

It stars the titular Professor as he travels around with his assistant Luke solving puzzles and mysteries. Developed by Level 5, this series began in 2007 and currently features six main installments alongside two spin-offs. One of the most unexpected announcements coming from the February 8 Nintendo Direct was a new game in the Professor Layton series. Other 2023 offerings include murder mystery The Last Case of Benedict Fox, the horror-tinged Process of Elimination, the mystery-survival hybrid Sons of the Forest, and more. In addition, Anonymous Code, the long-running science-adventure series of mystery visual novels, will see its worldwide release this year. Though it does not have a set release date, the game involves a group of detectives solving crimes using virtual reality and other advanced technology. Also revealed during the Nintendo Direct was DecaPolice, a puzzle/RPG hybrid from developer Level 5. However, Kodaka's offering is not the only new mystery game debuting in 2023. The latest Nintendo Direct revealed a June 30 release date for RAIN CODE. Each detective in the game possesses a unique skill that helps the player solve mysteries, including enhanced hearing, top-tier disguise abilities, and even the ability to recreate past crime scenes to find hidden clues. Described as a "dark fantasy detective action game," it stars amnesiac detective trainee Yuma Kokohead and his companion Shinigami. Kazutaka Kodaka, the writer behind the popular Danganronpa series, recently announced Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, which tells the story of the titular group of master detectives charged with solving crimes in the rainy Kanai Ward. RELATED: Square Enix's Next Visual Novel is Super Creepy Multiple New Mystery-Themed IPs Debut in 2023 Some classic mystery franchises will also be making their way to the Switch, including a new Professor Layton game and a remastered version of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Previously announced titles including Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE received official release dates, while other mystery games such as DecaPolice were shown for the first time.

The February 8 Nintendo Direct included major announcements for upcoming titles such as Pikmin 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but it wasn't all first-party Nintendo games. This year looks to continue the trend with multiple new mystery games and remakes of existing titles.

The real-world trend of escape rooms has migrated into video gaming with titles such as Escape Simulator, Escape Academy, and 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Disco Elysium received high praise from critics and won a number of awards in 2019, meanwhile developer Spike Chunsoft became one of the foremost names in the genre through its Danganronpa and AI: The Somnium Files series. The mystery game genre has been experiencing something of a renaissance.
