Nancy Drew games

If allowed, I'd like to take a poll on feelings about these games now. I, for one, believe I am through with them. It's a shame, because they used to be much better, more fun. Input appreciated. Thanks.

I am afraid that I too must cast my vote for no more Nancy Drew games. I don't know when it happened but for me the thrill is gone.

I loved the older games, they were adventure games. I think the newer Nancy Drew belong in the Arcade Game line-up.

Her Interactive seem to be having a problem in finding a balance with the more recent NDs. They're tending to fall into one of these three categories:

(a) Timed puzzles galore until you're screaming for mercy (Ransom), or
(b) Stuffed with puzzles but having a very weak storyline (Twister), or
(c) The story is halfway decent but the puzzles need more variety, are monotonous in some instances and/or extremely time-consuming in others. (Water's Edge)

Warnings at Waverly Academy is the strongest and most enjoyable of the recent games in the series, in my opinion. I still enjoy playing the Nancy Drews, and will continue to buy them, but they no longer excite me as they used to.

Nancy Drew Games are the ones I started with and always had anxious anticipation for the next one.
I just don't have that "feeling" anymore.
Timed puzzles are awful and the mindless chores with not enough story just makes it not worth the money and time.
I hope HER does something and listens to their customers.

"I still enjoy playing the Nancy Drews, and will continue to buy them, but they no longer excite me as they used to."

That about sums it up for me too

Ditto for me....I will still buy them and hope that one of them will excite me again.

Ana

The "Thrill Is Gone" for me..

I'm glad I started this. As mentioned, maybe HER will do something.

Her's biggest customer base are the younger girls and they love them just the way they are. YOu can see the comments on their forum and their facebook page. They do not want them changed.

Ana

That could makes me feel old !!!!

[But does it ?? .... Nah !! ]

I'll also continue to buy Nancy Drew games but for me the earlier ones were better games. But I will concede that they are made for a much younger age group & us older ladies will just have to put up with what the target audience wants!

i have all the games love them i am an older person

By "older," I'm not sure what is meant. I am not old (30's) and still don't like the change.

Over 18 Laurette so sorry, you are with us older ladies!

Laurette ...I am in my 30's and I don't like it at all....

If HER is now gearing towards teenagers...Well....What can I say..

My daughter is a teenager I have to ask her if any of her friends like the game play lately from Her...I can't believe that the developer would change things to suit what they say is another age group..

Thanks for the input. I'll get off my rocking chair now to get my shawl.!!

I played the demo and should have know better than to buy it. I have all the ND games and a lot of them were real good. Not so this one. It's no fun to play if you have to keep asking for saves.
Richard

"I can't believe that the developer would change things to suit what they say is another age group"

A developer is surely entitled to change any aspect he so desires of his own product ??

And he will assuredly go where the biggest profit lies

I've played every single Nancy Drew game except for the latest two. I've always thought that they were made for younger players & I think it's always been apparent, so in my mind they haven't changed anything to suit another age group at all! I think HER have changed things to suit the changing habits of the same target audience that they have always catered for which is obvious - teenagers!

i will buy them,but they started to get harder. the older ones were easy.

I like Nancy Drew games and would buy them without pause... until I played Crystal Skull. I wasn't too fond of Kapu Cave (bleeeech) and almost didn't buy Icicle Creek (not too bad actually!) but Crustal Skull and those eyeballs made me start to check out the Reviews and the Hints page on GB .

When I saw all of the questions and requests for Saved games on Ransom, I knew that the game wasn't for me and will not buy it. If it's offered at the library, then I'll check it out.

I LOVED Waverly Academy but not too keen on getting another ND game without checking out other GBers' opinions

The one thing I miss about the older games was that you had to keep notes. Even on the easier level, there was no Task List. And as FRUSTRATING as it was to lose the combination to a safe, a telephone number or forget what you've done in an ND game, it was still a lot of fun. If Bess, George, or Ned couldn't get you back on track, you could rely on GBers to give you a nudge (or a dope-slap) in the right direction). This is what made ND fun for me

BTW I'm a-getting old too (just turned 50 this year ) . My reflexes arent' what they use to be and my eyes are even worse
I'm not too keen on timed puzzles or shooting down a child with snowballs (although I must admit that I took GREAT pleasure when I DID manage to whack her with 10 of them )

Any more room for another rocking chair on the porch?

