Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

A most stimulating diversion, this game engages the mind with modest yet satisfying puzzles and a captivating mystery. Its atmosphere is immersive, and the narrative, both clever and compelling, requires sharp observation and deductive reasoning. A most gratifying pursuit for those with a taste for intellectual challenge and refinement.

10/10 - you can play as a dog! And now serious... I recommend the game - you will have fun even many years later. I played in 2025. :)

PROS:
– Lots of great different (not boring) minigames and puzzles, I liked experiements with vials the most during first part of the game
– Addictive - completed 100% in one go in 15 hours
– Important decisions actually shape the story
– Mind games, logic and deduction
– Variety of immersive & pretty locations, each making perfect sense – Baker Street, Scotland Yard, a normal hut, a butcher shop, bars, train stations, Rome’s baths, an archaeological site, an Indiana Jones-style sanctuary, a fancy villa, Kew Gardens, the Divine Syndicate gardens, dark alleys of Half Moon Street and even a circus.

CONS:
– Game crashed about 10 times
– Some dialogues are unskippable
– No clear instructions on unlocking costume skins, mustaches, etc.
– Watson keeps body-blocking Sherlock especially in narrow places
- Personal one: really wanted the fourth case to be WLW romance motive, but it was not :(

I only got to play the first case before the game completely died on me. You have to jump through multiple hoops to get this game to run, and the constant crashing on case 2 did not allow me to continue.
The first case has fun puzzles, but the open ended concept of solving the case left me feeling quite underwhelmed. It feels unfinished. I love the voice acting and art. I am very disappointed we aren't allowed to customize our Sherlock whenever we want. I get he's an established character, but why give us the option of cool beards and glasses if you wont let us wear them whenever we want?

I greatly enjoyed it and I'm sure I would've liked the following cases, but I can't recommend due to the technical issues. Steam won't refund me because I had over 2 hours of playtime.

After watching some mystery movies, I was in the mood for a good detective experience, and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments delivered exactly that. The game puts you in Sherlock’s shoes, solving six intriguing cases that range from murders to spectacular thefts. The deduction system is engaging, making you feel like a real detective as you connect clues and draw conclusions.

One thing that slightly bothered me was the small mini-games, which could sometimes feel a bit annoying. Thankfully, the game allows you to skip them if they become frustrating. The atmosphere and storytelling are excellent.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely—especially if it’s on sale at its lowest price. It’s a fantastic experience for fans of mystery and deduction!

great game

nice

I haven't played much of this game yet, but so far, I give Holmes 10/10. He is so attrac- I mean... attentive and clues into some of the most impossible scenarios! Very fun and thrilling gameplay, music is awesome as well. Will buy the rest of the games because of Sherlock's look... ahem, ability to look outside the box.

Cozy point and click game. Not too short, not too long. Interesting mechanics, and I didn't find them repetitive during my gameplay. Movement can get a bit clunky, but it is 11 years old, so it gets a pass. Overall, not my top 3 games ever, but still 10/10 from me.

Great puzzles & storyline.

I've been wanting to play this game for ages, and it did not disappoint! It's quite fun to piece everything together, especially since the UI isn't so invasive - so a lot of times, you need to figure out where you need to go and what you need to do on your own. My only issue with it is that Holmes can only walk when you need to move short distances - the lack of running gets to you during the case of the missing train, to be quite honest. But I do love this game dearly, and the characterization for each and every character is fantastic. So far, the mysteries have been very well-crafted, my most profound admiration for the team!
Of course, if you want to be pedantic, you can say that the expressionless animation did not age well, but we all grew up with PS2 and Wii graphics here, let us not pretend we did not.

Really good game

Such a great game! Good atmosphere and characters, great voice acting, and very pretty (considering it came out over 10 years ago). The settings for each mystery were varied and each one was so delectably Sherlock-ian (in my casual opinion). I felt a couple themes repeated themselves occasionally such as the culprit having killed their lover's spouse, but this didn't really annoy me enough for me to care.

I love the lack of hand-holding, but they still managed to trim much of the fat without sacrificing that difficulty (such as kicking you out of an observation once you've clicked on every point of interest). I loved checking the archives and using the analysis table and interviewing suspects at Scotland Yard. Highly immersive. Recommended for anyone who is looking for a mystery game where you aren't railroaded into the right answer! Also recommended for Nancy Drew fans; this had many similarities but is not point and click like ND, and there's more to it (probably due to a higher budget; I'm not knocking my beloved Nancy Drew games).

Great, straightforward point and click adventure.

Great game,
make you genius like sherlock after beat the game without walkthrough or google something (little bit i guess)

Great for folks who like traditional point and click detective games.

