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Mystery video games have always been popular, so there are a lot of new games to choose from along with vintage titles that have been released or remastered. It’s also easy to find a variety of games for any port or format, which includes phones, tablets, and consoles along with conventional desktop games.
Updated on January 11, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: Not every game has to have issues with bag space or raid consumables to be exciting. Sometimes complex problem-solving is more rewarding than a big explosion. Puzzles might have been the earliest games to exist, and solving mysteries is an elaboration on that idea, which is why the genre is so endearing and varied. This genre also gives developers and writers a lot to do, allowing them to flex their creative muscles in a variety of directions. Mystery-solving games can take place in almost any setting and they can be RPGs, story-based, or adventure games.
12 Disco Elysium (2019)
This mystery video game’s art style, which mimics a surreal oil painting, is one of the features that sets Disco Elysium apart from other RPGs. It also features an unconventional progression system that includes skill checks and dialogue trees determined by Perception and pain threshold, which experienced RPGers might refer to as Fortitude.
The setting is a city in the aftermath of an apocalypse, and the main character is in the depths of amnesia, so there are a few more mysteries here other than the murder he’s trying to solve. Even though he’s missing most of his past, every main character still has a set of distinct character traits and a Thought Cabinet, which unlocks more backstory depending on the player’s dialogue choices.
11 Outer Wilds (2019)
An action-adventure mystery video game that uses deep space as the setting, Outer Wilds is more about exploration and problem-solving than fighting. The premise of the game is that the universe is stuck in a 22-minute time loop that ends in a supernova, which the main character will get caught in several times before they finish the game. Luckily they gain the ability to retain their memories beyond death during the first part of the story.
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The player spends most of the game learning about an ancient race called the Nomai and their ultimate project, planned on a galactic scale, that’s the source of the time anomaly. No pressure, but the protagonist has to piece together the clues from various logic puzzles to discover what happened and find a way to save the entire universe.
10 The 7th Guest (1993)
The 7th Guest is a point-and-click mystery video game classic originally from the CD-ROM era that was remastered and re-released as a 25th Anniversary Edition in 2019. It was one of the first “haunted mansion” games, and also one of the first to integrate video graphics into a computer game in a way that contributed to the plot, rather than just being silly.
This was also at a time that horror games actually started to emerge as a genre, and The 7th Guest didn’t shy away from the sordid or the mysterious. This game looks fun and colorful, and it is, with the graveyard cake puzzles and wacky characters. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear this isn’t a game for kids.
9 The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter (2014)
A more recent addition to the point-and-click style, just to prove that this type of game lives on, this game relies on stunning artwork and a compelling story to draw in aspiring detectives. This mystery video game is combined with an open-world environment that provides the player with little guidance in the way of how the mechanics work, and that’s a part of the game.
The player follows a mystery through an impressive collection of artistic settings and immersive locations. It’s the atmospheric quality of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter that most people cite as what elevates it from other mystery-solving games.
8 Grim Fandango (1998)
An adventure game first and foremost, because this is LucasArts after all, Grim Fandango is also about solving a mystery. On a technical level, this is one of the first times that a 3D-rendered video game looked good, using an unconventional animation style that mixed film noir with calaca-like characters. The main character is a travel agent, but one who dwells in the afterlife and helps transport souls.
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Despite the critical acclaim that Grim Fandango received, it was a commercial failure. The game was re-released in 2015 with improved graphics, a new orchestral soundtrack, and a director’s commentary.
7 Sam And Max Hit The Road (1993)
Sam and Max, also known as the Freelance Police, have a lot of wacky adventures solving crimes and this title is still one of their most popular. The plot is set in motion when a Sasquatch goes missing from a carnival. The intrepid heroes have to use their perception and deduction skills as they visit several popular American tourist attractions looking for clues.
Sam And Max Hit The Road is part of the impressive library that LucasArts amassed when point-and-click adventure games were all the rage. It’s distinctive for its humor, clever dialogue, and the best voice talent for games at the time.
6 Heavy Rain (2010)
An interactive drama and adventure mystery video game, Heavy Rain received numerous accolades from both players and critics for the play style, story, and overall design. There are four different protagonists involved and the player gets to control all of them at different points, and any number of choices causes the storyline to branch off into another direction.
The story begins with a tragedy and goes downhill from there. It’s dark, visceral, and sometimes bloody, so be advised it’s not for the faint of heart. Follow the clues left by a serial killer to save the protagonist’s son before it’s too late. This is a game where the player’s actions really do matter, so choose wisely as the dark streets of Philadelphia start to close in.
5 Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments (2014)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s depiction of Sherlock Holmes was partly autobiographical. His use of forensics was new for its time, but the modern age has the same fascination with his skill for finding and interpreting clues. Many of the games in this series could also be likely candidates, but this game also includes moral choices that affect the gameplay.
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On a more technical level, this is the first game in Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes that uses Unreal Engine 3 to create an intense and immersive first-person POV. The written portions are intended to resemble the novels, and each game includes a variety of cases to solve, from murders to thefts to disappearances.
4 L. A. Noire (2011)
Another mystery video game noted for some stunning artwork and a realistic storyline, L. A. Noire takes place in Los Angeles in 1947. The protagonist is detective Cole Phelps, and the story follows his rise through the LAPD. When Phelps takes on a case involving morphine distribution and some of his old World War II buddies, the plot thickens.
Aside from the main plot that is focused on cracking the case, there’s a lot to keep the player busy in the form of car chases, gunfights, and hand-to-hand combat. Motion-capture technology was used to capture realistic human expressions for the interrogation sequences.
3 Professor Layton And The Curious Village (2008)
Solving a mystery doesn’t always have to be about sordid crimes and dark alleyways. For those looking for something more lighthearted that’s also great for the kids, there’s the Professor Layton franchise. It has a familiar format that includes finding clues and solving puzzles.
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There are a total of seven games in this series, and this is the first. Professor Hershel Layton and his apprentice, Luke Triton, are looking for an artifact called the Golden Apple in a quaint but enigmatic little hamlet called St. Mystere. It’s not just for fun and profit either — the holder of this special item will inherit the vast fortune of a local lord.
2 What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
The genre is part of a category of adventure games called “narrative-focused walking simulators” and even though the term is new, the concept is not. Myst was a game like this, and Edith Finch has also received critical praise for its artwork and story. The setting is a mansion on an island off the coast of the Pacific Northwest and the time frame is the 1930s, so be prepared for a lot of marine and seaside themes. Although it sounds realistic, even dull, the elements of magical realism in the design keep the game immersive and compelling.
The player is the titular character, a teenager who is the last surviving member of her family. She is visiting her ancestral home for the first time in years and putting together the clues to reveal what happened in the time that she was gone.
1 Return of the Obra Dinn (2018)
A game based on investigation, information, and deduction, Return of the Obra Dinn’s distinctive style has set it apart from other games in the independently-made category. The year is 1807, and the protagonist is an agent for the East India Company. Their mission is to determine what happened to the passengers and crew of the Obra Dinn, with the aid of a mysterious pocket watch.
The ship went missing off the coast of Good Hope, and after no sight or communication for some time, the ship drifted into port with nary a soul aboard. It’s not exactly a rollercoaster ride, but for those players that like a story filled with suspense, mystery, and a touch of psychological horror, Return of the Obra Dinn is an ideal choice.
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