5 New Mystery Games to Play - January 2025
Computers and cute girls are the theme for this month!
Happy Mystery Monday!
Because it’s the end of the month, now is the time to talk about some must-play mystery games from January 2025!
And taking into account feedback from our recent survey, rather than just including a description of each game, I’ll also write a bit about what I think and why I chose to include it in today’s list, though generally the reason is that they all received high reviews this month.
So without further ado, let’s take a look a 5 mystery games from January 2025!
1. Cyber Manhunt 2: New World - The Hacking Simulator
Discover a digital realm shrouded in mystery. Sequel to an award-winning narrative driven hacking simulator puzzle game. Play as an AI assistant in a major corporation. Deploy intricate social engineering tactics and expose hidden truths in a world of ambition and high-tech deception.
You might know about this one already, as it was one of the most popular mystery games of 2024, and has finally released out of Early Access.
Based on reviews, the game is a more sophisticated hacking simulator game, with high production value and relatively long playtime and compelling story.
Since hacking sims are a trending genre right now, I think this game is worth checking out!
2. The Roottrees are Dead
A genealogical mystery straight out of 1998. Scour the early Internet for clues, uncover hidden connections, and piece together the family tree behind the secretive Roottree Corporation.
Another mystery game where you use a computer to search for clues (though on an old-school system), this game was originally released on itch in 2023 for the Global Game Jam.
A lot of people in our Mystery Gamedev Discord server have already given this game high praise, so I know it's good. The Steam version not only includes graphical updates, but also a whole new mystery not present in the original game, so that's a strong incentive to buy it even if you already played the original. With over 600 reviews and a 97% positive score in less than 2 weeks, this game is obviously a smash hit!
On a side note, the original version used AI art via MidJourney (likely due to time constraints of the game jam, if I had to guess) and the developer has stated it was released for free for that reason. From my observation of the comments sections, it seemed very few people actually criticized the game for the AI art, but the ones who did were polite about it. After the game blew up in popularity, the developer chose to replace the AI art for the Steam release.
I see this as a successful compromise, where the anti-AI crowd didn't try to ruin the developer's life over it, but instead appreciated the game for what it was, and the developer used the positive market validation to find a human artist and release a more fleshed-out game that is already seeing tremendous success. Keeping a level-headed approach resulted in a successful launch and all parties being satisfied. And this game proves that you shouldn't dismiss a game just because it uses AI art.
(It also provides a strong incentive to make games for a game jam!)
3. Game of Fate 2: A Century's Promise
Transported back a century by fate, you find yourself in a legendary tale of vengeance. Amidst powerful enemies in a tumultuous era, your mission is to assist those around you. Experience this immersive epic from a first-person perspective—authentic, weighty, yet brimming with hope.
Game of Fate 2 is an FMV historical romance-mystery hybrid with a time travel twist. The game is shot in 4K resolution from a first-person perspective, making it a visual treat as you make choices to branch the story and solve the mystery.
Released only 3 months after the first Game of Fate (which just like Cyber Manhunt 2 was one of the top mystery games of 2024), reviews indicate that this game is an improvement over the first one. From what I played in the demo, you can technically enjoy this game without playing the first one, but some parts will likely have a stronger impact if you play them in order. The game is voiced in Chinese but with English subtitles, and although the translation is a bit rough, I think it works.
Please note that as the store page states, some scenes may not be suitable for all players, due to depictions of alcohol and partial nudity.
Full-motion video has been used in mystery games since 1991’s Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, and more modern hits like Her Story. It is good to see there is still innovation in that subgenre, and that they can become popular, too.
4. The Shell Part III: Paradiso
The coiling chains of obsession that began with The Shell now threaten to strangle Detective Reiji Tokisaka in the third and final entry in the trilogy. As old friends and foes rise up for one last confrontation, can anyone break the cycle—and can Reiji's heart ever be set free?
The third and final part of the Kara no Shoujo trilogy (why do mystery visual novels always come in threes?) the game finally has an English release after years of waiting. For this series, you will definitely want to play the games in order.
The previous entry in the series was released last year, and was, again, one of the most popular mystery games of 2024.
(And no, I didn’t just pick these games to put the same link in this article three times — these games really just stood out to me as being the most notable this month! Maybe there’s a lesson to be learned here.)
The Steam version is censored, but there is a patch that uncensors the violent crime scenes and adds routes that were cut because of sexual content, which significantly increases the game's playtime. The patch is freely available on GOG as DLC, and purchasing the game directly from JAST includes the NSFW scenes uncensored.
5. Siren's Call: Escape Velocity
The definitive edition of the fan-favorite visual novel is here! A surreal, coming-of-age tale set in early 2010s Central Florida, Siren's Call is the small town you swore you'd always leave. Something inside you knows this is your last chance. Will you reach escape velocity?
Reviewers have a lot of praise for this "slow-burn mystery" where "cute things turn scary."
This game was inspired by psychological-horror mystery games like Higurashi, and I can certainly see the similarities just from the store page. As a long-time fan of Higurashi myself, I had to share this game here.
With over 10 hours of content, its nice art style, atmospheric sounds, and an interesting cast of characters, it looks just like a classic visual novel (except that it’s set in Central Florida, of course).
I've been aware of this game since 2023, so it's nice to see it finally out!
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, we were not paid to promote any of the above games. Each game was selected based on its relevance to our readers, considering its release date, number of positive reviews, and store page description. We are not responsible for any issues arising from attempting to purchase, download, or play any game.
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