When it comes to gaming genres, few experiences are as satisfying as a well-crafted mystery, be it a whodunit, legal thriller, or suspense drama. And if you’ve watched the first 10 minutes of a police procedural and already figured out the mystery and know who the criminal is, then suit up for some mystery games that have the unique ability to pull players into their worlds, challenging them to think critically and engage with immersive storytelling.
Whether you’re deciphering a cryptic clue, interrogating suspects, or navigating complex relationships, a good mystery game can deliver experiences that linger long after the credits roll. Here’s a roundup of some of the best mystery video games with plenty of thrills and intrigue.
1. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$54.10
Release date: 6 September 2024
The Ace Attorney series is known for its over-the-top characters, intense cross-examinations, and thrilling “Objection!” moments. Ace Attorney Investigations Collections, which assembles the spin-offs Ace Attorney Investigations and its sequel into one package, maintains this electrifying yet lighthearted spirit. Starring prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, it brings the crime scene to the foreground while the courtroom drama takes a backseat, tasking players with poking around crime scenes, collecting evidence, making observations, and interrogating suspects.
Notably, the game’s Logic system allows players to manually make connections between two pieces of information and draw new conclusions, testing their deductive reasoning in the process. With engaging dialogue and tense cases, Ace Attorney Investigations offers a unique blend of mystery and comedy.
2. Case of the Golden Idol
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Price: S$17
Release date: 13 October 2022
Case of the Golden Idol is a standout mystery game due to its unique investigative gameplay and open-ended puzzle-solving mechanics. Players are tasked with uncovering the truth behind a series of deaths, using clues scattered throughout each scene to piece together motives, identities, and methods.
What makes the game particularly engaging is its lack of hand-holding; players must rely entirely on their observational skills and deductive reasoning to connect the dots. Its visual style, which features detailed, hand-drawn pixel art, adds to the immersive experience, bringing each eerie crime scene to life. Additionally, the game’s story unfolds gradually, presenting players with interconnected cases that reveal a larger, sinister conspiracy.
A sequel to the game, Rise of the Golden Idol, releases on 12 November 2024.
3. Chants of Sennaar
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$23.90
Release date: 5 September 2023
Chants of Sennaar combines exploration and linguistic puzzles to create an immersive and thought-provoking experience. Set in a beautifully crafted world inspired by the myth of the Tower of Babel, players are tasked with deciphering unknown languages to bridge the communication gaps between isolated cultures. This unique mechanic encourages players to pay close attention to symbols, context, and environmental clues, rewarding observation and patience with gradual understanding.
The game’s art style is striking, with vibrant colours and intricate designs that give each area a distinct cultural identity. Its narrative is subtle yet engaging, unfolding through the player’s translation progress and interactions with characters from various factions. The blend of exploration, language puzzle-solving, and world-building makes Chants of Sennaar a standout for fans of narrative-driven mystery games who enjoy piecing together stories through discovery and intuition.
4. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$10
Release date: 23 May 2024
If Case of the Golden Idol’s twisted art style feels like too much, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami presents a worthy alternative. It combines humour, clever puzzles, and charming characters to create a unique detective experience. Players take on the role of a hard-boiled duck detective navigating a noir-inspired world filled with quirky anthropomorphic suspects and intriguing clues. Similar to Case of the Golden Idol, players are tasked with gathering keywords from clues to fill in the blanks of the case files.
But don’t be fooled by the lighthearted tone — it takes some serious deduc(k)tive reasoning to put these clues together.
5. Her Story
Platform(s): PC, iOS, Android
Price: S$10
Release date: 24 June 2015
Her Story is an FMV (full-motion video) game with one of the most unique mystery experiences out there. The game centres around watching archived police interview footage, which are fragmented and accessible only through a search engine-style interface, to solve a mystery.
Each clip is a piece of a larger puzzle, and it’s up to players to connect the dots. By searching through video snippets and listening carefully for clues and keywords, more of the story unravels. The game’s innovative approach to storytelling and lack of hand-holding invites players to become a true investigator.
6. L.A. Noire
Platform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$27.90
Release date: 17 May 2011
Set against the moody backdrop of 1940s Los Angeles, L.A. Noire places players in the shoes of Detective Cole Phelps. To solve a series of cases, the game involves investigating crime scenes, interrogating suspects, and making choices that influence the story’s direction. Its realistic facial animations make reading suspects’ expressions part of the gameplay, a unique element that adds to the immersion.
Developed by Rockstar Games, the title blends open-world exploration with a captivating storyline, delivering a classic noir experience.
7. Outer Wilds
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$25
Release date: 28 May 2019
While not a traditional mystery game, Outer Wilds offers one of the most captivating mysteries in gaming. Playing as an astronaut trapped in a time loop, the game involves exploring a miniature solar system to uncover the secrets of an ancient civilisation and the reason behind the endless cycle. The game’s open-ended exploration, coupled with the ticking clock of impending destruction, creates an experience that is equal parts wonder and tension, as players slowly piece together a mystery of cosmic proportions.
8. Return of the Obra Dinn
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$18.50
Release date: 18 October 2018
Developed by Lucas Pope (creator of Papers, Please), Return of the Obra Dinn plunges players into the role of an insurance investigator tasked with uncovering the fate of the crew on the titular ship, the Obra Dinn. Armed with a magical pocket watch, players explore fragmented memories of the deceased to deduce who they were, how they died, and who or what was responsible. The unique monochromatic, 1-bit art style and brain-bending narrative make it a haunting experience that is as beautiful as it is challenging.
9. Shadows of Doubt
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Price: S$22
Release date: 26 September 2024
Shadows of Doubt offers a fully immersive, sandbox experience in a procedurally-generated city where every non-player character (NPC) has their own routines, relationships, and secrets. Set in a noir-inspired, cyberpunk world, it lets players step into the shoes of a detective and freely investigate crimes, such as murders and thefts, by collecting evidence, tracking suspects, and piecing together clues.
The game excels in its attention to detail — players can examine fingerprints, break into apartments, read private emails, and even rummage through trash bins for hidden clues. The freedom to approach cases in multiple ways adds layers of realism, making every investigation feel personal and unique. With its dynamic AI-driven world, Shadows of Doubt offers endless replayability, as new mysteries and interactions keep emerging with each playthrough.
10. Unheard – Voices of Crime
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Price: S$10
Release date: 29 March 2019
Unheard – Voices of Crime is an innovative mystery game that brings a fresh twist to detective work by focusing entirely on audio-based investigations. In this game, players listen to recordings of past conversations in crime scenes and piece together clues solely from voices, background sounds, and timelines. This unique mechanic allows players to ‘hear’ the story unfold from multiple perspectives, challenging them to follow conversations across different rooms and connect dialogue snippets to uncover the truth.
By identifying individual voices and analysing conversations, players reconstruct the events and motivations behind each crime. The game’s minimalist visual approach combined with complex, layered audio design makes every case feel immersive and requires keen attention to detail.
Edwin has been writing about gaming and entertainment news for almost a decade, and has loved video games, comic books, and movies longer than that. He loves interesting stories, immersive world-building, and adorable monsters.
Si Jia
The Baroness