Plenty of room! Rock, dope-slap, rock, nudge.

Ana

As a lot of you probably have read in my recent posts about the latest ND game which in my opinion is terrible. I whole heartedly agree with you guys! The games have lost their initial solving appeal. What's with these stupid games lately? I still play the older games over and over. Scarlet Hand and Blackmoor Manor are my favorites but I love them all! (the older games that is)Scarlet and Blackmoor were pretty difficult in some ways but I sure did learn a lot about Mayan culture& how to use a HAM radio(which was also used in Secret of the Old Clock) and Heraldry& Alchemy. Those particular games were very interesting. I learned how to use a GPS in Deception Island. These games were so much more fulfilling. I agree that Waverly was almost back to the old Nancy. I was hoping that it was a good sign for things to come! Please HER go backwards not forwards! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to know who decided that the older sister should dress like shirley temple singing the lollypop song in this game? I mean come on I sure hope that people over in Japan wouldn't want to dress all in pink with big huge bows in their hair and look like that.

I will probably still by the newest Nancy games because she was one of my first game loves as well as Tex Murphy but I have to agree the games are getting harder and I am getting older and my brain does not work as well as it used to when I was younger. LOL!!


Kem

I'm definitely in the minority here, but I still really like the Nancy Drew games and look forward eagerly to Captive Curse.

I think Nancy definitely does do a lot less sleuthing these days - but that's probably because she is waaaaay too busy doing all the chores

And whilst that is probably a novelty for teenage girls, those of us of a "more mature" age have been there and done that so often that all the cows have already come home !!!!

And there goes another cow
Here's hoping that the new ND game is getting good reviews here at GB

I absolutely agree that the ND games are running out of steam. I have just finished playing Twister and was bored rigid.
Warnings at Waverly was almost back to the old style of games.
There's a lack of something that I can't put my finger on. There's a lack of suspense, certainly a lack of notetaking and good old fashioned snooping and sleuthing.
Where have all the secret passages gone and the frissons of unease?
The chores are intruding as are the pieces of equipment like cameras and cell phone gadgets. While I'm manipulating these or doing chores I'm losing focus on the clues and the atmospheric tension gets completely dissipated.
Twister was a real "turkey". I'm hoping Water's Edge is an improvement. I'll continue buying til I can't stand it any more. But that might be real soon.

wow ! interesting topic.

i thought i was the only one not enjoying these !

i have to say , i've already "quit buying" the series.

i 've had to twist my pc into a pretzel to even load the last few ,too - not the most relaxing way to start off!

and while i don't mind an arcade game here or there , or a small bit of real- life technology thrown in , there 's just not enough room to think in the series anymore. and the pacing doesn't seem as relaxed until those "creepy" times anymore either.

too bad...

The new Nancy is all over the place. not as much fun cause of all the side tracks but i will still play, can't stop now since i've played all the others. Hope they go back to have the hardy boys included in the cases. They are really cool...

The familiarity of ND makes you feel at home. That's a good thing! The chores/puzzles makes for a deja-vu. That's not such a good thing! The thrill is gone ....and that's a bad thing!!!

I stopped buying ND games some time ago. I like stories to flow and don't like getting bogged down doing chores, rounding up sheep, etc. Glad to know that I'm not the only one who lost interest. Teddo

Hi ladies. I just had to say hello and join in since I've been feeling the way some of you guys have lately. (well, feeling it for a few years actually) I miss the old ND games so much....my all-time favorite is Treasure in the Royal Tower and I'll replay that again and again through the years just to get a feel of that "old ND-game thrill". I too get so tired of how the newer games have SO many chores to do---if I were still a teenager I wouldn't want to play these games because real life chores are enough! (and btw, I'm 40 so real life chores ARE enough!LOL)

Anyway, I'm not quite ready to give up on Nancy just yet, but I didn't care for Twister and right now I'm trying to get through Shadow at Water's Edge and just not really getting into it.

Thanks for everything you guys said and for letting me join in...I've been missing the old ND games for awhile and am really wondering if they'll ever be the way they used to be again.

