Unforeseen Incidents (Switch eShop)

This game sort of predicted the COVID pandemic, but don't hold that against it — the tale of a mysterious plague that's infected the citizens of a town pulls from old-school point-and-clicks to create a self-referential, charming game that's all about unravelling a diabolical conspiracy.

Witty writing and voice-over work bring this story to life, and protagonist Harper Pendrell's handy multi-tool makes us ask: Why don't all point-and-click protagonists carry multi-tools? It would make a lot of stupid puzzles a whole lot easier.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (Switch eShop)

Ethan Carter, a young boy who lives in Red Creek Valley, has disappeared in the wake of a gruesome murder. You play as Paul Prospero, who heads to Ethan's home in order to figure out what happened, and to hopefully find the boy alive.

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As events begin to get even more gory and horrifying, this walking simulator-adjacent game gets quite scary, but it also can get a little tedious, as you won't be able to progress unless you've laboriously explored every inch of this haunting, pastoral town. Also, you gotta check every nook and cranny in case that's where Ethan Carter is, right?

Chicken Police - Paint it RED! (Switch eShop)

We've had dog detectives, rabbit detectives, bird detectives, and now we've got chicken detectives. Listen, if animals were good detectives, don't you think we'd be hiring more of them in real life?! But Chicken Police is a brilliant, so-noir-it'll-make-you-start-smoking game that is packed full of incredible writing, gorgeous art (even if it is largely animal heads on human bods), and a compelling intrigue all the way through.

Fair warning: This excellent anthropomorphic animal take on the detective genre is not for the young! It's got lots of swears and even nudity, which we strongly suspect only exists so we can make a "fowl language" joke. Thanks, developers.

AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative (Switch)

AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is one of the most interesting visual novels we’ve played through in a while. The murder mystery at its heart is brought to life by some great writing and quirky characters alongside the satisfyingly integrated, beautifully balanced Psync puzzle elements. Even with some minor control issues, there is a lot to love in this game even if you never picked up the original. Highly recommended if you're even a little bit curious.

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Master Detective Archives: Rain Code (Switch)

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a solid follow-up to the Danganronpa franchise that demonstrates a heap of ambition from its developers and mostly lives up to its predecessor's impressive reputation. But while the game delivers an excellent cast of characters and some truly intriguing mysteries to solve, it also stumbles in its methods, introducing mechanics and locations that outstay their welcome and become frustratingly repetitive. Still, for fans of Dangaronpa and those who enjoy a good gruesome crime or two, it's definitely worth checking out.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Switch eShop)

Waking up as a ghost probably isn't the kind of thing that any of us would wish for, but this forms the central conceit of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, and we absolutely love it.

This is the kind of game where going in blind is your best option, after all, the events immediately come somewhat out of the blue for our phantom protagonist. Know that you will be tapping into the world of the living, solving puzzles and sneaking stealthily through levels all to find out what happened to your poor old body.

This was one of the best games on the DS, and we'd put it right up there for the Switch too.

Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express (Switch)

Murder on the Orient Express is impressive in its ability to breathe new life into a well-trodden story. Microids Studio Lyon has found a cute gap in the story to slide in its new character, Locke, without her getting in the way. Her tense and serious segments free up Poirot for a bit of comic relief, and the whole game sits with a relaxed atmosphere and pleasant presentation. Puzzles are mixed, but there are enough good ones to drive another enjoyable trip through Agatha Christie’s classic story of mystery, justice, and moral ambiguity.

Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch)

Detective Pikachu Returns serves up more of what delighted us first time around, with an endearing and exciting story packed full of fun and light-hearted silliness. We really do enjoy this gruff, coffee-addled take on Pikachu, he never fails to raise a smile when he goes off on one, and the game successfully straddles a very thin line in giving us an adventure aimed at younger players that long-time Pokémon fans and ancient gamers such as ourselves can also enjoy. If you can handle the inherent repetitiveness of most of the core gameplay, alongside some rather drab visuals, you'll enjoy this one.

If you've been looking for a detective-esque game or two to satisfy your urge to look for things, then look no further (and then look further in the game), because at least one of these games should suit you just fine.

You love birds? Check out Aviary Attorney or Chicken Police. You want something a bit goofier? Try Sam & Max Save The World, or Murder By Numbers. You really love scary murder visual novels? AI: The Somnium Files, Gnosia, or Danganronpa. And if you love detectiving, but aren't super into the policey parts and want something a little more unusual, then you'll probably enjoy Heaven's Vault or Return of the Obra Dinn!

Let us know in the comments if you think we've missed any obvious detective games on Switch in the comments, or recommend your favourites from the ones we've picked!

This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.

Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!

If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.