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Cold Case Inc · Unsolved case files you solve in your browser

Murder Mystery Games Online.

Which case will you crack?

Open an unsolved case file in a fictional police system, go through the statements, interviews and CCTV, and work out who did it. 11 standalone cases to choose from, played on your own or with someone else.

Explore all 11 cases Play a case free

Plays in your browser Pay once, no subscription No acting or scripts

Newest caseLove, Aisle & Murder

All 11 cases

Newest first. Every case is a standalone story.

4.8 out of 5from 330 player reviews

11 caseseach one a complete, standalone story

1 to 4 hoursper case, with no time limit

2024 Bullseye AwardBest Overall Digital Game

What is an online murder mystery game?

It's a detective case you play on a screen instead of around a dinner table. Each Cold Case Inc case opens a fictional police computer system holding the full file on a crime: the briefing, witness statements, recorded interviews, crime-scene photographs, CCTV and, in some cases, a suspect's phone or laptop.

Nobody gives you the answer. You compare what people said with what the records show, and when you're confident, you submit your conclusion to the Chief of Police. There are no character scripts and nobody has to act. You can play on your own at your own pace, make it a murder mystery date night, or gather friends around one screen for a game night.

New to this? Here's how a case works, or try Flat 33 free before you buy anything.

Choose your case

Every case is a separate story with its own victim, suspects and evidence, so you can play them in any order. Hover over a case to see a preview.

Compare all 11 cases

Highest rated by players

Good first cases

Rated Easy, about one to two hours

For experienced detectives

Medium and Hard, up to four hours

What's inside a case file

Each case has its own mix of evidence, and every case page lists exactly what's included. These are the kinds of things you'll be working through.

Police system previewLove, Aisle & Murder
Recorded interviews
Hear witnesses and suspects in their own words, then check their story against the records.
Phones, laptops and social media
Some cases hand you a recovered device or a fictional social network to search.
Voicemails
Short recordings that are easy to skip past and often matter more than they seem.
CCTV and video
Footage you can pause and watch again as your theory changes.
News reports
What the public was told, which isn't always what happened.
Crime-scene photographs
Details that only make sense once you've read the right statement.

Evidence you can actually work with

A witness has a story. A photograph shows a detail. A message puts someone somewhere they said they weren't. Solving a case means putting those pieces side by side and deciding which account still stands.

Read the report, then question it

Each case starts with a briefing inside a police computer system. From there you open the records and get to know the people involved. Depending on the case, the file can include witness statements, suspect profiles, forensic reports, crime-scene photographs and records of where people were and when.

The work is in the connections. A time in one interview doesn't match a timestamp somewhere else. A photograph looks different after you've read a statement. A good theory needs evidence behind every part of it.

In The Waters Edge, the Northlands Constabulary system puts the police files next to a private investigator's notebook. The case begins with Lauren Miller going missing on a camping trip and leads into the online life she left behind.

The Waters Edge: police records, an evidence viewer and your own notes.

Interviews, voicemails and footage

Hearing a witness tell their version is different from reading it. Video gives you something to go back to as your understanding changes. Across the cases, audio interviews, voicemails, CCTV and news reports sit alongside the written evidence, with a different mix in each one.

The Final Fare pairs audio interviews with a missing-person investigation and a locked phone. For a short taste, play Flat 33 free: interview clips with transcripts, CCTV and case records, then you make your accusation.

Phones, laptops and a fake social network

People leave traces beyond a police statement. Some cases take the investigation into fictional websites, social profiles, messages, phones and computers, and you search them for anything that tests what people have told the police.

In The Waters Edge that leads to Viewzr, a fictional social network with profiles and private messages to go through. In The Final Fare you have to work out a recovered phone's passcode from clues in the file, which usually means going back over something you've already seen.

See the phone in The Final Fare
The Final Fare: work out the passcode from the evidence.

Why play online instead of a printed kit?

A boxed or printable case gives you paper to spread across a table. Playing online means the recordings, footage and devices sit in the same file as the documents, and you use them to solve the case. There's nothing to print and nothing to wait for in the post. The case is added to your account straight after payment.

Each case page shows the story, difficulty, estimated playing time, screenshots and the features included, so you can pick the right one before you buy. There's a longer comparison of online and printable murder mystery games if you're deciding between the two.

Play it alone, as a couple or with a group

If you enjoy picking apart a crime drama or arguing about who did it, you'll get on with these. Here's how people tend to play.

On your own

Go at your own pace, read everything twice if you want, and reach your own conclusion without anyone spoiling it. Start with a shorter case or settle into a long one.

Date night for two

Go through the files together, pause an interview to compare notes and argue about the timeline. Agreeing on what happened is half the game. Two devices can be signed in at once.

Friends and game nights

Put the case on a big screen and work it out together. Everyone notices something different, and somebody always has a wild theory.

