Deductive reasoning is a core element for any puzzle games worth your time; some of the Play Store's finest apps provide challenges that require the player to figure things out for themselves. You have the classic match-3 style apps that reward spatial awareness, creative hidden object games that challenge your observation skills, and detective games that test both. Our favorite detective games aren't just about finding clues and problem-solving; they are dripping with atmosphere and excel with narratives that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Even the lesser members of the high-performance Android gaming phone family will have no problem running these amazing adventures, with even the most taxing detective apps being low-key in terms of graphical intensity. Read on for AP's roundup of the best detective games and experience some awesome worlds, stories, puzzles, and characters.
1 Ace Attorney Trilogy
Ace Attorney Trilogy is a compilation release of the first three games in the iconic series. You take control of Phoenix Wright, a rookie lawyer tasked with defending his clients in court while compiling evidence in pursuit of the truth. To say this series is unique would be an understatement, combining criminal trials, a usually dry and boring affair, with dramatic anime-style flair and engaging gameplay to keep you on your toes. Said gameplay boils down to answering questions correctly and reacting to developments in the trial quickly and wisely.
The tutorial is very amusing, showing off these gameplay mechanics through questions asked of Phoenix in court while incredibly nervous and constantly panicking. Going in as a fan of the best anime games will help, and if you embrace the silliness on display, this world and its characters and fun gameplay will suck you in. Nothing objectionable here.
2 Layton: Curious Village in HD
It is unlikely that you haven't heard of the Layton series, but if you are new, here's a rundown. Professor Layton is a puzzle adventure series following the titular professor Layton, a former archeologist and private investigator traveling with his apprentice Luke. Their adventures span several titles, and Layton: Curious Village in HD is a remaster of the first game. You arrive in a town to uncover the truth about a mysterious murder and a hidden treasure, a problem to which puzzle-solving is the only solution. The remaster provides the charming visual style and soundtrack of the original, along with the compelling and fun characters and even some unique cutscenes made specifically for it.
Everything that made the original game an excellent pickup has translated well to the mobile platform; longtime fans will certainly get a nostalgia trip and a challenge. You better not sleep on this one; it's worth a try.
3 Duskwood - Detective Story
Duskwood - Detective Story is an interactive crime narrative about locating a missing girl. The initial presentation is reminiscent of The Healing, a game that uses similar immersive gameplay of impersonating a real group chat app, ala Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Characters are added to the chat in a scripted fashion, and you are given choices as to what your contribution to the conversation will be, the story adapting to your answers. While unsettling, thanks to its effective immersion, games like Duskwood - Detective Story are unquestionably unique, creepy, and worth a try.
4 Jekyll & Hyde
Jekyll & Hyde is a visual novel-style detective game, adapting The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde story into a mobile game format. The player is led through a pretty and dramatic retelling of the book, interspersed with puzzles that require genuine deductive skill to progress. Explore the environments and find clues for combinations, locations, and solutions. Some foreknowledge of the book might be helpful here, as the app assumes you know what's going on in its exposition sequences. If you like your detective games heavily story-driven, Jekyll and Hyde is worth a try, especially if you're a fan of the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson.
5 Escape Game - The Psycho Room
Escape Game - The Psycho Room starts far less intense than its title would suggest, placing you in front of a locked door armed with nothing but the simple task of finding out how to open it. To accomplish this, you must search the room for inventory items, code combinations, and code breakers while figuring out how a conveniently placed small robot works. While it is pretty bare bones in terms of presentation and function, Escape Game - The Psycho Room does everything required by the detective formula. You are provided a room to escape by deducing how this can be done. Nice and straightforward, and most importantly, fun.
6 I am innocent
I am Innocent kicks off with a far more intense chat simulator exchange with no explanation or context. Marked unique qualities include a TellTales The Walking Dead style prompt to indicate whether a relationship is improving or not, as well as multiple one-on-one conversations (as opposed to group chats). This does mean that there's a lot more exposition in very long strings, so make sure you enjoy reading because this game assumes you do. Yes, your dialogue choices affect the way characters interact with you and with each other, giving a ton of replay value to see how things can and will turn out differently. This game style shows great promise from the amount of tension it can effortlessly build. Recommended.
7 White Night
White Night is a puzzle-adventure game with themes of isolation and creeping paranoia, in which you explore a pitch-black abandoned house with nothing but a lighter. This game evokes that classic noir detective feel, combined with a striking black-and-white art style and constant narration, creating a tense, unnerving atmosphere straight away. Getting into gameplay, the slightly janky movement controls and fixed camera angles reminded me starkly of the early Resident Evil's, as does searching environments for inventory items that enable progress, all with a creeping paranoia that you aren't alone. Classic survival horror stuff that takes advantage of the fear of darkness to give you the creeps.
8 Detective Max: Mystery Games
Detective Max: Mystery Games places you into a deserted high school with the task of uncovering a murder. The initial loneliness of the environment is quite unnerving, a usually communal area empty except for you. This game is admittedly slow to start, but once things get going, you'll find that it does not hold back on deduction mechanics. The puzzles are complex and require a great deal of thought to solve. Randomly tapping on things won't get you through this one. That fact does make Detective Max: Mystery Games' enjoyment factor a bit subjective, but if you want a detective game that doesn't hold your hand, this is for you.
9 Nobodies: Murder Cleaner
Nobodies: Murder Cleaner is a deductive point-and-click adventure but from the perspective of someone attempting to clean a crime scene up before the cops arrive. You play as an employee of a secret anti-terrorist organization, tasked with leaving areas as you found them, clean, innocent, and as non-murdery as possible. It's a unique and effective bit of context that adds a great incentive to be as thorough as possible in your cleaning endeavors. However, despite the more sinister details and end goal of the game's puzzles, the basic gameplay is classic point-and-click, albeit tense, with the added spice of not explicitly being the good guy.
The puzzles themselves are challenging enough, and veterans will find them tricky but enjoyable. The game looks great and keeps the tension going until the end. This one cleans up nicely.
10 The Vigil Files: case 1
As a legit detective story, The Vigil Files goes the extra mile in terms of authenticity. Players are placed into a thrilling narrative and must use their in-game hacking skills to find clues and answer questions. This game can feel intense given the demanded attention to detail and strong resemblance to real ethical hacking. The Vigil Files doesn't hold back either, this isn't a detective game to be played casually, so you'll need your wits about you to succeed here. This is a rabbit hole well worth diving into, with a plethora of twists, shockers, and nail-biting conversations; all driven by the player's detective prowess.
Enjoy the best detective games on Android
There's a lot of variety in the detective game genre, with any tone or context being viable so long as the element of mystery is present and compelling. You have horrific, comedic, charming, and excitingly adventurous games all in this roundup alone, and there are so many more awesome deductive titles that play great on the best Android gaming tablets.