Gumshoe Online (2005)

This browser-based game puts players in the role of private investigators in a corrupt city. The gameplay focuses on solving stand-alone cases, with three scenarios available to choose from.

Players investigate crime scenes, talk to witnesses, and piece together clues. At the start of a case, only a small number of locations are available, but finding clues and speaking with characters unlocks more places.

Moving to a new location makes time pass, which can limit opportunities to uncover the case and may cause vital clues to be missed. Once enough investigation is complete, players choose the correct case solution, identify the right suspect, and select five items as evidence.

If the solution, suspect, and evidence are correct, the case is solved. Players receive a score based on clues found, time taken, and evidence selected, and a leaderboard ranks the best players. The game shut down in 2008 after three years.