PC (Microsoft Windows)2002
Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand
Expose Buried Secrets and Catch a Thief Red-handed!
Screenshots
589
Very Positive
195 Steam reviews
Review History
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | — | Y |
Expose Buried Secrets and Catch a Thief Red-handed!
Very Positive
195 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | — | Y |
Not the very best in the series, but the temple quizzes were a genuine highlight for me.
This game wasn't my favorite by a long shot, but it was an ok addition. As it is an old game, some things feel very dated, but I'm not going to focus on that.
The puzzles were fine (take pictures of everything), but I felt using specific phones at specific times without any guidelines was obnoxious. I didn't particularly like the characters or the story; it felt more like a soap opera with a silly ending. There are plot holes galore. The game is super laid back with almost zero suspense; the puzzles were fine, though I didn't like a couple of the solutions...I was looking for a more complicated answer, so simple is your friend. 5/10
Recently replayed this for the first time since I was a kid. What a great point and click! I love all of these Nancy Drew games, sometimes for nostalgia but also just because they are generally well crafted puzzle and mystery games, the influence of which you can see all over modern indie gaming. Scarlet Hand has a lot of fun history and science behind it, a good amount of note taking, and a really fun and interesting setting in Beech Hill Museum! I would recommend this title to any fan of classic puzzle games.
Secret of the Scarlet Hand is less action-y then some of the other games in the series but with a fun focus on Mayan history and knowledge! I wouldn't quite rank this as one of my fave Nancy Drew games but it's still a very fun addition.
I liked this game! Love the museum vibe and the very lived-in world and characters. Some of the puzzles were a little tricky (the quizzes in the rooms) and remembering to use the time of day to trigger events was a little tricky, but overall the premise, story, and Mayan archaeology kept me hooked.
If you love a good puzzle filled mystery game, you're going to enjoy this one. Such a classic, I really wish they'd make the new Nancy Drew games similar to how these older ones were.
This nancy drew game has no real story or mystery to solve, it is literally just playing around in a museum "tomb" winning pointless games to gain access to the next level. WHERE IS THE DRAMA!? THE JUMP SCARES, THE MYSTERY AND WHAT EVEN IS THE POINT OF PLAYING IN SAID TOMB WHEN THERE IS NO OBJECTIVE
stupid. boring. annoying. waste of time.
This was the first Nancy Drew game that I correctly guessed the culprit before I finished the game, which is definitely a bad thing. That aside, this is a decent game in the series. The HAM radio, and audio recording puzzle were annoying, but the rest of the puzzles were alright, although I wish the temple didn't have the quizzes. Overall, I recommend the game.
VERY HARD
so good
nancycnannancy nancy drew my goat bancy frew nancy drew i solve mystery in good game nancy drew is good game i like the game it is good and it is nancy drew game so it is good
One of my favorite games of all time. It's probably nostalgia talking, but this game never fails to pull me into the setting completely. I've played it over and over again.
I love all Nancy Drew games, its great. This makes my brain work.
secret of the scarlet hand
with a overlay rating of 8/10 and 9 pages of notes
it was pretty good over all an if your looking for a good ND game definitely should play. remember to grab a pen and paper you'll need the notes. the story and characters were good but i didn't like the puzzles that much but i have a thing against word puzzles which is probably why.
spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler
Characters
Mr. Carlisle look a like Henrik and worst/best employee Sonny are the best and Alejandro can suck it. i didn't know how who was the person till the end which was nice. normally im pretty good at pin pointing them by vibe alone.
9/10 -1 for no sonny meeting
Puzzle
Mayan numbers where you have to put them in order was so fun for me. the quizzes sucked tho i called the last one as sonny #1 fan
7/10
Story
never trust a rich man with a colorful tie and the Maya came from aliens and had a thing for puzzle boxes for some reason...
