Humans have a fascination with true crime, as it represents something so different to what most call normal. This transfers into gaming, too, as it allows people to experience something out of the ordinary.
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The vast majority of video games feature some sort of crime. Be it murder, bank robbery, or theft - they have it all. But what about those whose interests lie on the other side? People who want to have a go at investigating and picking through a crime scene? That’s what this list is for - giving some ideas of the best games to play if you’re a true crime fanatic, involving clues, mysteries and more.
Paradise Killer
The newly releasedParadise Killerdoes not look like anything remotely crime-n fact an open-world iteration of a detective game.
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The game features a lot of mystery solving, mostly that of why a string of murders have been committed right before a perfect paradise was revealed. Aliens, demons, skeletons, and more await in this imaginative game for players to pick through and gather clues, while participating in court hearings and puzzles.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials And Tribulations
TheAce Attorneyseries is a long-running and well-established name, but the best entry is definitelyTrials and Tribulations.As with the vast majority of the games, the protagonist isPhoenix Wright, a lawyer to many who serves the greater good.
It is the players' job to prove the innocence of clients in this visual novel style game, with puzzles and lines of questioning to deduce the truth. The game features multiple episodes, which unlock one after another and are broken up into handy bite-size chapters.
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Humanfollows Quantic Dream’s tried and tested formula of multiple choices for actions, quick-time events, and hyper-realistic character models. This time, there are three playable characters - Connor, Kara, and Markus. Our focus here is Connor’s story.
The android sent by CyberLife assists human detectives on a case, and the minutiae of it is brilliant. As an android, there are sensors and different functions that can be employed to gather clues and re-enact the crime scenes. The other side of the game is choosing the path through dialogue choices -which do matter.
Professor Layton And The Unwound Future
Like theAce Attorneygames,Professor Laytonis often associated with the Nintendo family of consoles, this particular entry is from the Nintendo DS line, but had a sort of HD remake for mobiles in 2020.
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Professor Laytongames mainly focus on puzzle solving, and collecting quests from locals to progress the story. Inthe Unwound Future(orLost Futurein Europe), Layton and his apprentice Luke must work to fix a world before it becomes broken - as told to them by a time-traveling Luke from ten years in the future.
The Wolf Among Us
Telltale Games are famed for their episodic titles, often based on TV shows or other media. One of their best offerings isThe Wolf Among Us,whichhas a sequel coming out, too!
Loosely based on theFablescomic series,The Wolf Among Usfollows werewolf Sheriff Bigby as he investigates a series of murders. The gameplay is largely explorative and features dialogue choices and some quick-time events to react to. The characters are all based on fairytales that players will know and love but in a gritty and dark setting.
Judgment
Don’t be fooled by the series name,Judgmentis very different from theotherYakuzagames. This time instead of following crisp white suit-wearing Kiryu, the focus is Takayuki Yagami, a private detective.
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Yagami’s job is to investigate a series of murders in the seedy streets of Kamurocho. Along with the familiar street fights, there is also the detective mode where players can sleuth their way around. Pursuing potential suspects, donning disguises, and picking pesky locks are all added to this entry into theYakuzaseries.
Thimbleweed Park
Thimbleweed Parkcomes from an indie studio but definitely holds up in this list. It is a point-and-click mystery adventure, featuring multiple playable characters to flesh out the story.
Two detectives find themselves called to the town to solve the mystery of a dead body that has appeared, but many more capers ensue involving the town and characters' history, as well as current problems. Abandoned areas, haunted homes and creepy cast members are waiting for you to give them a try.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysiumis one heck of a strange game. The painted graphics, the odd characters, and the multiple paths that are formed with choices all add up to a mind-bending experience. For some assistance, here are thebest Thoughts in Disco Elysium.
The protagonist is a detective working a case in the city, of which he has no recollection at all. The plot is backed up by a substantial history of the world it’s set in, and has players going down rabbit holes of information during quests. There is a narrator following the main character’s movements, a sentient tie, drugs, politics, and a whole load more to discover.
L.A. Noire
When anyone thinks of true crime and video games, the first thing that comes to mind isL.A. Noire. Players are in control of policeman Cole Phelps, deep in the heart of a perfectly accurate L.A., where they must solve crimes to become a better detective while driving around and fighting people.
The game now sits at 11 years old, but visually is still a stunning piece with its realistic setting and smooth characters. Some of the game is in black and white which adds to the vintage time period that it is set in.
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