Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice is a first-person perspective, point-and-click adventure game. The player is Nancy Drew and has to solve a mystery. Explore rich environments for clues, interrogate suspects, and solve puzzles and mini-games.
The stakes have never been higher as Nancy Drew joins an international undercover investigation to track down a phantom thief in Venice. The police have few leads and you might be the only one who can stop the thefts of historic artifacts. Can you spy on suspects and collect clues before the crime syndicate catches up to you?
Very Positive
204 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Y | Y | Y |
| German | Y | Y | Y |
My girlfriend is making me play this. I'm wearing a clown costume and a baby mask and everyone in Venice is cool with it. I used binoculars to identify a specific pigeon at the palazzo. I spent all my money on Gelato.
I am having a GREAT time.
This will always be my favorite nancy drew game. 10/10 no notes.
I really had fun with Nancy Drew: Phantom of Venice! It felt quite different from other Nancy Drew games at first, which honestly made me a little nervous going in — but I quickly fell in love with it.
Instead of Nancy stumbling into a mystery while on vacation or working a part-time job, she’s actually recruited by the Italian FBI to help with an ongoing case. That change in setup makes the experience feel more mission-based, as you’re given specific assignments rather than just discovering clues and puzzles by chance. It adds a fresh sense of purpose and structure that really works.
I also loved how immersive it felt. Exploring Venice and working undercover was exciting, and the game even introduced me to the Italian card game Scopa — which is such a blast to play! It was a fun cultural touch that made the setting feel even more authentic.
Overall, this one stands out in the series for its unique approach and engaging atmosphere. Definitely a favorite!
One of my favorite nancy drew's to date! Most puzzles weren't overly time consuming except for the last one (like always). Definite recommend.
Хороший детектив, як і усі частини цього світу. Ще й хороша змога трішки подорожувати. Ця частина була більш релаксова, хоча завдання з бджолами мене схарювало, але без того було б занадто просто, чи не так?)
Another amazing time with Nancy Drew. The last big puzzle was difficult though!
It's been a long time since I've played Nancy Drew games, but they're still some of the greatest. Difficult, yet not impossible, and incredibly rewarding
This game is ♥♥♥♥ and ball torture minigames followed by more ♥♥♥♥ and ball torture minigames. This should have been why HER Interactive stopped making Nancy Drew games. All the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ who hyped up Scopa were lying to me and this game made me hate Italy.
I have played this game far longer than it was ever intended to be played in order to get all the achievements in the game, which was near impossible if you did not know the secrets to each one ahead of time. For example, Websteressa requires you translate two instances of Italian that can be time locked, and so in order to get them all, you need to plan ahead. The same applies to Clogio, which requires that Nancy be wearing a different pair of shoes for multiple important moments in the game, as well as Euro Trash, which requires you to check all trash on every relevant screen or you miss the achievement from the very beginning. Tessera Twitcher is also a difficult one, as there is no way to know whether you did the mosaic correctly or not until the final screen showing your achievements.
I love this series, and I enjoyed elements of this game, but it was a genuine pain to get through for those of us who are achievement junkies. On the other hand, winning all the achievements awarded me something fun, so it wasn't all bad. I liked the puzzles at the end of the game, and Scopa was actually a lot of fun once I got the hang of it. 6/10.
it is very fun and scopa is fun
One of the better Nancy Drew games! The story may be a bit simpler than other titles, but it was still engrossing and really played into the themes of being a private detective and investigating a criminal ring. I was able to determine who the villain was about mid-game, but it was still a satisfying pay off when the reveal came. This game also made me want to order a genuine deck to play scopa. So fun!
SCOPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This game has a good story line and great puzzle games. I love scopa!
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSCOPAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Perfect game (if you ignore the ending, anyway)
This is one of my favorite Nancy Drew games. tbh, I have a save just to play one of the mini games alone. lol (scopa btw)
I can't believe I used to love Scopa as a child. What's wrong with me? Anyway. The music is great, the location is awesome. Love the attention to detail. The set up mystery is fun. I wish we had more interactions with the suspects. We basically do not talk to anyone. The 1st half of the game is so light on puzzling, but then the ending hits you over the head with all of them. Overall, an chill ND installment.
zingo!
