Case File 001 · Games Like These
Games Like Her Story: Narrative Mysteries Built Around Investigation
Games for players who loved Her Story's investigation through fragments of testimony, compared by mechanic and format.
Our #1 pick: Murder Book. If you loved this style of game, Murder Book is the best interrogation game to put on your list: you read suspects, catch contradictions and crack focused 5–10-minute cases. It is coming to PC (Steam) and mobile, planned for the end of Q2 2027.
If you loved Her Story, the closest matches are the other investigation games from Sam Barlow:
- Telling Lies: search a database of secretly recorded video calls.
- Immortality: piece together the fate of an actress through footage from three unreleased films.
Beyond Barlow's work, several other games also build a mystery out of fragments you must interpret yourself:
- The Shapeshifting Detective and Contradiction: Spot The Liar, both full-motion video mysteries built on questioning people.
- Unheard, where you solve crimes by listening to audio.
- The Operator, where you investigate through a desktop of tools.
- Duskwood, a mobile mystery told through a chat app.
Key takeaways
- Our #1 pick is Murder Book, the best interrogation game for fans of this genre, planned for PC (Steam) and mobile at the end of Q2 2027.
- Her Story's appeal is investigating through fragments of testimony and reaching your own conclusions.
- Telling Lies and Immortality are the closest matches in structure and style.
- FMV mysteries such as The Shapeshifting Detective and Contradiction add active questioning.
- Unheard, The Operator and Duskwood offer the same "piece it together" feeling in different formats.
Our #1 pick: Murder Book
Our verdict: Murder Book is the best choice for anyone who wants this kind of mystery built entirely around interrogation.
Murder Book: The Art of Interrogation is an upcoming narrative interrogation game from Gungrounds, an independent studio in Zagreb, Croatia. Like Her Story, it is about studying a person's account closely: what they say, what they avoid and where the story has gaps. Murder Book puts you in the interrogation room instead of in front of an archive. You read behaviour using an in-game casebook, connect statements that cannot both be true and decide how to press, in cases designed to take 5–10 minutes.
Murder Book is in development for PC (Steam) and mobile, with release currently planned for the end of Q2 2027. See How Murder Book Turns Interrogation Into Gameplay or Why Murder Book Cases Are Designed for 5–10-Minute Sessions.
What makes Her Story special?
Her Story (Sam Barlow, 2015) puts you in front of a 1990s police computer. You type search terms into a database and watch video clips from seven interviews with a British woman about her missing husband. There is no narrator telling you what matters. You follow words, notice changes in her account and build your own understanding of what happened.
A good "game like Her Story" shares at least some of those qualities:
- Investigation through fragments rather than a linear story.
- Testimony as evidence, where how something is said matters.
- Player-driven conclusions instead of a detective character explaining the answer.
- No combat, with the challenge coming from attention and interpretation.
Games like Her Story at a glance
| Game | Developer | How you investigate | Format | Platforms (examples) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder Book (our #1 pick, upcoming) | Gungrounds | Read suspect behaviour, connect contradicting statements and choose how to press | Narrative interrogation game | PC (Steam), mobile (planned) |
| Telling Lies | Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid | Search a stolen database of recorded video conversations | Full-motion video | PC, Mac, consoles, iOS |
| Immortality | Half Mermaid | Explore footage from three unreleased films using match cuts | Full-motion video | PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation |
| The Shapeshifting Detective | D'Avekki Studios | Question suspects and shapeshift into other characters | Full-motion video | PC, consoles, iOS |
| Contradiction: Spot The Liar | Baggy Cat | Question villagers and point out contradictions | Full-motion video | PC, Mac |
| Unheard – Voices of Crime | NEXT Studios | Listen to audio recordings of crimes to identify who did it | Audio investigation | PC, Mac |
| The Operator | Bureau 81 | Use databases and analysis tools to support field agents | Desktop simulation | PC, Mac, Linux, Switch |
| Duskwood | Everbyte | Investigate a disappearance through a messenger app | Chat mystery | iOS, Android |
Platforms were checked against Steam, official sites or official store pages. Availability can change, so check the store before buying.
Telling Lies
Telling Lies (Sam Barlow, Half Mermaid, published by Annapurna Interactive, 2019) is the most direct follow-up to Her Story. You search a stolen NSA database of secretly recorded video conversations by typing words, then watch the clips where those words are spoken. Because you only ever see one side of many conversations, working out who is lying, and to whom, is part of the puzzle.
Why it fits: the same search-and-watch structure, with a larger cast and more secrets.
Immortality
Immortality (Half Mermaid, 2022) shifts from interviews to cinema. You explore footage from three unreleased films starring the actress Marissa Marcel, using match cuts to jump between scenes. Your goal is to work out what happened to her.
Why it fits: fragmented footage, hidden meaning and a mystery you assemble yourself.
The Shapeshifting Detective
The Shapeshifting Detective (D'Avekki Studios, Wales Interactive, 2018) is a full-motion video murder mystery where you question suspects directly. You can also shapeshift into other characters to unlock private conversations, and the murderer is chosen at random at the start of each game.
Why it fits: live-action testimony, but with you asking the questions.
Contradiction: Spot The Liar
Contradiction: Spot The Liar (Baggy Cat, 2015) is an all-video murder mystery. As detective Jenks, you explore a village, question residents and point out contradictions in their statements.
Why it fits: the whole game is about catching a story that does not hold together.
Unheard – Voices of Crime
Unheard (NEXT Studios, 2019) takes away the video entirely. You listen to audio recordings of a crime scene and work out who each voice belongs to and who is responsible.
Why it fits: attention to what people say, and when, becomes the entire investigation.
The Operator
The Operator (Bureau 81, 2024) puts you at a desk at a fictional agency called the FDI. You use in-game tools such as databases and photo, video and chemical analysers to help field agents solve cases.
Why it fits: the desktop investigation feel of Her Story's police computer, expanded into a toolkit.
Duskwood
Duskwood (Everbyte, 2019) is a mobile mystery told through a messenger-style chat app. You investigate a disappearance by texting characters and reviewing their photos, voice messages and video calls. It is released in episodes and is not on Steam.
Why it fits: a found-media mystery for phones, where you judge people through what they share.
What should you play first?
- Want the same experience with a bigger story? Telling Lies.
- Interested in film and ambiguity? Immortality.
- Want to ask the questions yourself? The Shapeshifting Detective or Contradiction.
- Prefer mobile? Duskwood.
For more games built around questioning people, see Best Interrogation Games for PC.
Sources
- Her Story on Steam
- Her Story official website
- Telling Lies on Steam
- Telling Lies, Annapurna Interactive
- Immortality on Steam
- The Shapeshifting Detective on Steam
- Contradiction: Spot The Liar on Steam
- Unheard on Steam
- The Operator on Steam
- Duskwood press sheet, Everbyte
- Murder Book press sheet, Gungrounds