9/10
Great educational game! Lots of puzzles but you also learn so much about the ancient Mayan culture!
there's SO much reading in this one that it feels like i'm supposed to be studying for an assignment rather than playing a game. the actual puzzles are interesting but to be able to do anything takes an insane about of reading to the point where most of the game is just research within the game
Certainly one of the weakest ND adventure, which involves a lot of backtracking, passing time to advance time in order for things to happen and endless phone calls, which help deepen the story a bit, but unfortunately all main characters remain shallow and unrealistic. I would only recommend this to people, who want to finish all ND games.
One of my favorite games in the ND series. Especially if you love history!
such a great one! alot of fun.
Boring af but its the only ND game I haven't finished...
Beautiful music, fantastic atmosphere, and a compelling mystery story. I love the pretty pre-rendered visuals.
This is one of the only Nancy Drew games that I didn't remember from playing as a child. I was pleasantly surprised by the story line though and enjoyed most of the puzzles. Some were a little hard I think for a child, a lot of back and forth and remembering things, but it was okay. I also think this is the first one where the characters are a little more flushed out than previous games. ALSO loved getting our first Sonny Joon and Prudance Rutherford mention AND getting to talkto the Hardy boy's for the first time
This gave me so much nostalgia. I'm glad I finally got to finish this game, since I never got to finish it as a kid.
This is a fun and surprisingly challenging addition to the Nancy Drew games. In this one Nancy is working as an intern in a museum when one of the prized exhibits gets stolen! This game is a little older, so the graphics are not as elaborate as some of the later editions, and the puzzles do not change from junior to senior detective, but the game plays well.
All in all, a fun game that lets you solve an interesting mystery and learn a little bit about the ancient Maya along the way
Case solved. One of my favorite games of Nancy Drew serie. Had a really good music & interesting quests. And not so easiest game of serie. I love this story, and some of second chances, like a final second chance - is the best.
One of my favorite mysteries! Great story, even if theres less puzzles than normal
My best friend got me into the game. I used to hate Nancy Drew (the books) but this game has redeemed my hatred for Nancy. It's so fun!
A step up from The Final Scene and a really fun Nancy Drew mystery, Secret of the Scarlet Hand is a bit more challenging and a somewhat longer story that's a great, cozy adventure!
Love this game, love every game in the franchise.
I played this game when I was a kid but I never beat it. It hit me with the best sort of nostalgia (and an even greater appreciation for modern graphics lol) and I beat it this time! Such a fun little mystery.
Все по канону старої Ненсі Дрю, 4/5
Plot doesn't make a great deal of sense at the end, and it's much to easy to miss important things.
Not the best due to all the learning components imo - especially stupid trivia. This one definitely requires patience and note taking. I did enjoy the other puzzles and being able to travel for changes of scenery, and the second chance from the monolith is hilarious!
Secret of the Scarlet Hand does a great job at what it set out to do- provide an interesting mystery while teaching you A LOT about Mayan culture. If you aren't a fan of the edutainment genre, this game may not be for you. However a lot of the educational segments are frontloaded, and you spend most of the rest of the game focusing on mystery which I like. I liked putting together the pieces of the big puzzle in this game, I love almost all of the characters and the museum and other settings are nice too. I recommend it.
Love the puzzles and gameplay!!
This game is just great. Except for the maze puzzle, but oh well.
Interesting puzzles and fun story
I originally played this on the old IBM family computer when it was out on CD-ROM back in the olden days. This was one of 3 ND games I had as a kid and my second fave. Really enjoyed learning about the Maya then and on a replay now as an adult
A great early Nancy Drew game. The best of the first few years. This one has more puzzles than any previous installment, and definitely needs a notebook while you play!
4.5/5
You know, between the amnesia plot and the dramatic museum sirens, this is like an episode of a telenova. I really enjoyed this game. It was highly informative and interesting, though there were definitely elements of the plot that I struggled to make sense of. Most of the puzzles were fun and easy to accomplish on your own. The mini-games in this title are also a huge bonus.