Nancy why are you in club :( surely they check id in italy? or maybe not I've never been \-(`-`)_/
cat suit? idk, whats gging onn?
my favorite so far
So besides the newest Nancy Drew game, the seven keys or whatever, I have completed every game besides the new one and this one. Finally decided to go through and finish the game and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. The puzzles were actually challenging especially when you had to go through different languages while also teaching you a few things. About the only think I hated in this game was the dumb game you have to play with one of the characters, Scopa. I hated that game and spent almost 4 hours trying to beat the dude the first time then spent another two hours to beat him again just so I could advance in the game. Screw that game but beside that I truly enjoyed the game!
Как фанату НД было интересно посмотреть на игру детства в оригинальном исполнении + закрепление навыков по английскому. Головоломки в общем дают поразмыслить, только негативные впечатления остались от музыкальной шкатулки [spoiler]где надо запоминать длинную очередь нот[/spoiler]
This game really does a good job of making you feel like the areas are bigger than they are. The puzzles are fun, although the dress up section is a bit cringe.
One more case solved. :-) Really a good game, probably the second good game like previous. :-) Love it.
Even though it's not one of my favorites, I enjoyed my replay of Venice. There's so much attention to detail built into the game from the building design, music, language, background conversations, clothing, etc. I really enjoyed changing clothes, dancing for petty cash lol and of course, SCOPA! Playing the latter was somehow both frustrating, creepy, and fun. The characters were all so unique and villain-esque in their own ways. Colin is a very accurate depiction of a "nice guy" that it made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed the conversations with Ned more than in other games. This game really made me think - damn Nancy should be getting PAID for this kinda work! An "amateur" detective being sent to tackle a crime syndicate UNPAID is actually insane. Overall game play 4/5 and scare factor 2/5.
one of the best Nancy Drew games of all time!
Its a fun installment in the Nancy Drew games, although it has some rather infuriating puzzles in it.
One of my favorite Nancy Drew games! So many fun mini games and the plot is interesting too.
Bees
10/10
SCOPPPAAAAAAAAA
I like the characters, and the map is big. The locations in this one are good.
One of the easier games of Nancy Drew. But didn't like the foto's used as backgrounds. Didn't need any help from walkthrougs... but still some tough challenging games.
It's that I like to play the games in order, otherwise I wouldn't play this one.
Awesome. Mystery, culture, beautiful locations, and a good mix of puzzles. I played Scopa for the first time.
Super fun!
Annoying mini games.
I'll be honest, the beginning of this game I wasn't too thrilled, but as it went on it got better - then I had to play Scopa 100 times. After FINALLY beating Scopa, it got fun again! ...then I had to play Scopa another 100 times... In conclusion, I'm never playing another card game ever again.
meh but okay
ITS GOOD!
SCOPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Loved it!!! but wish there were more puzzles tbh
So far, this is my least favorite ND game of all time.... very little character development... and I hated the puzzles at the end. I got no satisfaction from this game at all. However, I did really learn to enjoy Scopa.
love nancy drew games wish they would make more
While I HATED the water tunnels, this one was great! The nightclub dancing was hysterical, I adored the card game, and playing dress up and shopping from all the vendors was a lot of fun!
Scopa!
Exceeded expectations. Even though it is pretty old, it be a cool game.
Great suspects, music, and atmosphere. Only two puzzles that are eye-rolling. The bees on senior mode are also ridiculous (iykyk), but those are tiny spots on an otherwise really cool game.
The BEST Nancy Drew game of them all. I love every cheesy moment plus the LOCATION :D
Definitely lighter on story and puzzles, but still an enjoyable game all the same.
Amazing game with a beautiful Venetian location. Love the soundtrack and the suspects. Lots of puzzles and some of them are pretty difficult! I love traveling around Venice as Nancy and the beautiful red room she stays in at the 'Ca! One of my favorite past times is eating galato and going to her wardrobe and dressing Nancy up in fun or silly outfits. Oh, and can't forget about dancing in a nightclub in a black, skin tight catsuit for money!!! great game overall.
Ciao Italia! This entry reminds me a lot of Danger in Design as I get yelled at by a sassy older European woman while a masked mysterious figure looms largely in the background.
Best Game. Loved it. This is one of my favorite nancy drew games!
