Detective Games Gift Guide

We love playing detective games like Nancy Drew, Ms. Holmes and more. These games are perfect for those who like solving puzzles and mysteries!

Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew is one of our favorite game series to play. It’s fun and mostly family friendly except for some that have some scary things.

The Nancy Drew PC game series by Her Interactive is a long-running collection of first-person mystery adventures where players become Nancy herself and solve cases around the world. Each game features a new location, a fresh cast of suspects, and a central mystery involving sabotage, secrets, or spooky happenings.

Gameplay focuses on exploration, puzzle-solving, clue collecting, and interviewing suspects, all wrapped in atmospheric storytelling. The series is famous for its clever puzzles, hidden passages, memorable characters, and cozy-but-suspenseful tone. Despite often having eerie moments, the games stay family-friendly and rely on logic and investigation rather than jump scares.

Over more than 30 titles, the series maintains its signature charm: immersive environments, strong mysteries, and a classic detective feel that appeals to both younger players and longtime fans of adventure games.

Ms Holmes

The Ms. Holmes series is a set of hidden-object detective adventures where you play as the brilliant Amelia Holmes, a modern descendant of Sherlock. Each game sends her into a new mystery filled with twists, suspicious characters, cryptic clues, and touches of the supernatural.

Gameplay blends hidden-object scenes, logic puzzles, exploration, and light adventure elements, all wrapped in stylish Victorian-inspired visuals and dramatic storytelling. Every case mixes classic detective work with eerie or fantastical threats, keeping the tone suspenseful but approachable.

Across multiple titles, the series stays consistent: clever puzzles, rich environments, and self-contained mysteries that feel both modern and rooted in Sherlockian tradition—perfect for players who enjoy cozy detective stories with a hint of the uncanny.

Our personal favorite from the series is Ms. Holmes: The Case of the Dancing Men.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes has some games that are not Family friendly but there is at least two that are family friendly; Sherlock Holmes: The Silver Earring and Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis (2007).

Sherlock Holmes: The Silver Earring is a third-person point-and-click detective adventure set in Victorian London. After a wealthy construction magnate is murdered during a lavish party at his mansion, Holmes and Watson begin unraveling a tangled web of motives involving business partners, family drama, and hidden secrets. Players explore richly detailed environments, gather clues, question suspects, and solve logic-based puzzles that gradually reveal a much deeper conspiracy. The game emphasizes classic detective work—carefully reading evidence, forming deductions, and spotting inconsistencies—making it feel like a traditional Sherlock story brought to life. Its cinematic cutscenes and atmospheric soundtrack reinforce the sense of stepping into an authentic Holmes mystery.

Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis (2007) (also known as Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsène Lupin) pits the world’s greatest detective against the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, who challenges Holmes to stop a series of high-profile thefts planned across London’s most iconic landmarks. The game blends traditional investigation with large-scale, puzzle-heavy set pieces as Holmes and Watson race from museums to government buildings, deciphering Lupin’s riddles before priceless cultural treasures disappear. This entry focuses heavily on clever, elaborate puzzles and a cat-and-mouse intellectual duel, capturing the thrill of two brilliant minds facing off. Its grander scope, outdoor exploration, and high stakes give it a more adventurous tone compared to earlier Sherlock titles, while still preserving the deductive spirit of the series.

Cluedo

Cluedo/Clue is a video game version of the board game Clue. It’s available on Steam.

Cluedo on Steam is a digital adaptation of the classic mystery board game, where players race to solve a murder by determining the suspect, weapon, and room before anyone else. The game features fully animated boards, colorful character designs, and modern visuals that bring the iconic mansion and its suspects to life.

Players can compete solo against AI, locally, or online with others, using deduction, logical notes, and strategic questioning to narrow down the solution. Steam’s version also includes multiple themed boards and cosmetic packs—from film noir to fantasy settings—that add variety while keeping the original gameplay intact. It’s a faithful, polished version of the classic whodunit that blends nostalgia with updated presentation.

Miss Clue

Miss Clue is A LOT like Nancy Drew. All the games are fine except “Christmas at Donner Pass” it may sound safe but trust me IT’S NOT.

