There are more than a few people who love to experience a good mystery every once and a while. Where a good mystery exists, there must also be a person tasked with solving that mystery. Luckily for you, detectives come in many different shapes and sizes throughout the world of gaming.
Most people think of dark and brooding detectives who implement their own unique methods to solve their mysteries, but that’s not always the case. Sure, there are plenty of brooding detectives, but there are just as many upbeat and peppy detectives seeking to solve even the toughest mysteries.
10 Batman - Arkham Asylum
There couldn’t be any discussion about the greatest detectives in any medium without at least one mention of the caped crusader's incredible gaming library. Batman is one of the greatest sleuths the world has ever known, and Gotham is likely quite thankful for that fact.
Squaring off against some of the toughest villains the world has ever known, Batman makes tracking them down and defying their tangled plans look easy. Sure, The Joker and Harley Quinn may come up with some shocking sneaky plans, but the dark knight will always be there to put a stop to it.
9 Bigby Wolf - The Wolf Among Us
As far as games with a focus on story go, a lot of people fell in love with the gritty twist on fairy tales that was The Wolf Among Us. The game is filled with plenty of unique characters, but one of the absolute best has to be the grumpy private detective, Bigby Wolf.
Being able to control his choices helped people connect with him on a different level than most characters. Everyone likely wanted to do what they could to solve an offputting murder and protect the various fairytale beings that live their lives in fear.
8 The Investigation Team - Persona 4
Not exactly a single person, but instead, an entire group of delightful characters makes for one incredible detective group. The team isn’t simply a bunch of characters you get to know - you can put yourself amongst them and solve a seriously tricky mystery with your new friends.
The thing that makes the entire team so great is that every member brings their own distinct personality to the table, something that helps shed new light as your investigation progresses. By the end of Persona 4, you’ll be wondering where you would have ended up without a team like them.
7 The Player Character - Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is one of the best surprises to the RPG genre in the last few years. Rather than acting as a standard RPG, the game is one of the most delightful and intriguing mystery games that anyone can find.
Even something as small as including the character’s name is considered to be a bit of a spoiler to some, and since the game is so new it’s best to experience everything with little to no knowledge. It’s important to know that you’ll be tasked with solving the mystery of a person who has seemingly been lynched.
6 Cole Phelps - LA Noire
While Cole Phelps isn’t the most amazing person around, he is one of the most compelling detectives in video games. He doesn’t take on a single mystery or case as most protagonists do, but instead, he takes on countless cases before the close of LA Noire.
All the different cases he takes can be quite varied as well, as he travels across different police desks. He tackles some of the most infamous murders of his era, with some even being based on real-life events that took place.
5 Scott Shelby - Heavy Rain
For those that have played Heavy Rain, you likely thought Scott Shelby was just a private detective trying to do right in the world. That certainly is how things seem at first, but as the game progresses, the mystery unravels with some shocking revelations.
Shelby has some dark segments within an already strikingly dark game, but many of his segments stand out to players who were invested in stopping the Origami Killer. One way or another, you likely got what you wanted eventually, just as long as you didn’t fail too many QTEs.
4 Ronan O’Connor - Murdered: Soul Suspect
In most games, you’ll find yourself playing a rugged cop, doing everything you can to put a stop to any further murders. The major twist with Soul Suspect is that right off the bat, you wind up dead and play the game as a ghostly detective.
Ronan manages to stand out from many of his detective peers by having extra powers that actually make sense. His adventure is a unique one, but it manages to feel familiar thanks to the simple and potentially strange investigation mechanics found within.
3 Francis York Morgan - Deadly Premonition
While he is technically an FBI agent, Francis York Morgan spends the events of Deadly Premonition investigating a sinister murder in a sleepy town. The set-up for the game is a simple one, but it stands out as one of the most unique horror experiences anyone can have.
There is a lot of clunkiness to every aspect of the game, making it a cult classic, and leaving Francis York Morgan as a kind of beloved character as well. Morgan can often feel like a walking cliche, something that a lot of people love.
2 Pikachu - Detective Pikachu
If a talking Pikachu suddenly appears and tells you that it is a detective, it’s probably best to just believe it. It’s hard to argue with how fast people fell in love with Detective Pikachu since the game series was quickly turned into a hit movie. It helps that Pikachu can be absolutely hilarious too.
The character is a unique take on a classic Pokemon, something that a lot of fans had been wishing for. While Pikachu is different than some people might have thought, the game's adventure proves that the adorable creature is more than up for any task.
1 Paul Prospero - The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter
Those who haven’t experienced The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter should do so if they love a strange mystery. With Paul Prospero on the case, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be long before you figure everything out.
The thing is, once you do figure out what’s gone on, you’ll be looking at the entire game in a new light. Prospero is considered a great character thanks to his surprising changes seen throughout the game's runtime, especially when it comes to its conclusion. It’s a dark tale, but one that fans of the genre will be happy they gave a try.