First time playing it ever, and I liked it! Playing the earlier Nancy games I didn't play as a kid has been fun!
I liked this game, not as much as the previous ones I played. I much prefer the games with fewer locations to visit, like Treasure in the Royal Tower. But, this was still fun and I enjoyed the historical aspect. But, from the games I have played it's probably my second least favorite with Secrets Can Kill taking least favorite. Still, I'm glad I played it and would recommend everyone try it at least once.
good game
Henrik Van Der Hune has become my reason for living. Extraordinary.
My hot and gay wife has these games so now I'm going to play through the Nancy Drew series, as someone who missed out on the games as a child and also never read any of the books
SECRET OF THE SCARLET HAND
The Good
- A pretty excellent set-up and payoff. Sure, the culprit is kind of obvious but it's not a whodunit - the far more tantalizing mystery is what's in the box
- Puzzles pretty well-integrated, much better than previous games for sure. In particular, I love how everything leads up organically to [spoiler]collecting all the keys[/spoiler], especially since you have so much of that info right under your nose the whole time without knowing until the big reveal partway through.
- Atmosphere is great, and finally it feels like there is a good in-universe justification for Nancy to have free reign over the map. Also nailed that vibe of late 90s-early 2000s science centers.
- Solving the mystery requires paying attention and taking notes, not just figuring out random brain-teasers. I filled up two entire pages with thoughts and nothing was wasted.
- Somewhat non-linear in that you get multiple threads and can solve them in any order and jump between them. The game actually accounts for this in a couple of places. For instance, [spoiler]in Henrik's hospital room, you can remove the scarlet hand from his wall once you put it up, because it's possible you hadn't used that item for its other purpose yet[/spoiler]
The Bad
- Progress in more than one place requires you to make a decision which is totally illogical (in particular, Nancy [spoiler]has no reason to visit the Consulate after the first visit, but you have to go back to ask Alejandro to translate something even though she has no reason to believe he is able and willing to do so, and you also have to gossip to him about a potentially criminal mistake at the museum even though this is something you would IMMEDIATELY be fired for doing irl[/spoiler] - in other words, for some of the game you have to think like a super sleuth and then other times you just have to do random stuff and see if it works
- The HAM radio was buggy and required me to solve the puzzle multiple times before it worked, so I thought I was missing something and ended up taking way longer than I should have because the game didn't accept my (correct) answer. Infuriating.
- I like the concept of using phone contacts as puzzle elements, but the game often gives you no indication of who you can call and *when* you should. Sometimes progress involves calling someone even if you have no reason to believe the person on the other line can help you, and just hoping the game accepts this and sets off the next event flag. This caused more than one case where I ended up totally stuck because the solution was just calling everyone randomly until the game allowed me to continue.
- We've got a repeat of the maze game from Message in a Haunted Mansion. I gave it a pass in that one because the formula was still being established and the game (and the maze) was short. But now that HeR Interactive are capable of better puzzles it's disappointing to fall back on this same game, except ten times as long.
- Every Nancy Drew game now has a timed section at the end. They are never good. They will never be good. Puzzle games generally should not have timers for anything. It's especially bad when the entire game lets you take your time to uncover the mystery at your own pace and then says "sike, now you have 30 seconds to do this last part so you can't enjoy the moment lmao sucker"
The Weird:
- You, as Nancy, are required at one point to choose a dialogue option which will literally tell a Mexican man that he shouldn't be upset over the US stealing cultural artifacts because that all happened hundreds of years ago. If you want Nancy to have flaws to overcome that's fine but don't force ME to say it.