Tracy

Even Though I did not like this episode, I gave it a chance, I said to myself, Im still buying Nancy Drew, But out of shear frustration of "TSAWE" I had to vent also ...I always said they were hard some not too much I just Do Not like timed or Sliders (I love hamburger sliders but "Not" adventure Sliders) anyway I liked the Nancy Drew "Mysteries" ... not a home baked, house cleanning, baby sitting "Nancy" ...where is the "Mystery" Woman "Drew"? what Happened to her? If You guys who make the Mystery Woman Nancy do all that calling on her cell phone and Picture takeing ...(that was the pits!)good for a 10 year old Yes! but then give the 10 year old a Nonogram Oh My Goodness I thought I was going to literally Die!!!!!and you think that was fun ...No!!! not really! ask us we can give you a fresh Idea or two!

No more ND excitement here... and I haven't been buying either. I remember similar discussions here, around 'Wolf Creek' time, when we were starting to get a little disgruntled, but were still filled with hope that HI's old 'story-laden' adventures would return... and how it must be that the company's just responding to its younger 'market'. I disagree.. & think younger girls would love and actually prefer games that have more focus on storylines.. if HI was still putting them out.

I tend to think that all ages might keep buying because of Nancy Drew name-recognition, no matter what kind of game environment HI puts Nancy in (I know I did.. for a while). Maybe those posts on the HI Forums show preference for 'arcade'-laden games because that's what their (mostly younger) players experienced first... and became accustomed to playing.

I don't know anything about game-making... but wonder if arcade-type games are cheaper to make... especially if story creators and writers don't have to be paid.

Now, I'm excited about the Carol Reed Mystery games.. the way I used to be about Nancy Drew. I don't mind waiting 2 years for a high-quality adventure game. Sorry 'Nance', but "The Thrill Is Gone."

Hi,

I have all the ND games, except the last two. I have Ransom of the Seven Ships and Waverly Hall loaded. Frankly i'm not happy with the long arcade games. (can't beat the monkeys) At 76 years I would prefer using the little grey cells.
I will not buy anymore ND games and sooner or later put the collection up for sale. I still go back to Haunted Mansion, and Royal Treasure. even Scarlet Hand, but thinking of taking out these last two games and buying something like my last great love, Lost Horizon.
Charllotte

Hi again, I just wanted to ask you guys a quick question. (and btw, so glad to hear all of your opinions!)

I'm wondering if since the games seem so much different to many of us than they used to be, if HER really HAS shifted their focus. I know that from the get-go the games have said "10 and Up" and are probably technically considered "kid's" games. But, I'm also sure by now that HER knows about us "older" players and has often in the past seemed to include us and our interests in their games. I guess I'm wondering if things would be better or different if they maybe made games for kids AND games for adults? I have no idea if they'd go for that, but to me, they'd make alot more money and have two audiences that are happier with their product.

Just something I've mulled over across the years and would love to hear your thoughts too.

Tracy

I stopped playing Nancy Drew games many "games" ago. As others have said there are to many chores to do! I have enough chores to do every day! I don't want to do them in a game!

It would be nice to see Nancy have a real mystery to solve and do some real exploring as she did in the books! If the younger generation enjoys the Nancy Drew Books then why not base the games on the books? I'm sure everyone would enjoy them just like we did reading them when we were kids! Now that would be an Adventure worth playing!

Are you listening Her InterActive?

ALERT! Gone Missing.............Nancy Drew,"Sleuth"

I don't think they'd have to. You've described HI's early games... which had good stories as well as (what I've been calling) arcade-type games. I think the change was in the balance or ratio of those two elements... and now, there's more arcade than story. The old 'recipe' was nice... and didn't seem to have the polarizing effect that HI's newer 'wave' of games has had. Wish they'd just go back to that old formula. But after several years of discussions here, it seems that the folks at HI are simply not interested in changing.

Am reminded of the way Frogwares created one game that gave the player the option to switch back & forth between 1st & 3rd person, making everyone happy.

If Her Interactive's biggest customer market is teenagers and teenagers prefer the new format - then it's teenagers who'll get catered for because that's where the biggest profit will lie

Mad I still think teens would like the games just as much if not more if they were based more acturately on the books. One of the best books written in the 1930's was The Sign of the Twisted Candles! Now that would make a good Nancy Drew game!

But Her Interactive have to think that way too and if they are selling their games well with the current format are they likely to want to change it

On the surface it sounds reasonable for HI to --now-- make games with more emphasis on arcade-play, based on sales... sales which make it appear that this style is more popular than the old adventure/story-rich style.

