14 Best Xbox Series X|S Detective Games

We all like to play Detective every now and again, channeling our inner Sherlock Holmes. What better way to do so than from the comfort of your own home? To find out if you can be the next Columbo, check out our picks for the 14 best detective games for the Xbox Series X/S.

#14 The Darkside Detective

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

The Darkside Detective is a classic point & click adventure game in which you take on the role of Detective Mcqueen as you join the Darkside Division on a mission to investigate the paranormal. You’ll encounter zombies, tentacles, and more in this bizarre multi-award-winning adventure. The Xbox version includes the complete first season. If you enjoyed this one, you should also take a look at the second game in the series, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark.

#13 Sherlock Holmes Chapter One

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Take the role of one of the world’s greatest detectives, Sherlock Holmes. You may ask yourself why this specific game made the cut and not the countless others that have blessed our screens over the years. The answer is simple: Sherlock Holmes Chapter One sees you playing as a younger Sherlock, not the Mr. Holmes we all know and love. This open-world detective game will see you making vital decisions in an intriguing story of crime, murder, and corruption. With two sides to every story, you must do your best to uncover the truth – for better or for worse – and let it shape you into the man you are today.

#12 Murdered: Soul Suspect

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Blending investigative gameplay with the paranormal, Murdered: Soul Suspect is Square Enix’s supernatural thriller with a unique twist. The murder you’re investigating? It’s your own. As if being murdered itself wasn’t enough, you must now solve your own murder as a ghost. You play as Ronan O’Connor, a former detective with the Salem Police, and solving your murder will undoubtedly be your biggest case yet. A captivating story paired with a unique gameplay style will keep you hooked until the bitter end.

#11 Kona

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

The first installment in a series of four games, Kona is an interactive tale in which you play as a private detective exploring a spooky village and investigating supernatural occurrences. Experience a story told through a third-person storyteller along with an extremely atmospheric soundtrack you’ll want to keep blasting after the credits roll. Get a glimpse at 1970s Northern Canada and find out the truth of this town once and for all.

#10 Life is Strange

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

A five-part episodic adventure, Life is Strange sets out to revolutionize story-based choice and consequence games by adding a gameplay mechanic rarely seen – the ability to manipulate time with the press of a button. You play as Max, a photography-obsessed senior who saves the life of her old best friend Chloe by discovering her ability to rewind time. The pair then find themselves in a number of bad situations as they travel across Arcadia Bay. Players can discover multiple endings as they make plenty of difficult decisions, realizing that changing the past can massively alter the future.

#9 The Sinking City

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

An investigative adventure game set in the vast open world of the half-submerged city of Oakmont, The Sinking City sees you playing as a private investigator on a mission to uncover the truth of the city and to discover why it’s plagued by supernatural forces. Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the title has an oppressive atmosphere and includes an open investigation system where each case you embark on can be solved in a number of ways.

#8 L.A. Noire

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

Perhaps the most realistic detective game on this list, L.A. Noire is an open-world crime game set in the 1940s. You play as Cole Phelps, a young LAPD detective striving to work his way up in the force. As you progress through the game, you’ll progress from a traffic cop to a homicide detective. Search for evidence, question suspects, and arrest your culprit in this open-world game from Rockstar. The Xbox Series X version of the game now offers 4K graphics, so there has never been a better time to play.

#7 The Wolf Among Us

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

From Telltale Games comes The Wolf Among Us, a dark and mature take on the creatures and characters from fairytales and legends. This five-episode choice-heavy game is based on the award-winning Fables comic series and sees players take control of Bigby Wolf, better known as the Big Bad Wolf. As the Sheriff of Fabletown, you’re going to have to delve into some dirty business, with murder being the least of your problems.

#6 Return of the Obra Dinn

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

A completely unique mystery adventure with minimal color, Return of the Obra Dinn sees players piece together what exactly happened on the Obra Dinn ship when it was declared lost at sea. When it drifts into a port five years later with no visible crew and damaged sails, an insurance investigator must investigate each person’s death one by one and solve the mystery once and for all.

#5 The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

A first-person story-driven mystery game that focuses on exploration and discovery, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter sees players investigating the case of a young boy missing after the events of a brutal murder. An occult-minded detective known as Paul Prospero receives a disturbing letter from Ethan himself and travels to find him. His detective skills mixed with his ability to communicate with the dead will allow Paul to see what events have taken place and to discover Ethan’s fate.

#4 Batman Arkham Series

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Batman: Arkham Knight all allow players to channel their inner Batman and investigate the goings-on in Gotham City. Come face-to-face with some of the biggest and baddest enemies from the franchise such as the Joker and Scarecrow and solve the Riddlers many riddles as you live your dark knight dreams. This series introduces a brand new storyline and it’s entirely worth playing on Xbox Series consoles.

#3 Disco Elysium – The Final Cut

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

A winner of multiple game awards, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is a take on a tabletop RPG game where players become a detective with a unique skill system. Decide what you want to do and how you want to do it, and find out whether it goes according to plan with a dice-rolling system. This RPG will see you singing karaoke, threatening citizens, dancing, bribing everyone in your path, romancing whoever you can, and more. You name it, you can do it. As well as all that, you have a revolutionary dialog system that lets you say almost anything you can imagine, no matter how offensive.

#2 Judgment

Xbox | PlayStation

From the team that brought us Yakuza comes Judgment, a gritty tale of a disgraced attorney on his quest for redemption. Now taking on a new career path as a private investigator, players must investigate a string of murders. Find evidence, track and tail suspects, and bring the evidence to court all in this mystery adventure game. The Xbox Series version of the game will include improved visuals as well as all previously released DLC.

#1 Lost Judgment

Xbox | PlayStation

The sequel to the previous game, Lost Judgment once again follows the story of a reformed private investigator through some seriously grisly times. Use a range of hi-tech gadgets such as listening devices and drones, go undercover to gain a deeper knowledge of your suspects, and even take in some of the nightlife–you never know what trouble you’ll find yourself in.