Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe is one of the best ever hidden object game series ever. All the games are based on the gothic stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe and featuring a fictional detective, Dupin.
Unfortunately, there are slim chances that we’ll get more than the 18 titles currently available in the series, as the game’s developers – Amax Interactive – no longer exist. But 18 is plenty, and in case you missed any, you should right the wrongs and play the games now.
Here are all the games listed in order, based on the date of release.
Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe Game Series
Even if you have read the original Poe stories, there are plenty of unexpected plot twists in these games, perfect to test your detective skills! And even if you read them, you’ll have plenty of fun going through each adventure.
From: ERS Game Studios (Amax Interactive).
Genres: Detective, Mystery, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Victorian-era, Crime Fiction.
Dark Tales game series, listed in order: 1. Murders in the Rue Morgue | 2. The Black Cat | 3. The Premature Burial | 4. The Gold Bug | 5. The Masque of the Red Death | 6. The Fall of the House of Usher | 7. The Mystery of Marie Roget | 8. The Tell-Tale Heart | 9. Metzengerstein | 10. The Raven | 11. Lenore | 12. Morella | 13. The Pit and the Pendulum | 14. The Oval Portrait | 15. Speaking with the Dead | 16. Ligeia | 17. The Bells | 18. Devil in the Belfry
1. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Murders in the Rue Morgue
PC release: December 2009.
Plot: A dreadful murder and kidnapping have occurred in the Rue Morgue, and only you can solve the dark crime!
Follow the clues to find the killer and the missing family. Become the apprentice of the famed C. Auguste Dupin. Solve the devious puzzles to find the hidden clues that will lead you to the monstrous murderer.
2. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat
PC release: September 2010.
Plot: Go on an adventure with Inspector Dupin! Monsieur Mark Davies has reported his wife, Sara, missing, and now it’s up to you to track her down and solve the mystery!
Follow a mysterious black cat, who seems to be purposely helping you. Discover helpful clues in Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat. Use your Hidden Object talents to tackle the case, and discover the evil culprit behind Sara’s disappearance.
3. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Premature Burial
PC release: October 2011.
Plot: Julien has hired the world-famous Detective Dupin to investigate the sudden death of his beloved Victorine.
After her passing, Victorine’s husband, whom she had no love for, had her buried incredibly quickly, making Julien uneasy.
Become Detective Dupin’s assistant and use your Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure talents to unravel the mystery!
Play Dark Tales 3: The Premature Burial
- Amazon: PC DVD (US) (affiliate link).
4. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold Bug
PC release: January 2013.
Plot: Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale gets a reboot in this fourth game in the well-loved Dark Tales series.
You and your detective companion Dupin have been summoned to the seashore to help William LeGrand discover the exact location of a treasure lost hundreds of years ago.
But LeGrand isn’t the only one with designs on the pirate booty…
A masked villain tries to make off with the code, and a mysterious woman in a veil seems to be connected. Follow the clues – with the help of the superior sniffing abilities of your Newfoundland sidekick – to track down the treasure and foil the criminal’s plans.
5. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death
PC release: April 2013.
Plot: Justice is in your hands in Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death! A mysterious figure in a red mask has been stalking the streets of a small French town, murdering city officials.
The mayor calls you in to help track him down and stop him. But when you arrive, you discover that the townspeople all seem to be cheering for the Red Masque.
So who is the real criminal? It’s up to you to decide in this thrilling Hidden Object Adventure game!
6. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher
PC release: March 2014.
Plot: You and your colleague, Detective Dupin, have accepted an odd case at the ancient House of Usher.
Find the twin sister of Roderick, who has vanished without a trace. As you delve deeper into the mystery, the connection between the twins’ malady and the old estate appears even more entwined.
Why are townspeople disappearing? What secret is locked in the forbidden library? And can you and Dupin find the answers before more innocent victims are claimed?
Play Dark Tales 6: The Fall of the House of Usher
- Amazon: PC DVD (US).
7. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Mystery of Marie Roget
PC release: March 2015.
Plot: Help a newlywed couple unravel the mystery of a strange threat… from the beyond.
With Dupin as your guide, use a magic mirror and your own wits to track down all leads.
The Collector’s Edition includes: Play the bonus game to foil the villain for good. Collect morphing objects for your aquarium. Earn Achievements and replay mini-games and HOPs. Soundtracks, wallpapers, screensavers and strategy guide.
8. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart
PC release: November 2015.
Plot: A scream in the night… a brutal crime… a mysterious figure with eyes red as blood… You and your partner, Dupin, have been called in to solve the murder of a young woman in a seaside town.
She was found hanging from a tree, killed by a wound delivered straight to her heart. The details of the killing are strange, and suggest a very personal motivation for the killer.
But who would perpetrate such a horrible and unusual crime… and why? Get to the heart of the mystery in this thrilling Hidden-Object Puzzle Adventure game!
9. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Metzengerstein
PC release: July 2016.
Plot: The sole heir to the Metzengerstein line is being plagued by visions of a mysterious spirit shrouded in fog.
