolf Among Us

Developed in 2013 Telltale Games.

Based on the comic book series by Bill Willingham, an episodic adventure from Telltale has a strong film noir feel. The action takes place in a world where fairy tale characters are real and secretly live in New York.

18. KGB

Developed in 1992 Cryo Interactive.

Here you are working in the bowels of the KGB at the end of the Cold War, trying to root out corruption. A very different detective story in some moments, cruel and very difficult. You have been warned.

17. Deadly Premonition

Developed in 2013 AccessGames.

Taking its inspiration from David Lynch's cult series Twin Peaks, the game is one of the strangest on PC. This is the story of an FBI agent searching for a serial killer in a small American town. You will have limited time to investigate crimes and interview some rather strange citizens. It's a quirky, broken game with a distinctly Japanese sense of humor.

16. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

Developed in 1993 Sierra Entertainment.

Another classic 90's adventure. The city in the game is New Orleans, which is not often featured in other games. Knight investigates a series of voodoo-style murders. He's not a detective - he's the author of a book - but that doesn't stop him from examining crime scenes and interrogating suspects. The knight is voiced by Tim Curry. An updated version of the game was released in Steam in 2014.

15. Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon

Developed in 1994 Access Software.

With its sleazy jazz soundtrack, grungy monologues, and the fact that the main character wears a cape, the game is a throwback to Film Noir - but in 2042. Murphy, caught in a drunken environment, ends up on the wrong side of a doomsday cult.

14. Sam & Max Hit the Road

Developed in 1993 LucasArts.

This adventure is one of the projects "Lucasarts", most players remember him fondly, and with good reason. Detectives Sam (the dog) and Max (the rabbit) are going to track down the Bigfoot who disappeared from the carnival. If they are adopted in the USA, the matter will take on a genuinely funny look.

13. The Shivah

Developed in 2006 WadjetEyeGames.

The funny thing is that one of the best detective games on PC was created by a lone developer. Shiva was designed by Dave Gilbert. The peculiarities of his character are that he is a grumpy middle-aged rabbi. The game is short, but the lack of hand-holding in it stands out. A former synagogue member has been murdered under mysterious circumstances, and he takes the case himself to solve the mystery. It's a mature story that deals with issues of faith and morality, but there are a few jokes thrown in too.

12. Condemned: Criminal Origins

Developed in 2005 Monolith Productions.

This horror game features a protagonist who investigates both crimes in a CSI style and kills drug addicts with steel pipes. But the early sections are reminiscent Seven's grisly crimes.

11. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Developed in 2014 The Astronauts.

In this indie game, you will be Paul Prospero, a private detective with supernatural powers. He is able to travel back in time to a crime scene and examine the evidence. He uses his powers to uncover the dark, secret crimes that haunt the disarmingly beautiful and eerily empty Red Creek Valley.

Read the continuation of the top.

Welcome to the world of mystical secrets and investigations.

From battered and unsociable alcoholic private detectives to naive newbie enthusiasts, meet the best detective games for PC with the most interesting protagonists.

Release year: 2014 | Developer: Frogwares | Buy

Frogwares had been releasing Sherlock Holmes games for several years before, but this one was a definite hit. This is one of the few games that makes you feel like a real detective. Evidence scattered throughout detailed crime scenes can be pieced together into a single picture in Sherlock's head, but there is no guarantee that this picture will be correct. This is elegant and made in the spirit of the famous British TV series. The only thing that spoils the impression a little is the strange approach to creating puzzles and riddles, but overall we have one of the best representatives of the genre.

Release year: 2016 | Developer: Spike Chunsoft | Buy

A group of students are invited to attend an elite school called Hope's Peak Academy, where they become pawns in a sinister, deadly game. Locked in a school with the mysterious villain Monokuma, they learn that the only way to escape (or "graduate") is to kill another student. And when the heroes begin to die one after another, you have to find out whose hands it was - to do this you will have to look for evidence, interview witnesses and bring charges. But if you call an innocent person a murderer, then everyone will die in the end.

