Listmania!
Nancy Drew PC Games - From the best to the not so great
By an Amazon.com customer
Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow RanchNancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $9.95
The tasks and puzzles are very fun, the characters are colorful and interesting, and it has a good ending. There are several locations to visit and walk around in and this made it even better. It's my favorite because it has the best combined balance of elements that make mystery games exciting.
Nancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon CanyonNancy Drew: Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
Buy new: $8.60 / Used from: $6.00
I really like how the detective work starts on the train and continues after the train stops. Great characters and fun ending. Nice touch with the switch to Frank Hardy and the burger joint.
Nancy Drew: Danger by DesignNancy Drew: Danger by Design
Buy new: $17.99 / Used from: $6.45
This had a weird ending, but the tasks and games are so fun, it became one of my favorites. The whole France experience is wonderful.
Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for DangerNancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $9.98
This was a good mystery with a nice ending. I was surprised it was so good being only the second in the series. The graphics are not as nice as the newer mysteries, but all of the right elements are there.
Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon LakeNancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $14.99
This was a pretty good mystery--the gangster storyline was interesting, but get ready to do quite a bit of reading at the Park Ranger headquarters. Lots of places to explore!
Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor ManorNancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $10.99
The spookiest (IMO) of the series, this was the first Nancy Drew game I played. I would play late at night after the kids were asleep and it definitely startled me a couple of times. It is interesting to the very end and the puzzles are very creative and even mind-boggling at times.
Nancy Drew: The Legend of the Crystal SkullNancy Drew: The Legend of the Crystal Skull
Buy new: $17.99 / Used from: $7.94
This game was challenging because there are so many elements involved with each task. I really liked how they incorporated Bess into the story. The only thing I didn't like was how dark everything was, but it was appropriate to the storyline. Overall, it was very good.
Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception IslandNancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $15.00
This had a neat storyline and incorporates a couple of different ways to get around (bike/kayak). The characters were OK and the tasks were pretty interesting.
Nancy Drew: The Haunted CarouselNancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $5.50
I liked the ease of going from place to place, but I missed having more places to explore. The characters are okay and the mystery itself is pretty good. How can a mystery in a theme park not be fun?
Nancy Drew: The Final SceneNancy Drew: The Final Scene
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $9.99
You have 3 days like Shadow Ranch where you have to accomplish a certain amount of tasks before the day ends. The plot is interesting enough and the ending is pretty good.
Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted MansionNancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $6.75
This was a bit too easy IMO, so it didn't last very long. It is definitely worth playing, but simply not the best of the series. Similar to but not as complex and spooky as Blackmoor Manor.
Nancy Drew: Secret Of the Old ClockNancy Drew: Secret Of the Old Clock
Buy new: $14.49 / Used from: $4.80
I liked the change of pace in this game. It takes place in a different era and though it was a bit easy, it was still pretty fun. It can get a bit redundant at times (delivering telegrams), but it is still a quality game.
Nancy Drew: Treasure In The Royal TowerNancy Drew: Treasure In The Royal Tower
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $6.95
Many people like this game, but I found there were too many graphics that were there for display only. It takes place in a castle-like resort, so they had to make it big, but this distracted me a bit. It has a good storyline, but just didn't grab me like other games in the series.
Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle CreekNancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $10.95
*Note: You need a newer video card to run this game or the graphics will be blurry or incomplete.* I liked this game, but at times it was downright confusing (especially when working with the wolf). I liked preparing the meals and cleaning the rooms, but doing it every day might irritate some. You have to make a lot of phone calls to get clues and I just prefer using other methods.
Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet HandNancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $16.00
I found this one to be the hardest of all of the games. I had to get hints/spoilers the most of any game, yet it may have been because I was a bit bored with the whole Mayan storyline. The history is interesting, but it seemed more educational over exciting (lots of reading). It's all about balance for me.
Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu CaveNancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $4.59
This has probably one of the worst endings - I didn't even realize it was over until Nancy started reading her letter. Yet it was a neat idea to switch back and forth between the Hardy Boys and Nancy and I enjoyed the different tasks.
Nancy Drew Secrets Can KillNancy Drew Secrets Can Kill
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $12.89
It's hard to get past some the primitive cartoon-like graphics and simple storyline when you play one of the newer games first (like I did). I can see how it was probably a great game when it first came out, but the later ones are so much greater it is just overshadowed.