{"id":1442530,"date":"2025-12-28T19:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T19:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aFn4Gw8KjasHHz9B62roSo"},"modified":"2025-12-28T19:10:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T19:10:14","slug":"im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"I&#8217;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>There&#8217;s just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying answer. It&#8217;s absolute magic.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, I&#8217;m a bit of a genre obsessive<em>\u2014<\/em>and particularly this year, I found myself sleuthing through a record number of modern classics.<\/p>\n<p>I think 2025 was one of the best detective game years ever, if not <em>the <\/em>best. Who knows what it was about these particular twelve months that suddenly made the idea of criminals actually suffering consequences so appealing? That\u2019s enough of me being <em>hilarious\u2014<\/em>on with the list!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a-case-of-fraud-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3036350\/A_Case_of_Fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\">A Case of Fraud<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3036350\/A_Case_of_Fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"QJihAUoNpHq62M9SjasxX5\" name=\"10. A Case of Fraud\" alt=\"A log of an instant messaging conversation in A Case of Fraud.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Hesperus Games)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The CEO of a tech startup has been murdered, and you need to solve it by identifying the names, job titles, and even the pets of everyone who worked there.<\/p>\n<p>Openly inspired by The Roottrees are Dead (more on that game later!), this is much simpler. Piles of evidence are just dumped on you rather than revealed through anything as clever as that game\u2019s brilliant built-in search engine. But it\u2019s still a great little game that makes inspired use of the office setting.<\/p>\n<p>God bless the HR nightmare who helped me identify most of the women on the systems team because he kept hounding them for dates on the workplace chat&#8230;. ugh.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asbury-pines-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2212790\/Asbury_Pines\/\" target=\"_blank\">Asbury Pines<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2212790\/Asbury_Pines\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"sfi5TxDzxdNhC4u5WmaYY5\" name=\"9. Asbury Pines\" alt=\"Talking to the mayor in Asbury Pines.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-1.png\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Chaystar Unlimited LLC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Proof that one of gaming\u2019s least-respected genres can be an excellent way to tell a story. It\u2019s a resource-management idle game (stop booing) where you unlock townsfolk and put them to work rifling through the bins, working at the diner, and practising a religion that involves worshipping a giant sloth. You&#8217;re rewarded with little nuggets of story that offer more insight into a murder that rocks the town.<\/p>\n<p>Set over several distinct time periods, Asbury Pines smuggles a narrative of surprising scope into a game where all you really do is assign people jobs and then wish they\u2019d hurry the hell up. So its managed to simulate the agonising wait for revelations between episodes of a TV detective drama. Er, good!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"strange-antiquities-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2885870\/Strange_Antiquities\/\" target=\"_blank\">Strange Antiquities<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2885870\/Strange_Antiquities\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1280px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"jhm7CPWYLDc9ZWZ4uQZSG5\" name=\"8. Strange Antiquities\" alt=\"A customer visiting the antiques shop in Strange Antiquities.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.jpg\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Bad Viking)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Customers come into your horrible little shop with queries like \u201cmy neighbour forgot my birthday, got any cursed talismans that\u2019ll ruin her life?&#8221; or \u201cI\u2019d like a Munted Leg please! No, I don\u2019t care to offer any details as to what that is\u201d. You then use your almost-helpful books, along with your senses of sight, touch, smell, and general vibes to deduce which antiquity they want. And hand it over to a clearly dangerous individual instead of calling the police.<\/p>\n<p>This sequel is packed with puzzles, like a macabre remake of Professor Layton and the Curious Village, if the professor decided to drown Luke in goat&#8217;s blood to make a nifty totem.<\/p>\n<p>Very satisfying to chip away at, even if with each new sale you suspect you\u2019re probably making the world worse. A bit like working for Microsoft.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"little-problems-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2653470\/Little_Problems_A_Cozy_Detective_Game\/\" target=\"_blank\">Little Problems<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2653470\/Little_Problems_A_Cozy_Detective_Game\/\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"rmeCPWFF7Mm5esVwBbQNi5\" name=\"7. Little Problems\" alt=\"Three people waiting at a vet's office in Little Problems.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-2.png\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Posh Cat Studios)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Posh Cat Studio wanted to make a detective game, but after a few weeks of researching murder, they ended up about as depressed as I was when Netflix suddenly pulled The Rise of the Golden Idol from my subscription. So they decided to take the excellent Golden Idol formula and instead apply it to more mundane mysteries, like \u2018who broke my favourite mug?\u2019 or \u2018where did my cat wander off to?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Lovely art and charming presentation make this an easy game to underestimate. But it\u2019s actually got strong sleuthing chops and proves you don\u2019t need high stakes to make a great detective game.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"expelled-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2963890\/Expelled\/\" target=\"_blank\">Expelled!<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2963890\/Expelled\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"vaSJ9razBtAL3KmaJhNbK5\" name=\"5. Expelled\" alt=\"A girl looking bored in school in Expelled.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-1.jpg\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Inkle Ltd)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I was thrilled when Inkle gave us a surprise sequel to <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/reverse-murder-mystery-overboard-is-a-deliciously-evil-twist-on-the-detective-genre\/\" target=\"_blank\">Overboard!