Release year: 2011 | Developer: Team Bondi | Buy

Inspired by pulp detective stories and hundreds of old noir films, this crime thriller was an unexpected step away from Rockstar's usual open world concept. It's a slow-paced game of methodically examining clues and conducting investigations in a vibrant 1940s Los Angeles setting. The city is not like those we saw in GTA; it's more like a film set where scenes of serial murders quickly give way to car thefts. The game is more linear than it seems at first glance, but its undoubted advantages include a rich atmosphere and really interesting cases to investigate.

Release year: 2015 | Developer: Sam Barlow | Buy

Her Story is interesting because the versions of all the participants in the events are strikingly different from each other. You have to go through a non-linear path in trying to solve the mystery, while watching an archive of videos - after each of them the story becomes a little more clear. This unique structure, combined with realistic footage of police interrogations, makes the action truly believable. And trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together can bring out the detective in any of us.

Release year: 1996 | Developer: Revolution Software | Buy

An American lawyer vacationing in Paris begins an investigation into a cafe explosion that claimed several lives. The first part of Broken Sword is still considered the best, because it elegantly combines real history with fictional cults and conspiracy theories. George Stobbart is proof that a real detective doesn't need a badge or a gun.

Release year: 1993 | Developer: Sierra Entertainment | Buy

Sierra's Police Quest series traditionally features us as a cop, while Open Season puts us in the role of a detective investigating a series of murders. The action takes place in Los Angeles in the 90s, and this is probably the most realistic game on this list, since it recreates the protocol of detectives at a crime scene and all subsequent procedures. Overall the game wasn't the most memorable, but at least it was a pretty interesting attempt.

Release year: 1999 | Developer: Perfect Entertainment | Download

Based on the Discworld comic book series by Terry Pratchett, this mixture of detective stories has a truly British sense of humor. The rainy and gloomy city of Ankh-Morpork came out surprisingly atmospheric, and the game manages to be both a successful parody and a respectful homage to noir detectives.

Orwell: Keeping an Eye On You

Release year: 2016 | Developer: Osmotic Studios | Buy

Detectives do not always act as positive characters. For example, in this game you control an agent of a totalitarian government who monitors the personal correspondence, social network profiles and email of hundreds of citizens. No right to anonymity.

Release year: 1998 | Developer: LucasArts | Buy

Grim Fandango, set in the world of the dead, introduces sales agent Manny Calavera, who finds himself at the center of a dark intrigue. Strictly speaking, this is not a detective game, but its visual style and atmosphere smacks of noir so much that it could not be included in this list - besides, by investigating this intrigue, you willy-nilly reveal the makings of a detective in yourself.

Release year: 1994 | Developer: Access Software | Buy

Lazy jazz, melancholic monologues and a main character sporting a long trenchcoat make no mistake: Under a Killing Moon was inspired by classic detective stories, but its action takes place in San Francisco in 2042. Murphy, a private detective and big drinker, suddenly realizes that he has crossed the path of an extremely aggressive cult.

Release year: 2011 | Developer: Joshua Nuernberger | Buy

The events of this cyberpunk adventure take place in the distant future on a distant planet somewhere in the constellation Gemini. The urban landscapes in which the main character Asriel Odin is trying to find his missing brother immediately give rise to associations with Blade Runner. There are two playable characters here, whose stories eventually come together.

Kona

Release year: 2017 | Developer: Parabole | Buy

Private detective Carl Faubert arrives in a snowy town in northern Quebec to discover that all its inhabitants have mysteriously disappeared. In this atmospheric game, adventure is mixed with, and although the emphasis here is not on the detective component, the investigation of the mystical mystery turned out to be extremely entertaining.

Release year: 1997 | Developer: Westwood Studios | Download

The point-and-click adventure perfectly captures the mood of Ridley Scott's classic science fiction. Playing as rookie detective Ray McCoy, you'll be tasked with tracking down a group of replicants. The story follows the events of the film in many places, but McCoy, unlike Deckard, is deeper into the investigation. You'll spend most of your time on the rainy streets of futuristic Los Angeles searching for clues. There is also a well-realized element of surprise here - in each new playthrough, a different character becomes a replicant, and even Ray is not immune from this.

