Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

About

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a single player action game. It was developed by Frogwares and was released on September 29, 2014. It received very positive reviews from players.

Become the most celebrated detective of all time: Sherlock Holmes! Use your impressive talents as a detective to solve six thrilling and varied cases: murders, missing persons, spectacular thefts and numerous investigations that sometimes lead you into the realms of the fantastic. Will you follow your moral compass, or will you apply the letter of the law? The great freedom of action in Crimes …

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

Single-Player

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments screenshot

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,994 reviews

story167 positive mentions

optimization15 negative mentions

The deductions, using clues, and different moral endings are fun!
Gorgeous scenery with plenty of nice little well-researched details.
The game challenges you to come to your own conclusions, rewarding a detailed playstyle.

Some mini-games are tedious and not engaging.
The game can feel linear and overly guided, reducing the sense of true detective work.
Occasional crashes and technical issues can disrupt gameplay.

story
530 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
65%
3%
The game's story is structured as an anthology of six independent cases, each featuring unique narratives that allow players to engage in detective work reminiscent of classic Sherlock Holmes tales. While many players appreciate the depth and intrigue of individual cases, there is criticism regarding the lack of an overarching storyline, which some feel diminishes the overall narrative cohesion. Despite this, the storytelling is generally praised for its engaging plots and character development, making it a compelling experience for fans of detective fiction.
- “The different cases are very exciting, and the game plays like an anthology, where each individual case paints a bigger picture of the story.”
- “Every case is well made and each of them contains a really in-depth story that requires you to think twice before concluding on the choice you've made.”
- “The cases are really well-written, with some crazy plot twists that'll keep you second guessing yourself till the very end.”
- “There is virtually no story to speak of in this game.”
- “The unfortunate downside to this title is the lack of a story; sure, each case has its own story, but there wasn't anything holding them together.”
- “The game has a very compelling set of cases to solve that are somewhat tied together, but each case is independent and lacks an overarching narrative.”
gameplay
441 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The gameplay in "Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments" is a blend of point-and-click mechanics and innovative deduction systems, allowing players to gather clues, interrogate suspects, and make moral choices that influence the narrative. While many players appreciate the engaging puzzles and the ability to skip frustrating mini-games, some criticize the linearity and repetitiveness of the gameplay, as well as technical issues like long loading times. Overall, the game offers a satisfying detective experience, though it may not appeal to those seeking more complex or action-oriented gameplay.
- “The gameplay is surprisingly pleasant.”
- “The gameplay consists of three different main parts: finding clues, interrogating suspects and questioning witnesses, and deducing the solution to the case from all gathered information.”
- “The gameplay is nice, characters less annoying than in Devil's Daughter, and the mysteries are actually quite clever.”
- “Would love to finish the game but sick of looking things up in a guide to get to the actual gameplay and puzzles.”
- “What is annoying is that the gameplay is excruciatingly slow, loading times between locations take forever, the few scripted events are annoying and unnecessary.”
- “The gameplay is quite slow and very predictable.”
graphics
374 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many reviewers noting that they are impressive for a title released in 2014, showcasing beautiful environments and detailed character models. While some players mention occasional graphical glitches and dated animations, the overall visual presentation is praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to immerse players in the Victorian setting. Despite some technical issues, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The graphics are beautiful, the loading screens consist of Holmes sitting in the cab being pretty, occasionally Toby being a good boy, Watson is a prop.”
- “The visuals are stunning - the level of detail poured into every scene is breathtaking and oozes Victorian charm.”
- “The graphics are superb visually.”
- “The graphics are dated, but it was from a decade ago, so I wouldn't complain about it. The game runs pretty smoothly with DX9 (DX11 had graphical issues), but with some occasional crashes, which is fine due to the game engine (specifically DX9) showing its age with modern hardware.”
- “I can't even play the game; there are so many graphics issues that I just can't ignore.”
- “Not in the mood to continue playing after seeing the graphics issues (flickering shadows and some geometry), choppy camera movements even though it maintains 60 fps, clunky controls, mouse smoothing, and the fact it has QTEs... there might be a good game underneath, but I'll never know.”
atmosphere