This game is way more fun than imagined, the puzzle and the story it self is compelling. Though there is a choice statistic in the game it's a shame it's not showing up during my gameplay.

The game offers detailed inspections of people and objects all in 3D making the inspections of the crime scene fun, definitely will be buying more from the franchise in the future!

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This is an older game, but I bought this one because the game allows you to decide who you think the culprit is, and there are multiple clues leading in other directions which can work against you when it is time to decide who dun it.

I just finished the first mystery and I'm very happy with the game so far.

I did have some issues with the game crashing, but through searching in the forums I found enough to help me sort out the game. I increased the amount of memory to textures and shaders and I'm using launch parameters for a high end computer: -nosettingslimit.

You can find the info in the forums if you are having problems. Another issue was the Pagefile and it is recommended by one user to install this game to your hard drive with your Windows Installation. After I installed to my Windows Drive, I haven't had another crash.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (8/10)

If you love detective games, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a must-play! Frogwares has crafted a fantastic mystery-solving experience that truly makes you feel like the legendary detective himself.

The game features six gripping cases, each with multiple outcomes depending on your deductions. The investigation mechanics are incredibly satisfying—you gather clues, interrogate suspects, and piece together the truth using Holmes' brilliant mind. The moral choices add real weight to your conclusions, making you question whether justice and morality always align.

Visually, the game is beautifully detailed, with immersive 19th-century London settings that make each case feel authentic. The voice acting is top-notch, and the soundtrack enhances the atmosphere perfectly.

Whether you're a Sherlock Holmes fan or just love a good mystery, Crimes and Punishments delivers an engaging, thought-provoking experience that rewards keen observation and logical thinking. Highly recommended! 🕵️‍♂️🔍

Only issue is that the game crashes every time I try to review conclusions of prior cases in my logbook. Other than that, this game is 10/10 classic. I wish they would remake the older ones. I started with Sherlock Holmes Chapter 1 and it was too overwhelming. I'm glad I felt the random urge to try this one out, what with it's more linear stories and problem solving that is satisfying, now it makes me feel confident to retry the newer games.

Lovely, cosy Baker Street apartments.
Exciting to find all possible clues.

Semi-premium UE3 walker-and-talker. No big challenges, just look around and talk to people and click clues together. Writing, voice acting, and general atmosphere is good enough to carry the recommendation. UI and narrative cohesion has slight jank to it, but not a huge deal. Locked 60fps on Steam Deck with postprocess set to medium, everything else on high, otherwise works great. On a sale, and if this is your vibe, it’s a great deal.

The best Sherlock game by far.

I had a lot of fun with this game. There was a lot of exploration and discovery

As someone who has read the original works of Arthur Conan Doyle and watched many adaptations—ranging from the BBC series, the movies, the old classic versions, cartoons, and even the anime (though that one focuses more on James Moriarty)—I find this to be a fresh take on Sherlock himself while still having his personality intact. Great game, I will soon do The Devil's Daughter

Sherlock Holmes Crimes and Punishments Review

Pros:

• Lovely, cosy Baker Street apartments.
  
• Exciting to find all possible clues.
  
• Let's me act as Holmes. This is why I love gaming.
  
• Excellent voice acting by all the characters.
  
• Excellent facial animations.
  
• Helpful hints for solving cases along with mechanisms for hunting for clues.
  
• The game does what it focuses on really well.
  

Cons:

• Game gets stuck and crashes at the end of each episode.
  [* ]Some case conclusions are a bit obscure.
  
• Some of the mind mapping connections can be brute forced.
  
• Only 6 cases, wish there were more.
  
• Almost all the cases are related to murders, perhaps a robbery or embezzlement case would have added more variety.
  

Advice:

• When the game gets stuck and crashes at the end of each episode, close the game process using task manager and restart the game. Game will proceed from the start of the new episode.
  
[*] All clues should be blue and point in the direction of the final conclusion. That's the way to identify the correct resolution.

nice

A significant step up from Testament. The most interesting part of the game is that it lets you fuck up. You reach your own conclusions at the end of each case, and then you get to see if you were right at the end of the game. Are you truly the world's greatest detective, or did you sentence innocent people to death just because they were annoying?

love it

As a crime scene inspection fanatic i can truthfully say that this is one of the most mesmerizing games i have yet to experience. All the features from the music picked, to the depth of the characters were all spectacular i could say that at some points was kept in a dilemma of which ending i shall pick. The dialogue between all the character, the wonderful landscapes of London, and the numerous references made playing this game so worthwhile. Therefore, to any crime fanatics like myself out there do yourselves some justice and get started with this game. I would 100% recommend this game!

