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What are the best Mystery games on Steam?

15

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Considered

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May 11, 2023

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15 Games Considered

Best Mystery games on Steam	Price	Platforms	Genre
-- The Wolf Among Us	14.99	-	-
-- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter	18,99€	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows	Horror, Adventure, Puzzle, Narrative
-- Journey	$14.99	-	-
-- Detective Grimoire	-	-	-
-- Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony	$59.99	Windows, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4	Adventure, Visual Novel

The Wolf Among Us

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A really enjoyable interactive story

The Wolf Among Us is a murder mystery story that has great characters, action-packed moments, and really interesting twists. What's even better is that you can affect how the story plays out with dialogue options, investigation choices, and even actions during a fights or chase sequences. Your actions as a player have consequences in this story, which feels really nice. See More

Top Con

May be too gruesome for kids

With all of the cursing and the not to mention the severed head, this story may not be appropriate for children. See More

Top Pro

Unusual setting

The story takes place in a fictional part of Manhattan called Fabletown, which is inhabited by humans and creatures from fairy tales and folklore. It's really interesting seeing how everyone makes ends meet in an unfamiliar world. From working as a janitor or a receptionist to running a shady night club and abusing magic for extra profits. It's the type of setting that appeals to both the kid and the adult within you. See More

Top Pro

In game encyclopedia

For those that want more back-story into the Fables comic there is an in game encyclopedia that allows for a more in depth analysis of the characters and their surrounding story. See More

Top Pro

Refinement of earlier success

With the success TellTale achieved in their Walking Dead series, The Wolf Among US takes every good aspect of that gameplay and refines it even further. See More

Top Pro

Characters feel real

The writing is so well done that the character and their story fell very real, even when realizing the story takes place in a fairy-tale world. This allows for immersion in the game that is often not matched by other point and click adventure games. See More

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

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Heavily exploration based

With the exception of a few storyline gated or locked areas, you have the freedom to explore the entire game world from the very beginning. From the dark forests to the run down old houses, you can wander and go wherever you please, stopping to enjoy the scenery or investigate locations at your leisure. There are no linear story paths to follow and most of the puzzles can be completed in any order. This unhindered exploration allows you to explore the world and unravel the mystery completely at your own pace. See More

Top Con

Not much dialogue

For a game that is heavily steeped in storytelling, there is a surprisingly low amount of actual dialogue and spoken lines. While it doesn't detract much from the experience, some people might be expecting a lot more writing for a game that boasts its story as a selling point. See More

Specs

Genre:Horror, Adventure, Puzzle, Narrative

Top Pro

Challenging and rewarding puzzles

The puzzles require great observational skills with many clues being found only after thoroughly exploring the location in which the puzzle resides. Oftentimes, these clues are very discreet, well hidden, and integrated into the environment in creative ways. Piecing everything together can be quite a challenge at times as the puzzles provide no instructions, but also very rewarding as bits of the story are revealed after each successful solve. See More

Top Con

Horrible character models

They are very plain and look almost cartoonish in nature, which is a stark contrast to the photo realistic environment they inhabit. The same level of work that went into the game world didn't quite make it into the character models, and as a result, they are disappointingly bad. See More

Top Pro

Gorgeous, state-of-the-art graphics

During development, real objects were photographed, scanned, and put into the game world using a process called photogrammetry. As a result, everything in-game renders as photo realistic without jagged lines or appearing pixelated. Everything from buildings and trees down to the smallest details like rocks and blades of grass look great. See More

Top Con

Simplistic gameplay

There is very little direct interaction with the world outside of solving puzzles and reading notes. Much of the game is simply walking around and exploring. From time to time, you will stumble upon a location in which you can manipulate items to solve the various puzzles, read notes, and watch story cutscenes play out. See More

Top Pro

Very surreal and mysterious storytelling

While the game starts out with the premise of a detective trying to solve the disappearance of a young boy, the story quickly takes a sharp turn and begins mixing in some very surreal, strange themes. These themes border on the paranormal and supernatural, and it quickly becomes apparent this is not a clear cut missing persons case. During the course of the game, the story keeps you guessing and invested as you try to figure out exactly what's going on. Additionally, due to the way you explore the nonlinear world, you might be witnessing events out of order which makes it even more mysterious. See More