The Miss Clue series is a collection of cozy, first-person mystery adventures inspired by classic detective stories and old-fashioned sleuthing. You play as Jane Darcy, a clever and resourceful young heroine who solves mysteries involving missing persons, strange guests, hidden motives, and puzzling clues.

Each game focuses on exploration, dialogue, clue-gathering, and light puzzle-solving, set in charming locations like country estates, summer camps, lakeside lodges, and festive holiday settings. The tone is warm and family-friendly, with mysteries that rely on observation and logic rather than danger or scare tactics.

Across the series, Miss Clue keeps a classic, comforting feel—perfect for players who enjoy gentle, story-driven detective adventures with a nostalgic Nancy Drew–style charm.

Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a free game on Steam and it’s family friendly.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a lighthearted, visual novel–style mystery where Sonic’s friends throw a murder-mystery birthday party for Amy—only for Sonic to end up actually missing and possibly in real danger. You play as a brand-new character working alongside Tails, who takes the role of lead detective. Together, you interview the crew aboard the Mirage Express, gather clues, and piece together what really happened during the party’s roleplay-gone-wrong.

The game blends humor, genuine mystery, fun dialogue, and simple investigation gameplay, with Tails guiding the logic puzzles and “brainstorming” minigames inspired by classic Sonic spin-dash sections. It’s charming, silly, and full of fan-friendly character moments, making it an unexpectedly heartfelt and entertaining whodunit set in the Sonic universe.

Detective Pikachu

The first game (Detective Pikachu is on the Nintendo 3DS/2DS and the second game (Detective Pikachu Returns) is for the Nintendo Switch.

The Detective Pikachu series is a story-focused, mystery-adventure spin-off of the Pokémon franchise that reimagines the world not through battles and gyms, but through investigations, interviews, and narrative-driven casework. The series follows Tim Goodman and a uniquely talkative, coffee-obsessed Detective Pikachu, who claims to have worked alongside Tim’s missing father, Harry Goodman. Together, they navigate Ryme City, a place where humans and Pokémon live side-by-side, using clues, logic, and the special abilities of various Pokémon to solve a wide range of cases—from small neighborhood puzzles to large conspiracies that threaten the city.

Unlike most Pokémon games, the focus is on storytelling, character interactions, and light puzzle-solving. Pokémon personalities play a major role, as players question them, observe their behavior, and use their strengths to uncover new evidence. The series blends humor, heart, and detective drama in a buddy-cop style, making Pikachu both a comic relief partner and a surprisingly sharp investigator.

Across its games, the series builds a continuous narrative about family, loyalty, and the bond between humans and Pokémon, ultimately tying its mystery threads together while providing a unique, cinematic experience within the Pokémon universe.

Barbie Secret Agent

Barbie Secret Agent and the Detective Barbie games are good when it comes to solving mysteries in style. They also have a game boy advance version which is pretty different from the pc version.

Barbie: Secret Agent (pc version) is a light action-adventure PC game where Barbie becomes a top agent helping to stop the villainous Agent Thorn from stealing valuable secrets. Players guide Barbie through a series of missions that mix stealth, puzzles, gadgets, and fashion-based disguises.

You explore different international locations, collect clues, unlock doors, avoid security systems, and use spy tools like lipstick lasers, heat-sensitive goggles, and clever disguises. Levels are simple and kid-friendly, focusing more on exploration and problem-solving than combat. The goal is to follow the trail, outsmart the bad guys, and save the day as one of the best agents in the Secret Agent Squad.

The GBA version of Barbie: Secret Agent is a side-scrolling action platformer where Barbie works as a top spy on a mission to stop Agent Thorn’s plans. Players guide Barbie through 2D levels filled with obstacles, security traps, and light enemies while using spy gadgets like grappling hooks, scanners, and coded keycards.

The gameplay focuses on jumping, collecting items, avoiding hazards, and completing simple objectives to advance. Each level has a clean, kid-friendly design, and Barbie can change outfits to access different abilities. The goal is to track down clues, outmaneuver the villains, and successfully complete each mission as a stylish undercover agent.

I hope my gift guide helps you sleuths who love solving mysteries. If you have any fun mystery games you’d like to share, feel free to comment below!