<\/a>, their excellent push-your-husband-to-his-death-then-try-to-get-away-with-it simulator. I was less thrilled when Expelled apparently didn\u2019t sell nearly as well. Bah! Everyone missed out on the best boarding school adventure since Rockstar bullied potential uni\u2014 I mean, since Rockstar\u2019s Bully.<\/p>\n<p>Verity Amersham has been accused of throwing another student out of a window. Now you have to clear her name, solve plenty more schoolyard mysteries, and basically act like a right little scumbag. Go buy a million copies so they can make another one.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-seance-of-blake-manor-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1395520\/The_Sance_of_Blake_Manor\/\" target=\"_blank\">The S\u00e9ance of Blake Manor<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1395520\/The_Sance_of_Blake_Manor\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"kvNHsvZGh83HyVpuSY44j5\" name=\"4. The S\u00e9ance of Blake Manor\" alt=\"A conversation with a suspect in The S\u00e9ance of Blake Manor.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-3.png\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Spooky Doorway)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve been summoned to Blake Manor to investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane. Could something sinister be afoot? Well, on my first morning of investigating I met two people who were planning on killing her before I\u2019d barely even had breakfast, so let\u2019s call that a \u2018yes\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Blake Manor is crammed with suspicious guests who are a delight to irritate. Break into their rooms, rifle through their belongings, then innocently ask why they keep a half-empty vial of poison on their nightstand.<\/p>\n<p>Impeccable presentation perhaps disguises that this is more of a traditional point-and-click than it initially seems. But what kind of detective can\u2019t appreciate a great disguise?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-roottrees-are-dead-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2754380\/The_Roottrees_are_Dead\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Roottrees Are Dead<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2754380\/The_Roottrees_are_Dead\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"wafDBo2twCbMKhiZWogzt5\" name=\"3. The Roottrees Are Dead\" alt=\"A case file with a photograph of three sisters in The Roottrees Are Dead.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-4.png\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Evil Trout Inc)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Roottree sisters have tragically died in a plane crash and it\u2019s up to you to fill out their massive family tree, with all the investigative tools that &#8217;90s dial-up has to offer.<\/p>\n<p>Roottrees is a joyous send-up of the early internet, right down to the horrifying screech your computer makes when you first go \u2018online\u2019. You\u2019ll type out those words in the search engine with 100% correct spelling or get nothing at all, bucko.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d love a modern-day sequel where you have to use the AI-poisoned bullshit that is search engines now, but I also don\u2019t want to put the developers of one of 2025\u2019s best games through such trauma.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-rise-of-the-golden-idol-the-sins-of-new-wells-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3333870\/Golden_Idol_Investigations_The_Sins_of_New_Wells\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Rise of the Golden Idol: The Sins of New Wells<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3333870\/Golden_Idol_Investigations_The_Sins_of_New_Wells\/\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"puxpqWPbjxU4BiBqAgjAC5\" name=\"2. The Rise of the Golden Idol DLC\" alt=\"A surreal landscape with strange creatures in The Rise of the Golden Idol.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-2.jpg\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Color Gray Games)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As moaned about briefly earlier, Netflix suddenly pulled this game\u2019s excellent DLC from subscribers halfway through its roadmap. If they successfully buy Warner Bros, we\u2019ll be lucky if the next Arkham game lets you play beyond Bruce Wayne\u2019s parents being shot.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the winning Golden Idol formula, wherein you poke around crime scenes for words and phrases then piece together what the Hell happened, reached incredible new heights here.<\/p>\n<p>The highlight is the case set in someone\u2019s brain that\u2019s under attack. That screenshot above is their subconscious, complete with spinning balloon face screaming &#8220;I am a FOOL!&#8221; (instantly the series\u2019 most relatable character). Developer Color Gray Games is clearly at the height of its powers. Can we pass some sort of law forcing it to make these wonderful games forever?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"type-help-6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/william-rous.itch.io\/type-help\" target=\"_blank\">Type Help<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/william-rous.itch.io\/type-help\" target=\"_blank\"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check >\n<div class='image-full-width-wrapper'>\n<div class='image-widthsetter' style=\"max-width:1920px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"vjWhGcAL7whvutBFXduMx4\" name=\"1. Type Help\" alt=\"A screen of text in Type Help.\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever-5.png\" mos=\"\" align=\"middle\" fullscreen=\"1\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" attribution=\"\" endorsement=\"\" class=\"inline expandable\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: William Rous)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This itch.io game (ridiculously, <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/william-rous.itch.io\/type-help\" target=\"_blank\">completely free<\/a>) sees you accessing the hard drive of a detective who apparently solved a murder, only for their computer to mysteriously be locked away by their superiors. Unfortunately the computer has no images, an inbox with only one message, and four short conversation transcripts. Oh, and the fourth transcript is actually missing half the title, so you can\u2019t access it until you figure out what that was and type it in. Good luck!<\/p>\n<p>Text adventures died out decades ago because of how little entertainment value there was in typing out a long theory only to be told \u2018I don\u2019t understand\u2019. But Type Help knows that when you <em>do <\/em>type a correct deduction into its bloody computer, it feels better than winning the lottery on the same day all your childhood bullies get diagnosed with terminal illnesses.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll endure that deliberately-frustrating interface for both the rush of those deductions and to get more of its gripping story that would be an all-time great detective yarn in <em>any <\/em>medium. Fingers crossed the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3641000\/The_Incident_at_Galley_House\/\" target=\"_blank\">upcoming remake<\/a> can retain the stripped-back magic of 2025\u2019s finest detective game.