Free Investigation Games on Steam
Steam currently has 3,569 Investigation 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 Investigation game rankings were last updated on 1/6/2026.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best investigation games on Steam
- Best investigation Steam Deck games
- Best investigation Steam games for Mac OS
- Best investigation Linux games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. 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! holds the #1 spot for "best free Investigation game on Steam" with a Player Score of 95. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 6,659 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,577 positive reviews and 82 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It 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 |
2. 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 has achieved a Player Score of 82, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,070 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 926 positive reviews and 144 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 |
3. We Were Here
Lost in a frozen wasteland and split up from your partner inside an abandoned castle, the only possession you have left is a walkie-talkie with a familiar voice on the other end. Can the two of you find your way out in time?
We Were Here has achieved a Player Score of 88, placing it in the #3 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 31,571 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 28,339 positive reviews and 3,232 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 We Were Here on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 2/3/2017 |
| Franchise | Total Mayhem Games |
| Developer | Total Mayhem Games |
| Publisher | Total Mayhem Games |
| Steam App Id | 582500 |
5. 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 #5 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,497 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,684 positive reviews and 813 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 |
6. Operation: Tango - Friend Pass
Download the Friend Pass and play for free with a friend who owns the full Operation: Tango game. It takes two to save the world, but it only takes one to pay for it.
Operation: Tango - Friend Pass has achieved a Player Score of 82, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,157 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,854 positive reviews and 303 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It can be played and ran on Windows systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Operation: Tango - Friend Pass on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 8/28/2020 |
| Developer | Clever Plays |
| Publisher | Clever Plays |
| Steam App Id | 1377150 |
7. 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 #7 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,826 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,899 positive reviews and 927 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 |
9. Hello Neighbor Alpha 4
Alpha 4 of Hello Neighbor was the final alpha during the stealth hit's development. Sneak into your creepy Neighbor's house to figure out what he's hiding.
Hello Neighbor Alpha 4 has achieved a Player Score of 81, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,734 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,801 positive reviews and 933 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 Hello Neighbor Alpha 4 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 10/19/2019 |
| Franchise | Hello Neighbor Game |
| Developer | Dynamic Pixels |
| Publisher | tinyBuild |
| Steam App Id | 1096710 |
10. 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 #10 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 6,204 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,450 positive reviews and 754 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 |
More Free Investigation Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Investigation games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 199 | 4/27/2024 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 145 | 5/5/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 132 | 2/3/2017 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 131 | 7/28/2025 | 67 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 53 | 2/16/2021 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 46 | 8/28/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 39 | 9/30/2022 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 34 | 10/15/2024 | 49 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 32 | 10/19/2019 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 28 | 11/24/2022 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 25 | 7/23/2020 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 20 | 8/7/2023 | 90 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 20 | 12/31/2025 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 12/29/2020 | 80 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 13 | 10/10/2019 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 4/27/2016 | 57 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 10/15/2019 | 91 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 11 | 10/12/2019 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 10/17/2019 | 73 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 9 | 3/15/2017 | 59 | 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. (2026, January 6). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 6). Buy a Croquette! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 12). Adventure Escape Mysteries on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, November 28). We Were Here on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 31). Sherlock: Hidden Object & Match-3 Mystery on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, December 18). Contraband Police: Prologue on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 24). Operation: Tango - Friend Pass on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, November 30). Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 2). Mystery Manor: hidden objects on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, January 31). Hello Neighbor Alpha 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, November 26). Unsolved Case on Steam. Steam Store.