9 Underrated Japanese Detective Games

Summary

• Dive into the world of Japanese detective games for a unique mix of court cases and sleuthing action.
• From Policenauts to AI: The Somnium Files, explore underappreciated titles for a classic Japanese experience.
• Don't miss out on hidden gems like Master Detective Archives: Rain Code and Famicom Detective Club for a memorable detective adventure.

Japanese detective games are a vibe all their own, that's for sure. Phoenix Wright and his menagerie of fantastic titles are all great ways to experience a solid mix of court cases and detective action, as are the equally beloved Danganronpa games, but those aren't the only detective games from Japan that are worth your time.

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These detective games will make you drop your DualShocks and DualSenses for a fedora and notepad.

The unfortunate truth is, the vast majority of these games tend to swing gently under the radar, but that's not enough to stop us from sleuthing out the genre's most underappreciated titles. If you want your next detective game to come packaged in that classic Japanese style, these are the games for you.

9 Policenauts

Hideo Kojima is one of the biggest names in gaming, which is why it's so bizarre that his earlier titles, like the Japan exclusive Policenauts, are still largely inaccessible on modern platforms. The game's story revolves around a former astronaut turned detective as he looks into the mysterious murder of his ex-wife, and trust us, things only get more interesting from there.

The game never received an official English translation and doesn't actually take place in Japan in the first place, but we do not overlook games by Hideo Kojima in this house, language barrier be darned.

For those who can speak Japanese, Policenauts is relatively inexpensive today as an import so long as you've got a Japanese PS1 to play it on.

8 AI: The Somnium Files

If you like the Danganronpa or 999 series, AI: The Somnium Files is absolutely for you. With character designer Yusuke Kozaki's designs bringing life to a story by Zero Escape's Kotaro Uchikoshi, you're in pretty good hands when it comes to visuals and story here.

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Seeing you take on the role of a detective by the name of Kaname Date who uses a mixture of dream and crime scene investigations to crack her cases, AI: The Somnium Files is a delightful sci-fi detective story presented with an unmistakably Japanese sense of style and story structure.

7 Case Closed: The Mirapolis Investigation

Detective Conan (known in the West as Case Closed) is, for our money, one of the best mystery anime of all time. Turns out, when he's not solving anime or manga mysteries, the titular Conan gets into some surprisingly competent video game capers as well.

While most of these games remain Japan exclusive, one of them, The Mirapolis Investigation, saw an official localization for PAL regions, and that game comes highly recommended for fans of the genre and fans of the anime alike. Playing as Conan himself, you'll use the anime's various gadgets to aid you along your journey to find out what really happened at the Mirapolis hotel.

6 Master Detective Archives: Rain Code

Basically, Rain Code is legally-distinct Danganronpa, minus the whole trapped in a high school and forced to kill each other aspect. If that's what you need in your life, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is what you're looking for.

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Playing as an amnesiac detective accompanied by a rambunctious spirit with a delightfully unsubtle name, Rain Code is a Japanese detective game that deserves much more attention than it got on release, and if you haven't played it yet, we recommend you jump on this mystery ASAP.

5 Famicom Detective Club

After literal decades of being trapped in Japan, the Famicom Detective Club series has finally made its way across the sea to be enjoyed by all, but for some reason, the incredible hype the two games in the series that were remade and localized for Nintendo Switch in 2021 deserve just never seemed to be there, even back in 2021.

The Famicom Detective Club series has been thrilling Japanese players since 1988, and it's a crying shame more people haven't taken the chance to experience the definitive versions of two classic Japanese detective games on Switch.

4 Process Of Elimination

Process of Elimination is a fantastic game presented in a gorgeous anime art syle, and as good as that sounds, trust us when we say it plays even better. The game mixes in strategy game elements into what is essentially a puzzle game, and all of that is wrapped up in the tried and true flavor of a Japanese detective game.

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Now, important to keep in mind here is that this isn't going to be for everyone, largely because of the strategy elements it incorporates which so differentiate it from contemporary detective titles, but if it works for you, Process Of Elimination is great.

3 Lost Judgment

Lost Judgment is the sequel to the 2018 Like A Dragon series spinoff game, Judgment, which itself is a glorious combination of classic Yakuza gameplay and all the melty, gooey cheese of a live-action Japanese detective drama.

If we absolutely can't have a solid video game adaptation of Yo-Yo Girl Cop, we can at least sleep easy knowing that games like Lost Judgment have got our backs, mixing thrilling crime drama with cartoon silliness in all the best ways.

We love both entries in the Judgment series, almost as much as we love the mainline Like A Dragon (formerly known as Yakuza) games, so if you can, we recommend playing both of the Judgment games in order. That said, if you only have the time and budget for one of the two, Lost Judgment is the better experience.

2 Snatcher

Hideo Kojima's cyberpunk crime drama is not one to be missed, and thankfully, unlike Policenauts, you can actually play this one in English, provided you're willing to hunt down a physical copy for yourself.

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Kojima is God!

The game's engaging narrative sees you exploring a semi-open world filled with things to do, people to meet, and adventures to have. When it comes right down to it, we prefer this game to Cyberpunk 2077, and that should speak volumes about the sheer amount of content packed into this futuristic masterpiece from 1995.

If you're going to play this game, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of the Sega CD version, as well as a copy of Lethal Enforcers that still has the light guns in working condition. If you have everything set up properly, Snatcher on Sega CD will accept those light guns as inputs for shooting segments. If you can get that to work, it's absolutely mindblowing.

1 Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

When it comes to games like Phoenix Wright or Professor Layton, it doesn't get much better than Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Whether you played the Nintendo DS original or you're all about the fresh coat of paint on the remake, this is a game that is worth your time.

Capcom's underground detective game makes great use of spirits and ghosts to make each new chapter in this one of a kind sleuthing adventure feel unique and engaging. If you play nothing else on this list, we beg of you, play Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective at your earliest convenience for a Japanese detective game you will never forget.

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