Summary
Mysteries don’t have to be horror stories, and horror stories don’t necessarily need a mystery in their plot. But they make a very potent mixture when put together, as they combine people’s fear of the unknown with their need to know more. It’s why detective horror has worked out so well, as its mysteries can be supernatural (Angel Heart), natural (Silence of the Lambs), or based on real events (Zodiac).
Video games have also given the detective horror genre a go, mixing survival horror gameplay with investigative elements like finding clues or tracking down witnesses. It’s a good way to set the scene, build up a dark atmosphere, and introduce characters who may not appreciate a snooper in their midst. If people want to give the genre a try, here are some of the best detective horror games.
Deadly Premonitionsees FBI Agent Francis York Morgan investigate the murder of a local girl in Greenvale, WA to see if it’s connected to a series of nationwide murders carried out by the “Raincoat killer.” That sounds straightforward enough, but Greenvale’s citizens aren’t the most normal people around. Neither is York, who likes to provide updates on the case and his life to an imaginary confidante called “Zach.”
It wasa polarizing gameas those who liked it loved it, while those who were less keen hated it. The combat sequences could get very rough, and the graphics weren’t exactly the best on offer during the PS3/360 generation. Yet for some, the janky elements added to the game’s atmosphere, with its weird characters and creepy visuals. It was enough to make the game a cult classic, though it’s just as easy to bounce off of it as it is to get absorbed by it.
By comparison,Tokyo Darkis much more conventional. Detective Itō Ayami is searching for her partner Kazuki Tanaka, who went missing during an investigation. The only clue she has is a mask that she thinks may hold the answers she’s looking for. Even so, between trouble at the workplace, and the circumstances around Tanaka’s disappearance, Ayami’s mind gets tested to the brink.
The game is a mix of visual novel storytelling with point-and-click gameplay, which offers multiple endings depending on the player’s decisions. It keeps track of them via the SPIN system, rating the player on Sanity, Professionalism, Investigation, and Neurosis, which affects how other characters react to Ayami, what options are available to her, how she finds clues, and whether some threats are real or just hallucinations.
The unfortunate detective inCall of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earthcan also get plagued by hallucinations when they start losing grip on reality. This is par for the course as the game is inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, which werefamous for their sanity-sapping terrors. Despite the title invoking the Great Old One, the game is based on the short storyThe Shadow over Innsmouth, which was about a town run by a creepy cult.
Private detective Jack Walters goes to the titular town to investigate the disappearance of a store clerk, while figuring out what happened during his own mental break six years prior. It’s a first-person game where, on top of talking to people and looking for evidence, players have to gauge Walters' physical and mental health themselves through visual and audio clues rather than a typical HUD. If they’re not careful, he’ll either die to the enemies or take his own life.
Condemned: Criminal Originswas more inspired by the likes ofSevenand other dark crime movies. In it, FBI Agent Ethan Thomas suspects there’s a connection between a series of murders and a rise in assaults performed by vagrants in Metro City. But when he gets framed for the murder of two cops, Thomas learns there’s more to the case than he suspects.
LikeCall of Cthulhu, the game is a first-person survival horror where the player’s combat options are limited to melee weapons and the occasional gun. But it’s more refined as they can block with their weapons and follow up with hard strikes to finish the enemies off. Thomas also has a wide variety of investigative tools, which he can use when he comes across “instinct areas” that have key evidence hiding within them.
BothCall of CthulhuandCondemnedarepretty old games now, dating back to the Xbox and Xbox 360, respectively.The Sinking Cityoffers a more modern Lovecraftian experience, popping up on all modern machines from the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One to the PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S across 2019-2021. It’s also inspired byThe Shadow over Innsmouth, as World War 1 vet and P.I. Charles Reed heads to Oakmont, MA to get help for his nightmarish visions.
The city is badly flooded, so the player has to get around via boat during their search for clues. But they have to keep both their health and sanity topped up to continue, as hidden threats are willing to drain both. They can shoot back at them, but Reed’s bullets also count as currency in Oakmont. Players have to decide whether they can spare some on a headshot, stick to melee combat or run away until they have something stronger at hand.
If players want more open-world detective gameplay likeThe Sinking City,The Vanishing of Ethan Carteroffers plenty of that. In fact, its developers, The Astronauts, said they didn’t want to “hold [the player’s] hand,” so players can roam Red Creek Valley to their heart’s content. It also means they have to figure out the game mechanics themselves, which mix puzzle elements with stealth gameplay,and paranormal investigation.
Set in 1973, paranormal investigator Paul Prospero gets a letter from Ethan Carter, a young fan of his. Inspired, he goes to his hometown only to discover Ethan has gone missing, and the town is suffering from a series of violent attacks and paranormal phenomena. There are multiple endings, but the player has to get to the bottom of all of Red Creek Valley’s “stories” to discover the truth behind Carter’s disappearance.
After making the first twoMax Paynegames, Remedy Entertainment wanted to make something that was the opposite of the cop’s hard-boiled adventures. The result wasAlan Wake, a game that, while more active than a survival horror, is more inventive than a typical shooter. When its titular novelist takes a break in Bright Falls, WA, he soon discovers it’s threatened by shadowy creatures called “The Taken,” who resemble figures from his nightmares.
They also appear in “Departure,” a novel he doesn’t remember writing. To figure out this mystery, he has to collect the novel’s manuscript pages and keep the Taken at bay with light sources. He can take them out with brighter lights, but they require more power. If players don’t balance their ammo and battery power effectively, they’re done for.
The recently releasedAlan Wake 2is also a fantasticdetective horror game, and arguably better than its predecessor.
After making the Communist customs simPapers, Please, Lucas Pope went a different direction: a paranormal, first-person horror puzzle game about a Marie Celeste-like ship. InReturn of the Obra Dinn, players take on the role of an East India Company investigator in 1807 who has to examine the Obra Dinn, a merchant ship that reappeared after being declared missing four years prior.
Using their logbook and the Memento Mortem, a pocketwatch-like device that can recreate past moments in time, the player has to figure out how the deceased met their fate, and where its missing souls went. From there, the player can use clues to deduce what happened and match the grim fates to the unfortunate soul. Its 1-bit look contains a rich story that’stold with gameplay alone, making it a unique and engaging experience.
