Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
Game
Game2021
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One
Developer Frogwares
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is an action-adventure mystery video game in the Sherlock Holmes series developed by Frogwares. It is also the first game in the series to be self-published by Frogwares itself. Described as an "origin story", the game follows a young Sherlock Holmes as he investigates a mystery in his family's home on the Mediterranean island of Cordona after his mother's death. It is the first open… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
376 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
72
Fresh
158 positive · 60 negative
95% range 66–78%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 158 | 60 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 31 | 3 | 84 |
| Mastodon * | 6 | 2 | 30 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
1,420 of 1,876 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
74% recommend · 155 yes, 55 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 210 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (3,559 of 4,589 positive).
Players praise the story and cases but criticize the combat and open-world performance. [1][2][3] Some find the game's mechanics clunky and the open world unnecessary. [4][5][6] Others consider it the best Sherlock Holmes game from Frogwares. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
I really wanted to love this game. The atmosphere is fantastic. The city is beautiful, the music is great, and the cases themselves are genuinely interesting. Young Sherlock is an excellent interpretation of the character. Unfortunately, the game’s UX constantly gets in the way of its own strengths. After 10 hours, I realized I wasn’t spending most of my time solving mysteries. I was spending it trying to figure out …
- [1]
This game demands attention. It’s not something relaxing. You must read clues and documents; you can’t button-mash your way through. Small details matter and can be easy to miss. It borrows mechanics like “connecting the dots” from earlier games. The open world feels unnecessary at times since much of your time running around searching Cordona for cases and secrets. Btw NPCs of this game are sooo rude. :D I enjoyed …
- [7]
I don‘t really get the negative comments about this game. To me this game is the best one I‘ve ever played. I get bored easily but this game got me hooked. I love how we can conclude different outcomes, I love being able to go wherever I want. Honestly having to pin clues in order to ask people about it, makes so much sense to me. I love the story too, the first time I had finished the game I was so shocked but it …
- [8]
This is absolutely the best of the Sherlock Holmes games i have ever played and I think the best game Frogwares ever made. The main story is beautiful, well written and executed, and theside cases are catchy and to be honest I didn't even aspect to be so many. Looking wise it's amazing, the gameplay is an upgrade from the previous game and I really loved the fact that you are not guided from the game, You have to …
- [2]
i am going to recommend this game for the story itself over anything else. story to me was a 10/10 but the gameplay seemed very janky and travel was pretty annoying. combat was probably the worst, being very arcade like and lacking any thrill. overall if you like a good story its the game for you but the play itself leaves something to be desired
Summarised from 34 of the 358 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 12, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Sherlock Holmes Chapter One sits at 72% positive across 218 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
According to review aggregator Metacritic, the PC and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game received generally favourable reviews, while the PlayStation 5 version received mixed or average reviews. Reviewers praised it for its intriguing, engaging detective gameplay while criticizing its lack of polish, dull open world and inability to tackle social issues with grace. Tristan Ogilvie of IGN called Sherlock Holmes Chapter One as a decent detective game set in an open-world that is elementary. GameSpot praised its detective gameplay while criticizing its elementary nature. GamesRadar+ praised it, writing about how it "does detective puzzling like no other series" while calling it flawed, but…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 376 · most liked firststill playing Sherlock Holmes Chapter One and you would not believe how slutty they let me dress him lmfao
positive · AI labelView post →Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One out of context screenshots
neutral · AI labelView post →Let me preface this review by commending Frogwares for trying something new. I always support trying something new instead of going the safe path in media. If you are a fan of the other Frogwares Sherlock Holmes games like me, you should steer away from this one. It is jarring, disappointing and exhausting, BUT it also has an intriguing story. I will update this review while I'm playing the game. Update: I'm done. There are a lot of things to do in this life. This is not one of them The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Found this clip I recorded a while back of Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, a good video game.