- I'm willing to accept a bit of unrealistic amnesia to kick off certain plot points, but it is weird how, without that moment, the entire puzzle would have theoretically been solved without you. [spoiler]You were only necessary because someone accidentally trips down a flight of steps, you were not involved in anything they did up to that point, and their accident is unrelated to the story except that it happened while they were going about a plot-related task.[/spoiler]
- Nobody knows how to properly password protect their files lmao
OVERALL: 2/5 (would have been a three without the phone call puzzles bottlenecking progress)
I greatly enjoyed most of this, but the parts I didn't enjoy were enraging. When I get stuck, it should be because I don't know how to use the information I have, not because the game is withholding information that I don't realize it is withholding from me, as the phone call parts of the game tend to do. If you're lucky you'll stumble onto things in a more optimal order and not get stuck in those parts. Or, you can just keep a hint guide open for when you've solved the fun parts and need to know whether the next step is a phone call.
As a child I remember hating this Nancy Drew game because I honestly found it boring. As an adult I think it is so much better. In my review of all the Nancy Drew games on Senior Detective mode I give this one a 7/10. It has a lot of good puzzles, so much good information on Mayan Culture, little quizzes and games, a great story line and you go between many locations which I tend to like. I would recommend this to older teens and adults.
I grew up playing this game so this was probably my 4th playthrough or so. I love this game. The vibes are immaculate, the Mayan culture immersion is so fantastic. This game left an impact on me even as a 10-12 year old. It's a bit more dialogue and reading heavy than some other ND games, which I personally enjoyed. You can learn a LOT about Mayan culture which is a major plus.
As one of "The Golden Twelve" as I call them, this game upon a more critical replay still holds up well despite its age.
The story is great, and the game has a good amount of actual info for the Maya and their Mayan culture, and even pushes forth the idea of returning artifacts to their home countries. While I never noticed it as a kid, the game series does push forward progressive ideas, albeit in a subtle way.
While I tend to favor the paranormal oriented games more, this one still has a very strong core story, with a very real motive for the BBG. The characters are all good with their own quirks, and none are really unusually boring. And this was the game that introduced Sonny Joon, the reoccurring character that we would see throughout the series. The voice acting is top notch again.
But...there are a few parts of the game that were not so great. A lot of the puzzles in the early game are tedious, and sometimes difficult to learn. Mayan pictographs are complex, and are represented as such, making the many puzzles containing them a bit difficult if you don't have a sharp eye. There is also a way to get stuck if you don't do a few things in order, and it will leave you walking around waiting for a character to be free to talk to, but won't ever. I was lucky on my latest playthrough to not have that happen, but I remember it happening frequently to me in the past.
There were a few scenes, especially at the beginning of the game, that felt rushed. It was common in the early era of the games to have the story quite literally show you an explanation dump and then toss you headfirst into the game like a hurricane swept you up and dumped you. While most of the games prior haven't had this issue, the last time it was seen was in #3, Message in a Haunted Mansion, and the begining bit of #5 the Final Scene. It really felt like the script just didn't know how to ease the player in.
The final confrontation of the game has a speech glitch where the BBG keeps talking when there is no voice, and the final "emergence" is greeted in another rushed and really cheesy final scene with all the other characters in the game, making a weird grand speech. Its so jarring, in fact that I remember it quite well.
Of course, this game also holds a special place in my history of horror, as while this game isn't a horror themed one....let's just say that a large portion of my great dislike of mummies spawned from this game.
If you don't mind a bit of tedium, and a lot of reading to get caught up on what is going on as far as the Mayan history, this game sits as one of the better games in the series and still holds a spot in "The Golden Twelve".
[i]Secret of the Scarlet Hand[/i] is fun, and there were some parts that threw me for a loop, but this is definitely one of the slower Nancy Drew games when it comes to how easy it is to get into it. If you're feeling the urge to play one of the older ND games, I would suggest Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake or The Final Scene instead.
This is one I never really watched much gameplay of in the past, so going into this NEARLY blind was quite fun. I did enjoy the puzzles (except for running around for those quiz questions, my god!!) and I felt like this was one I didnt need many hints on (Except for phone numbers at times,,, lots of those.) Otherwise, a really fun one.
