Video summary

Here Are The Best Detective Games To Check Out

Main summary

Key takeaways

Gaming

Storyline (what cases you “solve” / narratives covered)

The video is a recommendation roundup rather than one continuous plot. It highlights detective games with different storytelling structures:

  • Death / coroner-style crime cases (Death at Fleming Mana demo) You play a coroner examining crime scenes and determining the cause of death by collecting environmental evidence and interpreting what you find.

  • Golden Idol-style deduction (Death at Fleming Mana + mention of Golden Record sequel) These games focus on reconstructing events through close observation and deduction from limited clues.

  • Desktop / operating-system mystery (Outer Sloth desktop detective game, plus similar inspirations) The “story” unfolds as you investigate using a Windows 95/98-era interface, hunting through files, passwords, and hidden data.

  • WWII-era detective mystery (Obsidian Moon) You investigate as a rugged WWII detective using a card/table system to perform investigations (including autopsies), balancing progress with limited resources.

  • Long-form investigative narrative (Her Story) You piece together what happened to a murder by searching through interrogation video content. The story isn’t “ended” traditionally—you keep deducing until you believe your conclusion.

  • Open-world, courtroom-driven mystery (Paradise Killer) You investigate an island murder and track down the culprit through exploration, collect leads, and ultimately provide testimony in court.

  • FMV conversation-based investigation (Contradiction) The case advances primarily through real-actor conversation choices, with a campy detective persona.

  • Dialectic / choice-driven branching investigation (Disco Elysium) You investigate and interpret clues while managing character logic, stats, and consequences—framed as one of the best games.

  • Classic branching investigations (Frogwares Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment) Each case resolves with feedback on whether your decisions were correct. The game can reveal you were wrong and then moves to the next case.

Gameplay highlights & key strategies / tips mentioned

Golden Idol sequel

  • Recommended as a “definite pickup.”
  • The series is described as not spoon-feeding hints (more strict than some other titles).

Death at Fleming Mana (demo impressions)

  • Gameplay loop: examine scene → collect words/evidence in the environment → determine cause of death.
  • Expectation/tip: earlier titles may feel more hint-forward, while Golden Idol-style games can feel less hinting.

Desktop / OS detective concept (Outer Sloth)

  • Core idea: investigate like a system user by hunting folders/files, breaking into locked areas with passwords, and revealing hidden files—to uncover a mystery without modern conveniences.
  • Style reference: compared to similar “desktop/operating system” mysteries (e.g., Hypnospace Outlaw). Her Story is also referenced as a search-driven approach.

Obsidian Moon

  • Investigation uses cards on a table.
  • Time is currency, and you track:
    • Bills: if unpaid, sanity drops.
    • Practical demo issue: UI/time doesn’t always stop correctly, potentially wasting sanity during tasks.

Her Story (how you “play” it)

  • Use an in-game search engine: type a word/phrase to surface interrogation video segments containing that term.
  • Strategy implied: deduce by connecting repeated details across video snippets until your conclusion forms.

Paradise Killer

  • You can approach major areas (including the courtroom) very early, even without evidence.
  • Presentation highlight: heavy emphasis on vibes, especially the soundtrack.
  • High-level approach: explore freely, then convert what you learn into testimony.

Contradiction

  • FMV with real actors, where conversations are the mechanic.
  • Key emphasis: dialogue and engaging characters are central, with a campy detective persona.

Disco Elysium

  • Positioned as a top-tier recommendation. No detailed mechanics were described beyond being “one of the best.”

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment (Frogwares)

  • Highlight: the game doesn’t tell you immediately whether you were correct. After you choose, it resolves and may reveal you were wrong before continuing to the next case.
  • Strategy implication: be cautious with certainty—the game may punish confident wrong deductions.

Other recommendation sources & meta commentary

  • The hosts mention Thinky Games as a place for more recommendations, and suggest checking their roundup.
  • A “beef of the week” is raised about why animal detective games keep getting made/popular.

Gamers / sources featured (mentioned at the end)

  • Kurt
  • Lucy James
  • John Luke
  • GameSpot (referenced via “got you covered at gamespot.com”)
  • Thinky Games

Original video