Release year: 1993 | Developer: LucasArts | Buy

This adventure game from LucasArts is most often remembered when talking about the studio. Its main characters are freelance detectives Sam (dog) and Max (rabbit), who are investigating the disappearance of Bigfoot from a carnival. During their adventure, they will visit all corners of the United States, getting into one interesting story after another.

Release year: 1997 | Developer: Smoking Car Productions | Buy

Set on the Orient Express in 1914, The Last Express is a superb crime thriller with a unique real-time system. You are given a limited time to investigate all the mystical events, which include the brutal murder of one of the passengers (by the way, a friend of the main character). We haven't seen anything like this since the release of this game.

Release year: 2005 | Developer: Quantic Dream | Buy

Before the plot gets into supernatural territory halfway through the story, Fahrenheit (released in North America as Indigo Prophecy) is a tense and entertaining thriller. The very first scene, in which you need to hide evidence at a crime scene as one character, and then, playing as another, try to find it, is simply incomparable. Overall, the game suffers from too much genre juggling and a weak story, but it's worth playing through for some standout moments.

Release year: 1993 | Developer: Sierra Entertainment | Buy

Another classic adventure game from the '90s takes us to a city rarely seen in games: New Orleans. Knight investigates a series of murders linked to a voodoo cult. He is not a detective, but just a writer collecting information for his book, but this does not stop him from studying crime scenes and interrogating suspects in search of the truth. Sins of the Fathers was inspired by the brilliant neo-noir Angel Heart by Alan Parker, which raised similar themes.

Release year: 2010 | Developer: Access Games | Buy

Inspired by David Lynch's iconic Twin Peaks series, this is one of the strangest games on PC. It tells the story of an FBI agent hunting a serial killer in a small American town, and the game's unique mechanics allow you to study crime scenes and interview witnesses for a limited time.

Release year: 2017 | Developer: Spooky Doorway | Buy

For games of the point-and-click genre, a huge number of interesting references has already become traditional, but here it is supplemented by an excellent script and great characters. You play as Francis McQueen, who, along with his partner Dooley, investigates cases related to paranormal phenomena. Ben Prunty, responsible for the music in FTL, once again pleases us with an authentic soundtrack.

Release year: 2014 | Developer: The Astronauts | Buy

In this atmospheric indie game we control Paul Prospero, a private detective with supernatural powers. He is able to visualize the events that occurred at crime scenes and uses these powers to uncover the secrets that the peaceful Red Creek Valley holds.

Release year: 2015 | Developer: CD Projekt RED | Buy

Geralt of Rivia is essentially a fantasy detective who begins most of his quests by using his instincts to find clues. And his gloomy voice and unsociability make him similar to classic heroes from noir films. And, like any cop, he investigates murders, fights corruption and searches for traitors.

Release year: 2005 | Developer: Monolith Productions | Buy

This dark and greatly underrated horror is notable primarily for its main character, who solves crimes with the help of high-tech gadgets, while beating drug addicts with a steel pipe. Towards the end of the game, the investigations fade into the background, but the crime scenes from the very beginning are in many ways reminiscent of the film "Seven".

Release year: 2006 | Developer: Wadjet Eye Games | Buy

The Shivah was created by Wadjet Eye's Dave Gilbert, who decided to make a middle-aged rabbi the main character of the game. It cannot boast of a long duration, but it is notable for the fact that it does not lead the player by the hand through the plot. The story begins with a former synagogue member dying under very mysterious circumstances (as usual), and the main character decides to find out the cause of death. This is an adult story that raises questions of faith and morality, but also has room for humor. Be sure to look under the name Kosher Edition.

Release year: 2013 | Developer: Telltale Games | Buy

Based on the Tales comics by Bill Willingham, this episodic adventure from Telltale is every bit a film noir. The action takes place in a world in which fairy tale characters live and hide in New York. And the main character Bigby Wolf becomes embroiled in a mystical conspiracy after he discovers the severed head of a girl on his doorstep.

KGB

Release year: 1992 | Developer: Cryo Interactive | Download

It's time to take a little break from noir. This old game, which was published on CD-ROM under the name Conspiracy, asked us to penetrate the bowels of the KGB at the end of the Cold War and try to destroy it from the inside. A rather unexpected take on the detective genre, making the game incredibly challenging. We've warned you.

