Free Investigation Games on Steam
Steam currently has 3,039 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 6/3/2025.
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. 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 holds the #1 spot for "best free Investigation game on Steam" with a Player Score of 88. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 30,093 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 27,091 positive reviews and 3,002 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 |
2. 买个可乐饼吧！ - Buy a Croquette!
March 2012, Nagano. The smart and brave high school girl, Chio Aozora, is facing a major crisis: she has no 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 in coins, and buy a croquette!
买个可乐饼吧！ - Buy a Croquette! has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #2 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,503 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,457 positive reviews and 46 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 买个可乐饼吧！ - 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 |
3. 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 #3 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 945 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 817 positive reviews and 128 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 |
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 Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 12,144 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,897 positive reviews and 2,247 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. 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 7,239 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,447 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 |
6. 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 #6 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,710 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,024 positive reviews and 686 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 |
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 5,459 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,616 positive reviews and 843 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 |
8. 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 #8 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,073 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,784 positive reviews and 289 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 |
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 82, placing it in the #9 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,033 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,262 positive reviews and 771 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. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo
Get a taste of the single-player and multiplayer action of Monster Hunter Rise and its massive expansion Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak in this demo. Experience new Sunbreak features as you taken on Great Izuchi, Tetranadon, Astalos and Malzeno!
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo has achieved a Player Score of 77, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,181 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 956 positive reviews and 225 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 Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 6/15/2022 |
| Franchise | Capcom |
| Developer | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher | CAPCOM Co., Ltd. |
| Steam App Id | 1836450 |
More Free Investigation Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Investigation games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165 | 2/3/2017 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 150 | 4/27/2024 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 95 | 5/5/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 85 | 9/5/2020 | 80 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 63 | 2/16/2021 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 49 | 11/24/2022 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 45 | 9/30/2022 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 25 | 8/28/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 21 | 10/19/2019 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 20 | 6/15/2022 | 77 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 19 | 1/31/2023 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 16 | 8/7/2023 | 90 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 16 | 6/11/2025 | 75 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 10/12/2019 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 4/27/2016 | 56 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 14 | 10/15/2019 | 91 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 13 | 6/13/2020 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 10/15/2024 | 45 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 4/19/2025 | 64 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 10/17/2019 | 74 | 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, June 3). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 3). We Were Here on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 16). 买个可乐饼吧！ - Buy a Croquette! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, May 19). Adventure Escape Mysteries on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, May 21). Escape Room - Der kranke Kollege on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, May 21). Contraband Police: Prologue on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 19). Unsolved Case on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 20). Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 12). Operation: Tango - Friend Pass on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 19). Hello Neighbor Alpha 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, June 18). Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Demo on Steam. Steam Store.