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/games\/adventure\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying answer. It&#8217;s absolute magic. Needless to say, I&#8217;m a bit of a genre obsessive\u2014and particularly this year, I found myself sleuthing through a record number of modern classics. I think 2025 was one of the best detective game years ever, if not the best. Who knows what it was about these particular twelve months that suddenly made the idea of criminals actually suffering consequences so appealing? That\u2019s enough of me being hilarious\u2014on with the list! A Case of Fraud (Image credit: Hesperus Games) The CEO of a tech startup has been murdered, and you need to solve it by identifying the names, job titles, and even the&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt-more\"><a class=\"blog-excerpt button\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1442531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[336],"tags":[130,748],"class_list":["post-1442530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc-gamer","tag-adventure","tag-games"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>I&#039;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There&#039;s just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I&#039;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever | Arcader News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There&#039;s just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Arcade News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-28T19:10:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/cropped-arcader-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"320\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Arcade News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Arcade News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Arcade News\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8460f5e5076b52fb2369f2f7ce6f2839\"},\"headline\":\"I&#8217;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-28T19:10:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1326,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Adventure\",\"games\"],\"articleSection\":[\"PC Gamer\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/\",\"name\":\"I'm obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever | Arcader News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-28T19:10:14+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8460f5e5076b52fb2369f2f7ce6f2839\"},\"description\":\"There's just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png\",\"caption\":\"I\u2019m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"I&#8217;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Arcade News\",\"description\":\"Free Arcade News from the Best Online Sources\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8460f5e5076b52fb2369f2f7ce6f2839\",\"name\":\"Arcade News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3fea48a614d86edd987bc7bb25f4707c69546d4b1f78ad4aa20b26316bad1f9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3fea48a614d86edd987bc7bb25f4707c69546d4b1f78ad4aa20b26316bad1f9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/3fea48a614d86edd987bc7bb25f4707c69546d4b1f78ad4aa20b26316bad1f9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Arcade News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/cricketgames.tv\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/arcader.org\\\/news\\\/author\\\/arcade-news\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"I'm obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever | Arcader News","description":"There's just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"I'm obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever | Arcader News","og_description":"There's just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying","og_url":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/","og_site_name":"Arcade News","article_published_time":"2025-12-28T19:10:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":480,"height":320,"url":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/cropped-arcader-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Arcade News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Arcade News","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/"},"author":{"name":"Arcade News","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8460f5e5076b52fb2369f2f7ce6f2839"},"headline":"I&#8217;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever","datePublished":"2025-12-28T19:10:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/"},"wordCount":1326,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png","keywords":["Adventure","games"],"articleSection":["PC Gamer"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/","url":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/","name":"I'm obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever | Arcader News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png","datePublished":"2025-12-28T19:10:14+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8460f5e5076b52fb2369f2f7ce6f2839"},"description":"There's just something about solving mysteries in games. Piecing together clues, interrogating suspects, and finally discovering that oh-so-satisfying","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever.png","caption":"I\u2019m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/im-obsessed-with-detective-games-and-i-think-these-9-prove-that-2025-was-the-best-year-for-the-genre-ever\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"I&#8217;m obsessed with detective games, and I think these 9 prove that 2025 was the best year for the genre ever"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/","name":"Arcade News","description":"Free Arcade News from the Best Online Sources","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/8460f5e5076b52fb2369f2f7ce6f2839","name":"Arcade News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3fea48a614d86edd987bc7bb25f4707c69546d4b1f78ad4aa20b26316bad1f9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3fea48a614d86edd987bc7bb25f4707c69546d4b1f78ad4aa20b26316bad1f9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3fea48a614d86edd987bc7bb25f4707c69546d4b1f78ad4aa20b26316bad1f9d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Arcade News"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/cricketgames.tv"],"url":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/author\/arcade-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1442530"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1442533,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1442530\/revisions\/1442533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1442531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1442530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1442530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1442530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}