similar games?

[vcd59536]

I love the nancy drew series but sadly coming to an end on them. Anything similar to them that you would recommend?

[TheSneak06]

It seems impossible to find games that are comparable to Nancy Drew. I grew up on these games and have yet to find anything truly similar in style, difficulty, plots, setup, etc. The first three Agatha Christie games (And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and Evil Under the Sun) aren't bad--certainly more difficult/less straightforward (and, presently, not available on Steam). I've wondered about The Disappearance of Ethan Carter, which IS available on Steam. Have any ND fans played it and could let us know? Seems darker than Nancy Drew, but I wonder if the game play is otherwise similar?

[SandvichBAWWW]

The Marcella Moon series is a (very) low-budget copy of the Nancy Drew series with the same kind of heroine and gameplay system, give it a try, it's cheap and available on Steam!

For games I've played that are similar and that I would also recommend:

• Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller: Adventure and puzzles with a female detective, dark and moody
  Available here
  
  
• Gray Matter : Adventure and puzzles with a female detective, dark and moody, similar to Cognition. Takes place in England and is very atmospheric
  Available here
  
  
• The Gabriel Knight series : Adventures and puzzles in differents settings (New Orleans, Germany, France) with a likeable male protagonist.
  Available here
  
  
• The Journey Down series : Adventure and light puzzles with a male protagonist, cozy and light but with a dark setting
  Available here
  
  
• The Broken Sword series : Adventure and puzzles all around the world with both a male and female protagonist
  Available here
  
  
• The Puzzle Agent series : Puzzles, set in a rural town, light and fun with mystery/fantasy elements
  Available here
  
  
• Detective Grimoire : Short and sweet, has a sequel that I haven't played but apparently is just as good
  Available here
  
  
• Emerald City Confidential : Short, takes place in the "Wizard of Oz" universe, with a female protagonist
  Available here
  
  
• Morningstar : Descent to Dreadlock : Sci-fi, very short, the puzzles are fun
  Available here
  
  
• The Sherlock Holmes series by Frogware : I recommend to start with The Testament of Sherlock Holmes or Crimes and Punishment
  Available here
  
  
• The Hercule Poirot games by Microids: Interview suspects and gather clues, there aren't many puzzles but it's still an enjoyable series.
  Available here

All of these games are available on Steam!

[SandvichBAWWW]

Originally posted by TheSneak06:

I've wondered about The Disappearance of Ethan Carter, which IS available on Steam. Have any ND fans played it and could let us know? Seems darker than Nancy Drew, but I wonder if the game play is otherwise similar?

It's good, great atmosphere and graphics, and some of the puzzles are great, however it's not comparable in tone or gameplay to Nancy Drew. I would still recommend it!

[TheSneak06]

Originally posted by SandvichBAWWW:

Originally posted by TheSneak06:

I've wondered about The Disappearance of Ethan Carter, which IS available on Steam. Have any ND fans played it and could let us know? Seems darker than Nancy Drew, but I wonder if the game play is otherwise similar?

It's good, great atmosphere and graphics, and some of the puzzles are great, however it's not comparable in tone or gameplay to Nancy Drew. I would still recommend it!

Great, thanks for the info. That's helpful. (And thanks for your list of suggested games!)

OH, and I completely forgot (how shameful) about The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief! It's similar to the Agatha Christie games noted earlier, and clearly pays homage to her stories. I found it reasonably enjoyable. It's available on steam, here: The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief

[vcd59536]

Originally posted by TheSneak06:

Originally posted by SandvichBAWWW:

It's good, great atmosphere and graphics, and some of the puzzles are great, however it's not comparable in tone or gameplay to Nancy Drew. I would still recommend it!

Great, thanks for the info. That's helpful. (And thanks for your list of suggested games!)

OH, and I completely forgot (how shameful) about The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief! It's similar to the Agatha Christie games noted earlier, and clearly pays homage to her stories. I found it reasonably enjoyable. It's available on steam, here: The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief

Thanks I'll check it out!

[Revachol Dishwashers Union]

I didn't want to start a new thread, but as someone new to the franchise, does anyone know where should I start? Since there's so many games, the chronology is a bit confusing. I have:

Danger by Design
Sea of Darkness
Shadow at the Water's Edge
The Captive Curse
The Phantom of Venice
The Shattered Medallion

I was planning on just playing the games in the order of setting I find the most interesting, but maybe not if it means on missing out on story.

[SandvichBAWWW]

Originally posted by Revachol Dishwashers Union:

I didn't want to start a new thread, but as someone new to the franchise, does anyone know where should I start? Since there's so many games, the chronology is a bit confusing. I have:

Danger by Design
Sea of Darkness
Shadow at the Water's Edge
The Captive Curse
The Phantom of Venice
The Shattered Medallion

I was planning on just playing the games in the order of setting I find the most interesting, but maybe not if it means on missing out on story.

Don't worry, every game is a stand-alone game, so you wouldn't miss a thing if you play them in any order you wish to! There may be small Easter eggs in some of the games that reference other cases, but nothing major, they're very small references.

