Similar Games

[Jowisz]

Like in the title. Any recommendations?

[archilock]

If you mean good whodunnit murder mystery games, there are quite a few ! Off the top of my head :

- Return of the Obra Dinn - the game gives you the clues, it's up to you to interpret them
- The case of the Golden Idol - obra dinn like with its own vibe
- Unheard - amazing investigation gameplay, you really have to connect the clues
- Sherlock Holmes (most games by Frogwares) - two of them allow you to make "wrong" accusations, and Silver Earring is a very intricate mystery you have to solve yourself - the ending cinematic that explains the murder is 25 minutes(!) long.
- Some old Law and Order games if you can get them to run on your pc were pure, fair play murder mysteries, very b-movie kitsch but not bad
- Detective Dee for something more point-and-clicky
- The Painscreek Killings, very atmospheric, where all the clues are in the environment

But I think at its core Pentiment is almost a visual novel, so there are many games in that genre that play quite similarly (gather evidence, think, name the culprit):

- Danganronpa Series
- Nonary Games Series
- Shinrai Broken Beyond Despair -pure golden age murder mystery
- Raging Loop also feels quite similar because of its branching aspect
- Roman's Christmas - solving a series of murders among a small group of suspects

You even have some text-based games, if you're up for it, "real time" murder mysteries with a deadline, several suspects who come and go, and a final scene where you have to present evidence and expose the culprit. These are all amazing :
- Deadline by Infocom
- Make it good by Jon Ingold
- An act of Murder, by Christopher Huang
- A study in Steampunk by Heather Albano - Choice of games, - steampunk sherlock holmes, probably easier to approach because it's not parser-based, you simply pick your choices without typing anything.

I'm probably forgetting quite a few, but these games are all very good !

[Hawke]

I'd say, https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/The_Life_and_Suffering_of_Sir_Brante/
Not a murder mystery, but has a dark setting and depicts how the society changes during 20+ years. Also, much less linear than Pentiment with more control over the PC.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1160220/Paradise_Killer/
Paradise Killer is an excellent murder mystery.

I suppose, other Obsidian games are not similar to Pentiment (neither murder mysteries nor have a fixed PC who does unwise things for random reasons out of the player's control), so can't list them.

[ahueonao]

The previous posts got you covered on good detective games and visual novels, so I'll just add a few games that overlap with Pentiment in their setting:

The Pillars of The Earth is set further back in time (Medieval rather than Renaissance) and deals with the building of a gothic cathedral. You play from the point of view of different characters (a stonemason, a hunter, a monk, etc) and can also get really invested in the time period and in the local community.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/234270/Ken_Folletts_The_Pillars_of_the_Earth/

If you want something set in the same time period as Pentiment, but way, way sillier, you can try Four Last Things and The Procession to Calvary. They're point-and-clicks made entirely from art of the period.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/503400/Four_Last_Things/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1071130/The_Procession_to_Calvary/

[LV-04 "Leelee"]

Disco Elysium.

[silentStatic]

Night in the Woods is really good and share some of its gameplay elements with Pentiment.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/481510/Night_in_the_Woods/

[archilock]

Honestly, every single game mentioned in this thread is fantastic. You can add Strange Horticulture, Gnosia, and The Colonel's Bequest to the list.

[Lebostein]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/313200/The_Abbey/

[Crazy Bat Lady]

Seconding the "Procession to Calvary" recommendation. Such a fun game!

[2pi360]

second on "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante"

While it is hard fantasy with magic, reincarnation and stuff, it is heavily (and elegantly) referencing the same historical period as Pentiment

[Tommy]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/957960/Inkulinati/

[Brian Sirith]

Originally posted by 2pi360:

second on "The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante"

While it is hard fantasy with magic, reincarnation and stuff, it is heavily (and elegantly) referencing the same historical period as Pentiment

Yup. Gets a third vote from me. It’s my favourite game to date. Amazing story that keeps you engaged, well build world and a load of choices and multiple different endings.

[MG]

Maybe not 100% similar but I would give a try
https://store.steampowered.com/app/379430/Kingdom_Come_Deliverance/
A lot of interesting historic facts, nice story.

[muerthe_svk]

+1 for the Pillars of the Earth. If you are looking for story with many generations involved and multiple choices, that one is for you.

[juanval]

Disco Elysium is very simillar in the gameplay feature.

[aurorami]

Personally am less interested in the murder mystery and more invested in the quality historical setting. I see most recommendations here refer to the first. I Would love to see some new answers!