Ranking All the Nancy Drew PC Games from WORST to BEST!! | Nancy Drew Analysis Five Years Later
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ม.ค. 2025
- Enjoy this video where I re-rank all the Nancy Drew games from WORST to BEST after five years of making Nancy Drew Analysis videos! Like, comment, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more Nancy Drew and cozy game content!
Become a Patron at / wizardkitten
Sims 4 Gallery ID: SpiritScarlet100 (check "Include Custom Content")(I don't use cc in my builds but the gallery thinks that I do)
Follow @wizardkittenyt on Instagram: / wizardkittenyt
Join the discord at / discord
I completely agree with you on some choices (LIE, KEY, MED) but completely disagree on others (SCK, CRE, CLK)! So interesting to see how your tastes have evolved over time. Also you're so right that a lot of the newer games (but not all) are a bit lacking on the atmosphere front. I think part of the reason I also have a deep love for the classic games is that they really committed to atmosphere.
@snughly that's definitely what draws me to the classics!! Atmosphere is so key!
Atmosphere is the reason why SEA is one of my favorites, and my favorite of the newer games. There’s something so cozy about me playing that game in the dead of winter.
@@snughly atmosphere is almost always the main thing I look for in choosing my favorites! It’s so important to me too
Can’t believe it’s been 5 years since that video
Crazy!!
Yep and we’ve been watching ever since!
Your comment about LIE is spot on- I do not enjoy this game simply because of the difficult puzzles and how random they are in context with the setting and story. What a missed opportunity for a game set in Greece.
@@joshmitchell9477 exactly!!
@@joshmitchell9477 Yup, and most of the character's aren't even Greek, it def missed out on a lot of potential
I love that you included the changes in your list at the end of the video. I was tempted to leave a comment doing that exact thing before I saw you already did it! Thank you for continuing to make these videos. My best friend and I are still making our way through the games for the first time and listening to your review afterwards is always a treat for me. We had started in 2021 and we’re at the Deadly Device now.
That is so incredibly fun!! I'm so glad the reviews have gotten to join you on such a fun adventure!
Never clicked so quickly on a Nancy Drew discussion video! Great stuff :) I would love a “How to improve upgrade every Nancy Drew game” video, like, is there a game that would have been so much better with another act, or simply another room to explore etc.
@@jasonfoth14 I'm so glad you liked it!!
I love WAC still being your favorite. It's mine, too. And I don't foresee it ever changing! My top 3, in order, are:
Warnings at Waverly
Sea of Darkness
Danger on Deception Island
All three brilliant games!!
I've been super sick and in the hospital, I needed this video 😭❤️ greatful to have you back. Bonus I'm wearing my WK merch!
@stuffwithsoph8264 oh no!! I'm sorry you've been sick! Sending healing thoughts your way!
Wow, five years? So much has happened in that time for sure! Hugs to Queen Mel and Mr. WizardKitten!
I'd say my top 5, in no particular order, are Last Train, Old Clock, Shadow Ranch, Waverly, and Ghost Dogs.
@@RoseBaggins an excellent top 5!
@@WizardKittenYT thank you! 😁
On a somewhat unrelated note, it would be so fun if you did a Q&A video! Maybe some Nancy related questions, like how old you were when you played a game for the first time, if you’d read the books before playing the games, things like that. And then some non-Nancy topics too, like if you would ever want to do TH-cam/streaming in general as a career, what are you doing for your doctorate program, do you have any pets? It was cool to hear a tiny bit about your life and channel growth in the beginning of this video :)
@emilydavich3701 that would be so fun! I've done a Q&A once before, but it's been a while! It'd be fun to do it again!
@@WizardKittenYT I can’t believe I missed that, I thought I’d seen all your videos! If it’s been awhile since the last one I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that you do a new one eventually :)
Completely agree up until Silent Spy. Lol. LOVE that game! Haunted Carousel was my 1st game!
Haha, totally fair! I get why people love it too, it just doesn't work for me!
