It’s a miracle that after almost three decades, Nintendo translated an NES classic onto the Switch. Thanks to both Famicom Detective Club games, detective games might be on the brain. But what other great titles are out there for the mystery enthused gamer?
There are actually a lot. Some of them are small, slow adventure games that match that Switch remake while others take another approach to the law through action. There’s a game for any detective, law, or courtroom fan out there so give this mix a go.
Updated June 19, 2022 by Jeff Drake: The courtroom is a great setting for gripping dramas, and unless they're poorly written are generally well received by viewers. It should be no surprise that law and courtroom games are also popular. This genre of game provides mystery and intrigue while leading the player to the finale with a trail of clues. A good law and courtroom game should challenge the player's skills of deduction and perception. Every game on this list is successful at these two objectives. This update will make this list a little more comprehensive by adding additional entries, and ranking them accordingly.
15 Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law
This game began as an Adult Swim cartoon featuring the voice talents of a young (well...younger) Stephen Colbert, Gary Cole, and Paget Brewster. Except for Colbert, all of the show's cast returned to voice their characters for the video game adaptation of this sleeper cult classic. There's a reason this game didn't make the original list - it's not without its flaws. Those flaws aren't egregious enough to prevent the player from having fun though.
The player has to control Harvey Birdman in a series of five separate cases. Clues must be found and questions must be answered before appearing in Judge Mentok the Mindtaker's courtroom. Be prepared to get stuck a few times as the game is notorious for not making it clear to the player what needs to be done. If nothing else, this game is certainly the most amusing on this list.
14 Police Quest Series
This is an old franchise; the first Police Quest game was released in 1987 and looks very primitive by today's graphical standards. In the first three games the player controls Sonny Bonds. These games have a detective aspect, and at times the player will have to appear in court.
Some of the really fun moments of the Police Quest series, especially in Police Quest 2, are when the player must patrol the city in their police cruiser. The player soon learns there's more to pulling over a speeder and handing them a ticket. If even one bit of information on the ticket is incorrect, like the time of day, the player will have to watch the judge dismiss the charges - before getting chastised for not following the proper procedures. The early games in the series were remastered, and all the Police Quest games can be gotten as part of a collection at GOG.com.
13 Hotel Dusk: Room 215
The Nintendo handheld systems had many great law and courtroom type games. Among the most notable are the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Professor Layton games; though the Layton games were closer to standard puzzle games. One of the hidden gems in the 3DS library is Hotel Dusk: Room 215.
In this game, the player controls former detective Kyle Hyde as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his missing former partner in a hotel. There are parts of the game where the player has to carefully interrogate individuals; much like in L.A. Noir. Unfortunately, this game hasn't been re-released on the Switch, so anyone wanting to play this game will need to dust off their 3DS and track down a copy of the game.
12 Astral Chain
This game is on the more supernatural side of law enforcement. It’s an action game from the masters PlatinumGames. Think of it like Bayonetta, because of the gameplay, plus Persona 5, because of the chained entity to one’s wrist at all times. There are some moments of investigation work in here too but for the most part this Switch exclusive is all about the wow factor.
11 Battlefield Hardline
Metal Gear Solid does stealth games right by allowing players to non-lethally subdue their opponents. It’s not the only game that does it but it’s definitely the most noted example. Another great idea for non-lethal takedowns can be found in this Battlefield spinoff wherein players can stealthily handcuff an enemy from behind. Cool takedowns aside, it’s basically Bad Boys the game.
10 Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango is different from the other games on this list, which are more conventional law and courtroom games. This game takes place in the afterlife, which the game presents in a film noir fashion that uses an artistic style based on the Mexican Day of the Dead calaca figures.
The player controls Manny Calavera as he attempts to uncover the truth behind an underworld (figuratively and literally) criminal scheme to rob dead souls of their express tickets into the Land of the Dead. A remastered version of Grim Fandango is currently available on Steam.
9 L.A. Noire
While L.A. Noire does have some action and is technically an open-world game, it’s more like a triple-A reimagined idea of an adventure game. It’s all about the investigation work on this one in other words.
Why it never got a sequel is a long story involving a series of troubles between the developer, Team Bondi, and Rockstar as the publisher. Thankfully this detective adventure hasn’t been forgotten yet as it did get a remaster a couple years ago.
8 Return Of The Obra Dinn
This may not technically be a detective game, but it’s close enough. Players are an insurance investigator trying to figure out what happened to the crew of an abandoned ship. At one’s disposal is a magical watch that rewinds time to let players see what certain crew members were doing before disappearing. Piecing it all together takes time, but it’s one of the most unique mystery games around with an amazing payoff.
7 Policenauts
Policenauts is something that will be a bit trickier to track down because it only released in Japan on PS1. That said, fans have translated that version so there are ways to access it. As for the game itself, Policenauts is an old school adventure game which was developed by Hideo Kojima. The best way to describe it would be to call it Lethal Weapon in space with hints of Blade Runner. It’s pretty grounded for Kojima.
6 Snatcher
Before there was Policenauts, there was Snatcher. Although the two games aren't related in terms of story, Hideo Kojima began conceptualizing Policenauts while working on Snatcher. Most gamers who have played both games agree Snatcher is the better of the two despite being graphically inferior.
In Snatcher, the player controls detective Gillian Seed as he investigates crimes committed by Snatchers, which are humanoid robots designed to appear human. Whereas Policanauts is kind of like Blade Runner, Snatcher is an almost direct adaptation.
5 Sleeping Dogs
This was one of the most underrated games of the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. It’s an undercover cop game wherein players have to infiltrate a Chinese syndicate. It’s also an open-world sandbox like Grand Theft Auto but one where the driving, shooting, and melee combat are ten times better. As a police officer players can even go after small-time criminals to help build their reputation.
4 Judgment
This game is a spinoff from the Yakuza series, which features similar brawling action through a slightly different lens. The game begins with Takayuki Yagami as a lawyer before he quits due to a bad court case outcome. Fast-forwarding a few years later, he’s now a private detective. As is the case for most Yakuza narratives, every single thing in the story ties back together. The best part about it are the investigation and court related gameplay sections.
3 The Wolf Among Us
This was a Telltale adventure game based off of the comic, Fables. It serves as a prequel leading up to that comic, following the Big Bad Wolf, Bigby, who has reformed himself as a detective.
It’s a gritty noire game through the lens of a fantasy setting which makes it one of the most unique examples of a detective game out there. Fans have been waiting for a sequel since it was teased in 2017 but there has been no real gameplay or details discussed since.
2 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
When one thinks of courtroom games, Phoenix Wright cannot be left out of the conversation. It can be thanked for popularizing this niche genre along with reviving the idea of what adventure games could be as a whole. Years later Telltale would help with this as well, but Capcom really set a precedent first for both handhelds and consoles. This trilogy collects the first three games and remasters them into HD. It’s the perfect place to start in the series.
1 Danganronpa
Phoenix Wright may be the classic example, but the court cases are not as nail biting as the Danganronpa series. That us because each game ties together in this massive conspiracy involving the end of society through multiple Battle Royale school setups. It’s dark, grim, but the glimmer of hope from the heroes is what will keep players pushing forward. From investigating murders, to trying to reveal the culprit in court via Truth Bullets, this will be a hard series to put down.