If you’re like me and require a constant stream of great mystery adventure stories to survive, here’s a list of five brand new ones since the last time I posted some (seriously, just browse the category tag – there’s lots!)!

Remember that you can click through to these games’ pages and start playing them for free! (/*o*\)

PuppetShow: The Price of Immortality

…I’ve only just started this list and I am OFFICIALLY spooked.

The Theater of Emotions has earned quite the reputation. It’s known all over France for its menagerie of life-like puppets, but it’s also notorious for all the reporters who have vanished trying to reveal its magical secrets. When your best friend, star reporter Enrique Torres, infiltrates the town to get the scoop of the century, he discovers the truth… only to vanish just as mysteriously as all the others. Now it’s up to you to find him! Just watch your back… You don’t know who you can trust anymore. Will this become the big story that makes your journalistic career? Or will it become your final assignment?

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Mystery Trackers: Nightsville Horror

A young boy named Oliver’s been kidnapped, and the scared citizens of Willowsville are blaming the Owl Man from their rival town, Nightsville. Long thought to be a made-up story to scare the kids, the Owl Man seems to be real… and he’s coming for you…

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The Secret Order: Beyond Time

Sarah Pennington traveled back through time to save the ancient Kingdom of Aeronheart, but at the cost of losing her time machine, The Royal Griffin, and her only way back home. Or is there another way? Sarah comes up with a clever plan, but the ruthless Dragon Clan always stays one step ahead. They will stop at nothing to make sure Sarah stays buried in the past forever. Join Sarah as she journeys to a land beyond time in search of a way back to the future.

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Dead Reckoning: Brassfield Manor

On the eve of his annual murder mystery party, wealthy businessman Reginald Greer is found dead at his home. You’ve been called to Brassfield Manor to solve the case… but it won’t be easy. There are plenty of clues and suspects to keep you guessing who killed Reginald Greer. Was it his spoiled daughter? His jealous son? His disgruntled business partner? It could be any one of the guests who arrived for a game… and stayed for a murder. Use a unique deduction feature to question characters and examine evidence in this intriguing Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure whodunit game!

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Bridge to Another World: The Others

Ever since Jace was attacked by a mysterious being known only as an Other, you’ve devoted your life to protecting him and finding a cure for the mysterious curse the Other placed upon him. After years of fighting Others, you may have finally found the way to the world where they come from. But there may be more than the Others lurking beyond this portal. You may even find the answers to your past. Answers that have long eluded your grasp. Take a leap of faith and explore a new world full of dark magic!

My previous adventure games writeup covered many fantasy-themed stories, so here’s some with spookier undertones!  You’ll see they have the same air of mystery about them, and my most favorite part, THIS BEAUTIFUL ART WORK!

Danse Macabre: Deadly Deception

The Belfort Hall Academy of Dance is famous for transforming its students into ballet stars. But when the class star, Marion Ashworth is found dead in the school garden, shocking secrets are brought to light. It turns out the victim wasn’t who she claimed to be. And if that’s the case… was she, and where is the real Marion Ashworth? Examine the crime scene, interrogate the suspects, and follow the clues to find the truth. Just be careful – some secrets are worth killing for.

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Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Mystery of Marie Roget

Another dark tale is told…  This time, help a newlywed couple unravel the mystery of a strange threat… from the beyond. With Dupin as your guide, use a magic mirror and your own wits to track down all leads.

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House of 1000 Doors: Evil Inside

Evil inside what??  WHAT?!  OH, GOD.

Emily’s everyday life is shattered when a strange woman knocks at her door, begging for her help as a frightening meteor descends from the sky. In an instant, she’s whisked away to the mysterious House of the Lancasters, where she discovers she has a special gift: the inner light. Now Emily’s power is the only thing that can stop the dark disease that threatens to swallow the entire world. This deadly infection corrupts anything it touches: humans, animals, even plants and inanimate objects, turning them into violent monsters. Work together with your new family to fight back and restore the world, before it’s too late!

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Nightfall Mysteries: Haunted by the Past

Your grandfather Charles was a kind and passionate man, beloved by all those who knew him. His death came as quite a shock to everyone around him. But you barely have time to mourn before you find yourself in the middle of an unexpected mystery. It turns out Charles did not die of natural causes – in fact, he had feared for his life! But who would want your grandfather dead? Find out before you become the next family casualty in this exciting Puzzle Adventure game!