Release year: 2002 | Developer: KCET | Download

This forgotten Konami game (called Shadow of Destiny in North America) has you jumping between multiple time periods as you try to figure out who keeps killing you and why you keep coming back to life. It's a quirky and quirky game with some pretty interesting ideas.

Detective games are not like the usual action game genres. Here the player will need his ability to be ingenious and solve puzzles. The ending of gamer detective stories is sometimes very difficult to predict. This is what captivates and attracts users.

Gamers are presented with detective games on PC- list of the best.

10.

The top ten detective games for the computer opens with an adventure quest from Activision ““. The game is the seventh in the Call of Duty series. The main character, secret service agent Konstantin Gromov, is sent to the southern city to investigate the case of the disappearance of a criminal authority. The gamer will have to gain confidence in the gangster groups that control the drug trade in the city. The information collected by the agent puts his own life at risk if declassified. The game is considered one of the most successful in the gaming industry.

9.

The detective game is in ninth position. The game takes place in Russia. The main character is American private detective Archie Burrell. Fed up with the pleasures of his native country, a wealthy detective decides to look for exotic things in the Russian expanses. His adventures begin on the train, where he meets a charming blonde. He finds himself handcuffed and penniless. Archie will have to uncover a group of scammers that left him without capital. At the same time, the hero will have to go on the trail of a major spy. Having returned all his money and solved the crime, the detective rushes into the abyss of erotic pleasures in a foreign land and gambles.

8.

Eighth place in the list of the best detective games on PC goes to Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express. At the center of the events is one of the best detectives of all time - Ecule Poirot. Financial magnate Samuel Ratchet asks the detective to become his personal bodyguard. Poirot refuses, and that same night Ratchet, who was traveling on the Orient Express, is murdered. The detective will have to take part in yet another unraveling of a mysterious murder. There will be no well-known ending based on Agatha Christie's novel. The developer has provided several alternative endings for those who are familiar with the writer’s work.

7.

The seventh position in the ranking of the best detective games on PC is occupied by a quest from the Airtight Games studio. The action takes place in the small town of Sailem. The main character of the game, detective Ronan O'Connor, is killed by a local criminal, the Beller. The detective's restless soul begins an investigation into his own murder. Otherwise, the detective will face an unenviable fate - to remain on earth forever in the guise of a demon. The gamer will have to investigate crime scenes, go through walls, and read the thoughts of other characters.

6.

In sixth place among the best games is a gaming detective. The user here will have to play alternately as two characters - journalist Paloma Hernandez and FBI agent Victoria McPherson. The bloody serial killer continues to commit his atrocities. Young girls are disappearing in the city again, and after that the maniac sends video materials about the details of violence and death to the journalist. Paloma is investigating the murders and calls Victoria for help. Soon the psychopath kidnaps Paloma, who tries to escape from him. Victoria has to figure out and catch the killer.

5.

The fifth place among the best detective games on PC is occupied by. The gamer will find himself in the 40s, in Hollywood. The main character for whom the user will have to conduct investigations is a Los Angeles police detective. The hero will have to fight the thriving drug business and corruption. The growing crime took root among his colleagues. The meticulous policeman will have to unravel brutal murder plots step by step, and in the end he will get to the solution to the most hidden secrets of the criminal world.

4.

In fourth place is the detective game. At the center of the investigation is the universally recognizable Sherlock Holmes. The detective receives a letter from the bishop, in which he asks to visit him. Arriving at the bishop, Holmes finds him murdered. The detective and his partner Watson begin an investigation. But a few days later, the police discover evidence implicating Holmes in the murder. The hero has no choice but to hide from justice and find evidence that speaks in his favor. The next serial game will delight gamers with new and more exciting puzzles.

3.

The top three detective games on PC open. The shooter will reveal to gamers the gangster secrets of New York. The main character Max Payne is a former police officer who turned out to be an outlaw. He receives information about the criminals who killed his family several years ago. Max is overwhelmed with a sense of revenge and he rushes in pursuit of the killers. In addition to trivial shootings, the player will find a lot of acrobatic stunts.

2.

