Mystery games stretch far and wide across the gaming realm. They can cover many different genres, such as fantasy or pure horror. A good mystery can keep you thinking about the solution even when you’re not actively playing. If you’re looking to solve a mystery, you’ve come to the right place.
Here we take a look at some of the best mystery games currently available on Steam. Many of these games can be a little scary, but there are some fear-free options available that you can enjoy. Now let’s dive into the story and start with the classic series filled with lawyers.
10 Phoenix Wright: The Lawyer Trilogy
Phoenix Wright: Attorney is a classic mystery game that puts you in the shoes of a new lawyer. Your goal is to solve cases and prove the defendant’s innocence. Each game in the trilogy has multiple cases that you can complete, and many of the characters remain present in all of them.
After completing the trilogy, you can also check out The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. It consists of two games that focus on Ryunosuke Naruhodo, who turns out to be the ancestor of the familiar Phoenix Wright.
9 Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium it’s a game where every choice you make matters. As a detective, you have to solve a murder case. However, how you do this is up to you; there are 24 different skills you can hone throughout your journey.
There are three main endings in total, with several game breaks that can happen if you make a wrong move. All in all, Disco Elysium really gives you the choice to be a good cop or a bad cop.
8 Zero Escape Trilogy
The Zero Escape Trilogy consists of three games; Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Nine Hours (999), The Last Reward of Virtue and the Dilemma of Zero Time. Each game itself presents a mystery that you must solve, but there is also a main mystery that you can solve.
All these games have a similar format. You, along with eight others, will need to escape from the situation in which you are now. There are several different endings you can get, as well as tons of quest puzzles for you to solve.
7 Paranormalizer: The Seven Secrets of Honjo
Paranormalizer: The Seven Secrets of Honjo is a relatively new game with the tagline “How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead?” This visual novel takes place at the end of the twentieth century and is filled with an exciting story that will keep you hooked until the end.
In addition to the phenomenal story, Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo has challenging puzzles. It’s important to note that this game can be a little scary!
6 Umineko: When they cry
Umineko is a visual novel created by the same mind behind Higurashi: When They Cry. In this game, you will need to solve the mystery of the Ushiromiya family and survive.
There are two Umineko games on Steam; Question and answer. It is best to play the Question arc first and then the Answer arc. In total, the Question arc takes about 60 hours to complete, giving you plenty of arcane content to navigate.
5 Season: Letter to the Future
Unlike many other games on our list, Season: Letter to the Future does not involve opening a case of brutal murder. Instead, you play as a young woman in both creepy and beautiful. There is no fighting, just a bike to take you through the Tieng Valley.
While traveling by bicycle, you can record bits of information about the world around you. Talk to residents, explore abandoned objects, and learn about the season. The game is short and sweet, filled with beautiful scenery to ride through.
4 Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds takes place in a time loop where you play as a small space pilot exploring a solar system that is on the brink of destruction. The goal is to find a stop to the time loop, but along the way you’ll discover the secrets of the universe.
Each time loop is 22 minutes long, but as you go through these loops you learn a little more each time. In addition to solving puzzles, you’ll need to learn how to fly and control your ship so you don’t crash and die prematurely.
3 Heavy rain
Heavy rain is a psychological thriller developed by Quantic Dream. This is the studio behind such hits as Beyond Two Souls and Detroit Become Human. If you’re familiar with these two games, you won’t be surprised to learn that Heavy Rain is, well, story heavy.
The game revolves around the case of the Origami Killer as you try to prevent a mysterious figure from being killed again. As you solve the mystery, you can make countless choices that can lead to different endings.
2 The Danganronpa Trilogy
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
Danganronpa it’s another mystery trilogy like Zero Escape. In all three Danganronpa games, you’ll need to survive a killing spree under the guidance of Monokuma, a black and white bear robot. The games are divided into chapters, each dedicated to a murder and a trial.
Generally the goal is to find the murderer during a trial where they will be put to death. In addition to finding the killer, you’ll also need to find out the truth about the killing game and why you’re there.
1 The return of Aubra Dean
Finally, we have Aubra Dean’s Return. Focusing on the missing merchant vessel Obra Dinn, your goal is to find out why the ship disappeared for five years only to reappear without a crew.
Although the game has a simple, “1-bit” art style, it’s possible to become engrossed in the story. There are tons of puzzles that are so fun to complete and an overarching storyline that is incredibly beautiful.