I'm slowly working my way through the games and until now, the Egypt one was my favourite - Egypt just moved to spot 2! This is my favourite to date - fascinating, immersive, the unusual puzzles - I adore how ND games are not only stellar puzzle games, but have unique puzzles and are always themed to their subject matter. The games are also unique even among their own, with each game having different theming, mechanics and puzzles - each one is fresh and new.
Add the fun gameplay, characters and mystery to unravel, and you have another fantastic ND game to add to the list. These are still the best puzzle games around, still running smoothly on Windows 10 (! AAA games eat your heart out!) and I have loved every one I've played so far. Now off to pick the next one to play!
So fun.
A good mystery with a variety of puzzles.
I love the themes of repatriation in this one. One of my favourite story lines in Nancy Drew.
A Nancy Drew classic! 10/10
It's alright. Not the best Nancy Drew I've played, but it has the classic functions.
Great game. The puzzles are getting WAY better than the earlier installments of the game, and the characters in this one were a lot of fun. I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did, it kind of came out of nowhere to me. Wondering where I can find some Koko Kringle. Semper ubi sub ubi. 8/10.
Great classic Nancy Drew game! One of my favourites for sure :)
One of my favorites as far as the older Nancy Drew games go. Has a longer play time and more complicated puzzles and tasks. There aren't as many places to explore but it you are a fan of museums, you'll probably like this game. Semper Ubi Sub Ubi!
Ну что, надышались свежим воздухом, пора вновь окунуться в научную деятельность. Наша обаятельная Нэнси, в этой части, устраивается помощницей куратора музея Биич, который находится в Вашингтоне. Мы решаем отправиться именно в этот музей, так как скоро туда привезут фантастическую находку - древний загадочный монолит цивилизации Майя. Так как мы обожаем этот исторический период, то никак не можем пропустить такое событие. Нас прикрепляют к хорошенькой научной сотруднице по имени Джоанна Ригс и она радостно нас приветствует. После небольшой вводной части обнаруживается страшное - в музее совершена кража важного экспоната, а значит предстоящая выставка находится под угрозой. Нашей Нэнси вновь придется забыть про свои увлечения и сосредоточиться на поиске преступника.
Прежде всего хочу отметить интересный сеттинг этой части. Здесь нам позволят ненадолго заглянуть в быт музейных работников и даже поучаствовать в научных исследованиях. Музей переполнен различной информации касаемо цивилизации Майя и тут даже можно что-то подчерпнуть для себя. Локации нужно обыскивать внимательно и по возможности запоминать термины. Тут есть сегменты игры, где мы будем участвовать в викторинах без вариантов ответов, а значит нужная информация должна быть у нас в голове.
Декорации тут интересные, хоть и достаточно простенькие. Игра вообще создает ощущение насыщенности, так как мы будем много перемещаться по городу и общаться с разными людьми. Мне понравилось бродить по музею и я даже словил небольшую грусть по прежним временам, когда меня тоже тянуло в такие места. Еще одна отличная игра про обаятельную Нэнси, которую я сложу в кучку таких же проектов.
This is going to be a weird review but i just. really really like this game. like i almost love it. Definietly one of my favorite nancy drew games. It just has the perfect vibe for me...
Just, its probably not a very good pick for a beginner/first time player.
i feel like too many aspects of the game just arent explained so its hard to figure out for no reason
Classic, great Nancy Drew game. It dragged a little bit at the end while waiting for packages, but overall, fun game in the Nancy series!
just plain bad
jogando na ordem cronologica de lançamento, parece que cada vez eles focam menos no que interessa (puzzles, investigação) e mais em dialogos extensos e desnecessarios com NPCs que travam seu progresso. esse foi de longe o jogo com a tematica mais interessante, com evidencias mais bonitas e detalhadas, mas com a progressão mais INSUPORTAVEL de todos os nancy drews que joguei até agora.
I liked it. Especially the music.
Not the greatest, but it's solid.