The only exception is The Shatterred Medaillion, which I recommend you play last: it's the one game that focuses on Nancy's friends and acquaintances, so I would recommend you play several other games so you get to know them, especially Sonny Joon who first "appears" in Danger by Design and who is heavily featured in The Shattered Medallion.

I would recommend you start with Sea of Darkness or Shadow at Water's Edge, but really, you can start with any one of them. I started with Trail of the Twister many years ago and it got me hooked

[Revachol Dishwashers Union]

Originally posted by SandvichBAWWW:

Originally posted by Revachol Dishwashers Union:

I didn't want to start a new thread, but as someone new to the franchise, does anyone know where should I start? Since there's so many games, the chronology is a bit confusing. I have:

Danger by Design
Sea of Darkness
Shadow at the Water's Edge
The Captive Curse
The Phantom of Venice
The Shattered Medallion

I was planning on just playing the games in the order of setting I find the most interesting, but maybe not if it means on missing out on story.

Don't worry, every game is a stand-alone game, so you wouldn't miss a thing if you play them in any order you wish to! There may be small Easter eggs in some of the games that reference other cases, but nothing major, they're very small references.

The only exception is The Shatterred Medaillion, which I recommend you play last: it's the one game that focuses on Nancy's friends and acquaintances, so I would recommend you play several other games so you get to know them, especially Sonny Joon who first "appears" in Danger by Design and who is heavily featured in The Shattered Medallion.

I would recommend you start with Sea of Darkness or Shadow at Water's Edge, but really, you can start with any one of them. I started with Trail of the Twister many years ago and it got me hooked

Thanks a bunch, that's really helpful!

[TheSneak06]

Originally posted by Revachol Dishwashers Union:

I didn't want to start a new thread, but as someone new to the franchise, does anyone know where should I start? Since there's so many games, the chronology is a bit confusing. I have:

Danger by Design
Sea of Darkness
Shadow at the Water's Edge
The Captive Curse
The Phantom of Venice
The Shattered Medallion

I was planning on just playing the games in the order of setting I find the most interesting, but maybe not if it means on missing out on story.

If you are curious about playing them chronologically, this would be the order:

1. Danger by Design (DAN - #14)
   
2. The Phantom of Venice (VEN - #18)
   
3. Shadow at the Water's Edge (SAW - #23)
   
4. The Captive Curse (CAP - #24)
   
5. The Shattered Medallion (MED - #30)
   
6. Sea of Darkness (SEA - #32)

I would recommend playing one of the "better" games first. This is subjective, but many will agree that Danger by Design and The Shattered Medallion are weaker than the others on that list.

It might be worth asking what kind of mystery you would like to delve into first?

• If you want to run a lot of errands and learn about fashion and history, DAN has that covered.
  
• If you're keen to solve an international mystery with a bit more of a focus on spying, VEN is a great game for that.
  
• Looking for something spooky, and takes place completely at night? SAW is the way to go (plus, it has a superb soundtrack).
  
• If you're wanting another night-time game with some comedic moments and tales of a roaming monster, CAP's the game to play.
  
• On the flip side, you could spend your time exploring exclusively during the day, solving challenges on a TV game show, with a side of mystery, in New Zealand in MED.
  
• Finally, you can visit a foreign, snowy, dark country and search for a missing person in SEA.

I hope that's helpful. :D

[Revachol Dishwashers Union]

Originally posted by TheSneak06:

Originally posted by Revachol Dishwashers Union:

I didn't want to start a new thread, but as someone new to the franchise, does anyone know where should I start? Since there's so many games, the chronology is a bit confusing. I have:

Danger by Design
Sea of Darkness
Shadow at the Water's Edge
The Captive Curse
The Phantom of Venice
The Shattered Medallion

I was planning on just playing the games in the order of setting I find the most interesting, but maybe not if it means on missing out on story.

If you are curious about playing them chronologically, this would be the order:

1. Danger by Design (DAN - #14)
   
2. The Phantom of Venice (VEN - #18)
   
3. Shadow at the Water's Edge (SAW - #23)
   
4. The Captive Curse (CAP - #24)
   
5. The Shattered Medallion (MED - #30)
   
6. Sea of Darkness (SEA - #32)

I would recommend playing one of the "better" games first. This is subjective, but many will agree that Danger by Design and The Shattered Medallion are weaker than the others on that list.

It might be worth asking what kind of mystery you would like to delve into first?

• If you want to run a lot of errands and learn about fashion and history, DAN has that covered.
  
• If you're keen to solve an international mystery with a bit more of a focus on spying, VEN is a great game for that.
  
• Looking for something spooky, and takes place completely at night? SAW is the way to go (plus, it has a superb soundtrack).
  
• If you're wanting another night-time game with some comedic moments and tales of a roaming monster, CAP's the game to play.
  
• On the flip side, you could spend your time exploring exclusively during the day, solving challenges on a TV game show, with a side of mystery, in New Zealand in MED.
  
• Finally, you can visit a foreign, snowy, dark country and search for a missing person in SEA.

I hope that's helpful. :D

Thanks much! That's really comprehensive. I think I'll go with Sea of Darkness because a snowy atmosphere might suit the Christmas Winter mood