But other factors to consider: When the games first came out, not many knew about them; not many had computers for game-playing... nor even for shopping online. FaceBook, Amazon, Twitter, Google... none of these existed in the early- to mid-nineties. Seems to me that the basis for lower sales might have been due to a lack of exposure to a wide audience.

Now, kids have been exposed early on to computers, social networking, online shopping... communication. Nancy Drew games have stood the test of time and are well-known. In this environment, if HI tries something that might be more cost-effective (more arcade, less story), then sees better sales as a result, some might say it's because today's young players prefer the arcade-style over story. But if that's all HI is putting out there, that's what's going to sell. IMO, if HI put out games using its old formula (with less arcade-type games) as well as taking more time for each (maybe releasing 1 instead of 2 per year), I bet sales would be just as good. I still think it's a matter of what is on the shelves.. and the popularity of the name brand.

I think having just played Water's Edge that it was an improvement, or at least an attempt to remedy some aspects that had been criticised. Nancy Drew very often features insane-making puzzles but at least they seem to have done away with the panic endings of chasing through mazes to get away from the bad guy etc, I always hated those bits! I think with the latest game that it was quite spooky in places, the storyline was pretty interesting, there was some comedy, the chores were reduced (the marking was hardly a chore at all was it) and the characters were pretty well developed. Also, the game seemed longer to me than some of them have been.

My least favourite aspect is always the killer puzzles that rapidly become completely fun-free and brain draining in a not very entertaining way. However I still really like the look of the games, the atmosphere, music and the interesting snippets you learn about people, places and cultures. The games are also very well behaved and run without glitches or crashes, why can't other games makers follow their example!

That was a nice analysis of Shadow at the Water's Edge, Vegpot. I could have done without the escape-the-room puzzle and the large sudoku and nonogram puzzles, but otherwise I thought the game was very enjoyable and that Her Interactive did appear to have tried to address some of the complaints that have been made of the last several games. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they do with The Captive Curse.

Thanks Marian, I think different people find different puzzles more or less challenging of course. Some for me, although frustrating, are interesting or motivating enough to make me try and try again - I did that with the escape the room stained glass puzzle because I knew I could do it if I persevered - it was my type of puzzle. I agree totally with the sudoku and nonograms comments, I just didn't bother with any more of them after the initial puzzles in the book, not my cup of tea at all. I resorted to walkthrough help with the gigantic sudoku and nonogram puzzles but I am sure there are people who do like to solve these things and get enjoyment from the challenge, we just all like different ones!

Vegpot,

I also think that the puzzles in the ND games are too difficult. I am not a "puzzle person" but some people really like them. In a perfect Nancy Drew game world, they would put in a "skip puzzle" option. I am loving that feature in Black Mirror 2. It really helps keep my frustration level low and makes the game much more enjoyable IMO.

I posted a link to vote on a poll on adding skip buttons to the mini games on Nancy Drews that Her Interactive posted. It was a huge outcry from their majority of players to not add them.

Ana

Wow! That surprises me. Why would they care since they don't have to use that feature if they like to work through the puzzles. Did HER post any of the comments from the gamers who didn't want a skip button? I would be interested in reading why people didn't want it.

All comments were public. It was on Facebook, it may still be there.

Ana

I agree with everyone who says that the Nancy Drew games are not what they use to be. It sad to me because I have always been so excited when a new one was released.I will continue to buy them but I hope HER listens to the customers too and go back to the way the older games were.

i had to use five walkthroughs to almost finished and get the awards. thank you.

I enjoyed Water's Edge a lot more than Twister. I actually liked the sudoko and nonagram puzzles. Sure, they were tough and sometimes tedious, but I knew I could eventually solve them with enough patience. Unlike that @#%++&& monkey and coconut game in 7 Ships.

I think the first game that had a killer arcade game that turned me off was Haunted Carousel - Barnacle Blaster. That was the first time, but not the last, I had to ask for a save to get through a ND.

Something, that I miss from the earlier games (probably counted as paltry by others though ) is the old opening music and the "bookshelf" - that was used to start every game.

I thought they set the atmosphere for a mystery adventure SO well

I miss the old logo of Nancy with her magnifying glass.

