Free Investigation Games on Steam
Steam currently has 3,674 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 7,122 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,036 positive reviews and 86 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. 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 #2 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 31,953 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 28,664 positive reviews and 3,289 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 |
4. 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 #4 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,087 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 942 positive reviews and 145 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 |
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 87, placing it in the #5 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,537 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,723 positive reviews and 814 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. Hello Neighbor 2 Alpha 1.5
Hello Neighbor 2 is a Stealth Horror Game where you’re being stalked by a mysterious creature as you try to track down Mr. Peterson (The Neighbor) who has disappeared after the events of the first game. Play against an advanced, self-learning AI that tracks and adapts to your every move.
Hello Neighbor 2 Alpha 1.5 has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #6 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 6,157 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,347 positive reviews and 810 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 Hello Neighbor 2 Alpha 1.5 on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 7/23/2020 |
| Franchise | Hello Neighbor Game |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | tinyBuild |
| Steam App Id | 1364960 |
7. 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 #7 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,178 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,873 positive reviews and 305 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 |
8. 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 #8 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 6,311 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,530 positive reviews and 781 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 |
10. Hello Neighbor Alpha 2
Welcome to Alpha 2 of Hello Neighbor. Play against an advanced, self-learning AI in what eventually became Act 1 of Hello Neighbor - the stealth horror home invasion sim.
Hello Neighbor Alpha 2 has achieved a Player Score of 91, placing it in the #10 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,471 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,233 positive reviews and 238 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 Hello Neighbor Alpha 2 on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 10/15/2019 |
| Franchise | Hello Neighbor Game |
| Developer | Dynamic Pixels |
| Publisher | tinyBuild |
| Steam App Id | 1092720 |
More Free Investigation Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Investigation games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 229 | 4/27/2024 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 101 | 2/3/2017 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 93 | 7/28/2025 | 67 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 79 | 5/5/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 55 | 2/16/2021 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 28 | 7/23/2020 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 24 | 8/28/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 22 | 11/24/2022 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 22 | 10/15/2024 | 48 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 20 | 10/15/2019 | 91 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 17 | 10/19/2019 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 16 | 4/27/2016 | 57 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 10/10/2019 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 14 | 9/30/2022 | 81 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 12 | 10/12/2019 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 11 | 9/5/2020 | 79 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 3/13/2026 | 65 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 8 | 10/17/2019 | 73 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 7 | 12/31/2025 | 90 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 7 | 12/29/2020 | 80 | 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, March 15). We Were Here on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 25). Sherlock: Hidden Object & Match-3 Mystery on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 12). Adventure Escape Mysteries on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 20). Contraband Police: Prologue on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 11). Hello Neighbor 2 Alpha 1.5 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 20). Operation: Tango - Friend Pass on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 25). Unsolved Case on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 24). Mystery Manor: hidden objects on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, October 3). Hello Neighbor Alpha 2 on Steam. Steam Store.