Obsessed with this game! Beautiful setting, interesting characters, great story line. I highly recommend!
I liked the game overall due the Italian atmosphere: gondolas, carnival, masks, gelato, italian words, game of scopa. The story itself was interesting. I did not like that the game made me lockpicking the office door like 20 times - same puzzle over and over if you'd like to come back to the office... and the puzzle with draining/filling the wells was infuriating... For the rest - a decent game
There are many puzzles in this game and a good story line. It's also great for homeschooling parents. Math is practiced during the Scopa card game. There is information about Italy and its construction and architecture, information about historical art, and you learn some Italian vocabulary.
Great game! I loved the storyline and puzzles!
<3
Been playing nancy for years this game is wonderful, a bit longer than the others which i enjoy
i love the game!!! the only problem i have is with the flower part but u should totally play this game
There's more German in this game than there is in The Captive Curse...although they spelled Gutenberg wrong, multiple times. :/
I wish there were achievements though.
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.
I think POV might be tied for my favorite ND game so far (DBD currently occupies the top spot!) I absolutely loved this one much more than I was expecting to. just like DBD, it's very immersive and atmospheric, and I loved all the small details to really enhance the environment! my only criticism is that some of the puzzles are rather tedious/punishing to mistakes, but overall it was really solid and fun! I found it quite streamlined and easy to understand what to do next, and greatly enjoyed the characters/subtle hints to who the villain was. absolutely a blast!
This game is great. Essential nancy. The atmosphere and music are top tier. The story is good, though I find the suspects to be fairly uninteresting and/or annoying. It is very challenging, so I would recommend Junior Detective for anyone not wanting a pretty rough challenge.
SCOPA!
I love scopa
A fun puzzle game.
The story is okay, but I'd guessed who's behind the mystery before I was half way done, I often found the navigation clunky. Certain steps were repetitive such as having to pick the lock on the same door over and over. I was also disappointed that less than half the number of locations on the map were ever revealed during the course of the game. It got boring going to the same places. Graphics were acceptable. Also, picking up random trash in hopes of getting a few coins was also frustrating.
Fun and mostly easy puzzles! Love the scenery of the game, and I had the chance to eat gelato and dance in a kitty costume lol. However, I did not enjoy the scopa game much and constantly had to unlock Fago's door lock every time I need to investigate his office.
Fun ND game, a bit different from some of the others. I love playing Scopa, a mini game.
После холодной Канады было бы неплохо погреться на солнышке. Как насчет Венеции? Одна наша старая знакомая обращается к нам за помощью, так как в городе объявился загадочный преступник в маске и плаще, который специализируется на краже драгоценностей и видных объектов искусства. Полиция уже окрестила его "Фантомом", так как он всегда появляется из ниоткуда и не оставляет за собой следов. Наша задача раскрыть личность "Фантома" и вернуть награбленное. Билеты куплены, платья уложены, а словарик по итальянскому уже зачитан до дыр. Самое время отправиться в солнечную Италию.
С первых минут игры нас встречают яркие и насыщенные кадры. Роскошный отель, чопорные итальянки, которые говорят по-английски с легким акцентом и конечно же местные достопримечательности. Мы сможем погулять по знаменитой площади рядом с Дворцом Дожей и познакомиться с ее пернатыми обитателями. Также мы будем изучать местный каналы в поисках улик и спускаться в их подземные недра. Меня радует, что в каждой части этого детективного квеста, головоломки не повторяются. Каждый раз все абсолютно новое и ты всегда должен приспосабливаться к изменчивым условиям. Например здесь появится интересная механика переодеваний. Мы будем примерять различные наряды на нашу главную героиню и всячески менять ей облик. Забавно что как бы мы не оделись, другие персонажи будут реагировать на нас по-разному и иногда давать забавные комментарии.
Конечно не обошлось тут без фирменной фишки каждой игры. В первой части мы собирали ракушки, во второй готовили блюда, а тут мы будем играть в карточную игру под названием "Скопа". Суть ее довольно проста и заключается в поиске парных карт и их последующем сбросе. Каждый игрок, кто в раунде соберет больше пар, получает один балл. Победителем считается человек набравший 11 баллов. Несмотря на то что это простая мини-игра, но она достаточно бесячая. Это часть сюжетной линии и пропустить ее никак нельзя. В среднем, каждая такая игра растягивается на 7-10 минут, что нещадно жрет ваше игровое время. Многие в свое время не выдерживали и бросали игру на моменте очередного матча в "Скопу". Эти сегменты проверят ваши нервы на прочность.