Replaying all of the ND games and while there are parts that I really enjoy, it's some of the puzzles are so frustrating. I loved the HAM radio puzzles and the tasks that were directly related to solving the mystery, but I spent the majority of my time doing the puzzles that felt more like filler. Don't get me started on the maze game lol. Since it was an older game, I can chalk a lot of the UI and navigational frustrations to that, but I wish there was a little more character interaction, as well. All in all, I think if you're going through all the ND games as I am, of course you gotta play this one, but if you're just looking for a ND game to really enjoy, there are plenty of other ones I would recommend before this one.
I'm playing my way through all of the ND games, and I suspect most people reading this review are too, regardless of reviews! But here are my thoughts anyway.
let's start with the positives. something that the ND games do great is really immerse you in the setting with a lot of themed puzzles, story, music and background. working in a literal museum, there's plenty of all of those things! there's a ton of interesting things to look at and read, and I really liked Alejandro's character and perspective. I always enjoy how the puzzles are related to the game's subject and make you learn something new, and this game has some great ones. also, the ending was pretty metal.
the negatives - hoooo boy, I was banging my head against the wall on this one. there is SO much back-and-forthing in this game. you have to do puzzles that are extremely long and tedious, and IMO a bit more difficult than average and I was just gritting my teeth the whole time. I did read that this is an older game, and do agree that improvements have been made, like Nancy having her journal on her in the future. I find that I take an average amount of photos/notes written per game, but this game I was taking pictures of absolutely everything because it was all relevant! that's nice, but only to a point...I think filtering through what you read to find what's relevant is part of the fun, not having to snap a picture of EVERYTHING because if you happen to miss a piece of info you have to trek a thousand miles to go get it. compared to other games, I did feel like there is a disproportionate amount of retracing your steps and tedious-ness. so yes, I did find this game on the frustrating and more difficult side, but it was a stepping stone on my quest to complete them all and it did have its positives. I would definitely not recommend it as your first ND game though.
Semper ubi sub ubi!
*Playing this on my Steam Deck*
Not one of my favorites of the Nancy Drew cases, but it works great on the Steam Deck and still super interesting!
A bit tedious, even for Nancy Drew, but I still recommend for people who enjoy the other games. This would not be one that I recommend to be someones first game though.
one of the most boring ND games i've played. I did not even finish it, i lost interest...waste of money. Puzzle are very hard and the games just not makes sense. I've been only playing with hints.
It's a slow start, but surprisingly engaging for its age. Scarlet Hand manages its timeline practically and paces well (after the tedious beginning). Unfortunately, this is yet another Nancy Drew game where the evidence doesn't lead you to the culprit, which is always disappointing.
Still... I have to give this game points for having the most HORRIFIC Nancy death in the series. Nice.
I played this when it first came out. Sadly, it was unplayable for several years as computers got upgraded and favorite old games did not. I'm so glad it's here on Steam. It's not one of the newer Nancy Drews so the play format is different (and perhaps more complicated because it lacks a checklist) but the challenge is welcome. Try it for yourself. I loved it then and I still love it now.
Even though it's an older game this is probably my favourite Nancy Drew game. It's set in a museum and has lots of fun trivia and puzzles about Mayan culture.
This game is so nostalgic to me, it's so fun every time i play it
This is probably my favorite Nancy Drew game. I partially love this game because of nostalgia, but it's also a really high-quality game.
This is one of the more exciting ND games, it feels like a lot happens during the course of the game. The puzzles are fun, and some are challenging (but aren't overly difficult). This one definitely requires a pen and paper to work through some stuff.
Overall, this is a game I love to replay and highly recommend if you enjoy old school point-and-click adventures.
Woohoo! The beginning of the classic Nancy Drew game. Puzzles galore, still miss a task list and having peoples numbers saved, but the plot and puzzles here were fun. Lots of memorization 4/5
A museum worker and a phone secretary simulator 2002. 10/10 IGN
It's a great game but it's definitely one of the more educational ones, if you like history then you'll love this game. 8/10 would recommend.