If at first you don't succeed... I've started this game three times. The first time, well over a year ago, I got side tracked and lost my place in the story. The second time, I did not update the mind palace incrementally and ended up with so many pieces of evidence that I could not make sense of it and gave up in frustration. The third time, I changed my approach and finished the game. Woohoo! Not much I can add to the thousands of reviews out there. However, I now see the attraction of the Sherlock Holmes franchise. As you play multiple games in the series, you start recognizing characters and references to past cases which provides a nice sense of coming home to a familiar place.

Everything about this game is top-notch. The characters, the writing, the voice acting, the artwork, the game-play, and the sound are excellent. Some dialog can be skipped through while some requires you to listen completely before regaining character control.

Crimes and Punishments is a multi-case game featuring Sherlock, Watson, and Toby (the dog). We complete 6 investigations in diverse environments with a host of puzzles/mini-games. I found the puzzles to be straightforward and fairly easy. However, linking evidence and reaching conclusions was not 'elementary' for me. I still find the mind palace (the interface for organizing evidence) to be a challenge. My strongest advice is to link evidence 'as you go' rather than waiting. This way, you are working with a manageable amount of 'loose ends' that are still fresh in your mind. Even so, certain conclusions may block other conclusions. For example, if you accept the guilt of one suspect too early, you may eliminate the possibility of exploring conclusions about other suspects. This is partially offset by the flexibility of the mind palace which allows you to store conflicting conclusions without finalizing them.

In addition to auto-save, the game lets you save at any point which is quite handy and allows you to circle back for missed achievements without replaying the entire game. Most achievements were story-related but there are some that can be missed and several that are achieved by actions that span multiple cases. Completionists may want to review the descriptions of achievements before proceeding.

The environments are also a bit tricky. There are items which can be examined but do not activate until specific actions are taken or other items are examined. This means that you often need to circle back through a room more than once to finish your investigation. Luckily, the individual environments are not large and the game tells you when you have found everything.

I also struggled a bit with the 'imagination' interface which you use to visualize/recreate a suspect's actions. The concept is not hard but the mechanics were a challenge for me (knowing when and where to click for selections).

I should also note that the game has quick time events but the time allowed was reasonable and the keys tended to repeat themselves (so no big surprises). There are two tricky sections (arm wrestling and a rope bridge) that I was unable to accomplish with a keyboard and mouse. I switched to a controller for these two brief segments and both were much easier to complete.

All in all, this is a terrific game for those who like to deduce their way through a well-crafted adventure. I highly recommend it! If you have not played a Sherlock Holmes game before, you might start with an earlier title to build the backstory (although this game stands on its own).

It's good with some minor issues.

I like the dialogues and voice acting, and the writing in general. The cases are interesting, but the gameplay feels rather slow and clunky at times.
Watson is a blockhead who constantly decides to stand in your way.

The pussles were never really that hard and the game basically tells you what to do every step on the way.

I didn't really like the way you decide how the chapters end, sometimes it was quite clear and other times it felt as the game just wanted you to reach a certain conclusion without any solid evidence.
A bit of a hit n' miss imo.

It was a good playthrough, but not great.

7 / 10

OK detective game, would play again! 6,5/10

i can play baldurs gate but i can't even load up this game

Absolutely love this game!

Oldie but a goodie! Some mechanics and mini games could've used some work (especially the arm wrestling) but with all of its quirks I had a great time playing it.

Most of it is fairly straight forward, I like each of the cases I think they're all very interesting. Some things can be tedious if you're aiming for that 100 percent, but other than that I really love this game!

It is a detective game that let's you relax while playing it. No button-mashing, no grinding, no $4!+ like that.

Everything I could've asked for in a Sherlock Holmes game, with fun and interesting mysteries based on the classic detective novels.

nice

This is my first introduction to the Sherlock Holmes game series and I would say that was an impressive experience.

Agree that movement and controls are sort of clunky, but the cases and mechanics make up for it.

Really enjoyed this one.

I was surprised by how many mysteries were in this game. It was loads of fun and I appreciate that the setting was kept the same as the origional stories. I also got a kick out of all the silly things Watson did in idle.

It's fun. What else do you need to know?

Like all of Forgwares' games, Crimes and Punishments is very janky and a bit buggy.

If you don't mind some eurojank then this is a genuinely very good game. I'd say it's the best of the Frogwares Sherlock games.

(UPDATE) It seems to have started working again and i have been able to get past the area that it crashed and closed on me, the game does update every now and then for bugs so for now i will say try it yourself but like people say not all games are 100% on every console, i will still recommend this game

Good adventure game with a clever mix of puzzles and interesting cases.