I'm not a fan of skip buttons. I'm quite a lazy person and when I'm playing casual games with skip buttons I tend to hit them as soon as I start to get frustrated and then regret it. It's so satisfying to complete a particularly fiendish puzzle that you thought you would never manage. The ND games are so puzzle-driven that skipping even a few would leave you with very little to do. Where's the fun in that?

An obvious compromise would be to add skip buttons to the Junior Detective puzzles and leave the Senior as they are.

I miss those to Mad and Jenny100.

I also miss the old ND Logo.
The new one with Nancy standing is just not the same.
You can hardly see the magnifying glass.

Having posted earlier on this thread how fed-up I'm getting with the ND games, I've just finished Shadow at the Waters Edge and I luuuuuuuved it!
Everything was good - the plot development, the characterisation, no really stupid chatter with Bess (playing in senior mode), and , for me, the puzzles were to die for.
I love the Japanese puzzles which are pure logic and I never tire of them.I also liked the game in the arcade where you have unlimited goes.
But, yeah, I also miss the old logo and most of all the old music which the earlier games had.
But this game managed to maintain it's edgy atmosphere and was quite scary in places.
For me - a winner.

OK All - I am done with Nancy Drew games too - Ever since the one where you had to beat those silly monkeys at throwing coconuts to knock down ... ah you know those in-game arcade games that show up too much now.

They used to be fun and I used to look forward for to get the next one - but I pass them up now.

If there is a poll that is taken, count me in too on that I am finished buying Nancy Drew games. I think I bought about the first five of them, and after each one got more and more disenchanted with the series. I have bought Nancy Drew and something about 7 ships... or something? and only played about 1 hour and was bored silly. They first few games (to me) were good but then they went downhill. but, I can't blame HER for catering to where the money is. It would be nice if they could mix it up a bit and make everyone happy though...

I guess I am going to chime in on this. I am not good with puzzles and like the games that make you think logically about what you are doing. I am playing the remastered version of Secrets Can Kill and I really don't like it.

I have read the walkthrough and have found that with clicking I didn't see many of the things that I am supposed to see/find. I know that it is me but these games are too hard. I don't enjoy them anymore even though I was a Nancy Drew fan when I was younger. It makes me sad. Do younger people really understmad how to play these games? I am very well educated and just wonder...

Gatsby Girl I agree that the games have become too hard! The fun has been taken out of sleuthing! If I want to play puzzle games I'll buy a puzzle game!
I really don't have the patience to play these silly games.

I think all that awards thing at the end gets silly but probably cos I hardly win any of the awards makes me feel silly.

Wow Everybody!

I was going to post a comment about the way the Nancy Drew games have been going into more of puzzles and less of MYSTERY, but I see, you've beat me to it. I have all of her games, love the earlier ones, hate this new puzzle type game. Seems, the MYSTERY of Nancy Drew games has be cut and left on the cutting room floor. Way to bad!

As for the appeal to the younger bunch, you can't tell me they would know how to complete some of the very hard puzzles, as even veteran players find it hard.

I want my old Nany Drew MYSTERY games back!!

Does anyone know if we all boycott them, they might change this puzzle type game and go back to the really fun of playing a Nancy Drew MYSTERY game?

Thanks for listening to me vent. I'm so disappointed now and like many of you, really looked forward to a new Nancy Drew MYSTERY game.

Well spoken Spankie! I think that the only thing that we can do is contact the people at HER and complain and beg them to cool it with the games! I don't know if it would do any good but it would be worth a try! It seems that they are inserting the games as fillers. I too miss the old Nancy drew! Change does come hard doesn't it?

Thanks Penny Lane - have you played the Nancy Drew Dossier games? The first one was really fun and once again, more of a mystery. But the second game had more puzzle. I would think, if HER want a puzzle game to promote more sales, then they should make that type of game seperate from the "well known and loved Nancy Drew MYSTERY games". Don't you think? Besides, there are so many puzzles games, they do get boring after a while. There's nothing like a good MYSTERY game!

As for the younger following someone said HER is trying to sell to, they truely are missing out on a large following who loves the old MYSTERY ND games. Oh, and we have the money to buy them too.

I'm welling to send HER these comments and beg for the old MYSTERY games back. How about everyone else??

