5 Fantastic Mystery Games That Will Keep You Second-Guessing

There's nothing quite like racking your brains over a mysterious labyrinth laced with a nexus of questions and puzzles, is there? The feeling of completing such a thing and having all the loose ends knotted is another thing that we can't help but crave as we settle in to our next mystery, either. And with the number of original tales there are out on the shelves, its certainly no wonder gamers are forever tutoring their brains by answering all of the raised questions.

Mystery games have been a huge chunk of our world for an incredibly long time now, with chapters trailing all the way back to the likes of Cluedo from 1948. Since then, storytellers and cryptic minds alike have only looked to further advance the genre and our eye for fine detail. But let's talk video games. What are some of the most recent and well-respected mystery titles on the market today? Well, let's dive right in.

5. The Forgotten City

Brewed from just three talented folks over a four year period comes The Forgotten City, a Roman mystery that will have you traversing both ancient and modern ruins in a desperate attempt to halt the downfall of civilisation. By walking through a mysterious portal that sends you way back to the dismal days of the Roman Empire, you're soon led on a chain of events that hang on the edge of disaster. Your role in the journey, however, is to piece together the probable cause of the looming crisis.

The Forgotten City effortlessly manages to make that worn out walking simulator formula work in more ways than one. It's Romanesque landmarks and lore make up for an enormous spool of the adventure, and having the ability to explore it at a pace that suits you is incredibly calming, despite knowing what actually loiters around the corner should you fail to connect the dots. Its characters are convincing storytellers and riddled with enough intrigue to keep you second-guessing, and the city's overall presentation is inviting enough to put you on a constant detour as you look to uncover more of its dark secrets.

4. Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments

Sherlock Holmes has long been an iconic pawn in the mystery genre, with books and materials enticing avid readers and problem-solvers for generations. And with that, it was only natural for the detective's legacy to roll on over to our little pocket of the media at some point or another. And Crimes and Punishments, although not the first Sherlock game to release, was probably the best representation of the beloved protagonist to date.

Similar to previous entries in the Holmes timeline, Crimes & Punishments has players put on a breadcrumb trail, where drama and mystery unravel with each collected ration. Utilising Unreal Engine 3 and its advanced tools, the 2014 world springs to life with mounds upon mounds of visually appealing environments and curious characters. It's outlandish and binding, mysterious and, on occasion, quite frightful. It's everything you'd hope to see from a Holmes story. And then some.

3. Return of the Obra Dinn

There's a reason why everyone spent 2018 showering Return of the Obra Dinn with praise. Not only because of its unusual approach to its murky green palette and relatively simple visuals. But more because of the story it tries to tell without force feeding you unnecessary filler facts to help flesh out the game. And as far as solvable mysteries go — the titled Obra Dinn sure has an abundance of them if you look hard enough.

Board the Obra Dinn and you'll be treated to a slew of memories told by the ghosts of the wrecked ship. Appearing off the coast of England after five years without a soul left on board, it is your job to reconstruct the events that took place and determine the causes of death of the sixty voyagers onboard. In order to wrap your head around the credentials of those involved in the ship's unfortunate end, you'll first have to piece together memories and paint a probable outcome. Do so, and you'll eventually have a full canvas and a conclusion worth sharing. Hopefully.

2. Heavy Rain

On the surface, Heavy Rain might look like your causal life simulator, what with its overwhelming number of mundane household chores that are strapped to your to-do list right off the bat. But advance to a certain crossroads, however, and that everyday life somehow manages to spiral into a heart-wrenching tale filled with loss, love and, on occasion — laughter. Oh, and violence.

After blacking out during a city downpour, protagonist and father of two Ethan Mars finds himself struggling to piece together the events that took place prior. With his son missing and a series of cryptic messages and invitations to enrol in death-defying games on his doorstep, Ethan is suddenly forced to risk his own life in order to locate his son before the rain claims another victim. With both detectives and friends joining the bunt, Heavy Rain turns into an open book where one wrong choice can lead to drastic conclusions.

1. Fahrenheit

From the moment you stoop into Fahrenheit's snowy suburban opening, you're immediately hurled from the edge of your seat, slumped with the task of covering up a murder before being discovered by a local policeman on patrol. With no memory of how the murder happened and possession being the only fathomable explanation, protagonist Lucas Kane is led on a lengthy journey of self-discovery while two weary detectives remain hot on his heels.

Playing between three different characters, you'll have to understand the reason for the murder, as well as follow the breadcrumbs left by Lucas at the same time. However, with Lucas's mental health on the brink of collapse, all three parties must unknowingly bind together to paint the picture and uncover the truth. How you make choices, of course, will determine the outcome of the tale. So what will it be? Can you save Lucas? Can you prevent another life from being claimed?

So, what did we miss? What mystery games would you have put up on this list? Let us know over on our socials here.

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