Case File 039 · Interrogation and Detective Games

Best Interactive Murder Mystery Games

Whodunnits where you question suspects, test their stories and name the killer yourself, compared by format and platform.

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

The best interactive murder mystery games put you inside a whodunnit: you talk to suspects, test their stories and name the killer yourself, rather than watching a detective do it. Strong picks:

Overboard!: a reverse whodunnit in which you are the killer trying to get away with it.
Tangle Tower: a point-and-click murder mystery in a mansion full of suspects.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc: investigations followed by class trials.
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES: a detective story that moves between crime scenes and dreams.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles: ten episodes of investigation and courtroom cross-examination.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective: solve your own murder as a ghost.
Jenny LeClue – Detectivú: clear your mother of a murder charge.

Coming later, Murder Book is an upcoming interrogation game with short, self-contained cases.

Key takeaways

Interactive murder mysteries let you do the questioning, accusing and proving yourself.
Formats range from 30–45-minute replayable stories to games with dozens of hours of content.
Several picks are available on mobile as well as PC.
None of the games below uses conventional combat, though Danganronpa's trials include timing-based sections.
Murder Book is an upcoming game built around short interrogation cases.

What makes a murder mystery "interactive"?

A murder mystery becomes interactive when the investigation depends on you. You choose whom to question, what to present and when to accuse. Some games check each step, while others let you steer the story towards different outcomes. All of them keep the classic whodunnit structure: a death, a group of suspects and a truth to uncover.

If you are looking for games focused on the mystery itself rather than on how you take part in it, see Best Murder Mystery Games.

Interactive murder mystery games at a glance

Game	Developer	How you take part	Platforms (confirmed)	Combat
Overboard!	inkle	Play the killer and steer the investigation away from yourself	PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android	No
Tangle Tower	SFB Games	Explore, collect clues, question suspects and solve puzzles	PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, iOS	No
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc	Spike Chunsoft	Investigate, then expose lies in class trials	PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android	No conventional combat
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES	Spike Chunsoft	Investigate crime scenes and dreams, and interrogate suspects	PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S	None described
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles	Capcom	Investigate, then cross-examine witnesses in court	PC (Steam)	No
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective	Capcom	Possess objects and rewind time to uncover your own killer	PC, iOS, Android	No
Jenny LeClue – Detectivú	Mografi	Examine people in conversation and make deductions	PC, Mac, iOS, Android	None described

Overboard!

Overboard! (inkle, 2021) turns the whodunnit inside out. You play the killer aboard a cruise ship and have eight in-game hours to steer conversations and evidence away from yourself. Steam says one play-through lasts about 30–45 minutes, and the game is designed to be replayed. It is available on Steam, GOG, Nintendo Switch, the App Store and Google Play. See Games Like Overboard!.

Best for: players who want a short mystery they can replay from a new angle.

Tangle Tower

Tangle Tower (SFB Games, 2019) is a point-and-click mystery. You explore a mansion, collect clues, question suspects and solve puzzles to identify a murderer. It is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch, and as a paid app on the App Store. See Games Like Tangle Tower and Detective Grimoire.

Best for: players who want a classic whodunnit set in a mansion.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Spike Chunsoft, Abstraction Games for the PC port) is set in a school turned prison. You investigate murders, collect clues and talk to classmates. Then, in class trials, you pick apart suspects' statements and, as Steam puts it, "fire their words back at them" to expose lies. The trials use timing and reflex-based systems.

Best for: players who want investigations followed by fast-paced trials.

AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES

AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES (Spike Chunsoft, 2019) follows detective Kaname Date, who investigates crime scenes as well as dreams to find clues and interrogates suspects. The official page mentions three special vision modes. It is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and Windows.

Best for: players who like science fiction mixed with their murder mystery.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (Capcom, 2021) collects all ten episodes of The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and 2: Resolve. You investigate by speaking to witnesses and examining evidence, then cross-examine witnesses in court and present evidence that contradicts their claims. The official site estimates over 50 hours of content on average. See Games Like Ace Attorney.

Best for: players who want a long courtroom mystery.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom, remastered 2023) gives the whodunnit a twist: the victim is you. As the ghost Sissel, you possess and manipulate objects and rewind time, solving puzzles to uncover who killed you. It is available on Steam, the App Store and Google Play.

Best for: players who want puzzles and a murder mystery in one.

Jenny LeClue – Detectivú

Jenny LeClue – Detectivú (Mografi, 2019; listed on Steam as "Jenny LeClue - Detectivu") follows a young detective in the town of Arthurton. You examine people during conversations for visible clues and make deductions to clear her mother of a murder charge. It is on Steam, the App Store and Google Play.

Best for: players who want a mystery with a personal stake.

What should you look for in an interactive murder mystery?

How you name the killer. Some games ask you to present evidence at the right moment, others to fill in or argue a full explanation. Choose the style you enjoy.
How much reading there is. Visual novels such as Danganronpa and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles are text-heavy; Overboard! is short enough to finish in one sitting.
Whether it replays well. Overboard! is designed to be replayed. Longer games, such as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, are a bigger time commitment.
Where you want to play. If you prefer your phone, Overboard!, Danganronpa, Ghost Trick and Jenny LeClue all have confirmed mobile versions.
Tone. The list runs from playful to dark, so check the store page before you buy.

Which interactive murder mystery should you play first?

If you have under an hour: Overboard!
If you like point-and-click exploration: Tangle Tower or Jenny LeClue.
If you want courtroom drama: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
If you want intensity: Danganronpa.
If you want something unusual: Ghost Trick or AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES.

For more games that fit a short session, see Mystery Games With Short Cases.

Is there an upcoming murder mystery with 5–10-minute cases?

Murder Book: The Art of Interrogation is an upcoming narrative interrogation game from Gungrounds, an independent studio in Zagreb, Croatia. Each case is designed for a focused 5–10-minute session, so a complete interrogation fits into a short break on mobile or a quick session on PC.

In each case, you examine a suspect's account for unreliable details, behavioural changes, narrative gaps, avoidance and contradictions. Development screenshots show a case select screen listing results and completion, including a "not guilty" result, and a branching case map with achievement endings. It is inspired by real police footage and psychological interviews.

Murder Book is in development for PC (Steam) and mobile, with release currently planned for the end of Q2 2027. Read Why Murder Book Cases Are Designed for 5–10-Minute Sessions.