Yes I have played the dossier series but prefer the regular games. I have posted my feelings about the newer games on the herinteractive boards. But most of the posts there are from the younger crowd. From what I have seen on those forums is that the kids seem to like the newer games. But the "mature" players like us don't really care for the new games. I am sure that the company watches those forums for input. So maybe a personal complaint to the developers would help. I'm not sure how to go about that. But I will look into it. Maybe by starting out by writing to customer service? I don't know!
And yes you are correct in that there are enough puzzle games available for those who like that sort of thing. As I said before. I think that HER is using all of these stupid puzzles as fillers to lengthen the games.

I thought this was a very interesting comment from Gatsby Girl
quote "Do younger people really understmad how to play these games? I am very well educated and just wonder" unquote
I think most of the young kids on HER forum do NOT understand how to do the puzzles. They seem to have got used to tottering through the games with walkthroughs, spoilers and saved games. It's become a way of playing, of coping with the games.
I bet loads of these young people would be happier with a return to the Mystery element in ND games with less emphasis on hard puzzles.
Maybe we should be posting these thoughts a bit more often on the HER forum to try to get the kids to wake up to what is happening with the ND games. A groundswell of opinion would influence the developers, surely.
I'm all for a bit of subversion!

"They seem to have got used to tottering through the games with walkthroughs, spoilers and saved games. It's become a way of playing, of coping with the games."

But that's how some people LIKE to play, meryl, and not just Nancy Drew fans.
Plenty of folk here at Gameboomers seem to enjoy playing a whole variety of games that way.
And why not - if that's how they enjoy their games ??

And it's not necessarily anything at all to do with their age OR their standards of education.
It's just how they prefer to play.

My own preference is for the old style "mystery solving" Nancy Drew too - but I think it's unrealistic to hope she will be coming back to us any time soon when the "young girl" market is so strong for her as she is right now.

You may be right, Mad, but I hadn't noticed the same level of hand holding here on Gameboomers. Maybe I don't check that often. I very rarely see a request for a spoiler, for example. And I agree that it has nothing to do with educational background.
Quite a few of us (me included) needed a save for the sheep gathering in Castle Malloy!
Anyway, I went onto HER forum yesterday for SAW and saw lots of appreciative posts for the game saying pretty much what we've been saying here - that it was much better than the last few games, that it was a return to Nancy doing some real snooping and solving a proper MYSTERY like the older games.
So - there's hope yet.

Actually, the Hints forum has been going absolutely crazy with requests for saved games and help with Water's Edge. I can't recall the last time any one game caused so many problems for so many people. No, in fact, I can: it was Ransom of the Seven Ships.

From reading this thread through, I don't think the general opinion of Water's Edge is particularly high?

Rushes, I envision you sending bento and balcony saved games for Shadows at the Water's Edge in your sleep.

I liked Shadow at the Water's Edge but I do seem to be in a minority here. Get rid of the timed stained-glass puzzle and it would have been golden. I saw Her Interactive having made some improvements in this game (more snooping, more dialogue) as compared to some of the more recent releases, and look forward to The Captive Curse.

Ladies and gentlemen, fire when ready.

Not from me, Marian. I'll join you by the wall with my blindfold on.
I enjoyed the game and thought there's more snoopin' and story on this one than the previous 2. The puzzles are entertaining for me too.

I agree with MaG about the improvement over previous games. But, will admit, the puzzles were way to hard for a great ND mystery game and they still need to dump the hard puzzles. I've also noticed lots of requests for saved games which does take the pleasure out of playing.

Has anyone checked HER message board? I did, even posted a comment that never appeared on any of the threads! Wonder if they buried it on purpose. Not to many happy gamers there either from reading threads in the reviews section. I would think HER might get a "clue" and give us back our ND mystery games. We can only hope. I will say this, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Yes, the puzzles were repetitive. Out of those puzzles which had to be solved in order to make progress in the game, there were 3 Bento logics, 2 Sudokus (including 1 mega one), 2 Nonograms (again, one being mega), and endless Parchinko. If you don't enjoy those types of puzzles then you're sunk. I didn't mind them overall, but I'm thinking on behalf of those gamers tearing their hair out and screaming for saved games.

I haven't started this particular ND game yet but I'm not very good at these sorts of puzzles so maybe I'd better start tearing my hair out now if there are lots of them ....
[Thanks for the timely warnings, Rushes, I'm already girding my loins ]

I'm standing by with the saved games already, Mad.

