I ran a poll over on Twitter asking for help choosing a game for a post and SURPRISE, this is it! You guys got to choose between two game titles, Bad Apple Wars and London Detective Mysteria and 60% of you guys picked the latter. Thanks to everyone who participated!!
Working on a post for tomorrow and I need help picking a game…
— Naja B. | Playing Buried Stars (@BlerdyOtome) May 20, 2019
Last week I wrote a list of 5 Otome Games Like Hakuoki and this week I’m bringing you guys a list of 5 games like London Detective Mysteria. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, London Detective Mysteria is a Victorian-era otome game developed by Karin Entertainment and the first localized otome game title from XSeed. Originally published as Eikoku Tantei Mysteria: The Crown, London Detective Mysteria follows Lady Emily Whiteley, heir to House Whiteley, upon her debut into high society, she receives a letter from the Queen of England inviting her to attend a famous detective finishing school, Harrington Academy. Explore London and investigate a series of mysteries, while interacting with characters inspired by famous historical and fictional figures, like, famed detective Sherlock Holmes, infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper, master thief Jean Lupin and more…
So, if you’ve finished London Detective Mysteria and are looking for something to satisfy your inner super sleuth, I have five games just for you. Each of these games captures a little bit of the magic of London Detective Mysteria whether you’re solving cases or romancing hot ikemen versions of historical figures, these titles are a must play.
Guard Me, Sherlock! – NTT Solmare
Where to Play: App Store | Google Play | Facebook
Kicking off this list is Guard Me, Sherlock from NTT Solmare’s Shall We Date series of mobile otome games. Unlike London Detective Mysteria is set in modern times and you don’t play as a detective yourself, rather you’re an actress who enlist the aide of renowned super sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Originally there were just three routes to choose from: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and James Moriarty and each route has you and your chosen love interest tackling a different case. However, there are now routes for Mycroft Holmes, Mikah Hudson, Sebastian Moran, Jack Stillman, Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, and Jeremy Cassel.
Like most free to play games there are a series of checkpoints that either require obtaining certain items for your in-game avatar or meeting sweetie point requirements to proceed to new chapters. There are also these really cool puzzles, riddles, and quizzes that give players a more interactive gameplay experience. I’m usually not a big fan of free to play games, but Guard Me, Sherlock is a lot of fun, the characters are great and the storyline is a nice blend of mystery/detective work and romance and it’s fun to see NTT Solmare’s take on the historical and fictional characters.
Miss Detective’s Undercover – Day 7
Where to Play: App Store | Google Play
Miss Detective’s Undercover is a free to play detective romance mobile game from Korean developer Day 7. I’m still pretty new to Day 7’s games, but they all have really pretty artwork and the stories are pretty diverse ranging from school romance to supernatural fantasies to idol romance. Miss Detective’s Undercover, is part school romance, part detective/mystery. You play as a teen detective on the hunt for Mystic Thief X, the man bold enough to steal your first kiss. Investigate the guys at your school and piece together clues to get to discover the truth behind Mystic Thief X’s identity.
Unlike most games where you choose a character route from the start, Miss Detective’s Undercover employs a gameplay style similar to Voltage Inc.’s Liar Uncover the Truth. Each chapter gives you the chance to investigate each of the three love interest, but, in order to get one of the romantic questions you have to obtain charm points. Dress your MC in cute outfits to participate in special dates. This one is a rather quick play, but to unlock the best ends and premium items you will need to collect/purchase coins.
Code Realize ~ Guardian of Rebirth – Idea Factory
Where to Play: PSN Store | Amazon
How could I not include Code Realize ~ Guardian of Rebirth on this list? It has characters based on fictional and “historical” figures, an over arching mystery, and it’s set in an alternate version of the Victorian era. It checks off all the boxes. Code Realize is a steampunk fantasy otome game that follows Cardia, a young woman with a mysterious poison coursing through her veins, that melts away anything she touches. Branded as a monster by the locals, Cardia spends her life locked away, that is until she meets master thief Arsène Lupin and his band of misfits. They promise to help Cardia find her father the only person who might be able to help cure her affliction.
Most of the main cast is made up of literary and historical characters, like Arsène Lupin, Abraham Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein, Impey Barbicane, and Count Saint-Germain. There’s even a Sherlock Holmes character, Herlock Sholmes, though he isn’t romancable in this game. This game has been super popular since it’s release, the characters are great and the story is phenomenal!
Nicole – Winter Wolves
Where to Play: Windows, Mac, Linux | Steam
Nicole is an English otome game from Winter Wolves, and while it isn’t set in the Victorian era and it doesn’t feature any historical figures, it does have a pretty interesting mystery. Part life-sim, part investigative mystery, Nicole places you in the shoes of college freshman Nicole as she navigates the ups and downs of university life. Start a part-time jobs to earn money, explore the various locations around town, participate in extra-curricular activities, and romance one of the four male love interests: Darren, Kurt, Jeff and Ted. But, campus life isn’t exactly what you had imagined, a string of mysterious disappearances are plaguing the campus and so far, three girls have gone missing and the culprit is still on the loose. You’ll have to find the culprit before it’s too late, or you’ll end up being one of his victims.
The stats raising aspects of the game can be a bit frustrating at times, since whether or not you successfully romance the love interests is directly effected by your stats levels at the end of the game. But, once you get a good system in place, they’re pretty easy to manage. The mystery was good, and I will admit that I didn’t see that ending coming at all… a case definitely worth solving.
London Detective Story – HuneX
Where to Play: App Store | Google Play
Last, but not least let’s close this list out with another Sherlock Holmes inspired game, London Detective Story. Hunex games are a bit hit or miss with me, ranging from okay to meh and this one falls somewhere in the middle. It’s not overly complicated or anything to write home about, but, it does have its merits.
You play as a recently widowed woman who decides to lease out a room in her house for a little extra cash. Three potential tenants wish to rent your room, Sherlock, John Watson, and your neighbor, James Morris. Rather than choosing one over the others, you decide to auction off the room to the person that can solve a mystery, so the four of you set out to do just that. There are some puzzles to solve, but, the majority of the game is just your run of the mill otome game. But, if you’re a newbie looking for an otome game to sink your teeth into, London Detective Story is perfect.
Uncover a new romance
So, if your looking for a game with heart pounding romance and intriguing cases, these five titles are a good place to start! Whether it’s a steampunk romance or a rendezvous with the great detective Sherlock Holmes, you’re bound to discover some exciting! Of course, as always, your mileage may vary on some of these games, but, they all have their merits.
Here’s where I turn things over to you guys! Have you played London Detective Mysteria? Which character is your favorite? Are there any other detective otome games that I missed?
Thanks to everyone that participated in the Twitter poll! I’ll do another one for next week’s post. I want to make this a regular thing, so if you have any suggestions let me know what they are down in the comments section. As always, thank you for reading!!
I swear to god “Guard me Sherlock” should be an app on its own because I love it to bits and pieces, especially since I’m a huge fan of BBC Sherlock. I wish “Shall we date” would do more because I love their storylines. Only problem is they’re very greedy when it comes to things like tickets, because 4 hours just to get one ticket and doesn’t fill past that is quite annoying.