You and your faithful friend Dupin set out for Hungary to get to the bottom of things. But what starts as a routine investigation quickly takes a dark turn when the ghost kidnaps Frederica!
Can you uncover the dark past of the family and rescue her before it’s too late?
10. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven
PC release: December 2016.
Plot: The renowned archaeologist Alan Dillinger is dead, seemingly by his own hand. At his side is a note detailing his love for a woman named Lenore.
It seems to be a simple case of romance gone wrong. But the mysterious client who summoned you isn’t so sure. He believes Alan was murdered! And he’s not the only one.
Join the brilliant detective Dupin and dive into a world of lies, betrayal, and revenge. You’ll soon find yourself on the trail of the enigmatic White Crow, who takes a more deadly approach to solving the case.
Can you uncover the truth? Find out in this chilling hidden-object puzzle adventure game!
11. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Lenore
PC release: August 2017.
Plot: It’s time once again to join your trusted partner, C. Auguste Dupin, on another harrowing adventure!
Travel to the city of Goldstown, a small city that’s been plagued by multiple kidnappings and a secret gang of murderers that are calling themselves the Crows League.
Can you find the missing children and stop the Crows League from murdering again?
You’ll need all your wits to outwit these clever criminals in this haunting hidden-object puzzle adventure game.
12. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Morella
PC release: December 2017.
Plot: The McDougall family has disappeared in their own home, and the police are too frightened to investigate.
They believe all the legends surrounding the infamous house, known by locals as the Devourer of Souls. With all these supernatural phenomena, missing people, shadows, and disembodied screams!
It’s up to you, and your faithful friend Dupin, to track down the McDougalls and find out what really lies within the walls of the house. Are you brave enough to explore the Devourer of Souls?
13. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum
PC release: April 2018.
Plot: Your good friend Dupin has invited you to Pendulum House for an event filled with magic and illusions.
But the show is interrupted when a murderer strikes! You quickly find a suspect, but nothing is quite as it seems in this mysterious manor.
With Dupin in danger, do you have what it takes to find the culprit? Before it’s too late!
14. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oval Portrait
Released: August 2018.
Plot: Dupin is back and better than ever! Your next case with the dashing detective is set in motion after a series of strange disappearances.
Each of the victims had recently posed for a famous painter, and each woman received a threatening note afterward.
Surely, the painter is to blame… or is he? Nothing is as it seems in this chilling tale of death, obsession and the supernatural. Based on a short story by the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe.
15. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Speaking with the Dead
Released: March 2019.
Plot: You and your friend Dupin have solved countless cases, but this time is different when an old criminal adversary seemingly returns from the dead to take his vengeance!
Jurors from the trial have gone missing and others have received threatening letters signed by the deceased.
Can you uncover who’s behind the kidnappings and trying to finish the condemned man’s work before it’s too late? Find out in this spine-tingling Hidden-Object Puzzle adventure!
16. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia
Released: July 2019.
Plot: When an anonymous letter arrives foretelling the murder of a prominent Lord and asking for your help, you and Dupin jump on the case!
Nothing’s quite what it seems at the Phoenix estate. The Lord of the manor is receiving threatening letters from his deceased wife, and a cloaked attacker is lurking in the shadows just waiting to strike!
Can you unravel the mystery to save innocent lives before it’s too late? Find out in this chilling Hidden-Object Puzzle adventure!
17. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Bells
PC release: May 2020.
Plot: Albert McClain is an author with the strange ability to predict the future in his novels, a talent that propelled him into the limelight.
Now, he’s vanished during the release event for his latest book, and with a city-wide celebration ahead, the fiery destruction depicted in its pages is far from an empty threat!
Can you and Monsieur Dupin unravel the secret behind McClain’s disappearance and save the city from impending tragedy? Find out in this grim Hidden-Object Puzzle Adventure game based on Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Bells”.
18. Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe’s The Devil in the Belfry
PC release: August 2020.
Plot: When a series of strange deaths occur in the town of Morden, an old friend jumps on the case.
But it’s not long before he goes missing himself! You and Dupin quickly arrive to find a town in panic. Each night, someone dies after the 13th chime of the bell tower. And to top things off, no one can be seen ringing the bell itself!
Is a sinister specter to blame, or are illusions wreaking havoc on reality? Find out in this stirring Hidden-Object Puzzle adventure!
More Top Detective Games You Should Play
For more top mystery and detective series similar to Dark Tales, but also with new and fresh elements, I recommend:
- Awakening Game Series.
- Grim Tales Game Series.
- Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Games.
- All of the Nancy Drew Games Listed in Order for PC and Mac.
- Art of Murder Game Series from City Interactive.
- James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club Games.
- Strange Cases Game Series.
- Detectives United Games.
- City of Stories Games.
Also, check out my 10 Best Hidden Object Games Series of all Time for computer and mobile to see what ranks best over the years.
Don’t forget: you can subscribe and follow to keep up to date with my latest posts.