In second place among detective games is. In the next part, the main character is still lawyer Phoenix. The actions taking place in the virtual world are divided into two parts. In the first, an investigation takes place, during which the gamer collects all the necessary material evidence. The second part takes place in the courtroom, where the main character comes to the defense of the defendant. The new version of the game has some innovations: the user will now be able to make notes in a notepad, and the crime scene can be viewed in 3D. The outcome of the final process in the new part may depend entirely on a few words. Unpredictable turns and denouement await the gamer.

1.

Tops the list of the best games in the detective quest genre. This is a rather unique game where the gamer faces an intricate investigation. Each of the material evidence found will lead to a unique outcome. The main character of Blade Runner, Ray McCoy, begins to search for evidence in the case of destruction in one of the pet stores. But as the game progresses, some details of the hero’s participation in this crime become clear. The character will regularly be faced with the problem of choosing - the bad or the good side. The main task of the gamer is to fire replicants. Special tests or indisputable evidence will help you find out that you are a replicant.

Greetings! Below I have compiled a selection of games about detectives or with detective stories. If I see new games, I add them to the list. You can also help me with this. If you write good games in the comments.

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

Release date: 1997

A series of adventure detective games telling the story of a tourist who, in the very first part of the series, became a detective, thwarted the insidious plans of the conspirators and continued his adventures in subsequent parts of the series. It is worth noting that each game in the series has an independent plot and rarely has anything in common with previous installments.

The gameplay of all games in the series is based on a classic adventure scheme, where the player in the role of the main character needs to explore locations, communicate with characters, find objects and use them in strictly defined places. The first two games were entirely hand-drawn, while the later ones began to use a 3D engine. In addition, the first and second parts of Broken Sword received modern re-releases, which, however, were criticized by fans of the franchise.

The Last Express

Release date: 1997

Genre: Detective, noir, adventure, interactive cinema, quest

A game in the genres of a detective quest and interactive cinema, the main feature of which is that the events here take place in real time (though accelerated by about six times), and the plot is influenced by both the actions of the main character and his inaction. The events of the game take place on the Orient Express on the eve of the First World War.

The game begins on July 24, 1914 at 7:14 pm and ends on July 26 at 7:30 pm. During this time, all the characters here act in accordance with their plans, changing them depending on the player's interventions. Moreover, the same event can have several development options, which in turn leads to numerous endings, of which fans of the game have counted about 30. Of course, all these endings are false, and there is only one real ending, after which the credits roll. The project received simply rave reviews from critics and is definitely recommended for review.

Blade Runner

Release date: 1997

A three-dimensional detective-adventure game based on the 1982 film of the same name, which perfectly conveys the atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic future, and also generally follows the plot of the film.

The gameplay here is built around investigations, searching for evidence, examining them in detail, etc. The fact is that our hero must find replicants, but we do not know in advance which of the characters is a replicant, since this is determined randomly before the start of the game. Therefore, we, in the role of Descartes, have to both look for evidence and conduct a special test for a replicant, consisting of three questions of varying complexity. Unlike most quests, this game involves battles, and the main character may die. There is also money here, with which you can purchase ammunition and food.

Grim Fandango

Release date: 1998

A series of detective visual novels in which a group of students at a closed educational institution find themselves drawn into a “killing game” where their task will not only be to find the killers, survive, but also discover the secret of the school and the identity of the self-proclaimed headmaster, hiding behind the guise of a remote-controlled teddy bear. .

The gameplay here is based on investigation, searching for facts and contradictions, as well as participation in the “class trial”, and is conventionally divided into two types: normal (everyday chapters) and abnormal (unscheduled chapters with crimes). As players progress, they need to explore the academy from a first-person perspective, discovering and exploring new locations, and interacting with characters. Exploring objects is encouraged by finding valuable information and all sorts of bonuses that help in investigations.

Gemini Rue

Release date: 2011

Genre: Detective, indie, quest, pixel game, noir, retro, dystopia, cyberpunk, science fiction

An indie detective quest made in a pixel style, in which elements of noir and cyberpunk are closely intertwined. The game has two main characters - a typical noir detective with week-long stubble, alcoholism and a dark past, as well as a more traditional cyberpunk patient of a closed rehabilitation complex where people have their memories erased. You will have to play for them one by one.

