Best Detective Games on Steam
Steam currently has 3,305 Detective games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Detective game rankings were last updated on 1/28/2026.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Free detective games on Steam
- Best detective Steam Deck games
- Best detective Linux games on Steam
- Best detective Steam games for Mac OS
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Chants of Sennaar
In this award-winning puzzle adventure game, play as the Traveler on a quest to reunite the Peoples of the Tower. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the Myth of Babel.
Chants of Sennaar holds the #1 spot for "best Detective game on Steam" with a Player Score of 96. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 28,047 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 27,576 positive reviews and 471 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 9/5/2023 |
| Franchise | Focus Entertainment |
| Developer | Rundisc |
| Publisher | Focus Entertainment |
| Steam App Id | 1931770 |
2. The Wolf Among Us
From the makers of the 2012 Game of the Year: The Walking Dead, comes a thriller based on the award-winning Fables comic books. As Bigby Wolf you will discover that a brutal, bloody murder is just a taste of things to come in a game series where your every decision can have enormous consequences.
The Wolf Among Us has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 38,431 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 37,611 positive reviews and 820 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Wolf Among Us on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 10/11/2013 |
| Franchise | Telltale Games |
| Developer | Telltale |
| Publisher | Telltale |
| Steam App Id | 250320 |
3. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Become Phoenix Wright and experience the thrill of battle as you fight to save your innocent clients in a court of law. Play all 14 episodes, spanning the first three games, in one gorgeous collection.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 41,823 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 40,805 positive reviews and 1,018 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $29.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $29.99 |
| Release Date | 4/9/2019 |
| Developer | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Steam App Id | 787480 |
4. Persona 4 Golden
A coming of age story that sets the protagonist and his friends on a journey kickstarted by a chain of serial murders.
Persona 4 Golden has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 83,197 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 80,717 positive reviews and 2,480 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
5. Buy a Croquette!
March 2012, Nagano. The brave and clever high school girl, Chio Aozora, is facing a major crisis: she doesn’t have enough money to buy a croquette! Navigate through the streets and alleys of Nagano, interact with a variety of characters, solve complex puzzles, collect 380 yen, and buy a croquette!
Buy a Croquette! has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 6,701 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,619 positive reviews and 82 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Buy a Croquette! on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/27/2024 |
| Developer | 越青 |
| Publisher | Eternal Dream |
| Steam App Id | 2167960 |
6. Persona 5 Royal
Don the mask and join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they stage grand heists, infiltrate the minds of the corrupt, and make them change their ways!
Persona 5 Royal has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 121,795 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 117,521 positive reviews and 4,274 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $59.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
7. The Case of the Golden Idol
A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.
The Case of the Golden Idol has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 9,888 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,683 positive reviews and 205 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $17.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $17.99 |
| Release Date | 10/13/2022 |
| Franchise | Playstack |
| Developer | Color Gray Games |
| Publisher | Playstack |
| Steam App Id | 1677770 |
8. Phasmophobia
Phasmophobia is a 4 player online co-op psychological horror. Paranormal activity is on the rise and it’s up to you and your team to use all the ghost-hunting equipment at your disposal in order to gather as much evidence as you can.
Phasmophobia has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 808,862 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 773,739 positive reviews and 35,123 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Phasmophobia on the Steam Deck.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 9/18/2020 |
| Developer | Kinetic Games |
| Publisher | Kinetic Games |
| Steam App Id | 739630 |
9. Cube Escape Collection
In this classic point-and-click adventure anthology you follow the path of Dale and Laura and other famous Rusty lake characters such as Mr. Crow and Mr. Owl. The series will be updated, preserved and bundled to survive the end of the Flash Games era.
Cube Escape Collection has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,337 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,202 positive reviews and 135 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $4.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $4.99 |
| Release Date | 10/14/2020 |
| Franchise | Rusty Lake |
| Developer | Rusty Lake |
| Publisher | Rusty Lake |
| Steam App Id | 1292940 |
10. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 24,586 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 23,871 positive reviews and 715 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
More Detective Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best Detective games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | 9/5/2023 | 96 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 64 | 10/11/2013 | 96 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1,349 | 4/9/2019 | 96 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 940 | 6/13/2020 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 188 | 4/27/2024 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 7,193 | 10/21/2022 | 95 | $59.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 89 | 10/13/2022 | 95 | $17.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 8,601 | 9/18/2020 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 63 | 10/14/2020 | 95 | $4.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 12 | 3/31/2023 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 31 | 1/13/2025 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 344 | 3/26/2010 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 122 | 1/30/2024 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 153 | 10/18/2018 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,742 | 7/18/2025 | 95 | $29.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 3 | 3/7/2025 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 607 | 9/7/2012 | 95 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 8/13/2021 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 2 | 2/24/2020 | 94 | $1.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 86 | 6/29/2023 | 94 | $9.89 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 28). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 28). Chants of Sennaar on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 31). The Wolf Among Us on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 19). Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 15). Persona 4 Golden on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 6). Buy a Croquette! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 16). Persona 5 Royal on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 5). The Case of the Golden Idol on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 9). Phasmophobia on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 6). Cube Escape Collection on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 22). The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog on Steam. Steam Store.