С каждой новой частью, я все сильнее проникаюсь геймплейным процессом и глубже погружаюсь в мир игры. Такими темпами скоро пойду читать книги. Если вы хотите посмотреть неторопливую историю про ограбления с интересной развязкой в итальянском сеттинге, то вам определенно стоит обратить внимание на этот квест.
I'll always recommend the HERInteractive Nancy Drew series because they played such a formative role in my development as a gamer. That being said, this one is not one of my favorites. In fact, I'd place it solidly in the low middle of the pack. The puzzles did not always feel intuitive and the world navigation got old after a while. The characters were forgettable or downright annoying (looking at you, Margherita). I also did not find the mystery all that intriguing. Perhaps the spy storyline feels too far-fetched for me. The final puzzle also feels incredibly punishing considering the market these games are aimed at. All in all, a worthwhile adventure but one I won't be making again anytime soon.
A classic from my childhood. A fairly easy entry but very fun to explore and play. Play for the story stay for the Scopa
I'd give this game a 7/10 rating. I'd say it's pretty average for the whole Nancy Drew franchise. The one thing holding it back I'd say is the end game well puzzle. Even with 2 diagrams to go off of it was kind of unclear as to where I was or which way I was going. I had to go to a previous Second Chance save because I got lost. Another puzzle I found really confusing was the pigeon puzzle, I don't know if they have this in master detective, but you have to check the task list to see what the description of the pigeon is and it is not directly noted that you have to know exactly what the pigeon looks like. I spent an ungodly amount of time trying guess the right pigeon until I checked my task list. The rest of the puzzles are straightforward and very doable if you take notes. Some of the puzzles are very unique and unlike any of the other ND games I've played. The story is pretty good, I'd say it's worth your $6.99.
i lob nancie
Играла в неё еще в школе, году в 2009-2010. Перепрошла в 2023, будучи уже взрослой, но впечатления все те же. Очень рекомендую всем, кто любит игры с головоломками.
Loved it. Music, setting, games, story.
Played without any problems on Steam Deck.
Especially loved Scopa!
GREAT
there's not much i disliked about this game! the atmoshpere, the puzzles, the characters, and the dialogue were all very interesting! a very moving + mysterious plot. BUT,,, cmon would italian police really hire a teen amateur detective to investigate the biggest crimes going on @ the moment just because some old lady told them to?
can't complain tho! easily 9.2/10
SO GOOD
Definitely one of the better Nancy Drew games in an overall enjoyable series. If you've played other games in the series, you know what to expect - a small handful of suspects, an assortment of puzzles and tasks to complete, etc., as Nancy tries to solve whatever mystery is going on.
In this case, she/you need to figure out who is behind a series of thefts. It's a fun one to solve, even if it's ridiculous to think the Venetian police needed to bring in an 18-year-old American girl to help them solve it. The puzzles/tasks in this one are generally good, with the Scopa card game being the best. Pacing is good, and its nods to the location are cute.
I had this game (and all the rest) on CD on an older computer, and on replay I can go through them pretty quickly, but I'd say that on first playthrough this one would take maybe 10-15 hours? Depends, of course, on whether you spend much time on repeatable tasks (such as dancing to earn money or playing Scopa).
If you haven't played any of the games in this series, this is a good introduction, even though it's not one of the earlier releases.
For newcomers to ND games, here's a quick overview: This is a series created primarily for preteen and young teen girls, but actually played by ND fans of all ages. You play as Nancy, visiting a location somewhere in the world, where inevitably you find yourself in a mystery. You gather info/clues by completing tasks, solving puzzles, and talking to suspects. The tasks are somewhat related to the location in much the same way they are on The Amazing Race. The games are never gory, occasionally a bit 'Goosebumps'-level scary, and generally light-hearted. You can play as a Junior or Senior detective, depending on your puzzle-solving abilities (but if you're over 12, play as Senior Detective. Most of the puzzles won't be that hard.) They're not terribly challenging games, but they're fun.
