Free Investigation Games on Steam
Steam currently has 2,873 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 4/15/2025.
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 29,643 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 26,755 positive reviews and 2,888 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 not possible to play or run We Were Here on the Steam Deck.
| 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 4,080 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,043 positive reviews and 37 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. 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 #3 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,167 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 6,378 positive reviews and 789 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 |
4. Adventure Escape Mysteries
Experience the unique puzzles and critically-acclaimed stories enjoyed by tens of millions of players. Investigate cryptic clues, unravel a mystery, and solve puzzles in beautifully illustrated adventures!
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 898 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 782 positive reviews and 116 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. 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 #5 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 11,986 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,801 positive reviews and 2,185 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 |
6. 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 #6 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4,914 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,172 positive reviews and 742 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 |
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 86, placing it in the #7 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,454 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,830 positive reviews and 624 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. Hello Neighbor Alpha 1
This is Alpha 1 of Hello Neighbor, a Stealth Horror Game about sneaking into your neighbor's house and figuring out what he's hiding in the basement. Play against an advanced AI that learns from your actions.
Hello Neighbor Alpha 1 has achieved a Player Score of 89, placing it in the #8 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 3,425 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 3,161 positive reviews and 264 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 1 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 10/12/2019 |
| Developer | Dynamic Pixels |
| Publisher | tinyBuild |
| Steam App Id | 1092710 |
9. 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 #9 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,299 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4,495 positive reviews and 804 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 |
10. 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 #10 spot for the best free Investigation games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,056 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,768 positive reviews and 288 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 |
More Free Investigation Games
Explore even more rankings for the 100 best free Investigation games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 2/3/2017 | 88 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 113 | 4/27/2024 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 89 | 2/16/2021 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 85 | 5/5/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 42 | 9/5/2020 | 80 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 42 | 10/19/2019 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 37 | 11/24/2022 | 86 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 32 | 10/12/2019 | 89 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 29 | 9/30/2022 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 27 | 8/28/2020 | 82 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 25 | 4/27/2016 | 57 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 21 | 7/23/2020 | 84 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 18 | 10/15/2019 | 91 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 16 | 10/15/2024 | 44 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 6/15/2022 | 77 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 15 | 10/17/2019 | 74 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 13 | 11/12/2024 | 59 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 11 | 8/7/2023 | 90 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 10/10/2019 | 87 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 10 | 3/16/2017 | 60 | 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, April 15). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 15). We Were Here on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 18). 买个可乐饼吧！ - Buy a Croquette! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 11). Contraband Police: Prologue on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 4). Adventure Escape Mysteries on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 24). Escape Room - Der kranke Kollege on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 24). Hello Neighbor Alpha 4 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 15). Unsolved Case on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 15). Hello Neighbor Alpha 1 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 13). Escape Memoirs: Mini Stories on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 15). Operation: Tango - Friend Pass on Steam. Steam Store.