These are games where you play a detective or someone else investigating a mystery. Most of them are realistic games which I am splitting off of my realistic list. Some are more magical or science fi-ish.
Very, very long fully illustrated detective game. Though based on real life, the lush setting and international character feels like fantasy. Find 7 diamond, two criminals and a murderer
10. Suspect by Dave Lebling (1984) Average member rating: (22 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Someone dies at a Halloween party, and you are the prime suspect.
11. Who Among Us, by Tia Orisney (2013) Average member rating: (11 ratings) MathBrush says:
A Twine take on And Then There Were None set in Russia. Some rough edges, but tight pacing.
12. PataNoir by Simon Christiansen (2011) Average member rating: (58 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A surreal detective game where you can manipulate metaphors as if they were reality.
13. Guilty Bastards, by Kent Tessman (1998) Average member rating: (6 ratings) MathBrush says:
Investigate the death of a movie star. An interesting depiction of San Francisco, based on real locations.
14. The Witness by Stu Galley (1983) Average member rating: (28 ratings)
MathBrush says:
You witness a man being shot in his office. Perhaps the shortest Infocom mystery.
15. My Name is Jack Mills by Juhana Leinonen (2007) Average member rating: (18 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Short, easy, smooth, and a good read. You are hired to recover a stolen rare coin.
16. Robin & Orchid by Ryan Veeder and Emily Boegheim (2013) Average member rating: (65 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A teenage newsletter columnist investigates ghost sightings in a church. Help system that is intertwined with the game.
17. Beyond by Roberto Grassi, Paolo Lucchesi, and Alessandro Peretti (2005) Average member rating: (45 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A dead child helps a detective from beyond the grave.
A fine little parser murder mystery. Solve investigative puzzles in a single room, then deduce.
40. The Missing Ring by Felicity Drake (2019) Average member rating: (19 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Spring Thing winner. This game has you as a child-turned detective to find their grandmother's missing engagement ring on Christmas Eve.
41. The Myothian Falcon by Andy Joel (2011) Average member rating: (10 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A Quest game. You are a detective in a depression-era grunge city that happens to be set on an alien planet in the future. Bugs make it hard to complete without walkthrough, but good story.