Top Con

Repetitive puzzle solving

Without revealing spoilers, almost every major puzzle in the game is solved using the exact same logic. While the puzzles themselves are thematically different, the way you approach them and the mechanics they use are the same. After you've figured out how the first one works, you'll be applying the same basic principles to every puzzle in the game thereafter. See More

Top Pro

Immersive atmosphere

While wandering the landscape, it's easy to believe you are exploring an old forest and town lost to time. The buildings are run down and decrepit, the roads and railroad tracks are overgrown with grass, and save for the chirping of birds or the river babbling, it is eerily silent. Exploring around and poking into every dark corner of the vast wilderness, one can't help but feel a complete sense of awe and become fully immersed in the mystery. See More

Top Con

Pacing feels unbalanced

There is one notable part of the game where the player spends an uneven amount of time in that the environment is lackluster as well as holds many frustrating puzzles. This makes for what feels like unbalanced pacing and is an aggravating section of the game. See More

Top Pro

Runs at 1080p and 60fps

Top Con

Framerate drops from 60fps

There are framerate drops in the game but they never go below 30fps and do not tear due to the progressive vsync. See More

Top Pro

Ability to cap at 30fps

Users who do not like to see frames dropping can set the game to play at a constant 30fps in the settings. See More

Journey

Top Pro

Beautiful visuals

Wherever you look you'll find something beautiful to look at. This can be the obstructed sun shining down on an endless desert, creating a very calming scene. It can be the very detailed and massive ruins that sometimes look mysterious and sometimes imposing. It can be the sand beautifully shifting between your character's legs as it walks. It can even be your character's red robe and scarf fluttering in the wind as you glide across the desert. Everything in Journey looks so nice you just want to keep seeing more. See More

Top Con

Incredibly short

Journey is one of the shortest games ever made, clocking in just over two hours of gameplay. The ending credits will roll right as you're getting into it, leaving you unsatisfied. This may cause you to immediately replay it but it will never feel the same as your first playthrough. See More

RickZeeland's Experience

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Top Pro

Emotional soundtrack

You can really feel the effort and care that went into creating the soundtrack. From the relaxing flute as you trot along the desert. The heartfelt cello solo as you slide through the ruins of an ancient civilization. To the dramatic piece performed by an entire orchestra as you fall into an abyss. The soundtrack helps you feel the right emotions at the right moments, making Journey an unforgettable experience. See More

Top Pro

Simple but really enjoyable gameplay

Journey doesn't have any difficult mechanics, any explicit story, or even an interface. You simply run, jump, and glide through the desert, trying to reach a snowy mountain in the distance. Along the way you'll find items, enemies, and even companions, but there never are any interruptions. It all flows so nicely, it feels like you're going gently down the stream. See More

Detective Grimoire

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Well written and acted

The characters are fleshed out well through good writing and great voice acting, which makes for an immersive experience that feels believable even though the games story is a bit outlandish. See More

Top Con

Poor mix of easy children aimed content and an adult theme of murder

The games looks may appeal to children but sadly the content contained withing revolves around murder, which is not much of a kid friendly topic. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Easy to navigate

The whole game is laid out in an intuitive manner, from the menus to traversing each level. What's more the player is able to easily see where they need to go through highlighted objects on the map as well as receive hints when stuck. See More

Top Con

Could be more challenging

Traditionally point and click adventure games have a difficult edge to their puzzles but sadly Detective Grimoire contains puzzles that are often easy, making for not much of a challenge for those that are fans of the genre. See More

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

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Unique blend of different gameplay concepts

Filled with heated debates, character bonding and relationships, whodunit murder mysteries, along with mini-games and dungeon-crawling, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a blend of ideas and mechanics that manage to work as an unexpected, yet cohesive package. This is a game that sounds impossible on paper, but everything fits together as a package surprisingly well. See More

Top Con

Questionable mid-story pacing

Unfortunately, things begin to drag on toward the middle of the story, where the plot begins to feel tedious and repetitive. These crimes in the middle are more tedious and repetitive than anything, lacking the finesse and enjoyment of other parts of the game. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Genre:Adventure, Visual Novel