I literally was just watching my last game review by you after spending the last 6 month watching every game play through and thinking how come you didn’t make a total ranking video ranking yet and voila! This popped up on my subscriptions. Thanks for your work 💘
@@Jojonanaa yay, perfect timing!! Enjoy!
My top five are definitely my cozy,nostalgia games. Games I can play in one sitting are also my favorites. My top 5 is treasure, haunted carousel, scarlet hand, train and Blackmore. And my bottom 5 are the games I just don’t like or can’t beat without hints. Mid, med, ransom, deadly device Thornton hall. I haven’t decided officially where to put keys yet. Haha thanks for the video!!!
@@caseyhoward8650 love the top 5!! Such good games!
My top five games are Legend of the Crystal Skull, Ghost of Thornton Hall, Warnings At Waverly Academy, Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon, and Shadow at the Waters Edge. I tend to prioritize games with an excellent story, interesting characters, a good sense of place and atmosphere, and creative puzzles throughout. Curse of Blackmoor Manor is one that as a kid I did not like because I thought it was too hard, but as I’ve gotten older and upon replay it has crept up my rankings significantly
Seems like you like some good spooky vibes too, which I also really appreciate! I love a thrilling mystery!
@@WizardKittenYT yes I love the spooky vibes!
101 analysis videos?? Wow! I know what playlist I'll be listening to in the coming week, lol look for my random comments on the videos I know I've probably missed over the years!
I can't believe it's been 5 years already. I remember finding your channel during the pandemic when I was in grad school but I've since received my degree, been at my job for 2 years and just found out today that my first non-grad school paper is going to be published! I'm so happy to see your channel grow and appreciate how you always take the time to respond to everyone's comments ❤
It's so interesting to see how your ranking has changed and how you gravitate more toward the cozy games. It makes total sense that when we play the same games over and over we know what to expect and so the enjoyment comes from getting to escape into the environment for a while, unlike when we first played a game and were getting jumpscared or using our full brain power to try and figure out what is going to happen next. I tend to gravitate toward the cozy games too although what that means to me tends to vary with the seasons, and I think my ranking list would change depending on the month.
For example I gravitate toward VEN and ICE during the summer and winter respectfully. I can feel like I'm a spy in Italy eating as much gelato as I want or that I'm in a cozy lodge playing board games with a stranger by a fire, both games to me are comfortable environments. Im excited to see the community rankings soon!
(Also I totally didn't gasp out loud dramatically when I heard how low VEN was on your list, nope definitely not 😉)
@@bookworm598 congrats on your paper!! I definitely know what you mean about seasonal coziness! Makes so much sense!
I am in orlando right now, escaping Milton. This video is exactly what I need today. :)
Stay safe BookDragon!
@@bookdragon4622 oof stay safe!!
My top 5: 1. WAC 2. SAW 3. VEN 4. TRN 5. FIN + honorable mention to CRY - it’s soooo hard to pick just 5! Lately I’ve found myself replaying the “classic” era games for the comfort & amazing atmosphere (and some of Nancys dialogue in those early games, I feel like her character had more sass early on!) Great video! (:
Okay just looking at my own comment a second after posting I already want to switch my rankings a bit! So many of the games are just too good! 😂
@ashleyw5169 I definitely agonized over my ranking too! It's so tough!
I am replaying the games right now! I am really looking forward to seeing how my ranking compares to my last marathon back in 2020!
@@EmilySmith-vx3ro it's fun to compare!!
Love watching these videos rankings are really satisfying!!
I'm so glad you like them!!
Thanks for an updated list! My tier ranking of these games also changes over time. My top 2 are always The Final Scene and Danger on Deception Island. Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon and Shadow Ranch are in a constant battle for 3rd, and Ghost Dogs and Treasure in the Royal Tower are definitely top 5 contenders at all times. I positively love those games. Like you, most of my favorites are from the classic era. I'm sorry, I just think... they're better stories? 🤷♀️ It could be nostalgia talking, but I really do think the most fun, repayable games in the series are 3-13. There were some really good ones after that, though I feel that HER was making good games with the most consistency during that time frame.
