Best Police & Detective Video Games Ever Made

Looking to flex your sleuthing skills without leaving your couch? I’ve got you covered by listing the absolute best police & detective video games that involve solving murder mysteries (or various other types of mysteries).

From gritty crime scenes to mind-bending psychological thrillers, these top-rated titles will keep you busy and entertained, mixing old school games from back in the day, as well as more recent ones.

So grab your notepad, dust off that magnifying glass, and check out the best crime-solving games you need to play right now!

1. L.A. Noire

Developer: Team Bondi
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genres: Detective, Action, Crime-Solving, Adventure

Step into the shoes of Cole Phelps, an LAPD detective navigating the seedy underbelly of 1940s Los Angeles in a classic, must-play title.

In L.A. Noire, you’ll tackle everything from grisly homicides to rampant corruption, all set against the backdrop of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Using groundbreaking facial animation technology (for its time), the game lets you read suspects’ expressions during intense interrogations.

2. Heavy Rain

Developer: Quantic Dream
Platforms: PS3, PS4, PC (since 2020)

Heavy Rain is a psychological thriller that puts you in the driver’s seat of a gripping murder mystery. It’s also one of my favorite games ever and I can only hope you will feel the same, especially since new life has been breathed into it with the PC release in 2020.

In the game, the elusive Origami Killer is on the loose, leaving folded paper figures at each crime scene. You’ll step into the lives of four protagonists, each with their own demons and motivations, all intertwined in the frantic search to save the latest victim.

What’s brilliant here is that every choice you make, no matter how small, can lead to different outcomes – characters can even die, altering the story entirely. Superb, especially if we consider that the original was released quite some time ago! (And you also have AMAZING visuals to complement the rest of the game).

And since we’re talking about older games, why not check out another classic – Dune 1?

3. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy

Developer: Quantic Dream
Platforms: PC, Mac, PS2, Xbox (Original release), Remastered version on modern platforms

Another favorite of mine, and one of the first games that played with the “choices that matter” mechanics. Created by the same devs who brought us Heavy Rain, Indigo Prophecy (known as “Fahrenheit” outside North America) blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural.

You start off as Lucas Kane, who inexplicably murders a stranger in a dingy New York diner bathroom. The kicker? You have no idea why you did it. As the story unfolds, you’ll switch perspectives between Lucas and the detectives hunting him down.

With its cinematic storytelling and quick-time events – as well as some choices that you will make and will influence the course of the game, Indigo Prophecy keeps you on your toes as you unravel a mystery that goes far beyond a simple homicide.

A cult classic and a must play by those who enjoy police & detective games. I recommend playing the 2015 remake, though, as it’s a bit more up to date to current day standards.

4. 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors

Developer: Chunsoft
Platforms: Nintendo DS, iOS, Part of the “Zero Escape: The Nonary Games” collection on PC, PS4, PS Vita

“I’m gonna make you play the game… the ‘Nonary Game’… the game of life or death”

If you’re into visual novels with a side of mind-bending puzzles, 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors is a hidden gem you shouldn’t miss.

You play as Junpei, a college student who wakes up trapped on a sinking ship with eight other captives. A mysterious figure known only as Zero forces you all into the “Nonary Game,” a deadly challenge where failure means a watery grave.

You’ll need to solve intricate puzzles, make life-or-death decisions, and uncover the dark connections between the characters. With multiple endings and a plot that twists like a pretzel, this game will keep you hooked till the very end.

5. Alan Wake

Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Series X/S, PS4, PS5 (Remastered)

In this classic, you step into the shoes of Alan Wake, a best-selling author battling a severe case of writer’s block. When his wife disappears during their vacation in the eerie town of Bright Falls, things get downright supernatural.

Armed with a flashlight and whatever weapons you can scrounge up, you’ll fight shadowy figures known as the “Taken” while uncovering pages of a manuscript you don’t remember writing – but which eerily predicts events around you.

If you enjoy playing classics, I’ve got more for you! Check out my previous article listing the best CHEAP classic games you should play now.

6. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments

Developer: Frogwares
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

This game throws you into six intricate cases ranging from murders and disappearances to thefts and betrayals. What sets it apart is the freedom to truly deduce: gather clues, interrogate suspects, and draw your own conclusions.

But be careful – your choices can lead to different outcomes, and innocent people might suffer if you get it wrong.

If you want even more options – but more casual in nature – I recommend checking out my list of the best HOPAs to play this year.

7. Murdered: Soul Suspect

Developer: Airtight Games
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Ever tried solving your own murder?

In “Murdered: Soul Suspect,” you play as Ronan O’Connor, a detective with a troubled past who’s been killed by a mysterious assassin. Now a ghost stuck in limbo, you have to use your newfound spectral abilities to investigate your death.

Walk through walls, possess the living to read their minds or influence their actions, and piece together clues that the living can’t see. Set in the eerie town of Salem, this game offers a unique spin on the genre – and it’s truly enjoyable!

8. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Platforms: PSP (original), PS Vita, PS4, PC, iOS, Android

A crazy game that combines elements of visual novels, murder mysteries, and battle royale, the game puts you in the shoes of Makoto Naegi, an average student who wins a lottery to attend the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy.

