[Stinger]

The popularity of subniches is fairly cyclical...back in the late 90s and early 00s, we were all saying "Isn't everyone tired of these historical exploration games? When will someone make a dramatic crime adventure again?" Games like Longest Journey and Sanitarium transcend genre and that's why they're uncommon--they're too risky and outside-the-box, no matter what's popular at the time.

Crime and investigation provide a sense of urgency which is why they lend themselves well--but I think your issue is more with the poor and stereotypical way that they're handled. Broken Sword was sort of a crime/investigative game, just a really well-paced one with high production value. I would keep an eye out for Gray Matter, and Three Cards to Midnight; although they will both likely have investigative elements, they are being handled by developers who are talented enough to rise above stereotypes.