IMHO.

Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet vs Hidden Object: Prison Diaries

Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet and Hidden Object: Prison Diaries both land in Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Casual games on Steam. Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet (2022) is 2 years older than Hidden Object: Prison Diaries (2024). Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet is currently ~38% cheaper on Steam than Hidden Object: Prison Diaries (4.99 USD vs. 7.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet

Choose Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet if you want an Adventure and Early Access game with Multi-player, Online Co-op, and Co-op. On Steam, it's currently about 38% cheaper on the Steam Store. Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet launched in 2022.

Choose Hidden Object: Prison Diaries

Choose Hidden Object: Prison Diaries if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. Hidden Object: Prison Diaries launched in 2024.

Both Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet and Hidden Object: Prison Diaries sit in Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Side-by-side comparison

Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet vs Hidden Object: Prison Diaries — Steam metadata comparison
Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet — Steam game coverDetective tales: A Study in ScarletHidden Object: Prison Diaries — Steam game coverHidden Object: Prison Diaries
Released20222024
GenresAdventure, Casual, Early AccessCasual
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS
Steam DeckUnratedUnrated
Price4.99 USD7.99 USD
Steam reviews3 reviews4 reviews
MultiplayerMulti-player, Online Co-op, Co-opSingle-player only
DevelopersEscape PodPeaksel

Side by side

Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet vs Hidden Object: Prison Diaries — FAQ

Should I play Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet or Hidden Object: Prison Diaries first?
If you want chronology, Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet (2022) came out before Hidden Object: Prison Diaries (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet and Hidden Object: Prison Diaries similar?
They overlap on Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
Does Hidden Object: Prison Diaries have multiplayer like Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet?
No. Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Hidden Object: Prison Diaries is listed as single-player only.
Detective tales: A Study in Scarlet vs Hidden Object: Prison Diaries · imho.run