Things go south quickly when a sadistic teddy bear named Monokuma traps you and your classmates inside the school. The only way out? Murder a fellow student and get away with it.

The game shines with its over-the-top characters, intense class trials where you must expose the killer, and plot twists that’ll leave your head spinning.

9. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Developer: Capcom
Platforms: Nintendo DS, iOS, Coming to modern platforms in 2023 (Remastered)

Created by the same people behind Ace Attorney, Ghost Trick puts you in the shoes of Sissel, a recently deceased spirit with no memory of his past. With the power to possess and manipulate objects, you must prevent deaths, alter fates, and piece together the mystery of your own demise – all before sunrise when you’ll vanish forever.

Yes, this sounds oddly familiar (see my other recommendations above – although it’s this one which was released first), but the game remains a solid detective mystery and is worth playing. It has clever mechanics and engaging storytelling which I am sure you will love.

10. Batman: The Telltale Series

Developer: Telltale Games
Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile

When it comes to solid police and detective games – or adventure games in general – we could simply list all the Telltale games and consider the list perfect. Still, I am only choosing a less-popular title for today.

This narrative-driven adventure puts a heavy emphasis on player choice, impacting both your vigilante exploits as Batman and your social interactions as Bruce.

You’ll face off against classic foes like the Penguin and Two-Face, but expect some twists that deviate from traditional Batman lore.

11. Return of the Obra Dinn

Developer: Lucas Pope
Platforms: PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One

If you’re craving a detective game that truly challenges your deductive skills, I recommend this game. You step into the shoes of an insurance adjuster in 1807, tasked with uncovering the fate of the missing ship Obra Dinn and its 60 crew members. Armed with the Memento Mortem, a magical pocket watch, you can relive the last moments of the deceased.

And if you need some help, I have an in-depth guide listing the causes of death of all the crew members in Return of the Obra Dinn.

12. Judgment

Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

From the creators of the Yakuza series comes Judgment, a gripping legal thriller set in Tokyo’s neon-lit Kamurocho district. You play as Takayuki Yagami, a disgraced lawyer turned private investigator, involved in finding the solution to a series of gruesome murders.

The blend of detective work – like tailing suspects and analyzing crime scenes – with intense street brawls keeps the gameplay fresh and heart pumping. The side cases are just as engaging as the main story, and even though we do have some pretty long cutscenes, overall the game is really good.

13. AI: The Somnium Files

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Platforms: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

In this game, you play as a detective with a cybernetic eye that houses an AI unit named Aiba. Together, you investigate a series of murders involving victims whose left eyes have been removed.

What sets this game apart is the ability to enter the dreams (Somnium) of key witnesses and suspects to uncover hidden truths. These dream sequences will have an impact over the general direction of the game… all while the game’s twisting narrative and the quirky chemistry between Date and Aiba are spectacular.

At times, the humor can be a bit offbeat, but it adds a unique flavor to the storytelling and you will live with it.

14. Paradise Killer

Developer: Kaizen Game Works
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Paradise Killer drops you into a bizarre, open-world island where you play as Lady Love Dies, an investigator summoned from exile to solve a mass murder of the island’s ruling council.

The game’s open-ended approach to investigation is both its strongest asset and, occasionally, a hurdle. The vaporwave aesthetic and eclectic soundtrack create an atmosphere that is, paradoxically, both relaxing and unsettling. Complex, difficult and nice.

Also read: 20 Offline Mobile Games for Long Flights

15. Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders

Developer: Nupixo Games
Platforms: PC, macOS

Set in ancient China during the Tang Dynasty, the game puts you in the shoes of legendary Detective Di Renjie. As a series of gruesome murders unfolds, you must navigate political intrigue and supernatural elements to uncover the truth.

With a lovely pixel art approach and atmospheric soundtrack, this little game will blow your mind away. The puzzles are thoughtfully designed, requiring you to piece together evidence and draw conclusions in a way that feels authentic to the detective experience.

I also enjoyed the fact that the game pays close attention to historical detail and storytelling. The narrative tackles themes of justice, corruption, and societal norms without becoming preachy. It’s a refreshing change from typical Western-centric detective games, offering a unique cultural perspective.

16. Murder Mystery Machine

Developer: Blazing Griffin
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Last but not least, you have a game where you join the District Crime Agency as rookie detective Cassandra Clarke, paired with the jaded but experienced Nate Houston. Together, you tackle a series of complex cases that reveal a deeper conspiracy.

The game features an isometric view where you can rotate the environment to discover hidden clues. I enjoyed the process of organizing evidence in the “deduction board,” linking clues to form hypotheses and ultimately solve the case.

The art style is sleek and minimalist, which keeps your focus on the investigation. The dialogue is sharp, and the evolving relationship between the two protagonists adds depth to the narrative. Some puzzles can be quite challenging, and occasionally I found myself overthinking solutions, but the satisfaction of cracking a tough case made it all worthwhile.

And there you have it – the absolute best police and detective games you should play!

Which game will you tackle first? Also, if you have a favorite that didn’t make it to the list, comment below and let the mystery-solving community know what’s worth playing next.