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and detailed representation of late 19th-century London, capturing the essence of Sherlock Holmes' world through stunning graphics, excellent voice acting, and a rich soundscape. Players appreciate the unique ambiance of each case, which enhances the mystery and engagement, although some note that occasional location changes can disrupt the overall immersion. Overall, the game successfully evokes a compelling Victorian atmosphere that resonates well with fans of the genre.
- “Navigating through the atmospheric late 19th-century London, I felt the atmosphere of mystery and puzzles in every corner of the city.”
- “Each location, every character, and every musical theme create a unique atmosphere and immerse you in the world of the detective.”
- “The atmosphere is fantastic and the cases are interesting and fun to play!”
- “Sometimes you need to often change the locations and this intermezzo slightly disrupts the atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are somewhat dated now, but they're decent enough to maintain the atmosphere of each location and to keep the immersion.”
- “The atmosphere changes in every case and really gives the feeling of being somewhere else.”
music
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
46%
4%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric and fitting qualities that enhance immersion, while others criticize its repetitiveness and lack of originality, noting that much of it is sourced from a free library. Overall, the soundtrack is described as decent and enjoyable, complementing the game's environments and voice acting, but it may not stand out as memorable on its own.
- “Each location, every character, and every musical theme create a unique atmosphere and immerse you in the world of the detective.”
- “The music is subdued and tasteful for the environment, and the ambient noises are pleasant as well.”
- “Beautiful Victorian England setting, very detailed environments, exciting detective work true to the original Sherlock Holmes mindset, great music and perfect voice acting with admirable British accents.”
- “Most of the soundtrack is just this one murder-y theme that makes you go, 'hmm.'”
- “The music is very limited.”
- “Another thing that left me a bit disappointed is the game's soundtrack: it's mostly made of a few recycled themes from 'Testament of Sherlock Holmes.'”
replayability
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
68%
10%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players noting that while there are alternate endings and independent cases to explore, the enjoyment diminishes after the initial playthrough due to predictable outcomes. Many reviews highlight that the moral choices and different deductions can provide some replay value, but overall, the consensus leans towards low replayability, especially once the story is known. Players suggest that the game is best enjoyed with breaks between play sessions to maintain interest.
- “On the positive side, the cases are replayable independently, so even if you mess up, you don't have to replay the entire game.”
- “The mind palace of Sherlock is a good gameplay mechanic and the moral choices make the storyline more interesting and replayable.”
- “This brings so much replay value to the game as there are many ways the game can play out.”
- “Personally, I don't feel like there is much replayability to the game.”
- “The game lacks replayability obviously, since after you know how things happened in every case, you can’t be amused again.”
- “The only real problem here is the lack of replayability as once you experience the story once, there's really no reason to go back as you know what happened and walking through the levels feels tedious.”
optimization
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
31%
47%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, including crashes, stuttering, and long loading times, particularly on PC. While some users report smooth gameplay on high settings, others criticize the game for feeling poorly optimized for PC, suggesting it was primarily designed for consoles. Overall, the consensus leans towards the game being unpolished and in need of better optimization.
- “Performance-wise, I've never faced any issues; my PC was running this game at 60fps, sometimes 54, but that is very rare.”
- “The graphics look realistic while still a bit stylized, and the performance is stable.”
- “Game runs smoothly on my system on full settings, no hiccups, no lags, and load times are fairly fast.”
- “The biggest problem though is that this game seems to have been developed as a console game; there are countless mini-games meant for a controller in this, so the PC optimization is awful.”
- “This game is poorly optimized.”
- “The only thing that I dislike about this game is that it looks like it's optimized for console gaming.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
10%
83%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding certain mini-games and investigations, particularly the "arm wrestling" and "crossing a bridge" challenges, to be tedious and frustrating. While some players appreciate the satisfaction of solving clues, they also note that the slow pacing, repetitive dialogue, and excessive backtracking can make the experience feel laborious. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the game often suffers from a lack of engaging content and can feel like a tedious grind at times.
- “There may be some back-tracking if you wish to acquire all achievements, but the main story has no grinding within it.”
- “Despite what some players have said, there is no tedious busy work here.”
- “The only real problem here is the lack of replayability as once you experience the story once, there's really no reason to go back as you know what happened and walking through the levels feels tedious.”
- “Its a slow tedious mass of one uninteresting case after the other without any overbearing story plot to connect the cases.”
