Legendary sleuth and crime-solver, Nancy Drew, has been stopping criminals and solving mysteries since 1930 when she first appeared in the renowned book series she would become famous for. Since then, Nancy Drew has found her way into movies and TV shows, and even video games.
While her video games might not be as well-known as her books or movies, Nancy Drew still brings the same intuitive flair she is known for. The games typically involve a central mystery that needs unraveling and the gameplay focuses on a series of puzzles and character dialogue options that players must navigate through to solve the crime.
7 Message In A Haunted Mansion
Nancy Drew is no stranger to ghosts, having encountered many spirits on her journeys around the world, but they usually just turn out to be some silly criminal in a costume. Message in a Haunted Mansion explores the spookiness of the supernatural in old houses. When Nancy helps a friend renovating their old mansion into a bed and breakfast, the last thing she is expecting is ghosts, but of course nothing can ever be simple for fictional crime-solvers. The gameplay features lots of creepy rooms and hallways to explore as players search for clues.
6 Secret Of The Scarlet Hand
When Nancy gets an internship at a Washington D.C. museum, she is expecting to take a break from solving mysteries, but naturally, things get complicated when one of the museum’s prized possessions is stolen and all that is left behind is a red handprint. The puzzles are really kicked up a notch in this game and the plot makes for a fantastic thriller.
The game sold well when it was first released in 2002 and has since become a staple for the popular adventure series.
5 Danger On Deception Island
Always one to find trouble in all the wrong places, Nancy finds herself in hot water when she takes a whale-watching trip up north and discovers a seedy plot revolving around a newborn orca whale and the strange characters who comprise the local fishing town.
Naturally, ulterior motives start to unfold as Nancy begins snooping around and a darker plot becomes all too real. A shining example of how diverse the game series is, especially in terms of setting, characters, and mysterious intrigue.
4 Curse Of Blackmoor Manor
Another creepy entry in the Nancy Drew series, Curse of Blackmoor Manor sends Nancy off to England to visit her neighbor's daughter only to find that something is amiss at the scary 14th century manor she is staying at.
A classic take on a familiar formula, the unique backstory and characters make this one of the most engrossing Nancy Drew games. Notable for its graphics and design, this game is not only gorgeous to look at, but is fun to play too. It might explore some darker themes, but these are welcome changes for the franchise.
3 Legend Of The Crystal Skull
Nancy goes down south to New Orleans and finds herself deep in a nefarious plot involving a recently deceased man’s estate and a mysterious crystal skull said to protect its owner from all forms of death except murder.
Things get even weirder when she is attacked by someone in a skeleton costume and the game’s events start to take a turn for the evil. Legend of the Crystal Skull is as vibrant as any Nancy Drew game, featuring fun locations to visit and some seriously intriguing characters to speak with.
2 The Final Scene
It's a race against time when Nancy's friend is kidnapped from a creepy theater while they are visiting for a movie's premiere. Considering the theater is set to be demolished in three days, Nancy has to pull out every trick in the book to rescue her friend and solve the mystery behind the history of the old theater.
There are a lot of sharp twists and turns in the story, assisted by the stellar dialogue and character personalities which makes this one of the best games in the series.
1 The Haunted Carousel
Another supernatural mystery for Nancy Drew, this time involving a haunted amusement park. After the park's owner reaches out to Nancy for help, she finds herself in another clue-driven mystery where not everyone is who they say they are.
This game has everything a mystery and puzzle game fan could want, wrapped up nicely within a decently creepy story. The game received rave reviews for critics and players who noted that the game’s puzzles were intelligent and interesting. This is not only one of the best Nancy Drew games, this is one of the best adventure games period.