positive · AI labelView post →I really wanted to love this game. The atmosphere is fantastic. The city is beautiful, the music is great, and the cases themselves are genuinely interesting. Young Sherlock is an excellent interpretation of the character. Unfortunately, the game’s UX constantly gets in the way of its own strengths. After 10 hours, I realized I wasn’t spending most of my time solving mysteries. I was spending it trying to figure out what the game expected me to do. I constantly found myself asking: * Did I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Free Half-Life, returning bundles, cozy indies, and more. Big Deals - Remnant II – $34.99 on Steam - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition – $29.99 on Steam - Victoria 3 – $24.99 on Steam - Grounded – $23.99 on Steam - Half-Life: Alyx – $20.39 on Steam - Way of the Hunter – $19.99 on Steam - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – $19.79 on Steam - EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 – $17.99 on Steam - The Riftbreaker – $17.99 on Steam - Satisfactory – $16.49 on Steam - HROT – $15.99 on…
neutral · AI labelView post →Three years since Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, the second of my three times playing Sherlock for Frogwares. I love working with this team and you’re all welcome at 221b Baker St any time, detectives. #SherlockHolmes
neutral · AI labelView post →Like every Frogwares game, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is unexpectedly lavish, takes big swings, a little janky--and very much worth playing.
positive · AI labelView post →I uninstall after the gilded cage case. The fact that you make an accusation and arrest someone based solely on circumstantial evidence and no way to verify the suspect alibi make this more like you just throw a dice and pick whatever come out, I mind as well called myself a medium rather then a detective. This is such a disgrace to the name Sherlock Holmes
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Bundles for multiplayer mayhem, storytelling discounts, and more. Big Deals - Remnant II – $39.99 on Steam - Elden Ring – $35.39 on Fanatical - EVERSPACE 2 – $34.99 on Steam - No Man's Sky – $29.99 on Steam - Old World – $29.99 on Steam - Xenonauts 2 – $29.99 on Steam - Terra Invicta – $27.99 on Steam - Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – $25.99 on Steam - Sherlock Holmes The Awakened – $23.99 on Steam - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 – $19.99 on Steam - Transport Fever 2 –…
neutral · AI labelView post →Theres a game named Sherlock Holmes Chapter One whcih that painting is in, and curiously is slivhtly covered with a plant. I dont know, is just a fun fact
neutral · AI labelView post →it starts off with an interesting and promising story, it really does pull you in at first. But once you start exploring, that excitement quickly fades. The map is huge, and the game gives very little guidance on where to go or what to do next. I found myself wandering around aimlessly for quite some time, which kills the pacing and breaks the detective immersion. The money system is another big problem. Some quests require you to buy some outfits to proceed, but if you’ve already spent your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →@abyssinian.bsky.social We finally managed to cosplay from one of our favourite games from last year: Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One by @Frogwares Jon is @pasta_cosplay I'm Sherlock 📸 @elvesgonewild.bsky.social post-production by @pasta_cosplay Location: Literaturhaus Wiesbaden/Villa Cle mentine
neutral · AI labelView post →hey hi! The Ukrainian Games Festival on steam has some good stuff! 1 of them is what I think is probably Frogwares' best version of their formula, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, at 90% off! It's fun to do research, find clues, make deductions, all as a plural character (yes really lol) check it out!
positive · AI labelView post →youtu.be/xwLQcWQsy4c?... Finally finished editing the Sherlock Holmes Chapter One cosplay music video. ❤️ #frogwares #shco #jonlock Photography/Videography by @elvesgonewild.bsky.social Sherry is @abyssinian.bsky.social Jon/Edit by me
neutral · AI labelView post →Sherlock portrait commission for MilkOfBeads! He's always such a pleasure to paint. 😊 #FediArt #MastoArt #portrait #illustration #SherlockHolmes #SherlockHolmesChapterOne
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm just starting out, but I'm already very disappointed. The game doesn't support ultrawide monitors. Which is a big fail these days. The first case isn't well thought out enough. Luka has a scratch on his hand. But you can't check a dead person's nails for blood. Luka claims that the servants scratched him, but you can't ask them about it. So you have no way of verifying whether he's telling the truth or not. But you have to decide who the murderer is. WTF.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To call this a Sherlock Holmes game is an absolute fallacy. I was both hesitant and intrigued by this game when it was announced. Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes usually miss the mark by varying degrees and this one wasn't even close to hitting the target. Frogwares have generally done a decent job if adapting the IP and expanding upon it, but they do use their artistic license with wild abandon. Going from retconning Moriarty's death, to Holmes adapting Moriarty's daughter to now giving…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🔎 Three years ago, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One invited you to step into the young detective’s shoes, uncovering mysteries of his past. Your passion helped bring the vibrant streets of Cordona to life and keeps the memories vivid 💭 Thank you for being part of this journey ❤️
