Nancy Drew Games

Anytime I start to talk about HeR Interactive’s cult beloved Nancy Drew game series, most people become confused and say something along the lines of, “I thought Nancy Drew was a book series.” Fair - and true, but it is in fact also a computer game series. And it’s fricking awesome.

I can easily credit playing these games on + off over the last two decades for my exceptional skills in problem solving. No cap. 🧢 Not only are the storylines deliciously evolved - sometimes even being based on the actual books - but they’re also uber educational with a rich lore. The way I become immersed into these worlds with their gorgeous settings + complicated characters is a sense of high that I treasure.

Mysteries follow Nancy wherever she goes regardless if she was invited to work on the case or just happened to stumple into something suspicious while on vacation. These are role player, adventure, click + point, puzzle games with varied storylines of theft, murder, missing person, hauntings, + going undercover.

Also, also — did I mention that these games are fun? Because these games are very, very fun.

Since I knew when I first started streaming that I wanted to ease my way in + get comfortable with the format, I thought going on the hunt to find my actual favorite Nancy Drew game would be the perfect way to do that. I could provide a cozy, chill space showcasing my interests while playing something I loved + had a niche knowledge of.

For context, as with most ND gamers, claiming a single, all-time favorite game was nearly impossible. With there being 33 fantastic choices, most of us would list at least 3-5 games as our favorites — never have I heard a fan be able to claim an ultimate. This includes myself, obvi. So I made my strategy simple: I would make a tier list + play the games in order, ranking as I go.

The settings + the lore can make you feel like you’re under a savory spell when it matches your current mood, so I decided to create a genre tier ranking list. Based off of the collection of games + their storylines, I went with: Haunted, Undercover, Missing Person, Pure Mystery, +

Academic.

Now on the other side of this journey, I can report that although my intentions were well + good, my strategy was a bit of a failure. As time went on, I started to confuse the specific details of what I liked + disliked in the games with nostalgia. I haven’t been able to compare games accurately to one another, so I am still unable to declare a single, ultimate Nancy Drew game as a favorite.

I have, however, been able to properly catagorize the games by genre. And that will help me take a step forward in giving this experiment another go.

By this point, I thought that I would be able to walk away from this process knowing what my all-time favorite Nancy Drew was — that I would no longer freeze, scratch my head, + overthink it when someone asked me. When it comes down to it, what I’m seeking is the confidence + assuredness in my choice, as well as gaining a better understanding of the story elements that I best respond to. Story is crucial for a creator. And even though this journey is a niche one, I’ve decided to continue onward until I’m able to get to that sweet moment of awareness in knowing which Nancy Drew game, or which kind of story, is my favorite.

For Phase II, I’ve created a thorough rating list of the elements that I noticed made an impact on my experience when playing the games. It’s set up similarly to that of a grading roster, + I’m stoked to use it for it will aboslutely help me define my favorite Nancy Drew game.

Fortunately for you, I made it into a Notion template so you can use it, too. ✌🏻

I’ll also be recording these gameplay streams + uploading them onto YouTube. You’re welcome.

Join me in my journey of finding my ultimate favorite Nancy Drew game — maybe you’ll be able to find your own. 🙃