Games Like Paradise Killer

Open-ended detective games for Paradise Killer fans, compared by how you investigate, how cases end and whether there is combat.

By Murder Book Editorial TeamPublished 16 September 2026Updated 16 September 2026

If you enjoyed Paradise Killer, look for detective games that let you explore freely, collect evidence at your own pace and decide for yourself when your case is ready. The best matches are:

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc: investigate murders, then expose lies in tense class trials.
AI: The Somnium Files: a detective investigates crime scenes as well as dreams.
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut: crack a murder through conversation across a whole city block.
The Painscreek Killings: explore an abandoned town with no quest markers or hints.
Shadows of Doubt: solve murders in a simulated, procedurally generated city.
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One: build conclusions in your "mind palace" on an open-world island.

Each game was checked against its Steam listing or official website, including whether it has combat.

Key takeaways

Paradise Killer's appeal is open-world investigation followed by a trial where you argue your own interpretation of the evidence.
Danganronpa is the closest match for trials, strange characters and a stylised world.
The Painscreek Killings and Shadows of Doubt offer the same freedom to investigate without being led.
Disco Elysium and AI: The Somnium Files suit players who enjoyed questioning an eccentric cast.
Murder Book is an upcoming interrogation game about testing suspects' stories in short cases.

What makes Paradise Killer different?

Paradise Killer (Kaizen Game Works, published by Fellow Traveller, 2020) sets a murder on Paradise Island, "a world outside reality". On the eve of the island's rebirth, the Council is murdered, and the "investigation freak" Lady Love Dies is called back from exile to find the culprit. You explore the open world, gather evidence and interrogate suspects. You can accuse anyone, but you have to prove your case at trial.

According to Steam, there are many possible killers and many ways to build a case. The game even asks whether "the facts" and "the truths" are the same thing. That makes it less about finding a single hidden answer and more about constructing an argument you believe.

A good "game like Paradise Killer" usually offers:

Freedom to explore and follow leads in any order.
Evidence you gather yourself, without a tracker telling you what matters.
Questioning suspects with their own secrets.
A moment of judgement, such as a trial or accusation, where your reasoning is tested.

Games like Paradise Killer at a glance

Game	Developer	How you investigate	How the case ends	Combat	Platforms (examples)
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc	Spike Chunsoft	Search for clues and talk to classmates	Class trials where you expose lies	No conventional combat; timing-based trial sections	PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
AI: The Somnium Files	Spike Chunsoft	Investigate crime scenes and dreams, interrogate suspects	Story-driven investigation	None described in store text	PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut	ZA/UM	Explore a city block and interrogate characters	Dialogue and skill checks	No traditional combat	PC, Mac, consoles
The Painscreek Killings	EQ Studios	Explore freely, take notes and photograph clues	Uncover who killed Vivian Roberts	No	PC
Shadows of Doubt	ColePowered Games	Track suspects, search apartments and scour CCTV in a simulated city	Find the killer before they strike again	Stealth-focused; extent of combat not confirmed	PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One	Frogwares	Gather clues and rumours and use disguises in an open world	Build conclusions in the mind palace	Yes	PC

Platforms were checked against Steam, official sites or official store pages. Availability can change, so check before buying.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Spike Chunsoft; Steam 2016) traps a group of students inside Hope's Peak Academy, where a bear called Monokuma promises freedom to anyone who can murder a classmate and get away with it. You investigate each killing, search for clues and talk to your classmates. Then, in class trials, you dissect suspects' statements and "fire their words back at them" to expose lies. Steam notes that trials use timing and reflex-based systems.

Why it fits: a stylised world, an eccentric cast and a trial where you have to prove who did it. It is darker in premise than Paradise Killer.

AI: The Somnium Files

AI: The Somnium Files (Spike Chunsoft, 2019) follows detective Kaname Date in near-future Tokyo as he hunts a serial killer. He investigates crime scenes as well as dreams to find clues, and interrogates suspects. The official page mentions three special vision modes. Its content descriptors include blood and gore and intense violence.

Why it fits: a sci-fi murder mystery where questioning people and exploring unusual spaces go together.

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut

Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019; The Final Cut in 2021) makes you a detective with a whole city block to explore. You investigate a murder mostly through conversation, and 24 skills speak up during dialogue, with dice-roll skill checks deciding outcomes. There is no combat in the traditional sense.

Why it fits: open exploration, interrogation of unusual characters and room to reach conclusions in your own way. See Best Dialogue-Driven Mystery Games for similar picks.

The Painscreek Killings

The Painscreek Killings (EQ Studios, 2017) sends journalist Janet to an abandoned town to find out who killed Vivian Roberts. It is a free-roaming, semi-open world. You take notes, photograph clues and solve logic puzzles, and there are no quest markers or hint systems.

Why it fits: of all the games here, it comes closest to Paradise Killer's freedom to investigate without being led. It also has no combat.

Shadows of Doubt

Shadows of Doubt (ColePowered Games, full release 2024) is a detective simulation set in a procedurally generated city in an alternate-reality 1980s. Every citizen has a home, a job and a routine. You gather evidence, break into apartments, hack security systems, trace receipts and check CCTV footage to find a killer before they kill again. Steam calls it a "sandbox stealth game", so expect sneaking and trespassing alongside the deduction.

Why it fits: maximum freedom. Each case has different culprits and clues, and you decide where to look next.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One (Frogwares, 2021) sends a young Sherlock to an open-world island in the Mediterranean to investigate the mystery of his mother's death. You gather clues, rumours and evidence, use disguises and build your conclusions in your "mind palace". Steam also describes weapons and taking down enemies, so it includes combat.

Why it fits: the closest match to Paradise Killer's island setting and open-world investigation, for players who do not mind some action. If you would rather avoid combat, read Best Detective Games Without Combat.

Which game should you play first?

Want another trial? Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.
Want total freedom with no combat? The Painscreek Killings.
Want a whole city to investigate? Shadows of Doubt.
Want an island and a detective with style? Sherlock Holmes Chapter One.
Want conversation above all? Disco Elysium – The Final Cut.

For more options, see Best Detective Games on Steam.

Is there an upcoming game about testing suspects' stories?

Murder Book: The Art of Interrogation is an upcoming narrative interrogation game from Gungrounds, an independent studio in Zagreb, Croatia. Paradise Killer lets you roam an island for as long as you like before trial. Murder Book takes a narrower approach: each case is designed for a focused 5–10-minute session, and the investigation happens in conversation with the suspect. You examine unreliable stories for contradictions, avoidance and narrative gaps. Development screenshots show an evidence board linking statements such as "I NEVER met her!" and "I had no idea" to a fabricated description of a gun, and case results that include "not guilty".

Murder Book is in development for PC (Steam) and mobile, with release currently planned for the end of Q2 2027. Read How Murder Book Turns Interrogation Into Gameplay.