neutral · AI labelView post →I not good at doing reviews and generally only do them if I really really love a game. With that being said, I am only doing it for this game because in order to thumbs down this game, steam insists I review it. I find it feels clunky to me, the story feels forced, and it's UI sucks. I do not like having to pin every thing in order to come across the evidence I already came across just because I paid attention. Yet it wouldn't let me interact with said evidence unless I remembered to pin some…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a very niche game for people who could enjoy it, even for me--I could see how it could be enjoyable to some people, but no one I know comes to mind. And this is saying something because it is usually very easy for me to feel positive about most games. Some of the many glaring issues (for my playstyle): - Open-ended storylines are poor choice for crime/mystery solver puzzle game: In a game about forensic sciences, the art of deduction, and freaking Sherlock Holmes, there needs to be…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Day 16 of #ArtAdventCalendar: four seasons vignette, inspired by Sherlock Holmes Chapter One by Frogwares. Nothing like a sunny island and solving murder mysteries with your best friend. 2024, digital #MastoArt #FediArt #SherlockHolmesChapterOne
positive · AI labelView post →Feeling blue because the winter is approaching? Don't worry, Jon's got some cookies and hot tea for you! 🍂🍵 Ko-Fi reward for Dara ♥ Thank you for your support! #SherlockHolmesChapterOne #MastoArt #FediArt
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't think I can recommend this one unless you are a BIG fan of semi-open world and Sherlock Holmes. Or if you are like me and want to complete a game 100%. Although the city and the graphics are pretty in this new environment, away from the greys of London, it is a toned down boring semi open-world. It is filled with NPCs, yet it feels so empty and void of life. It's a terrible approach to make you run around the whole town to find the task for your case instead or curating more meaningful…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game demands attention. It’s not something relaxing. You must read clues and documents; you can’t button-mash your way through. Small details matter and can be easy to miss. It borrows mechanics like “connecting the dots” from earlier games. The open world feels unnecessary at times since much of your time running around searching Cordona for cases and secrets. Btw NPCs of this game are sooo rude. :D I enjoyed the main story, side cases, John’s challenges, the combat, and the option to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you want to experience pain and suffering and heartbreaking yaoi please please play "Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One" by Frogwares. I am in PIECES
positive · AI labelView post →No doubt you've made the protagonist younger to attract a wider audience. But turning one of Britain's great fictional detective into some JRPG femboy is beyond me. Shocking game. Awakening is even worse. I won't be buying any more until it returns back to older format.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a disappointment for any Sherlock enthusiast. The UI is far from intuitive - it leaves you wandering around looking for unmarked rooms and forces you into awkward "evidence pinning" just to get people to speak. It’s frustrating rather than challenging. Save your money and stick to the classics like Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"It will take me a minute at most." — Sherlock Holmes As a guy who has suffered from premature ejaculation his whole life, this line hit way too close to home. That's what women describe me in bed for ejaculating too fast anyway. 5/10 for the game triggering old memories. 0/10 for not being able to last longer in bed. I think fast, talk fast, shoot my load real fast, and most importantly, I refunded fast.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its extremely annoying and soo scripted, that when you want to "progress" with something you have to pin the correct evidence on your screen so new clues can appear. There was also a case where i found the item that i was looking for but the game wasn't letting me to interact with it just because i didn't pin the evidence which mentioned that item on the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ screen for some reason. And dont mention me the combat, its soo bad, extremely bad, ride to hell retribution levels of bad. And why…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Jon having a break in the snowstorm - a Ko-Fi reward for Dara! It's a scene from her fic and it was so great to bring it to life. ☃ I offer custom sketches like this as a part of my Ko-Fi membership tiers. You're welcome to join if you'd like art like this for yourself! https://ko-fi.com/donavajgand #MastoArt #FediArt #SherlockHolmesChapterOne #smoking #snow
neutral · AI labelView post →Hi! I’m an actor. I’ve been in games like: Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, :The Awakened, De-Exit, Ravenbound, & Diablo Immortal; audio dramas like: Doctor Who, The Sandman, & Warhammer; on stage at the National Theatre w Bryan Cranston in Network; and I will be in Lies of P, Baldur’s Gate 3, + more.
