Nancy Drew. Message in a Haunted Mansion :: Education by Design Store

Editorial Review
Step into the stylish shoes of teen supersleuth Nancy Drew to crack the case of the haunted mansion. As Nancy, you'll hang your hat in San Francisco, where you've been invited to help a family friend renovate a historic Victorian home. Some strange things have been happening in the old house--could it be spirits from the past, or just shifty characters on the make? Use your magnifying glass to search the place from top to bottom for clues. You'll find trap doors, personal papers, keys, tools--all sorts of spots and items to explore or hang onto for later use. You never know when you might need a paint scraper or crowbar to help you out of a bind. To fill in some of the gaps, talk to characters in the game, and choose your responses to their questions based on what you want to know.

Play Message in a Haunted Mansion in one of two modes: new or younger players can sign in as junior detectives for more simplified play, while old pros can log in as senior detectives for serious sleuthing. Once you're in, you may never want to leave--the graphic detail of the Victorian-mansion setting is stellar. The Chinese-influenced décor is authentically and exquisitely reproduced, and many elements can be highlighted to better focus on the level of detail. (Those interested in Victorian interiors will be especially pleased.) Also realistic are often-overlooked touches that add a true-to-life ring, such as photos of family and friends on the wall, and sunglasses kept in the kitchen drawer. The sound effects further add to the sense of realism and heighten the air of suspense. You'll hear doors and cabinets creak open and shut, haunting cries, and loose chandeliers swaying overhead.

This third installment in the popular Nancy Drew interactive series (a follow-up to Stay Tuned for Danger and Secrets Can Kill) is successful not just for its design and production, but for its thoughtful features that keep players hooked, even as things start to feel hopeless. When you're in a bind, you can call home or old friends Bess and George for help. And if you make a game-ending decision, simply pick up right where you left off before the terminal mistake by utilizing the Second Chance feature. There's even a self-updating journal in Nancy's suitcase that records clues as you find them, to help you keep track of all the facts you unearth. And, of course, you can save your game after each session--no backtracking through clues you've already found, or conversations you've already had.

Customer Reviews

one of the best mystery games ever!

2008-05-24
if you are looking for a mystery game or looking for a starter this is one to get. this is one of the better games in the series and kind of difficult. this is a really fun game, there is no negative thing in the and the graphics are pretty good for the game. this is a game for starters and mystery lovers.

mystery lover!

2008-04-15
I got hooked on Nancy Drew when I was a kid...glad to see it in "game" form. This game is great for all ages because it gives you a second chance for when you "accidentally die". Great game overall!

Fun, but had glitches..

2007-08-31
Nancy is in San Francisco in Rose's mansion. There are mysterious accidents going on and it's Nancy's job to figure out whose causing them. This game is the third in the series so it's kinda old. When walking around in hallways its kinda confusing the screen jumps so far ahead you get kinda lost. took me forever to learn where all the rooms are such as the room im staying in and where to find the owner. maybe its just me. the letters i find throughout the house were really hard to read because of the script handwriting, so i didn't read half of them, some were impossible to read! Since this is an early nancy drew game, you have that annoying alarm clock. Sometimes in order to get ahead in the game all you have to do is go set the alarm for the next morning or later on that day so something can finally happen. kinda stupid. but the theme was fun it actually freaked me out a few times with the ghosts wandering around and im a grown woman!

Message in a Haunted Mansion= GREAT

2007-07-06
I am almost [...] and I love the ND games. I have only played four of them so far and this is probably my 2nd favorite. It is filled with "hauntings" and much more.

The game was short and easy once you are on the right path. But if you had no idea of what to do, it became difficult. I found myself having to go to a hint website that tells you everything you need to know. But other than that, I enjoyed it a lot.

awesome

2007-01-03
this game is challenging but fun at the same time ... you really have to find the time to play it and you have to take breaks too because you get so frustrated with not being able to find what you're looking for - especially when you're stumped ... i enjoyed actually being able to go outside in the game and i liked how you could roam throughout the entire mansion... my favorite character was professor hotchkiss and she was fun but yet strange to work with in the game ... i was so surprised to find out who the bad guy was! but it's a very fun game and time consuming but well worth it ... you learn when you play these games

Message in a Haunted Mansion

2006-11-04
Step into the stylish shoes of teen supersleuth Nancy Drew to crack the case of the haunted mansion. As Nancy, you'll hang your hat in San Francisco, where you've been invited to help a family friend renovate a historic Victorian home. Some strange things have been happening in the old house--could it be spirits from the past, or just shifty characters on the make? Use your magnifying glass to search the place from top to bottom for clues. You'll find trap doors, personal papers, keys, tools--all sorts of spots and items to explore or hang onto for later use. You never know when you might need a paint scraper or crowbar to help you out of a bind. To fill in some of the gaps, talk to characters in the game, and choose your responses to their questions based on what you want to know.

Our only complaint: the game takes some time to install, which can be hard to stomach if you've played the previous Nancy Drew games and are as excited to play the third as we were. But once you're in the game and can see the wealth of what awaits, you'll realize that it's worth a lengthy installation. A nice improvement over previous games is the inclusion of a tutorial to explain gameplay to new users. (Ages 10 and older) --Leah Ball

Totally Awsome 2006-09-22
You will love Nancy Drew games so much! The graphics are amazing! I love to get on the phone and play it with my best friend who lives in California! The books are a great thing to read! Nancy Drew keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Totally Awsome 2006-09-22
You will love Nancy Drew games so much! The graphics are amazing! I love to get on the phone and play it with my best friend who lives in California! The books are a great thing to read! Nancy Drew keeps you on the edge of your seat!

You are never too old to go sleuthing! 2006-07-22
"Message" is the first Nancy Drew Pc game that I have tried and I was very favorably impressed.The game is literate: it is not directed towards very young players per se and young people will have to read well to appreciate the many tidbits of literature scattered around the Victorian mansion. I am 76 and could read them quite well. :)

The sets are beautifully rendered in elegant color and the Chinese antiques are a feast for the eye. The characters are well animated with gestures that are completely natural. The voices are good, too.

"Message" is Nirvana for the Point and Click enthusiasts. No expert mouse maneuvers are required such as jumping into a fast moving bucket in "Uru." Nothing is timed. We take our PC games very seriously and it is an affront to the ego when one isn't fast enough to perform an intricate mouse gyration. In fact, I could get stage fright just looking at a high ledge I knew I had to vault upon and therefore couldn't perforn at all.

"Message" is scary. This is by no means a plain dish of vanilla. There are creaks and groans and shadowy forms passing in the night. Atmosphere plus. And you can wander around just as you wish poking into this and that and getting a delicious scary thrill when a curtain suddenly billows into your face with hissing sound.

Captions are provided which are very helpful as the characters speak rapidly. All in all "Message in a Haunted Mansion" is a very solid piece of work for all ages.

First one got me hooked 2006-07-14
This was the very first Nancy Drew PC game that I ever played at it had me hooked after it took me almost two weeks to solve the case. It's not to scary, but it has those elements - ghosts flitting about, whispers in the halls at night, and that creepy seance in the basement - and is challenging. It got me hooked on Nancy Drew games now, and I eagerly anticipate every new arrival to my collection.