Play Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Online

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a detective and mystery video game released in 1991 for the MS-DOS platform. It was developed and published by ICOM Simulations, Inc. The game places the player into the roles of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as they work to solve three distinct criminal cases.

Players conduct investigations from a first-person perspective, navigating a digital representation of London to visit various locations. The core gameplay involves interviewing suspects, gathering clues, and consulting in-game newspapers for information. Progression is structured around piecing together evidence from these activities until the player feels ready to present their findings. A key system is the presentation of evidence to a judge, who must be convinced by the accumulated facts for a case to be considered successfully closed. The game emphasizes logical deduction and information gathering over traditional adventure game elements like item manipulation or environmental puzzles.

The title incorporates full-motion video sequences featuring live actors, which play during introductions and key investigative moments such as suspect interviews. This use of video was notable for its time, as the game was released on CD-ROM and is considered an early example of multimedia in gaming. The experience is focused on simulating the process of a criminal investigation through research and reasoning.