neutral · AI labelView post →Pros - The cases are varied enough - As well as the standard investigation stuff there were quite a few different mechanics to keep things interesting - The Jon character was excellent IMHO. Probably the game would have gotten boring without the banter and the funny ways the character interacts with the scenes. - Graphics are decent - Controls are fine - UI was fine - There is combat in the game which is unusual but it does help mix up the gameplay a bit. Cons - Performance in the open…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i am going to recommend this game for the story itself over anything else. story to me was a 10/10 but the gameplay seemed very janky and travel was pretty annoying. combat was probably the worst, being very arcade like and lacking any thrill. overall if you like a good story its the game for you but the play itself leaves something to be desired
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a Sherlock fan I was disappointed with this game. The UI is very unintuitive - it'll tell you to go to a room which isn't clearly marked, not prompt you when you need to speak to someone first and makes it difficult as you have to "pin evidence" to talk to people about certain things. I finished the first chapter and felt the game was a chore - so requested a refund despite getting a pretty good deal with the Deluxe Collection. Play "Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments" instead if you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have played the previous games, and i enjoyed them all a lot- except for devils daughter. I am also an avid fan of the IP as i have read every book multiple times. Now, after finishing devils daughter i was quite dissapointed, after all i enjoyed the previous games and yet that one was... not very enjoyable. When i then came to this game, i was on edge. I was dissapointed before and many reviews here left me questioning. When i did play the game however i came to be surprised at all the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What are 5 topics you can talk about unprepared for 5 minutes? 1. Potential of AI for depression screening 2. Fungi and how to start foraging 3. How cosplay can be a stressor or a protective factor 4. why Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is the best videogame 5. why Edgar Allan Poe was a great troll
positive · AI labelView post →Hi~ New here, so here's a bit about myself: Currently playing: 🕹 Sherlock Holmes Chapter One (PS5) 🕹 Angels of Death (Switch) 🕹 Lost Odyssey (XBO) Giraffes are my favorite animals. Love the color purple. Obsessed with my dog. I love talking about video games with people.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's time to solve some more mysteries in Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One! I'm also celebrating my affiliate anniversary today~ 😊🎊 Grab a snack, get cozy, and hop in! www.twitch.tv/jinkieart #pngtuber #indiegames #detectivegame #NowLive #Twitch
neutral · AI labelView post →Commission for Dara - a moment from her upcoming fanzine fic, where Sherlock and Jon are in their 50s. And as close as ever! :D This was my first time ageing up characters! They're 21 originally. I hope I did them justice. The two swallows are a reference to the game, though you may need a keen eye to catch it! #SherlockHolmesChapterOne #SherlockHolmes #MastoArt #FediArt
neutral · AI labelView post →Pretty good game overall. The combat is weak. When I started skipping them, I enjoyed the game way more.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"Sham-lock Golmes" is why I hate consoles. You don't screw with the SH franchise just because you want to cater to a "wider audience". You also don't: - Build drama without proper facial animations - Build an annoying pointless open world - Build pointless and boring cases where the player doesn't even have to listen or read anything since the logic is either so broken or so easily deduced. - Place collectable quests... - Build a game with no real continuity in the stories or the clues…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Happy 3rd anniversary to Sherlock Holmes Chapter One! This was my first fanart of it, "Sunflowers". The developer Frogwares is from Ukraine and it was the summer of 2022 - I had some emotions to put on the canvas... Fantastic game - go play! 💙💛 #SherlockHolmesChapterOne #art #SherlockHolmes
positive · AI labelView post →It's time to hop into some more mysteries with Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One! Grab a snack, get cozy, and hop in~ www.twitch.tv/jinkieart --- #pngtuber #nowlive #twitch
neutral · AI labelView post →I don‘t really get the negative comments about this game. To me this game is the best one I‘ve ever played. I get bored easily but this game got me hooked. I love how we can conclude different outcomes, I love being able to go wherever I want. Honestly having to pin clues in order to ask people about it, makes so much sense to me. I love the story too, the first time I had finished the game I was so shocked but it just made me want to replay it again.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Im sorry. I prefer smaller maps for Sherlock. And sherlocks abilites sometimes just dont work. At least the story and cases are more grounded though, but I just can't finish it because it feels so tidious and TOO open. Please go back to making smaller maps and like 10 cases with much more to do. I want OLD sherlock NOW!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have too much to do, but I managed a quick sketch for the Beach day in my fandom (Frogwares Sherlock). Ta-daa, here are Mrs Calf and Billy, two characters that aren't even in the same case! But for some reason I think they'd make a cute, if unlikely pair. The real star of the show is the reed ink brush in Rebelle, it's kinda magical to watch it turn into realistic ink. A bit hard to control (sorry to Billy's face) but I just love drawing with it. #SherlockHolmesChapterOne #fanart
