“I’ve had the sort of day that would make St. Francis of Assisi kick babies.” – Douglas Adams
Overview
The Case of the Worst Day Ever is the latest game from Hero Game Co LLC, creators of Anagrams, Prose and Codes, and Poems and Codes. The developers appear to have a love of word games, and this new title is no exception! Players must use their powers of observation and collect words in order to solve a series of mysteries.
Developer: Hero Game Co LLC
Released: 5th December 2025
Price: £10.99
Narrative
The Case of the Worst Day Ever begins with a photo of a family having a party, congratulating someone for something. However, all of the guests look upset or angry. The game takes the player through the days of each of the party’s attendees, so that they can work out what has ruined each person’s day. This means that there are a number of smaller stories that are all intertwined with each other and the overarching narrative.
The various characters are all unique and fun, with the events of each person’s day being very different to any of the others, besides the negative undertone, of course. Events range from a disastrous bake-off to an unsuccessful day at a new job to a failed party for a multi-level marketing scheme. The ten days are filled with mishaps, mayhem, and misunderstandings, making for a very entertaining and comical narrative experience made up of multiple, light-hearted, slice-of-life mysteries.
Gameplay
Throughout The Case of the Worst Day Ever, players must explore the finite areas relevant to each character’s day and interact with different things. This will reveal details about the day’s events with text-based information, often including words, underlined in orange, that can be collected. These words can later be used to fill in the blanks on a kind of scenario sheet where the player must identify different characters and explain what has happened during the day.
The levels increase in difficulty as the game progresses, and a keen eye for detail is required in order to deduce all the right answers effectively. However, players are equipped with an in-game notebook as well as two hint systems, one that will suggest where to look for clues and information, and another that will let the player know which words they have placed incorrectly.
The Case of the Worst Day Ever is very satisfying as a puzzle game, with logical solutions that can be extrapolated from information gathered through thorough exploration. It can prove rather tricky at times, but the answers are all readily available, and the notebook helps to keep key details organised and readily available.
Styling
The artwork in The Case of the Worst Day Ever is of a bold, cartoon-like style with flat colours and patterns in a vibrant pastel colour palette. This suits both the narrative and the way in which it is presented, subtly hinting at a comic book-type presentation as players scroll back and forth between the different scenes of amusing events and cute hand-drawn art. The soundtrack is quite jolly and upbeat, though it also successfully conveys the hulabaloo of each conundrum-filled day. There is a nice variety of music that works well with the different stories, as well as with the visuals and gameplay.
Summary
Overall, The Case of the Worst Day Ever is a fun, engaging, and casual detective game that will take around 6-8 hours to complete. It offers cute, cartoon visuals, an upbeat soundtrack, satisfying and cohesive gameplay with well-constructed puzzles, and an entertaining, family-friendly narrative that comprises ten amusing mysteries into one overarching storyline full of eclectic and unfortunate characters! It is another brilliant game from Hero Game Co LLC, and I would happily recommend it to anyone looking for a puzzle game that will provide a challenge while still being a relaxing and laid-back experience.
If you like word games, you may also enjoy these reviews:
Unwording – Anagraphs – Letters: A Written Adventure – Grammarian Ltd