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Detective Worden

Detective Worden Game Cover
65%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
91% User Score Based on 22 reviews

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Detective Worden Game Cover

About

Detective Worden is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by Domestic Black Cat and was released on October 22, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Detective Worden is a narrative-driven word puzzle game set in a noir world, where each guessed word brings you closer to uncovering a mysterious case. Players receive cryptic single-word clues and use deduction, pattern recognition, and intuition to piece together the truth. The game features Story Mode, Free Mode, and a Daily Challenge for varied word-solving experiences.

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Detective Worden screenshot
Detective Worden screenshot
Detective Worden screenshot
Detective Worden screenshot
Detective Worden screenshot
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91%
Audience ScoreBased on 22 reviews
graphics3 negative mentions
  • Detective Worden offers a unique twist on the Wordle format, combining word puzzles with a detective theme that keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • The game features multiple modes, including Story Mode, Daily Challenge, and Free Mode, providing players with various ways to enjoy the word puzzles.
  • The atmosphere and presentation are well-executed, creating an immersive experience that appeals to fans of both word games and detective stories.
  • The connection between the word puzzles and the detective story is often weak, making it feel more like a standard word game rather than a true mystery-solving experience.
  • The game lacks quality of life features found in traditional Wordle, such as highlighting correct letters on the keyboard, which can make guessing more challenging.
  • The narrative feels linear and underdeveloped, with many players expressing disappointment in the lack of a satisfying conclusion or deeper character development.
  • story
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a linear and somewhat disappointing backdrop to the word puzzle mechanics, with a loosely connected detective narrative that lacks depth and complexity. While it offers some replayability through multiple valid answers and a straightforward presentation, players often find the mystery elements trivial and disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the story adds a layer of intrigue but may not satisfy those seeking a robust detective experience.

    • “The story mode structures these puzzles into narrative-driven cases, giving each chain of clues a sense of purpose and progression.”
    • “Although the story felt a little trivial and linear, it was nice to have anyway and added some mystery and intrigue to proceedings.”
    • “It's a classical wordle type game with a story attached to it, so if you're into some word puzzles, have a few bucks to spare, and like following a simple murder mystery, I would say it's the game for you.”
    • “I thought this was going to be a detective game with a word puzzle twist, but it's more of a word puzzle game with a loosely connected detective story running in the background.”
    • “The words are loosely connected to the crime topic at best, giving a sense of disconnection between gameplay and story.”
    • “The story is very linear and you cannot change the path of investigation or guess the murderer, so if you are buying the game for any deduction or investigation gameplay then you will be disappointed.”
  • gameplay
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Detective Worden combines the mechanics of Wordle with a narrative framework, but players note a disconnect between the word puzzles and the overarching story. While the game offers an enjoyable word-based experience, it lacks traditional detective elements like exploration and interrogation, which may leave some players feeling limited by its focus on cryptic word deciphering.

    • “Detective Worden takes the gameplay mechanics of Mastermind (aka Wordle) and adds a narrative to it.”
    • “Instead of approaching investigation through exploration or interrogation, the game builds its entire structure around one mechanic: deciphering a stream of cryptic words that serve as clues to the truth behind each case.”
    • “Enjoyable word game following Wordle and Mastermind mechanics, loosely based around a murder case.”
    • “I was expecting the secret words to be key words for developing the plot, so that there is a purpose to the gameplay, but it's not the case.”
    • “The words are loosely connected to the crime topic at best, giving a sense of disconnection between gameplay and story.”
    • “For players who prefer more traditional detective gameplay—searching environments, interviewing suspects, or combing through visual clues—the reliance on word puzzles may feel abstract or limiting.”
  • graphics
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Detective Worden are minimal yet evocative, featuring clean visuals and classic detective motifs that enhance the game's atmosphere. The aesthetic effectively supports the gameplay by creating a subtle tension, immersing players in the mystery-solving experience.

    • “From the moment the game begins, the atmosphere is minimal yet evocative, relying on clean visuals, classic detective motifs, and a subtle tension that comes from solving a mystery with nothing but language and intuition.”
    • “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from a modern game.”
    • “Character models are poorly designed, making it hard to connect with the story.”
    • “The environments are bland and uninspired, failing to immerse players in the detective theme.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by minimal yet evocative visuals and classic detective motifs, creating a subtle tension that enhances the mystery-solving experience. It effectively combines a noir ambiance with linguistic deduction, making it particularly appealing to fans of word puzzles and detective narratives.

    • “Recommended for Wordle fans who enjoy a nice detective atmosphere to puzzle in.”
    • “From the moment the game begins, the atmosphere is minimal yet evocative, relying on clean visuals, classic detective motifs, and a subtle tension that comes from solving a mystery with nothing but language and intuition.”
    • “In the end, Detective Worden stands out as a distinctive indie project that pairs noir atmosphere with linguistic deduction.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers some replayability due to each puzzle having two valid answers, allowing players to experience the main story differently. However, overall, the consensus suggests that the replayability may be limited.

    • “Each puzzle has two valid answers, providing a level of replayability to the short main story.”
    • “The game offers significant replayability, encouraging players to explore different strategies and outcomes.”
    • “To get a couple of things out of the way: each puzzle has two valid answers, so there is some replayability to the short main story.”
    • “Is there a lot of replayability?”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Detective Worden is a casual strategy game.

Detective Worden is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

Detective Worden was released on October 22, 2025.

Detective Worden was developed by Domestic Black Cat.

Detective Worden has received very positive reviews from players. Most players disliked this game for its story.

Detective Worden is a single player game.

Similar games include The Case of the Golden Idol, Blackwell Convergence, Between Horizons, A Case of Fraud, Little Problems: A Cozy Detective Game and others.