Where to Start: Nancy Drew

The Nancy Drew series of point-and-click adventure games hit 34 main titles last year with Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Seven Keys, not counting the spin-off Nancy Drew Dossier hidden object titles. HeR Interactive’s long-running series, based on the 95-year-old book franchise of the same name, follows the titular Nancy Drew, a sleuth who travels the world, solving crimes and other mysteries. She’s identified murderers, debunked ghost stories, pet dogs, flown using a jetpack, solved ancient secrets, explored tombs, and evaded countless deaths. However, with 34 games, you might find yourself worried about whether you need to play everything before trying out any given game that interests you. That’s why I’m here to help!

Now, technically, each game in the series is a standalone mystery and can be experienced on its own. There will be a variety of references to past games, and several characters can even appear multiple times across given entries, but you can treat those nods as other adventures that you simply haven’t gotten to see yet and they won’t interfere with your enjoyment. A handful of games will be a bit more interconnected, but there aren’t many you should avoid for your first experience. Even so, there are a few that I would recommend starting with, if you want to get a taste for the series!

Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower

With most series, it can be worth it to start from the very beginning to see how they develop over time; Nancy Drew is not one of those. The first two games are hard to track down and get working on modern computers, plus they’re weaker than later entries, even beyond how they show their age. There is a remaster of the first title, Secrets Can Kill, but it still holds onto many of the original’s weaknesses (like undeveloped characters, confusing layouts, and bland puzzles). Plus, there are an extreme number of references to other titles, to the point where it can be hard to tell what’s important or not if you don’t get those references.

For that reason, I want to recommend the fourth game, Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower. It’s the first genuinely great entry in the series, with a variety of fun characters, interesting puzzles, and history to learn. It sees Nancy get snowed in at a castle-shaped ski resort in Wisconsin, in the United States, only for there to be several thefts. With only a few guests present, it’s up to her to figure out whodunnit. Plus, there’s an old tower that used to belong to Marie Antoinette that’s been added to the building, and legend says there’s a treasure hidden somewhere inside…

There are some issues with backtracking, especially toward the tail end of the plot, but it’s a classic for a reason. In addition to a number of fun puzzles, it features the first appearance of recurring character Professor Beatrice Hotchkiss, a very funny woman who makes any scene she’s in a highlight. You can have a great time here and even learn a few things about Marie Antoinette!

Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse

If you want to try something from a little later on, try the 24th instalment, Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse! It’s my personal favourite, set at an old castle in Germany. There’s apparently a local legend of a creature that captures young women, and this myth has recently resurfaced. The owner of the castle is very upset about this for business purposes and has hired Nancy — who just so happens to be a young woman herself — to get to the bottom of this legend and set these fears to rest. However, strange things have been happening, and it may be a myth no more…

One strength of the Nancy Drew series as a whole is how well they blend good mysteries, ramping tension, and oddball humour, which The Captive Curse blends like no other. I usually find plenty to laugh about in these games, but this one had me rolling on the floor from its jokes. Plus, it’s got a great sense of scenery, with a beautiful castle and a creepy forest to explore. Throw in how the gameplay’s been refined over the years, and The Captive Curse is basically a perfect entry point into the series if you’re interested.

Also, there’s a board game where you get to secretly murder cows, and it’s amazing. 10/10.

Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Seven Keys

The last starting point I want to cover is actually the latest entry, Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Seven Keys. There used to be a new Nancy Drew game every year or so, until there were a mass of layoffs at HeR Interactive. Later, they decided to switch to using Unity and revamp the franchise with Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem. It was certainly very different compared to the older games, with full range of movement and an utter lack of set camera angles; they even got a new actress to play Nancy. These big changes were unpopular with some sections of the fanbase, but the series moves on nevertheless.

With Mystery of the Seven Keys now, there are more changes and refinements made to the Nancy Drew formula, including the option to return to those camera angles. The game is set in Prague, with Nancy coming in to search for her client’s heirloom necklace, which appears to have been stolen. Her quest takes her throughout the historic city and sees her brush up against cybercrime.

The series is likely going to continue testing out different features to find something that works well, but, if you wanted to get a sense for how future games were going to look and if you wanted to get into them going forward, Mystery of the Seven Keys is probably going to be the closest to that experience you’re going to get.

Are you a fan of the Nancy Drew series? Are there any games you would recommend to newcomers? Is there anything you think people should avoid? Please let us know in the comments below.