Jen, she can't get into Fango's office - and she also can't do anything with the binoculars right now.

I've done the Chinese book and I've listened to the music box and seen the flyer.
Thanks family and NDLVR.

Marian - I'm quite frustrated now and think I'm just going to take a rest from the game for awhile. When I decide to come back to it, I'll probably need that save. I'll let you know. Thanks.

how about the stakeout, did you call sophia and tell her the phantom is going to strike at Palazzo Orpello, if that is it, you might need a save.

Okay. The saves are not my own and it's not always easy to tell what they are from the way they are labeled, but hopefully I could find something. There may be others here with saved games as well.

My last thought is that you could watch a YouTube video walkthrough about an hour before from where you are now - that might yield something useful.

have you done the stakeout/has Nico been arrested?

If it helps, this playlist has my video walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5zYrhSRImo&list=PLrWwuQDIddur4bh7z_dReVH1xTACVtlPd

Also, I checked the saves at nicouzouf.com and it looks as though the propane tank (if you have the code) is where you should be. those save are: http://www.nicouzouf.com/en/?id=nancydrewthephantomofvenice

Thanks for posting the link with the saved games, Jen. For some reason I was thinking they didn't have saves for Nancy Drew games. And thank you for the link to your playthrough.

Don't know anything about a stakeout yet or Nico (heard the name once somewhere) or the propane tank code.

Thanks to all of you though. I'm still staying away from it. I'm also playing a match 3 game that I've been stuck in for a week on the same level so I think I am going to try a different (hopefully easier and more peaceful) casual game for now.

That sounds like a good idea for the time being.

Question. I looked at the list of save Jen linked to and number 25 is "got paid". I have played and won Scopa and been told the money will be wired to my Swiss account. Am I supposed to get this payment somewhere, somehow?

Unfortunately, no.

OK, so "got paid" just refers to what I already did I guess and I'm not missing anything there.

This is the first time a Nancy Drew game has let me down.

I never did start the casual game as planned.

It's driving me crazy that I don't know what the problem is. I played on junior/amateur level, but I have played and finished this game three times (with the help of a walkthrough, of course).

If you could do it without spoilers, I would recommend looking here too. It's a given that if you are stuck in a certain spot in an ND game, someone else has been as well and/or knows what to do. These forums can actually be very helpful in that regard.

Somehow, I just got it!!! I had all the tumblers down, let them all up and nothing. Then I went one (set) at a time down a notch and I think it was 3 notches down, the lock clicked open. That is NOT what I did the two prior times. Those times it opened when I put all the tumblers back up.

???

Thanks for the link to that forum Marian. I looked at some of it. There were 3 or 4 with lock picking problems but they didn't seem to have any more problems after being answered and the answers were not helpful.

I hope I don't have to open it again. At least I can go to sleep now not being frustrated by this. Sounds like there are more frustrations awaiting me though.

Again, weird - but all's well that ends well! So it was the lockpicking all along...

Yes, just me not doing something right apparently though I feel I did the same thing as the first two times. I did have a little trouble the second time too but not like this time. I'm too tired to play tonight.

I remember many nights after work being too tired to play a game. Things should be looking up for you in that department pretty soon.

I'm already stuck again. I did the stakeout and got the key from the propane box. While I was in Fango's office I didn't find anything else to do other than look at the cards in the drawer to get the location for the stakeout.

I've listened to the music box several times and I tried using the fax machine but cannot.

This game is not very helpful with hints of what to do next, or maybe I am just not paying attention. This is the hardest ND game I've played.

sometimes when I play I get stuck at the fax, and from what you described, it sounds like that's your hold up. I do love this game, but I feel it's the most difficult of all of the ND games. Would you like a save from after the fax?

No thank you NDLVR, at least not at this point. I'd really just prefer some kind of nudge/hint as to what I'm supposed to be doing, if that is possible.

when you try the fax, does the flyer show up on the left-hand side of the screen? Also when you looked at the flyer, did you look at the front and back?

WOuld you like the link to my video walkthrough and the time-point of the fax puzzle?

Yes, I've looked at both sides of the flyer; No, it does not show up on the left hand side of the screen.

You posted the link to your video walkthrough a few posts up. I did watch some of it.

I rewatched my walkthrough since it's been 3 months since I played the game. in the fax type 111#046, a sheet should come out of the fax with black colored in circles. I think once you do that you can do the normal fax part. If you check my playthrough, it's in the one listed at Part 13 (about 50 seconds in)

When I did this nothing happened that I noticed. I will try again tomorrow. I'm falling asleep at my computer. At least I can finally pick the lock now.

Thank you for your help!

okay I'm heading to bed now too, actually. I do hope that helps. if not there has to be something prior to the fax, possibly something small, that you've missed

This game is quite difficult, as I said before, even in amateur mode. I wouldn't have gotten very far at all without the task list that the amateur mode provides.