You know it's a bad game when they give you the option to skip their janky ahh puzzles

Solid point and click mystery game but is a little hand-holdy at times. Can be played first or third person view, you control Holmes and look for clickables (clues), do mini-games and deduce theories based of the clues. The game is split into six self-contained cases of varying length. The second case was I think the weakest and I think the first and fourth ones are based of cannon Holmes stories. Overall cases were pretty solid.

The mini-games were of various quality. You need to do a number of them for an achievement but luckily you can skip every mini-game and there's enough that you can skip the most annoying ones (which is good because the arm wrestling and bridge crossing games completely sucked). Had a few minor graphical glitches here and there and the game crashed a couple of times randomly.

The most interesting element I think is that each case has multiple possible conclusions (murderer/weapon) you can deduce and the case will end even if you pick the 'wrong' conclusion as the solution. Some of the cases' evidence can be a bit circumstantial so can come down to gut instinct a bit. The game gives you to opportunity to verify you had the 'right' conclusion and lets you go back if you want through and usually the true culprit is more obvious than others based on total clues; on my blind playthrough I solved 5 of the 6 cases correctly and the last case I at least had right murderer. After completing playthrough, did speedrun of each case to get rest of achievements.

Great Game

very good game and interesting storyline and indepth cases.

I like the game. It looks good. It's a good solution to carry out the investigations like this. The difficulty level of the graphical puzzles is appropriate. I feel entertained and certainly not frustrated.

I really enjoyed this game, despite the bug I will mention below.

Crimes & Punishments is a deduction game, wrapped in the frame of an adventure. You play as Holmes, and occasionally the droopiest basset hound ever, across six cases. You investigate crime scenes, interrogate witnesses and suspects, and make deductions based on your findings. At the end of each case, you make conclusions and an accusation of the responsible party, and a moral choice about their fate.

The investigation and conversation parts of the game are solid. Where I really enjoyed the game was the theme/setting, and the deductions. The game puts you into some quite nice Victorian settings, and really makes the world and the characters enjoyable to interact with and in. One slight drawback is that the quicktime events to challenge a suspect during interrogation or case resolution can appear out of nowhere, and I missed some because I took my hand off the keyboard.

The Deduction and conclusions were a highlight for me. By linking clues you get by investigating, you unlock a network of node ideas that have either one or two possible options. By selection between those options, you shape which conclusions you can arrive at. This felt great, because the game would allow me to interpret evidence several different ways, and not tell you which is correct until after the case. The evidence is also constructed to be allow multiple interpretations, and the player must really stop and think to figure out the most likely answer.

Unfortunately, I and many other players have a similar bug. While in the deductions web, if you click on a multi choice node, there's a chance the game crashes. This was a real mood killer. It happens to me about every 25 minutes or so? I didn't find any fixes online, but I did not search too hard. Even with this issue, I still enjoy the game enough to keep going. However, I totally understand if this is a deal breaker for other people.

I give this a qualified recommendation, because the bug might ruin an otherwise good experience.

This is a solid detective game that puts you in the shoes of the iconic sleuth. It’s not perfect, but it delivers a satisfying mix of investigation, deduction, and storytelling that fans of crime-solving games will appreciate. Here’s my take after finishing the game:

The Good

- Immersive Cases: The six standalone cases are varied and intriguing. From gruesome murders to industrial sabotage, there’s enough diversity to keep you engaged. Each case feels like a mini Sherlock story.
- Deduction System: The “deduction board” lets you piece together clues and form conclusions. You can even accuse the wrong suspect, which adds replayability and a sense of moral ambiguity.
- Atmosphere: Victorian London is beautifully recreated. The environments feel authentic, and the small details—like foggy streets and period-appropriate interiors—immerse you in the setting.
- Choice Matters: It’s refreshing that the game lets you choose how to resolve cases, affecting both the outcome and your perception of Sherlock’s morality.

The Not-So-Good

- Clunky Mechanics: Movement can feel awkward, and some of the mini-games are more frustrating than fun. Thankfully, you can skip them if they’re not your thing.
- Predictable Pacing: After a few cases, the gameplay loop becomes a bit predictable: gather clues, interview witnesses, solve a puzzle, and make deductions. While still engaging, it lacks surprises in structure.

If you enjoy methodical gameplay and piecing together clues at your own pace, this is worth picking up—especially if it’s on sale. It’s not action-packed or groundbreaking, but it delivers a faithful Sherlock Holmes experience.

Just be prepared for some rough edges and slower pacing. It’s more about using your brain than brawn, which is exactly what a Sherlock game should be.

Recommended for detective fans, not adrenaline junkies.