As for the gameplay, here we have a two-dimensional character moving through spirit-dimensional locations. We move the mouse cursor over the active points, where the player is offered several options for action: look, take, talk or kick. It is noteworthy that in such typical quest mechanics the developer managed to add stealth elements and even action with shootouts and escaping from bad guys. An excellent project that boldly experiments with various mechanics.

L.A. Noire

Release date: 2011

An interesting detective indie quest that tells the story of a rabbi, to whom a certain murdered old acquaintance leaves a decent amount of money. Obviously, suspicion of murder falls on the rebbe. However, our hero does not give up and decides to get to the bottom of the truth, in search of which he is not averse to both “talking teeth” to the characters he meets and using his fists.

The game has well-drawn pixel graphics, a dark noir atmosphere and an excellent detective story telling about the connections between the church and the mafia. The quest part of the game does not stand out in any way among the representatives of the genre, except that here the player needs to communicate more, listening and looking closely at the characters and what they say. The lion's share of the game takes place on the in-game computer, where the hero must visit websites and read his (and other) mail.

The Raven – Legacy of a Master Thief

Release date: 2013

Genre: Detective, noir, puzzle, crime

A solid point-and-click quest, made according to classic “patterns”, in which we, in the role of a bald and overweight constable, are trying to get on the trail of a masterly robber nicknamed Raven, while trying not to get in the way of the famous inspector with the telling surname Legrand, who is trying lure Raven into a trap.

The game has colorful locations, likable characters and an incredibly powerful story with unexpected plot twists. Pixel hunting in the game is unobtrusive and exciting (largely due to the fact that the main character constantly comments on the player’s actions). If necessary, the player can highlight active zones to understand what to interact with. The puzzles here are not too difficult and are surprisingly logical, and the main emphasis is on the plot, dialogue and characters.

Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut

Release date: 2013

Genre: Detective, third-person action, surrealism, horror,

Mystical action/adventure, in which we, in the role of a detective, explore a small town and investigate a series of mysterious crimes. The game has a large open world, and the player can take part in the events taking place at his own discretion.

Control of the character in the game is carried out from a third-person view. You can move around the city either on foot or by car. The game has a cycle of day and night, and the main character, in addition to direct investigations, must eat, sometimes sleep, shave and even change clothes. In addition to the detective component, the project features scenes of struggle for survival, when the main character finds himself in closed locations and must destroy various otherworldly opponents.

The Wolf Among Us

Release date: 2013

Genre: Detective, adventure, quest, action, noir, comic book game

A graphic adventure detective story whose plot revolves around the lives of fairy-tale characters who find themselves in the human world and form their own secret community. The main character here is the Great Gray Wolf, who learned to transform into a human and became the sheriff of the city (thus trying to atone for his dark past).

The project is an adventure game with point-and-click quest mechanics, when the player must explore the world around him in order to find various objects, clues, etc. Also, a large part of the game is devoted to dialogues with the ability to choose answers and even action options. The project is divided into episodes, and some actions taken in early episodes will have consequences in later ones.

Detective Grimoire

Release date: 2014

Genre: Detective, Indie, Casual, 2D, Puzzle

An animated point-and-click quest with puzzle elements, in which we, in the role of a detective, arrive in a swampy area to investigate a mysterious murder. All the evidence points to a monster rumored to live in the swamp, but our hero does not believe the rumors and now he has to interview all the residents, solve many mysteries and identify the real killer.

The gameplay here is based on the standard mechanics of “pixel hunting” - we wander around locations, collect objects and communicate with suspects, but at the same time, the game contains such “tricks” as presenting material evidence to our interlocutors. In addition, there are simple puzzles for composing pictures, opening locks, etc.

Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure

Release date: 2014

Genre: N war, cyberpunk, retro, dystopia, science fiction, puzzle,

A point-and-click quest with live actors, which is a continuation of the game series about detective Tex Murphy, popular in the 90s. The game takes place in the near future in a cyberpunk universe, which is also dominated by elements of the noir genre.