I've just finished playing Shadow at the Water's Edge & thought it was one of the better Nancy Drews offered over the last few years. I enjoyed nearly, if not all of the puzzles but I only did the minimum as I wasn't aiming for 'awards' at the end! Even the timed puzzle which took me several attempts was quite a nice one to do! I did have a peek at the walkthrough for the bento box puzzles - to no avail as they were random but I got there in the end & cheated on the puzzle box which I got bored with, but apart from that somehow or other I managed to do the enormous soduku & nonogram!

I've got Trail of the Twister but unfortunately can't install it as one of the discs is not quite right! How does that game compare?

I agree with you Chrissie. I also just finished Shadow at Water's Edge and was gratified that actual puzzles have replaced the endless chores we've had to wade through of late. I actually found the Bento puzzles very straightforward logic problems. I completed every nonogram, sudoku, and renogram...in both junior and senior mode as these are the kinds of puzzles I enjoy. You know the object of the puzzle right away...albeit some of the nonograms really didn't look like much of anything when I finished.

I hated the timed puzzles and killed ol' ND off several times before completing them. (I just hate timed puzzles in general.) I actually thought the puzzle box was easier in Senior mode than Junior mode. There were more steps required, but for some reason I stumbled on the solution more quickly.

I've heard that Trail of the Twister wasn't one of the best....and I also have it on my "to be played" pile.

I sure hope that in future games they stick with puzzles over chores.

I enjoyed the puzzles in Trail of the Twister rather more than the ones in Water's Edge. I thought that there was more variety to them. There were an awful lot of chores, though, and barely any story to get your teeth into.

Other than Sudoku puzzles (I don't like them)I have never heard of any of these other puzzles. What are Parchinko and Nonogram etc. puzzles? Guess I am already in trouble when it comes to this game and should just pass on it. Is it Shadow At The Waters Edge that you are referring to or Trail of The Twister? I have TOT but haven't started it.

I hope Captive Curse goes back to a better balance of puzzles and story/snooping etc. Although I didn't mind any of the games in recent years, apart from Ransom of the seven ships (too much driving/sailing and more second chances than i've ever used before!)

Gatsbygirl...We're discussing Shadow at Waters Edge when we are talking about Pachinko and Sudoku. The Pachinko doesns't require anything but tedium. You launch 50 marbles and hope to get them in holes to earn points. You can't control the ball once it is launched. So the scoring just takes time.

Nonograms give you a grid with numbers on the top and sides. You need to block out spaces on the grid based on the numbers given. The ones in junior mode were pretty straightforward.

The Renograms I referred to give you a grid with some numbers already placed from 1 to 56. You need to place the remaining numbers so that you could draw a line (like connecting the dots) to go from 1 to 56 continuously.

If you don't like sudoku I would stay away from this one.

I wonder if in Captive curse that maybe since if youre being held captive that means ur trapped, maybe a cursed spirit is trapped or captive in somebodys body. I know this is kind of a morbid thought but it is possible regar ding the ither games. [

Thanks for the clarification JKEerie! I like crossword puzzles but hate number puzzles so this game isn't for me. Sounds awful!

It is still worth playing, it's not like it's sudoku etc all the way through. If you're unsure though, maybe borrow it if you can or wait till it's going cheap on eBay as it's still enjoyable.

Hi gatsby girl, soduku is a logic puzzle & not a mathematical/numbers one. They usually use numbers but equally nine letters, symbols pictures etc could be used instead. I don't know what category nonograms fall into but I would say more logic than maths? & you can end up with a picture! The renogram where you have to follow a sequence of numbers in a grid is more puzzle too but not one of my favourites! N.B. There is one large soduku & one large nongram to do in SATWE & a few simpler ones to do earlier on but they don't dominate the game. The pachinko game you can speed up by just repeatedly clicking on the mouse to release lots of balls at once - you don't have to fire one ball at a time!

If you really don't like them, you could always use Mag's walkthrough to just skip through the sudoku or nonograms quickly too.
I did the same a what chrissie said with the pachinko, I sat watchin the television just clicking away without really looking!

Thanks for the clarification. Maybe,if I knew how the puzzles work,I would be able to do them. Often (it seems to me) a puzzle is there with no explanation of how to do them. Maybe, a "puzzle person" just knows how to work them so most games assume that is the case? I will keep an open mind and consider putting it on my "to play" list.

MaG explains how to do the puzzles in such a way that helps you understand the principles in her walkthroughs. They should help.

Ana