Free Detective Games on Steam
Steam currently has 2,879 Detective games available to download and play. Explore our list of the best free games ranked by popularity and ratings. Data for this list is calculated from reviews and player counts reported directly by Steam and will be updated in real-time. Free Detective game rankings were last updated on 7/16/2025.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best detective games on Steam
- Best detective Steam Deck games
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- Best detective Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
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1. Adventure Escape Mysteries
Play a story-driven room escape game with unique puzzles enjoyed by tens of millions of players. Solve mysteries, puzzle through escape rooms, and find the clue that will crack the case in a critically acclaimed puzzle adventure game!
Adventure Escape Mysteries holds the #1 spot for "best free Detective game on Steam" with a Player Score of 82. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 954 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 824 positive reviews and 130 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Adventure Escape Mysteries on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 5/5/2020 |
| Developer | Haiku Games Co |
| Publisher | Haiku Games Co |
| Steam App Id | 1141020 |
2. Fear Surrounds
Fear Surrounds is a horror-tinged take on the werewolf-style social subterfuge genre, where two evil spirits hide within a group of players and attempt to sabotage and murder them.
Fear Surrounds has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 10,757 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,261 positive reviews and 1,496 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 10/20/2021 |
| Developer | SaltyEgg Studio |
| Publisher | Yooreka Studio |
| Steam App Id | 1526490 |
3. Life Makeover
Explore Life Makeover: Unleash your style, dye outfits, and design freely. Dive into unlimited dress-up, build your dream home - all for free.
Life Makeover has achieved a Player Score of 80, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,304 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,099 positive reviews and 205 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Life Makeover on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 11/15/2023 |
| Developer | Archosaur Games |
| Publisher | Archosaur Games |
| Steam App Id | 2626940 |
4. Escape Room - Der kranke Kollege
You only wanted to make a visit to your sick colleague, but what you encounter is beyond your imagination. Discover the secrets of your colleague and find a way to escape the trap.
Escape Room - Der kranke Kollege has achieved a Player Score of 80, placing it in the #4 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 12,179 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,908 positive reviews and 2,271 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Escape Room - Der kranke Kollege on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 9/5/2020 |
| Developer | Bitbeast Games |
| Publisher | Bitbeast Games |
| Steam App Id | 1301720 |
5. Cube Escape: Paradox
The tenth Cube Escape follows the story of detective Dale Vandermeer who finds himself trapped in two different universes and needs to escape. Cube Escape: Paradox will be released together with the accompanying Paradox: A Rusty Lake Film.
Cube Escape: Paradox has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 10,714 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 10,413 positive reviews and 301 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Cube Escape: Paradox on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 9/20/2018 |
| Franchise | Rusty Lake |
| Developer | Rusty Lake |
| Publisher | Rusty Lake |
| Steam App Id | 909080 |
6. Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories
"Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories" is a series of co-operative escape-room style puzzle scenarios. Each one is sure to test your wits as you try to overcome the challenges that stand in the way of your escape.
Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories has achieved a Player Score of 82, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,487 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,638 positive reviews and 849 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 9/30/2022 |
| Franchise | 0 Deer Soft |
| Developer | 0 Deer Soft |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 2098350 |
7. Unsolved Case
A new lead turns up old doubts about an 'Unsolved Case'. A trap, or a copycat killer? In this co-op puzzle game prequel to the award-winning Cryptic Killer series, put on your detective badges as you collaborate and communicate to crack the codes, solve the riddles, and catch the Cryptic Killer.
Unsolved Case has achieved a Player Score of 85, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,787 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,086 positive reviews and 701 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 11/24/2022 |
| Franchise | Eleven Puzzles |
| Developer | Eleven Puzzles |
| Publisher | Eleven Puzzles |
| Steam App Id | 2084050 |
8. Dodgy Deliveries
Co-op "Horror" game about running a delivery service with your friends! B̵̨̦͓͖̹̪̥̮͛̀̏̈́̐̔̉Ę̴̤̦̤͓̰̤́͗̚ ̵̨̺͓̱̞͔͉͙̀̂͂͋͠͠Ç̸̫͈̋͋͆̋̾̑̕͜Ä̴̛̟͑͛͋͂̌̕͜͝R̵̛͎̮̜̒̽̈́͂̓̒͘Ę̸͉̙̎̀͐͆Ḟ̶̼͖̭͇̗U̸̡̫͇̤̭̪̦̣̔Ḷ̶̛͖̙͗̋̈̇̕ ̷̡̢͕̦̜͚̌̎̃̔Ā̷̧͇͎̳͔̩̜̤̗͊̋Ţ̸̭̩͚̮͖͇̹̬̾ ̷͍̞̰͈̻̣͚̂̾ͅN̵̛̤͒̏̒͝Ḯ̵̡̘͇̖̏͘Ģ̸̛͙̥̞̽̀͒͜H̶̲̜̺̐̄͋͊̍̈́͘͜T̴̯̲̳̪͚̜̼̈͠
Dodgy Deliveries has achieved a Player Score of 69, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,177 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 844 positive reviews and 333 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 1/31/2025 |
| Franchise | Deliver Games |
| Developers | |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 2231300 |
9. 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 #9 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 23,787 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 23,125 positive reviews and 662 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It 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).
10. Contraband Police: Prologue
Take over the duties of a border guard inspector in a communist country of the 80's. Smuggling, corruption and forgery are the order of the day here. Be vigilant and earn the respect of your superiors.
Contraband Police: Prologue has achieved a Player Score of 86, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Detective games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,273 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,481 positive reviews and 792 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Contraband Police: Prologue on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 2/16/2021 |
| Developer | Crazy Rocks |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1396240 |
More Free Detective Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Detective games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | 5/5/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 102 | 10/20/2021 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 85 | 11/15/2023 | 80 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 83 | 9/5/2020 | 80 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 67 | 9/20/2018 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 63 | 9/30/2022 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 60 | 11/24/2022 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 52 | 1/31/2025 | 69 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 37 | 3/31/2023 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 30 | 2/16/2021 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 26 | 9/23/2022 | 76 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 26 | 4/4/2024 | 92 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 23 | 7/23/2020 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 17 | 10/12/2019 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 17 | 10/15/2024 | 46 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 8/2/2024 | 52 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 8/28/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 3/13/2018 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 1/12/2023 | 68 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 11 | 2/6/2025 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Player counts 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. (2025, July 16). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, July 16). Adventure Escape Mysteries on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, May 7). Fear Surrounds on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, May 15). Life Makeover on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 24). Escape Room - Der kranke Kollege on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, May 31). Cube Escape: Paradox on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, July 11). Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, July 13). Unsolved Case on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, July 13). Dodgy Deliveries on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 5). The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, July 6). Contraband Police: Prologue on Steam. Steam Store.