The gameplay is based on exploring locations (with a first-person view) and communicating with characters. There are many riddles, but they are mostly solved quite easily. And even if you cannot figure out the solution to a puzzle on your own, the smart PDA that our detective constantly carries with him will always come to the rescue. The difficulty of the game is exacerbated by the lack of a familiar quest log. Instead, the main character can comment on any events, and his commentary will contain information important to the plot.

Murdered: Soul Suspect

Release date: 2014

Genre: Detective, crime, noir, puzzle, third-person action

A detective action/adventure game in which players take control of the spirit of a recently deceased detective with a criminal past, Ronan O’Connor. In his investigation, the main character will have to use not only his detective skills, but also his newly acquired supernatural abilities, which will greatly facilitate the protagonist’s life in the afterlife.

The entire gameplay boils down to moving through locations, finding various clues, and fighting “Demons.” Another interesting idea implemented in the game is the ability to inhabit people in order to listen to their thoughts. The detective can also reconstruct events that happened, but to do this he needs to find objects illuminated by a ghostly light.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Release date: 2014

Genre: Detective, mystery, puzzle, psychological horror, open world, indie

A detective quest with a world open to exploration (with minor restrictions), in which we, in the role of private detective Paul Prospero, go in search of the missing boy Ethan Carter and end up in the strange town of “Red Brook Valley”. The game is included in .

The hero is controlled from a first-person view. We travel around the world, collect various pieces of evidence and at times use the mystical abilities of a detective, allowing us to visualize previously occurring events. When all the necessary evidence is found, the player needs to restore the sequence of actions, for which he will have to place numbers above the characters, indicating the chronology of the episodes with their participation.

Contradiction – Spot The Liar!

Release date: 2015

Genre: detective, puzzle, video inserts, role-playing game, strategy, indie

A video quest that tells players a story about a mysterious incident that happened in a small English village. Here, under unclear circumstances, a graduate student died and we, in the role of Inspector Jenks, will have to unravel this case. The game is an interactive movie with live actors, and a convenient, although not entirely ordinary, interface helps you navigate through locations and interact with characters and objects.

At least 90% of the riddles here are conversational, when the player has to interrogate suspects and look for contradictions in their testimony. For the convenience of players, all NPC comments regarding clue topics are recorded in Jenks' notebook, where they can be re-read and compared, identifying inconsistencies.

Fingered

Release date: 2015

Genre: detective, puzzle, indie, casual

An indie game with a detective twist, in which we, as a detective, must find criminals based only on the testimony of the victims. The game has simple but original gameplay and colorful hand-drawn graphics.

Every game day, victims come to us and tell us 4 clues about the criminal (who he was or wasn’t). You, in turn, must weed out inappropriate clues and, from those presented at the identification parade, choose the one who fits the description best, ultimately pointing your finger at him and sending him to the electric chair. The matter is complicated by the fact that victims often behave inappropriately, using charades or double negatives in their testimony, etc.

Her Story

Release date: 2015

Genre: Detective, realism, psychological horror, puzzle, indie, video inserts

An interactive film detective game in which the player uses a database of interrogation videos of British woman Hannah Smith to solve the disappearance of her husband Simon. The project was well received by critics and received many awards from various publications (mainly for its unique game mechanics).

The game starts on the desktop of a virtual computer, which contains several useful programs and many files (including educational text files that explain the mechanics of the game). The player’s task is to watch various videos, trying to get a complete picture of what happened and draw a conclusion regarding the death of Simon Smith. It is noteworthy that the game leaves room for assumptions that the player will need to make on their own.

Blues and Bullets

Release date: 2015

Genre: Detective, noir, indie, visual novel, cinematic game

A noir mystery adventure divided into 2 episodes (with 3 more to come), in which players take on the role of former leader of the legendary group The Untouchables, Eliot Ness, to solve multiple crimes by finding clues and interacting with a diverse cast of characters. Graphically, the project looks incredibly stylish - the game uses a black and white palette with splashes of red where something needs to be emphasized.

The gameplay here is very varied. You will find a non-linear narrative with the ability to choose answers in dialogues, shootouts with cover, a fighting game based on QTEs and, of course, an excellent detective investigation in the spirit of L. A. Noire.

Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered

Release date: 2015

Genre: Detective, adventure, adventure, interactive cinema, cinematic game, noir, action

A re-release of an excellent detective adventure game with elements of a quest and an interactive movie, in which we alternately play as Lucas Kane, a forced killer, and Carla Valenti, a detective girl investigating a mysterious murder in the toilet of a roadside diner, which has all the signs of a ritual murder. This re-release has improved graphics and support for HD resolution.

The main feature of the game is the rejection of traditional quest mechanics. Many things in the game are performed not by simply clicking the mouse on an object, but by a number of different manipulations with the keyboard (for example, to wipe off blood with a mop, you will need to alternately press two keys on the keyboard). The plot and dialogues in the game are non-linear, and the further development of events will depend on your actions and remarks. Often the game will give you a limited amount of time to perform certain actions.

Agatha Christie – The ABC Murders

Release date: 2016

Genre: Detective, puzzle, third-person adventure

A third-person detective adventure based on the famous Agatha Christie novel, in which you play as private detective Hercule Poirot, seeking to find the mysterious "alphabet" killer.

The gameplay here comes down to exploring locations, collecting evidence using pixel hunting and information, interviewing suspects and solving various puzzles that allow you to get even more clues. The game also has a re-enactment mode, in which players need to choose the right actions, thereby recreating the scene of the crime. Of course, the main emphasis here is on the plot, so the puzzles should not seem too difficult to players.

Kathy Rain

Release date: 2016

Genre: Detective, retro, puzzle, indie, pixel graphics, mysticism, adventure

A mystical detective quest that tells the story of a girl investigating a series of strange crimes. The game has stylish pixel graphics, an excellent plot and logically thought-out riddles that players can easily solve on their own.

In terms of its gameplay, the game is a representative of traditional two-dimensional point-and-click quests, but the main difference between the project and other similar representatives of the genre is the need to conduct a detective investigation. The main character carries a notebook with her everywhere and constantly writes down information useful for the investigation into it. In places in the dialogues there is an opportunity to select answer options.

Hope Lake

Release date: 2016

Genre: indie, puzzle, casual, hidden object, quest, mysticism

A detective mystical indie quest in the Hidden Object subgenre, in which we have to investigate the cause of the disappearance of students on a lake, not far from an abandoned boarding school, and find a maniac.

Since this project belongs to the Hidden Object subgenre, the gameplay will be appropriate here. We move around locations, communicate with characters and from time to time look for items necessary for the further development of the plot. You can understand what items we need now by looking at the bottom of the screen, where their silhouettes will be located. The game also contains simple riddles, which, however, can be solved quite quickly. There are many locations and they are all quite large, so the developers carefully added the ability to quickly move to the game.

The Council

Release date: 2018

Genre: puzzle, role-playing game, horror

A detective-adventure game with RPG elements, focused on a deep story, in which all your decisions are guaranteed to have consequences. We will control a character named Louis de Richet, a member of a secret society who arrived at the invitation of the mysterious Lord Mortimer on a small island off the coast of England. From the first minutes of his stay on the island, the character finds himself drawn into a complicated story full of secrets and intrigue, ultimately trying to uncover the mystery of his mother’s disappearance.

The gameplay here is based on a unique system of social interaction between the player and the characters, as well as the player’s influence on them, manipulation and maneuvering in dialogues during meetings. A separate feature of the game are skills, each of which allows you to achieve the desired result through diplomacy, occultism, detective skills or scientific knowledge.

Unavowed

Release date: 2018

Genre: detective, strategy, indie, puzzle, card game, 2D, pixel graphics, dark fantasy

A mystical detective adventure from Dave Gilbert, creator of the Blackwell series (the new game has many references to this series and even some familiar characters). Our protagonist in the game is a demon-possessed man who has been cleansed of evil and recruited by a secret organization. Now he and two assistants (you can choose them at the beginning of the game, each with their own unique skills) must investigate various occult crimes.

The graphics in the game are pixelated, with a classic third-person perspective. The gameplay here is leisurely with classic point-and-click quest mechanics. The main character moves between locations, looks for clues and various items necessary to progress through the plot, and communicates a lot.