Agatha Christie was and always will be, an icon in the mystery department. Her books took the world by storm and continue to do so. A lot of her works have been adapted into movies, TV shows, and games. The latest adaption, A Haunting in Venice, is based on her story called Hallowe’en Party.
It’s one of her spookier mysteries which follows the exploits of the miraculous detective, Hercules Poirot, as he tries to uncover a series of murders after a Halloween party in Venice goes awry. Fans of hers will surely dig it and Agatha Christie fans overall may enjoy these detective adjacent games. Some are simple while others are a bit more complex.
8 The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a collection of two games that are part of the Ace Attorney franchise. This spinoff follows an ancestor of the franchise’s main hero, Phoenix Wright, and his name is Ryunosuke Naruhodo. Naruhodo is flung into the life of a lawyer after his friend dies during a tragic incident.
The entire game has Naruhodo trying to solve cases alongside Scotland Yard in the Industrial Revolution age of London. The great Sherlock Holmes is even in the game although it’s a very anime-inspired version of the character.
7 Detective Pikachu
Detective Pikachu is a great detective game for those not used to adventure games. The gameplay is basic, with a lot of mini-games accompanying the traditional point-and-click adventure game mechanics. As the name suggests, it is part of the Pokemon franchise and stars a Pikachu that can talk.
Not only that, but this gruff-sounding Pikachu loves a good cup of coffee while he solves mysteries alongside his partner’s son, Tim. The first game is for the 3DS while the upcoming sequel, Detective Pikachu Returns, is for the Switch and may be the one to hold out for.
6 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc’s setting is at a school where the best of the best gather to learn. These students are called Ultimates and they embody everyday aspects of life. Aoi Asahina, for example, is the Ultimate Swimming Pro while Chihiro Fujisaki is the Ultimate Programmer.
That’s the backdrop but the game is more sinister than that because these hapless students get trapped in their school, suffer amnesia, and are forced to play a killing game. In each chapter a student is killed and players, as the protagonist Makoto Naegi, have to solve these murders, or else everyone dies and the killer gets set free.
5 Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain is about a murderer dubbed The Origami Killer who kidnaps kids and drowns them. Players can inhabit multiple characters who all want to unmask and capture this brutal villain. Ethan Mars, for example, is the father of Shaun who is The Origami Killer’s latest victim.
The game was a PS3 exclusive but it has since been ported to other systems, making it easily accessible today. There are issues with it such as various plot holes, but the ride is fun the first time through if players don’t think about inconsistencies too much.
4 L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire has more action than a lot of the other picks on the list. Players will inhabit the life of Cole Phelps who starts as a beat cop before becoming a detective in the L.A. Police Department. They will solve various murders and other cases around the city which is set in the 1940s.
Besides the normal detective routine, players can drive around the city and will often participate in shootouts. Think of it like Grand Theft Auto through the eyes of a police officer.
3 Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a mouthful of a name just like Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Unsurprisingly, this game was made by the same team and it features a lot of similar gameplay quirks. Players wake up on a train with amnesia as Yuma Kokohead.
He is a detective and is part of a larger organization that ships detectives out to towns that need help solving crimes. The young detective is accompanied by a ghost named Shinigami who aids him in his research by transporting him to manifestations of clues through a dungeon. It sounds more complicated than it is, but the game is certainly weird.
2 Persona 4
Persona 4 is a turn-based RPG about a group of students who get sucked into a murder mystery. During the day, players will live out the life of Yu Narukami who recently moved to the area to stay with family. They will go to class, hang out with friends, and do normal teen stuff.
At night, Yu and his new friends will jump into dungeons that they hope will lead to clues to help solve the grizzly murders in their small town. It’s an infamously long RPG, but the characters and gameplay should help keep players amused for the long haul.
1 Professor Layton And The Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Curious Village is the first game in the series about the titular Professor Layton. In this game, Layton and his young student Luke are asked to help solve a mystery in a local village. The game takes place in a fantastical setting, but everything feels like it is set somewhere in Europe.
Players will get clues by solving math-related puzzles, so it’s a tricky adventure game even for veteran players. A large majority of these games are inaccessible without a DS or 3DS, but a new game is in development for Switch, Professor Layton, and The New World of Steam. It might be worth it to just wait for that instead, but overall Agatha Christie would probably love these games even though there is rarely any murder.