Top Pro

Great music

DRV3's soundtrack encompasses many genres, allowing you to enjoy a wide variety of instruments, which includes guitars, drums, brass instruments, synths and many others. The end result is a gritty, futuristic soundtrack with punchy, energetic songs that make the proceedings feel action-packed while also making key story moments memorable. See More

Top Con

Polarizing ending

Love it or hate it, the ending is undoubtedly polarizing, with some fans enjoying the conclusion to the game's many twists and turns, with others left feeling disappointed or annoyed. Your experience will vary, so be prepared to fall on either end of the spectrum once you reach the end of your 30+ hour series of investigations. See More

Top Pro

Eccentric cast of characters

The sixteen main characters in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony are all at the "ultimate" level of their specialties, such as the ultimate detective, the ultimate tennis-player-turned-convict, the ultimate artist, and many more. Their personalities shine through during debates as they argue their points of view, some with no shortage of pointed vulgarities, with other outright lying in order to keep the player on-edge. The localization's many pop culture references to "alternative facts" and misinformation campaigns helps the characters feel relevant and real. See More

Top Pro

Quirky storytelling

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a mish-mash of a visual novel, an adventure game, a colorful cast of anime characters like talking bears with varied creepy designs and a host of high school characters solving a murder mystery, all packed together as a competition of wits to investigate each crime scene and figure out what happened. Getting fellow classmates to believe the player's version of events involves stylish debates with text flying across the screen, where the other characters can be swayed by the correct answers or timely lies that risk the chance of perjury. See More

Murdered: Soul Suspect

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Twist to the normal detective story

The base of the game is that the player must solve their own murder, making for something a bit different from the normal fair of a detective game. See More

Top Con

Environments are very confined

The environments in game only differ sightly and are pretty limited in the scope that they can be explored. For a "sandbox" game the sandbox is pretty small. See More

RickZeeland's Experience

Now on offer for only $1.99. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Easily played on most platforms

Available on the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One allows one to choose their favorite platform to play on. See More

Seth Devan's Experience

I had a blast playing this game. Great narrative, fair puzzles, interesting combinations of mechanics that cross genres, and the game is just long enough to feel fulfilling without artificially bloating its offer. See More

Top Pro

Rewarding collection quests

Many games use collection quests, but this game adds a very rewarding story effect when a complete set of items (usually just 3-5 for each set) is found. And finding them isn't a ridiculous trial, it just takes a little curiosity. See More

L.A. Noire

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Great story set in 1940s Los Angeles

The detective drama in L.A. Noire is creative and intriguing. Playing as an honest cop named Cole, you get to see the magnitude of crime and racial tension in Los Angeles in the years after World War II, told through the stories of the authentic cast of characters you meet. As a cop, you solve crimes and nail crooks, moving up the ladder in the police department. Each of your investigations take you all around the great rendition of the city in the 1940s, rich with the styles of cars, fashion, and music from the time period. It's a unique experience and setting that not many other games explore. See More

Top Con

Not a lot to do in the big open world

L.A. Noire's open world in Los Angeles is huge, but there isn't much to do in it. There's a bunch of space that's just there for the sake of it. Sure, you can take on really short cases as side missions that you find around the map, like taking out bad guys that are about to rob a place, though that's about all you can do. Including period piece locations like jazzy clubs or laid-back diners to visit whenever could have been a lot of fun. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Detective Action-Adventure

Top Pro

Incredibly realistic facial expressions

Every single character in the game looks true-to-life because of how their faces look and move. The developers used some neat motion scanning technology to capture the voice actors' faces as they gave their lines. You get to see every wrinkle, every shift of their jaw lines, and every twitch of their mouths as they speak and emote. There's so much attention to detail that it looks like you're watching a movie with real people. It's really stunning and stands out as a great example of advancing technology in video games. See More

Top Con

The finale is bland

After all the excitement and gritty realism in the story, the final mission and the ending are a real drag in comparison. The momentum from the plot gets sucked out at the end as you play through an uninspired and predictable sequence of events. It looks too much like the developers phoned this part in for the sake of having an ending that wraps up everything nicely. See More