I really enjoyed this game growing up, so I decided to play through it again. I remember this one was one of my favorite games because I learned so much about Mayan culture. The moral still rings true to this day especially with events that have happened in recent years. Overall, 10/10
I found the game very good but I am interested in history and like museums. If you don't like history that much, then you better skip this game. You need to read everything about the Mayan history and listen to all available audio tapes to solve the puzzles,
I love this game the puzzle are hard and challenging
Don't worry - it's not scary! This is a great Nancy Drew installment. It's very notes-heavy, but has rewarding and interesting information. Leans a little towards errands/phone calls rather than puzzles but isn't as straightforwardly easy as Haunted Carousel. Would recommend for players looking for a relaxed game.
This one had a great story, and made me feel like I was a real detective solving a case.
Pros:
+ The mystery was really enjoyable, I felt like a real detective playing this one
+ The puzzles were realistic, felt like things that could happen in real life
This game is a brain challenge. You have to make notes on all aspects of the game and progress. If you make a mistake you know you can use your second chance. Hours of fun and a real challenge.
I had always heard that this game was terrible from my cousins so I never played it until I purchased all the games from steam on a sale. I think that this was actually a good game. It is a little slower than most of the other HERinteractive games but it is FAR from the worst. Because it is an older game, some things are very linear, and you HAVE to make sure that you look into every detail before you can move on in some parts. I was stuck for a few hours because I had not clicked through all of the nameplates on one of the walls.
Otherwise, it was fun. And I think it serves as a precursor to Water's Edge
I actually think, out of the early Nancy Drews, this one aged well with it's clever puzzles and mystery solving! The story is really good as well, and the pacing of it. The museum as a setting was really fun.
Genuinely couldnt stand this game. Didnt like the characters, the music, and some of the tasks to me were way too tedious. Also, whenever I went to ask for a hint my game would crash. That was extremely frustrating to me. Eventually just had to quit because I couldnt figure out why I was stuck on the level one quiz even though I did every activity and I was inserting my card. Also a LOT more calling than usual which is annoying. One of my least favorite nancy drew games, if not the least favorite.
Having played - and replayed - this and every other Nancy Drew game I can safely say this remains top 3 best games, if not the best Nancy Drew game. It has good puzzles, fun and interesting history to learn, hilarious tag lines to quote for years to come (semper ubi sub ubi), and my personal favorite a high stakes ending. Highly recommend this one.
First off, I have now played all the Nancy Drew games designed for PC Windows. I give this game, Secret of the Scarlet Hand 6.8 stars out of 10. It is not the best Nancy Drew game, but not the worse either. There is a lot of in-game reading about the Maya culture. First time I played and completed this game on Steam it took me 20 hours. Second time playing it, with all my pre-written notes, it took me 11 hours to complete. While it's easy for Nancy to suspect/ accuse the wrong people; it is very hard for her not to be totally shocked by the end culprit. There are lots of either-or questions in this game; whenever given the chance ask about victim Prudence Rutterford.
Nancy Drew and the folks at HER Interactive nailed it with this installment in the series! The characters and thrilling story captures your attention and keeps you engaged. The puzzles are so satisfying to solve and are filled with Mayan history and lore. And that finale?! You'll get no spoilers from me, but be prepared to think fast.
This game is great and worth the money. I grew up with this game and I was devastated when I couldn't play it anymore since it's an older game. Now that it's on steam I can play it since steam gets them updated. I am very thankful to steam and sooooo happy to play this game again.
Fun mystery game that's also educational. Id recommend this game to anyone who liked mystery games with a touch of history.
Just... boring. So, so, so many phone calls. The Mayan culture is interesting to learn about. The puzzles are okay. But, the majority of the game is running back and forth between various points and then waiting to reach certain indicators in the game so you can make, yet again, another phone call. Ugh. Probably one of my least favorite Nancy Drew games.
