Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper

2009 Frogwares Adventure, RPG

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxPlatinum

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic 734

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 771

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today3.5/5

Design today3.5/5

Steam user reviews

Very Positive

81%

1,192 reviews1

Get it on Steam

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxPlatinum

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Platinum, runs perfectly out of the box.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper running today

If the game does not start or freezes, uninstall all NVIDIA PhysX versions, then install the current PhysX and the PhysX 9.13.0604 legacy system software, and reboot (PCGamingWiki).
If that fails, copy PhysXLoader.dll from the NVIDIA PhysX Common folder into the game folder (Steam Community).
For display refresh rate problems, set windowMode to YES in setup.ini under the AppData Games folder for borderless fullscreen (PCGamingWiki).
If the second murder scene inspection will not register, raise the fov value in setup.ini to 100 (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper is an adventure game in which Holmes and Watson investigate the Whitechapel murders of 1888. Players examine crime scenes, question witnesses, gather evidence and piece together the facts on a timeline and a deduction board. It can be played as a point-and-click game from fixed camera angles or in first person with keyboard and mouse.

Developer: Frogwares
Released: 2009
Genre: Adventure, RPG
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics praised its grim atmosphere, faithful take on Holmes and Watson, and crime scene investigations built around observation and deduction. Several reviewers found long stretches padded with routine fetch quests, most puzzles too easy, and the deduction board open to guesswork. Players today still call it one of the darkest and best of the older Frogwares Holmes games. Recent complaints focus on a tedious opening of errands, a few confusing puzzles and occasional bugs.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3.5/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The game is single player only and nothing has been removed (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Native aspect ratio is 5:4; wider resolutions are stretched or pillarboxed (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
There is no controller support (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
Launch failures and freezes on New Game come from PhysX, and reinstalling PhysX fixes them, per PCGamingWiki and a 2025 solution post in the Steam forum; a crime scene inspection problem also has a known fix (PCGamingWiki, Steam Community).

Design today

3.5/5

Controls feel natural on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Players can switch with one key between point-and-click control and first-person movement with WASD and mouse look, and every keyboard shortcut can be remapped. Source: secure.uhs-hints.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The game is built for 5:4 screens and either stretches or pillarboxes on widescreen displays, and players report that a shape-drawing puzzle only registers when drawn outside the marked area on wide screens. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Saves are quick and unlimited, so players can keep dozens of save points. Source: secure.uhs-hints.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
A short tutorial covers the basics, a button highlights every hotspot on screen, and Holmes and Watson often say where to go next. Source: worthplaying.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
The first hour is a chain of errands, and later stretches add more fetch quests; recent players still describe it as an item-hunting chore in places. Source: worthplaying.com, steamcommunity.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
The camera can be toggled with one key between fixed third-person angles and a free first-person view that shows scenes more clearly. Source: secure.uhs-hints.com, worthplaying.com.