Top 10 · Detective

The 10 best DOS detective games

The 10 best DOS detective games, as the players of dos.games rate them. Circle of Blood leads the list, ahead of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and Polda.

Every game on the list plays in your browser, with nothing to install. The order comes from players' ratings and real play time, so it moves as people play.

Updated November 6, 2026How the lists are ranked

31DOS detective games in the archive
10 of 10Play in your browser
3.8Score of #1, out of 5

1. Circle of Blood
1996 · Revolution Software Ltd. · Adventure
3.8 out of 5Played all the time
George Stobbart is an American tourist spending his autumn vacation in Paris.
Play now: Circle of Blood About the game
2. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
1992 · LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC · Adventure
3.7 out of 5Played all the time
Fate of Atlantis has the player explore environments and interact with objects and characters by using commands constructed with predetermined verbs.
Play now: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis About the game
3. Polda
1998 · SleepTeam · Adventure
3.5 out of 5Played a lot
Guide detective Pankrac through a strange kidnapping case in SleepTeam's 1998 MS-DOS adventure Polda, solving inventory puzzles and talking to suspects.
Play now: Polda About the game
4. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
1993 · Sierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
Step into the world of Gabriel Knight, a wise-cracking bookstore owner and would-be author.
Play now: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers About the game
5. Sam & Max Hit the Road
1993 · LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC · Adventure
3.3 out of 5Played often
Grab your nightstick, squeal like a siren and Hit the Road with Sam & Max, Freelance Police, as they attempt to crack their toughest case.
Play now: Sam & Max Hit the Road About the game
6. The Legacy: Realm of Terror
1992 · Magnetic Scrolls · Role-playing (RPG)
3.3 out of 5Played often
The Legacy: Realm of Terror (titled simply The Legacy in some countries) is an adventure/role-playing video game developed by Magnetic Scrolls and published by MicroProse in March 1993.
Play now: The Legacy: Realm of Terror About the game
7. Trick or Treat
1994 · ACA Soft · Adventure
3.3 out of 5Played often
Trick or Treat is one of those obscure adventure games, which are hard to find nowadays.
Play now: Trick or Treat About the game
8. Realms of Arkania III: Shadows over Riva
1996 · Attic Entertainment Software · Role-playing (RPG)
3.2 out of 5Played often
Shadows over Riva is the third and final part in the Realms of Arkania trilogy.
Play now: Realms of Arkania III: Shadows over Riva About the game
9. 007 James Bond: The Stealth Affair
1990 · Delphine Software International · Adventure
3.2 out of 5Played often
The Stealth Affair is a graphic adventure game with a point-and-click interface.
Play now: 007 James Bond: The Stealth Affair About the game
10. Alone In The Dark 2
1993 · Infogrames · Action
3.2 out of 5Played often
In Alone in the Dark 2, you take the role of detective Edward Carnby, one of the two main characters in the original Alone in the Dark.
Play now: Alone In The Dark 2 About the game

Ranks 11–20

More great DOS detective games

11. Black SectLankhor · Adventure · 1993Played often
Often
3.2 out of 5
12. Conspiracy (Enhanced CD)Virgin Games · Adventure · 1994Played often
Often
3.2 out of 5
13. Police Quest 3: The KindredSierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure · 1991Played often
Often
3.2 out of 5
14. The Last ExpressBrøderbund · Adventure · 1997Played often
Often
3.2 out of 5
15. Ark of TimeKoei · Adventure · 1997Played often
Often
3.2 out of 5
16. Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel (SCI Remake)Sierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure · 1992Played now and then
Now and then
3.2 out of 5
17. Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?Brøderbund Software, Inc. · Educational · 1989Played now and then
Now and then
3.2 out of 5
18. Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon RaSierra On-Line · Adventure · 1992Played now and then
Now and then
3.2 out of 5
19. Police Quest 2: The VengeanceSierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure · 1988Played now and then
Now and then
3.2 out of 5
20. TeenagentMetropolis Software House · Adventure · 1995Played now and then
Now and then
3.2 out of 5

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Questions

Frequently asked

How Best DOS Games are ranked

What is the best DOS detective game?

Circle of Blood (1996, Revolution Software Ltd.) is the best DOS detective game by our players' ratings, ahead of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and Polda. The ranking follows players' ratings and real play time, so it changes as people play.

Can I play these DOS detective games online?

Yes. 10 of the games on this list play free in your browser on dos.games, with no download and no emulator to set up. Press Play on any of them; your progress can be saved.

How many DOS detective games are there on dos.games?

31. This list ranks the best 10 in full and the next ones below them; the catalogue has every one, with filters for year, studio and more.

Which year had the most great DOS detective games?

1993. 3 of the games on this list came out that year: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, Sam & Max Hit the Road and Alone In The Dark 2.

How is this list ranked?

With the same score as our Best DOS Games ranking: players' ratings, pulled toward the archive's own rating while a game has few of them, plus a small bonus for the games people actually keep playing. No editor and no sponsor decides a place.