Definitely my favorite of the ND games so far!
Very good!
I've heard a wide variety of different opinions concerning Secret of the Scarlet Hand as I've made my way through the Nancy Drew series. Some people seem to really enjoy it. Others seem to hate it. Me...I end up leaning more towards the latter. This is not a terrible game by any standards, but I definitely think it's one of the weakest entries in the entire franchise. I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys ND games, but it's definitely one that you don't need to rush into playing.
There will be Spoilers, you've been warned:
What I liked:
- Elements of the plot line are very unique and interesting. The idea that you have to help a character regain their memory and find out their role in the crime is actually a clever story sequence. It adds quite a bit of intrigue to the second half.
- Honestly, the music in this game is better than most. The South American influence helps to give the soundtrack a unique identity when compared to all of the other games. The music in the Nancy Drew series is usually pretty good, but this game is a particular stand out.
- The introduction of beloved phone contact Prudence Rutherford occurs in this game. We also get some funny interactions with some other phone contacts. This game also introduces Sonny Joon, take that for what you will (I find him more annoying than funny, but I'm definitely the outlier here).
- The cast is..decent. Henrik is easily the most interesting character of the bunch and the one we get to know the best. Taylor is also eccentric and funny with his ridiculous tie and insistence on offering Nancy cookies. Joanna is...ok? Her "Semper ubi sub ubi" made me cackle when she first said it, but she's probably the most forgettable of the bunch. It doesn't help that she essentially vanishes for the second half of the game until the very very end. Alejandro is definitely one of the more "good looking" Nancy Drew characters, and while his intentions are good, most of his dialogue is just lecturing you about the art black market. Not a terribly interesting character either.
- The climax is genuinely exciting, though the actual ending is cheesy as hell.
Annnnnd all the stuff I didn't like:
- Mostly boring "puzzles". Quite a few of these puzzles require you running around the museum, going through paragraphs of text, going back to the puzzle spot etc. etc. They aren't really puzzles you figure out on your own, you have to go around and find a little piece of trivia information to help you solve it. Other puzzles (like the Maya ball game) are just repetitive trial and error until you finally beat it. Definitely not the most fun use of my time.
- So. many. phone calls. I felt like I was on the phone in this game more than any other game in the entire series. This wouldn't be so bad...except for the fact that (for some ungodly reason) this game specifically chooses NOT to list new phone numbers for you on the screen whenever you pick up the phone. The only numbers that get saved are Bess & George, Franklin Rose, and The Hardy Boys. For all the others, you either have to write them down, take a picture of them, or just go back to Nancy's notes. I have no idea WHY they chose to do this, as all it does is inconvenience the player and wastes time as you try to figure out which invisible number you're supposed to call next.
- Speaking of the phone, I don't think I have ever had to ask for hints in other Nancy Drew games as much as I did in this one. Getting stuck in this game was particularly common compared to others, as the multiple plot lines don't necessarily flow together. You'll come to a dead end, only to realize you had to go somewhere or call someone completely unrelated to the puzzle you just solved or the item you just found. This makes the game feel extremely disjointed.
- I found the reveal of the culprit to be the most obvious one so far. By the halfway point of the game, two of your suspects are essentially taken out of commission for the rest of the game, leaving only two others to be the culprit. Of these two, one of them is so OBVIOUSLY the culprit it hurts. I was definitely left disappointed by just how predictable the "twist" was.
Overall, while SSH has some good points and some fun characters, I found it to be quite lackluster compared to the other games. The puzzles are boring, the story is kind of boring, the cast is relatively meh...it's just kind of a meh game in general. I'd still recommend it for Nancy Drew fans, but otherwise, you could probably skip this one unless you want to see the origins of Sonny Joon, Prudence Rutherford, and Koko Kringle.
Secret of the Scarlet Hand gets a 5 out of 10.