neutral · AI labelView post →#LRT is giving me Sherlock Holmes Chapter One vibes, oh my god, this looks so good??? Also, MCR trailer song, say no more 🫡
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm honing my detective skills again with Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One! Grab a snack, get cozy, and hop in~ www.twitch.tv/jinkieart #pngtuber #mysterygame #SherlockHolmesChapterOne #nowlive #twitch #storyrich
neutral · AI labelView post →✰ Schedule August 24 - 28 ✰ I'm finishing up Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective on Monday! On Wednesday, we're hopping into the Dungeon Lurker demo~ We'll embrace our inner sleuths on Friday with Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One! www.twitch.tv/jinkieart
neutral · AI labelView post →This is absolutely the best of the Sherlock Holmes games i have ever played and I think the best game Frogwares ever made. The main story is beautiful, well written and executed, and theside cases are catchy and to be honest I didn't even aspect to be so many. Looking wise it's amazing, the gameplay is an upgrade from the previous game and I really loved the fact that you are not guided from the game, You have to take care to be a good detective. 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why did the devs made Sherlock Holmes so hot in this game? What? It's just a question. Why are you guys looking at me like that?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Frogwares Sherlock Holmes Fanzine is now out! :) So many lovely goodies inside from so many talented people! This is one of my pieces I did, this one is for the Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One game! ( Check out the fanzine! // tinyurl.com/46547xdp ) #frogwaresfanzine #frogwares #sherlockholmes
neutral · AI labelView post →A huge improvement over the Sinking City. The open world is enjoyable, with an interesting, unusual setting and stunning graphics. The combat is simplistic and rough around the edges, but still fun, decently challenging and rare enough to not overstay its welcome. The story is deeply personal, with uncomplicated mysteries and a number of immersive investigation features. Overall, even though the developers took a lot of creative liberties and I've seen many players to be alienated by that, I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really recommend this game if you're into solving cases. Sherlock's personality is amazing and the gameplay is great. The only mechanic I hated is the combat one, but it is definitely different from other games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2 winners, 250+ Steam keys. Killing Floor 2 + WHAT THE GOLF? (plus Sherlock Holmes Chapter One). Ends Apr 13 10PM ET. Enter: thealabaster.one/giveaways?ut... Reply with your pick. #IndieGames #PCGaming #SteamGames #gaming
neutral · AI labelView post →Quite frankly, when I bought this videogame I thought it would be average: its graphics from benchmarks and gameplays didn't seem that good-looking, its first case looked quite small, but hell... I WAS WRONG!!!! I can tell you for a matter of fact that its optimization is as good, if not even better, than "Sherlock Holmes the Awakened", its FSR implementation is sublime, its graphics at maximum settings at 5k resolution were breath-taking, and consider that I'm playing with an 8GB GPU like that…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My favorite part of this game is running around looking at stuff. It's a gorgeous game. Unfortunately, I think in trying to add a lot into it, it kind of lost its focus. The combat is a perfect example, it's weird, complicated and just unnecessary. Bandit camps in a Sherlock Holmes game? Why? Doing stuff to get money to buy all your stuff back is another example of filler. Overall I enjoyed it, but focusing on solving mysteries is really all this game needed to do. I had to pack thumbs up or…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was a fun game, the graphics are very nice (though for 2021 - can't say I was overly impressed), the "Detective" mechanics and cases were engaging and fun without being overly tedious and only the Treasure Island hunts felt like pixel hunts, but there were some early rough spots for us that you should bare in mind before adding it to your library... once we understood all the game mechanics, the game really wasn't all that hard. I see people posting that the game is too difficult or…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm writing this review as a Sherlock Holmes fan, so don't take it very seriously if you're just here for a nice, fun, open world detective game. This game didn't feel like Sherlock Holmes at all, as opposed to the previous ones. I get that he's supposed to be young and impulsive, but he definitely doesn't seem like the type of person to have literal hallucinations and behave the way he does here. Also, the Sherlock-Mycroft relationship feels way off with the one they have on the books. That…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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