Many video games appeal to fans of various genres. This can range from quirky sports games to multiplayer party games galore. However, there are also numerous games that true crime fans would exceptionally enjoy playing due to their amazing mysteries, well-written characters, and invigorating gameplay.
From the deadly Danganronpa to the open-world exploration of Paradise Killer, true crime fans will not be disappointed by the fascinating mysteries and gameplay involved. Each of these games has its own unique spin on investigating mysteries and finding out who the criminals are behind the crimes that have been committed.
10 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Tasks The Player With Finding & Executing Dangerous Criminals
Danganronpa is infamous for its incredibly nightmarish and deadly execution methods throughout the series. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the first game in the series, takes place at an academy where the player and their classmates are trapped.
Only one of them can escape if they pull off a "perfect" murder that no one can solve. However, if they're found out as the killer, they will be sentenced to a horrific execution themselves. The player, as one of the classmates, ends up solving many murders and witnessing many more.
9 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Makes Players The Investigator As Well As The Prosecutor
Any of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games in the whole series would be perfect for true crime fans. There are two main aspects to each of the games; the first half of each mystery involves investigating the crime scene, talking to suspects and witnesses, and gathering evidence. The second half involves the court trials of the accused.
As defense attorney Phoenix Wright, the player must defend the accused person's innocence while trying to find out who the true criminal is. True crime fans would enjoy saving the innocent, investigating the crimes, and finding out who the true villains were all along.
8 Professor Layton And The Curious Village Is For Those Who Love Solving Puzzles As Well As Mysteries
The Professor Layton series is well-known for having players solve overarching mysteries while playing their way through various puzzles. It's so popular that the franchise even has a movie. However, the first game in the series, Professor Layton And The Curious Village is one of the most popular in the series.
After Layton and his assistant Luke visit the sleepy village of St. Mystere in search of a mysterious artifact called the Golden Apple, they quickly find themselves pulled into a series of mysteries that slowly interconnect with each other throughout the game. Fans enjoyed playing this game for the fascinating characters and animated scenes, as well as the challenging puzzles and riddles to solve.
7 Murder By Numbers Follows An Actress-Turned-Detective
Murder By Numbers is a visual novel-style game that follows TV actress-turned-detective Honor Mizrahi and her robot companion SCOUT getting involved in several murder cases. Players must question witnesses and suspects while investigating the clues. Similar to Professor Layton, players must also solve nonogram puzzles that will help them make deductions to further solve the mysteries they encounter.
Cases are ranked by how many hints are used, how many puzzles are solved, and how many points are scored while investigating and solving the mysteries. Getting the highest rank, "S," in all the mysteries will reveal SCOUT's details about his backstory.
6 Paradise Killer's Open World Adventure Is Full Of Exploration & Investigation
Paradise Killer takes place in a 3D open world where players can explore the world for evidence and clues to solve several mysteries. The game is perfect for amateur sleuths who want to check out as much of the crime scene as possible. Players can bring characters to trial at any time. However, the game puts a large emphasis on gathering as much evidence as possible first to gain a successful conviction.
The game was praised by critics for its open-world aspect. True crime fans that enjoy diving deep into a crime scene and looking for clues will enjoy playing Paradise Killer for those very reasons.
5 The Darkside Detective Has A Satirical Yet Fantastical Atmosphere
The Darkside Detective is a 2017 point-and-click adventure video game developed by Spooky Doorway and published by Akupara Games. In the game, players investigate the city of Twin Lakes, and must solve mysteries of a supernatural nature due to the city being linked to a dimension called the "Darkside."
Its satirical humor mixed with the gameplay and supernatural elements was a big hit with fans, and perfect for true crime fans who want some gritty supernatural background to their mysteries.
4 Overboard Makes The Player The Criminal Trying To Cover Up Their Tracks
Overboard is a game where the player isn't the detective, but rather the criminal. The player has eight hours in this visual novel game to cover up their tracks by any means so no one finds out that they committed the crime.
They must befriend and bribe the right people to help them out, get rid of any possible evidence, and do all they can to get away with murder. Additionally, one can replay the game multiple times to learn all the in-game secrets of other characters.
3 The Last Express Is A Visually-Arresting Mystery Perfect For Agatha Christie Fans
The Last Express takes place on a train called the Orient Express, an obvious reference to the famed Agatha Christie mystery. Players take the role of an American who is invited by a friend to join them on the Orient Express, days before the start of World War I. However, they quickly become involved in cases of treachery, lies, political conspiracies, personal interests, romance, and murder.
As the players investigate, there are thirty possible endings that they might reach. Some involve the player's own death or arrest, but there are other alternative endings, with only one of them being considered the "true" ending. True crime fans will enjoy the non-linear gameplay as they investigate the varying situations they get involved in.
2 Judgment Has Players Investigating A Mysterious Serial Killer
Judgment is a third-person action-adventure game that follows the player as private detective Takayuki Yagami as he investigates a serial murder case in Kamurocho, a fictional district of Tokyo, Japan. Part of the game features an investigation mode, where the player must search for clues and evidence of the crime.
This includes having to pick locks, use disguises, and pursue suspects to find all the clues and solve the case. True crime fans will have a lot of fun trying to infiltrate hidden areas to find out the truth of the entire situation.
1 Thimbleweed Park Investigates The Bizarre Suspects Of A Small-Town Murder
Thimbleweed Park is a point-and-click adventure game from the minds behind such classics as Maniac Mansion and the Monkey Island series. The game follows two FBI agents that come to a small town to investigate a murder.
While investigating, they end up questioning many people of interest, including a literal ghost, a clown whose makeup can't come off, and a computer programmer. Thimbleweed Park was praised by fans and critics for its writing, animation, and characters, as well as the actual mystery itself.