- “I also found the voice acting stiff, the unnecessary travel tedious with long load times every time and the game holds your hand in every aspect requiring almost no problem solving on your part.”
humor
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cleverness and charm, featuring hilarious interactions between Sherlock and Watson, as well as absurd scenarios that evoke laughter. Players appreciate the dry wit and classic Sherlockian humor, with memorable moments that enhance the overall enjoyment of the gameplay. Despite some dated graphics and occasional awkwardness, the comedic elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a fun experience for fans of the genre.
- “Hilariously, you can choose to absolve or condemn your prime suspect, which can result in the fantastic scenario wherein Sherlock accuses an innocent bystander then tells them he's going to let them go anyway.”
- “The interactions between Holmes and Watson can be hilarious.”
- “It is extremely amusing to see Watson struggling to catch up with Sherlock, and sometimes he finds Sherlock absurd; the interactions between him and Sherlock definitely made me laugh aloud a few times.”
stability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with some players reporting a range of minor glitches such as texture issues, pop-ins, and character clipping, while others experienced smooth gameplay with no significant bugs or crashes. Although many found the game functional overall, the presence of occasional graphical errors and clunky mechanics detracted from the experience for some. Overall, while the game is generally stable, it is not entirely free from issues that could affect immersion.
- “On the technical side, the game runs very smoothly and bug-free, featuring a nice voice cast, visuals, and sound that keep you immersed in the game.”
- “But there are still pop-ins in the background, blurry faces, Watson sinks into the ground, and other little glitches.”
- “Nice visuals, story, and atmosphere, but I cannot recommend the game due to lots of glitches, clunky minigames, and monotonous lock picking.”
- “However, Frogwares always successfully manages to let you down with a combination of inconsistencies in the plot, idiotic puzzles, and graphical glitches.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
28%
27%
Character development in the game is noted to be lacking, with some reviewers expressing disappointment over the absence of a leveling system and deeper growth for secondary characters, particularly Sherlock's brother. While the character designs and cinematography are praised for their beauty and fidelity to classic portrayals, the focus on adhering closely to source material may have hindered opportunities for originality and character evolution. Overall, while the game excels in visual presentation, it falls short in delivering a more engaging character development experience.
- “However, Crimes and Punishments has better character development and more challenging puzzles than DD, whereas I found the storyline in DD to be more intriguing (although it deviates from Sherlock canon with supernatural causes being possible conclusions).”
- “The cutscenes were very well done cinematography-wise, and the character designs were also beautifully done.”
- “I can definitely see some character design similarities to Jeremy Brett's Holmes and David Burke's Watson, but this may simply be my over-interpretation.”
- “No character development - no leveling system.”
- “Too slow for me. I think the developers focus too much on making it as close to the source material as possible, but true mastery of an adaptation includes originality and character development.”
- “I enjoyed the classic look that Sherlock and Watson had in this game and was disappointed to see the further installments split from the classic character designs and voice acting.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as wholesome and engaging, with moments that evoke strong feelings, including tears. While it may not reach the emotional depth of similar titles, it effectively encourages players to immerse themselves in the narrative and details, enhancing the overall experience of solving cases.
- “This game was the first that made me feel like I need to pay attention to every detail, even a small word Lestrade is using while talking about something completely different than the case. Truly, Frogwares outdid themselves and deserve praise, and your money, on this one.”
- “☑ I cried a bit”
- “Made me feel like quite the detective as I was solving cases before conclusions were met, but also entertained me with the search for clues.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the monetization aspect somewhat misleading, noting that the advertising screenshots and videos do not accurately represent the game.
- “The advertising screenshots and videos are slightly misleading.”
- “The game feels like a constant push to spend money, which ruins the experience.”
- “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall.”

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15h Median play time

14h Average play time

12-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a action game.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 14 hours playing Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments was released on September 29, 2014.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments was developed by Frogwares.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments is a single player game.

Similar games include Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, Sherlock Holmes The Devil's Daughter, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One and others.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

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