Teams and classrooms

The cases work well for team building and for teaching reasoning in class. For larger groups there's a separate team platform.

As a gift

Choose a case, write a message and pick the day it arrives. Vouchers don't expire. Handy for Christmas and birthdays.

Try a case free first

Flat 33 is a shorter case with real interview clips, CCTV and case records. Meet the suspects, check the evidence and make your accusation. No card needed.

Play Flat 33 free

How it works

From buying a case to closing it. The full guide to playing covers the details.

  1. Pick a case

    Each case page has the story, difficulty, playing time and a trailer or news report. Not sure? The Case Match Quiz will suggest one.

  2. Open the police system

    The case is added to your account straight after payment. If you're new, you'll get an email to set your password first. Then open it on any device with a web browser.

  3. Work the evidence

    Read the statements, play the interviews, check the footage and keep notes. Stop whenever you like. There's no time limit.

  4. Submit your conclusion

    Tell the Chief of Police who did it and why. If your answer doesn't hold up, go back to the files and try again.

Made by one person, one case at a time

Cold Case Inc is me, Billy Cross. I'm a web designer in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and I've loved detective stories since I was a kid watching Columbo and Murder, She Wrote. I write every case, build every police system and work out every timeline so the evidence holds together when you check it. Some of the voices you'll hear in the interviews are mine and my family's.

Every case is fictional. They're built to behave like a real case file, so statements, records and timings have to agree with each other, or deliberately don't. How I build each case · Are the stories real? · About Cold Case Inc

A game that offers realistic evidence, with a plausible narrative, and which simulates actual detective work, is the hardest to create but also therefore the highest form of puzzling art. And in this case, I thought overall I was seeing something of a masterpiece being painted.
Andrew Woods, EscapeTheRoomers

What players say

★★★★★ 4.81 out of 5 from 330 reviews. Read more reviews

Fantastic Plot, I would highly recommend this one, Loved the secrets. Cant wait to see more exciting mysteries in the future from you guys.
Arno K. on Love, Aisle & Murder
Fake facebook was sick, super fun, satisfying ending. Heads up would recommend one person on social media while the other goes through physical evidence.
Emma B. on The Waters Edge
Played it with the Mrs while long distance, had us communicating well trying to figure out the case, had a lot of fun doing so even if it took us a little bit longer than we initially thought. Would definitely do again.
Rohan D. on 10-33 Officer Down
My first Cold Case online mystery. I came to the right conclusion — but missed half the clues !! Well Done !! I’m afraid to attempt to solve a ‘Hard’ case since this one was labeled ‘Easy’ ‼️ I enjoyed it. 🥰
Linda L. on The Stonewood Mystery
Absolutely loved this, took me 2 days to solve as i did it on my own and i have mental and physical disabilities but even i solved the case correctly, 10/10. Can't wait to start the next one.
Jessica K. on Murder in the Pines
The shadow-wire was impossible, but overall the game was fun. It is fun to play with family
Amy P. on 10-33 Officer Down

Not sure which case to pick?

Answer a few quick questions and the Case Match Quiz will suggest one that suits you.

Take the quiz

Questions people ask before buying

Anything else is probably in the full FAQs or the access and refunds help.

What is an online murder mystery game?

It's a detective case you play in your web browser. You get the full police file for a fictional crime (statements, interviews, photographs, CCTV and phone records), work out what really happened and submit your answer. There are no scripts to read out and nobody plays a character.

How much does a case cost?

Each case is a one-off purchase of £7.99, with no subscription. Flat 33 is a shorter case you can play free before you buy anything.

How long does a case take?

Between about one and four hours, depending on the case. Every case page shows an estimate. There's no time limit: you can stop whenever you like and pick up where you left off.

Do I need to download anything?

No. Everything runs in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone. A laptop or desktop gives you more room for the documents and footage. Printable versions of the case files are available inside each game if you'd like paper alongside the screen.

Can I play as a couple or with friends?

Yes. Investigate on your own, or compare theories with a partner or friends around one screen. Your account can be signed in on two devices at the same time, so two people can work through the evidence side by side.

Are the cases based on real crimes?

No. Every case, character and event is fictional. The investigations are built to work the way a real case file would, so the evidence, timelines and statements have to hold up against each other.

Which case should I start with?

If it's your first, start with an Easy case such as The Stonewood Mystery or Murder in the Pines. The Case Match Quiz asks a few questions and suggests one for you.

What if I get stuck?

Email us with the case name and where you're stuck, and we'll send a nudge without giving the answer away.

Can I buy a case as a gift?

Yes. The gift voucher builder lets you choose the case, add a message and pick the delivery date. Vouchers don't expire.

How many cases are there?

There are 11 cases available now, each a standalone story with its own victim, suspects and evidence. You can play them in any order.

From the journal

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Someone knows what happened. Your turn to find out.

Explore all 11 cases Play Flat 33 free