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Dangerous Games: Illusionist

The first annual Championship of Illusionists ended in tragedy. Twenty years later, the event is back, and you’ve been asked to write a story about it. It promises to be entertaining news… but things go straight to the front page when a mysterious red-masked man appears out of thin air to abduct the first contestant! Stranger still, the hotel owner claims the man died during the previous competition! Who is the mysterious Red Mask, and what does he want? You’ll have to unravel a series of strange and mysterious illusions to find out. Just be careful – nothing is as it seems in this exciting Mystery Puzzle Adventure game!

Recently I have been playing very relaxing point-and-click style adventure games!  The art work in them is so beautiful.

For a long time I kind of just admired the art work in these through screenshots and never played them myself, largely because they are marketed as being “hidden object games” and that just… didn’t sound exciting?  But I finally played a free demo of Otherworld (the first game in my list below) and I realized – these are very good adventure games!  It reminded me of playing Trace Memory or a mystery game like Hotel Dusk.  There are very old PC games that I used to play that are kind of similar to these too, like Shivers, and a lot of people remember Myst~

The hidden object aspect isn’t always front and center with these – most of them have many puzzle segments, and finding hidden objects is just one of those types of puzzles.  Again, really, if you’ve played Trace Memory or Hotel Dusk or Myst, you know the variety of puzzles!

Here is a short list of some of the beautiful games I tried out as demos – and I will definitely continue posting about these as I discover more!

Otherworld: Spring of Shadows

This was the first of these games that I tried and it remains to be my absolute favorite of them!
I really think that the ‘adventure game’-y aspect of this one is executed the best.
The puzzles are logical and flows smoothly from one area to the next,
doing tasks for NPCs and other adventure game fun.
Plus, I think it has the most beautiful setting.

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Dark Parables: The Final Cinderella

There is apparently quite a selection of Dark Parables games, this is just the first one I have tried~
I hear tell that the Red Riding Hood-themed one is the most adventurous and epic,
so I will try that one next and report back~

I like this Cinderella theme though!
Personally I loved the little rules that make a girl a “Cinderella” –
strength, kindness, diligence, that kind of thing.  My favorite kind of lessons~

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Living Legends: Frozen Beauty

This one is very haunting and spooky!
This was the ‘loneliest’ out of all of the games I’ve tried so far.
There aren’t really NPCs around, it’s just you on your lonesome
wandering around a spooky place.

I think that’s exactly the mood they were going for.

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Alice in Wonderland

Who doesn’t love Alice in Wonderland?
This is one of the more pleasant game interpretations of the setting~
Just look at how lovely the rooms are!

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Drawn: The Painted Tower

Another game heavy on the ‘adventure’, which is just the way I love it!
Okay, I know I’ve gushed over all of these and how beautiful they are,
but seriously, THIS ONE IS SO. SO. BEAUTIFUL.
They really embraced a painterly art style for this one
rather than going for photorealism, and I LOVE IT.

Free Demo: Windows | Mac | Linux
Buy Now: Windows | Mac | Linux | NEW: iOS

Game info from the developers’ site:

Summary:
A girl’s spirit with no recollection of her past find herself inside Cafe 0, a mysterious Cafe in the middle of nowhere. Served with only a glass of water by the peculiar waiter, Sui–soon she realized that she is about to relive the last seven days before her death.

Surrounding her are Ami, a girl who claimed to be her best friend, Tooru, a boy who is rumored to be her previous boyfriend, and Shou, the school’s doctor?what are their connection to her past and how are they related to her death?

Will she be in peace with her past, or will she haunt the living? It is all up to you to decide.

Cast:
Sui – Cancer Murakani
Shou Takizawa – Yuya Kakitsubata
Tooru Mizutani – Mato Sarashina
Ami Kawase – Nanase Watarai
Others – Nao Utsunomiya, Sayuri Misaki, Sudachi Harumi

Features:
– 6 Endings (1 Bad Ending)
– 3 Types of main character depending on your selection, complete with different costumes.
– 2 Character Paths and 1 True Path.
– 2-3 Hours Play Time.
– 21 CGs (Including Variations).
– 1 Secret Bonus when you cleared all routes.

Specifications:
– Title: CAFE 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~
– Genre: Supernatural Mystery Visual Novel
– Release Date: 4 October 2011
– Rating: PG-13
– Resolution: 800×600
– Play Time: Approximately 2-3 hours
– Event CG: 21 (Including variations)
– Ending: 6 (1 Bad Ending)
– Game Engine: Ren’py

Free Demo: Windows | Mac | Linux
Buy Now: Windows | Mac | Linux | NEW: iOS