Good puzzles and fun facts about Venice along the way.
Good if you like the series but definitely not my favorite. Some of the puzzles and minigames are very tedious.
This one was light and fun. I liked the puzzles and how you can travel to different locations. I wish there was "more" just in general, but there wasn't much I didn't like about it. Not my favorite, but worth playing.
I literally only play this for the scopa!
The actual gameplay is boring and the story is also boring. Too many times to get stuck and a lot doesn't make sense.
I'd skip this one unless you have a few hours to kill and it's on sale.
Absolutely one of the best games in the ND Series! Why? Let me count the ways:
(1) cool puzzles ranging from easy to hard
(2) dialogues that do not ramble on and on like later ND cases
(3) various interesting locations
(4) story that is not improbable
(5) good voice acting, especially by the original ND voice actor
I played this again after several years, but instead of rushing through it, I took my time riding on different gondolas (different Italian songs belted out by different gondoliers), played countless rounds of scopa (a card game) which I was able to appreciate this time and it became quite addicting, and danced on stage to earn more than 1000 euros. The long play time was also due to me not exiting the game while I do other stuff, coz every time you start the game, you can't go straight to the saved file. The intro has to run, and you must click through it to speed it up. Very annoying. But other than that, if you want an ND game, this one won't disappoint!
the Scopa game is my favorite
Fun mini games, amazing location and background, intriguing plot, great mystery, another wonderful Nancy Drew game!
Not a fan of having to repeatedly spray hornets, but otherwise this is a really good game! I love all the HerInteractive Nancy Drew games and am so excited to get to play this one! I especially love Scopa!
10 of my current 15 hours are just playing Scopa
It has an impressive start to the game so far for the first hour of play, has a simple quick and immersive tutorial system, beautiful scenes and a sense of being in Venice. I like the game mechanics and inventory system, and pacing of the story.
Fun storyline. Loved playing Scopa!
Every Nancy Drew game has intriguing characters and fun puzzles! I can play them over and over and never get tired of them!
It was a really good game, the voice acting was perfect and the whole vibe was really nice !
[h1]Tedious even by Nancy Drew's standards[/h1]
I've been replaying the Nancy Drew games out of nostalgia lately and The Phantom of Venice (while not the worst) is one of the weaker entries.
The set-up for PoV is that Nancy is acting as a spy for an agency. Throughout the game you report to your spy-handler who tells you where to go and what to do next, which really hurts the game in the end. It leads to linear task-based gameplay that doesn't lend itself to the ND formula.
I find the ND is at it's best when it combines puzzles with area-exploration, but PoV is largely mini-game focused with very few areas you can even look around. The mini-games themselves are tedious and not even fun. In fact most of the gameplay can be described as tedious or confusing.
If solving the mystery is what you enjoy with these games you'll be disappointed there too. You don't look for clues, you obtain information where you are told to find it. All three suspects so happen to be at the same place you're staying, you can't explore other places, and if you [i]are[/i] enjoying the story it grinds to a halt to force you into time-consuming mini-games. Nothing about the process feels satisfying.
Again, this isn't the worst ND game but it has very little going for it. It's sacrificed gameplay for story and doesn't pull it off. It almost feels like they had a tighter budget. If I was trying to get someone into to ND I wouldn't recommend this one.
[b]TLDR: Tedious, weak, not enough puzzles, not rewarding.[/b]
As a Nancy Drew fanatic, I really enjoyed this one. The story line made much more sense than previous games (you knew what to do next vs. having a million things going on at once). I also liked the setting, and the puzzles were fun but not overly complicated. Highly recommend this game.
Woman accidentally hires a crime ring to fix her air conditioning, and the biggest loser in all of Italy forms a crush on Nancy.
This is more of a meh game for me, but one redeeming quality would have to be that I now know how to play scopa, due to the many grueling rounds this game forced me to play.
Lots of fun and I really enjoyed the setting!
fun
one of the best nancy drews :)
Pretty good game. Nancy Drew games always have excellent writing and voice acting, and this game is no exception. The heist is also extremely well-planned out, such as how the thieves communicate, how they stash their stolen goods, etc. I also fell in love with Venice, beautifully realized in-game. Highly recommended!