Top Pro

Detailed crime investigation gameplay

Investigating crime scenes is great because of the attention to detail in each mission. Looking over murder victims for patterns in their wounds, for example, gives you an idea of how or why they might have died, which you then jot down in your handy notebook that keeps track of all the information you collect. Observing tire tracks, bloody murder weapons, business cards, and even picking through trash cans leads you to new clues to find and paths to follow. It's up to you to pick out which details may or may not be important, keeping you in control of where each investigation leads. See More

Top Con

No real consequences for failing to solve cases

Even if you continually mess up with the cases, you still get promoted in the police force. You could be the worst cop ever, making terrible decisions and getting yelled at by your superiors. But then in the next cutscene, your bosses tell you what a great job you did and that you're moving up to a more important department. It doesn't make any sense and gives you no reason to do your best during investigations. See More

Top Pro

Interrogating witnesses and suspects is a fun challenge

During investigations, you interrogate suspects in a cool, interactive way. After collecting clues, you use your notebook to decide which questions to ask witnesses and suspects. You read their facial expressions, body language, and their tone of voice to judge if they're telling the truth or not. Using your instincts to guess correctly gets the person to open up more, giving you the information you need. If you get it wrong, they shut you down and you're out of luck. The technology used for facial expressions gives you a lot of leeway to truly spot the shifty-eyed or nervous liars just like in real life. See More

SEASON: A letter to the future

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Return of the Obra Dinn

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Interesting art style

Using a dot matrix art style sets the game apart in looks from just about anything made before. A throwback to classic games but rendered in a 3D modern view. See More

Cions of Vega

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Great graphics

Top Con

Short

RickZeeland's Experience

Now on offer on Steam for only 1,64€ See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

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Catchy music with an experimental sound

The soundtrack is addictive to listen to and doesn't get old. It's a good mix of different sounds, like pop, rock, trip-hop, and electronica, put together to make songs that don't really sound like any single genre. Even though it doesn't sound all that familiar, the tracks somehow manage to fit every single situation quite well. You won't hear anything like it outside of this game series. See More

Top Con

Spoils the first Danganronpa game right at the start

Be careful if you decide to play this game before Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the first installment. There are spoilers right off the bat, mostly involving certain characters from the first game. This technically is a standalone game since you don't need to know any information from Trigger Happy Havoc, but just in case you end up liking the series, it helps to start fresh from the first entry. See More

Specs

Genre:Horror, Visual Novel, Point-and-Click Adventure

Top Pro

Engaging murder investigations and class trials

Once a group of students discovers a dead body, the "headmaster" declares that it's time for the investigation period. This leads you to a series of events where you search around the crime scene and any other relevant locations in a point-and-click style to find clues about the murder. After collecting all of the evidence, you then move to a courtroom where you have to sort through your classmates' lies and biases to solve the mystery. Every phrase your classmates say show up on the screen as text, and it's up to you to use your "truth bullets", meaning your clues from the investigation, to shoot down anyone's lies or falsehoods to move the trial forward. There are also a few other mini-games that help you figure out the facts, like a cool rhythm game where you have to shoot someone's lies on-screen in-time with the beat. Once you figure out the correct culprit, you then get to watch as the murderer gets punished in a creative and twisted way. But if you get it wrong, it's game over for you. See More

Top Con

Not much gameplay

Outside of the trials, there isn’t much actual gameplay. However, this is a visual novel, so it’s kind of expected. See More

Top Pro

Fascinating premise of pitting characters against each other to break them psychologically

Danganronpa 2 has a wacky but intriguing setup: stranding a dozen or so students in an island together, and forcing them to kill each other in order to be allowed to leave. The twist is that the murderer can only leave if they are not discovered during a class trial. It's really messed up to watch the lengths the school's "headmaster" goes to in their efforts to drive the students insane and force them to kill their friends. At the same time, you get to know a lot about these individuals in seeing just how far they go to scheme and murder each other, all while attempting to cover up their tracks so as to not get found out. See More

Top Pro

Best cast of characters

While Danganronpa: T. H. H. has 15 characters, Danganronpa 2 has the additional character, coming in at 16. Every character is somewhat enjoyable in its own right. See More

Top Pro

Amazing plot twists

Can really get you off guard. See More

Top Pro

Long game

This game takes ages to complete, so you can enjoy it for a long time. Each trial is longer than the next, which is great. See More

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