@PianoGirl091 I have to agree!! There's just something about those classics that really nails it!
While trying to find forgotten point & click game from childhood, saw your video that was posted five years ago. It's amazing that you still make videos 😳 Thank you!
@@evqs6934 thanks for watching!!
Your number 2 is my number 1! I agree on the cozy vibes as I get older too.
Us oldsters need our comfort! Lol!
I have played every one of the computer games (yes even stay tuned for danger which is sadly discontinued, seriously HER remake this one), except for the new Prague one I’m saving that one for Christmas
@@melissamiller4740 it's such a great series!
I am shocked you demoted FIN, GTH and SEA because I know you always loved those! (although I can't help but be a little pleased about FIN and GTH as you know they are not my faves!). Our top six are now almost the same (swap MHM for ICE), but they are just in a slightly different order! Generally speaking I think games where the mystery is spy or national security related feel ridiculous to me that an 18 yr old kid from another country would be dealing with them. They challenge my suspension of disbelief too much so I never enjoy them - SPY, VEN, KEY, LIE.
@sophinda6292 I still definitely love them!! There's just so many good games, I could honestly say I love my top half rankings! And totally agree about the spy games!!
My Top Five:
5. Curse of Blackmoor Manor
4. Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake
3. Warnings at Waverly Academy
2. Legend of the Crystal Skull
1. Secret of Shadow Ranch
@@Seestorofmordor97 all such fantastic games!!
So excited for this update rankings video! Thank you for all your wonderful nancy drew content!
@@micite200 thanks for watching!!
Ghost Dogs was my first game, so I'm heavily biased towards it. Games 3-5 and 7 always draw me in. Captive Curse is so underrated, I really enjoy it.
Haven't played Seven Keys yet, but if it's worse than Creature of Kapu Cave, then I'm in no rush to have my computer blow up trying to play it.
I always love seeing appreciation for DOG!! Such an amazing game!
Some of your picks are so different from mine BUT our number 1 is the same (as always), my personal top 5 are
.Waverly
.Blackmoor manor
.Danger on Deception Island
.Last Train
.White wolf
@@stuffwithsoph8264 excellent top 5!! Love all those!
I also have White Wolf and Deception island in my top five :)
@@katherinelennon668 I denied White Wolf for so long but i couldn't resist the phone contacts, music, setting and cozy vibes 🙂↕️
It’s pretty crazy to see how your list has changed over 5 years! Your original ranking video was one of the first I ever watched on your channel, and it’s been amazing to watch all the progress you’ve made since!
I did not expect KEY to be in your bottom 5… but honestly, I understand. The worst part of that game is the cringy dialogue🤢
@dragonslayersworkshop8598 yeah, when it came down to it, I just couldn't see myself ranking KEY any higher! It just doesn't deliver on atmosphere or story well enough!
I remember the green make one it scared me so I didn’t play much only saw the game grumps play it
@@Sleepyshy712 the ND games can be legitimately creepy!
Here's my top 10!
1. Danger on deception island
2. Legend of the crystal skull
3. Haunting of castle Malloy
4. White wolf of icicle creek
5. Ghost dogs of moon lake
6. Curse of blackmoor manor
7. Shadow at the waters edge
8. Treasure in the royal tower
9. Secret of shadow ranch
10. Secret of the scarlet hand
I am in agreement with you that Tomb has also grown on me lately. I used to dislike it and now I can't remember why aside from the ending. I quite enjoy the puzzles and the characters, especially Jamilla. I also enjoy Message in a Haunted Mansion although I don't love it. Nostalgia plays a big role for that one for me but it's not as captivating as others. And I also agree that Captive Curse has also grown on me! I used to despise it for the monster plot. I really like the idea of viewing it as a metaphor though!
I still have Silent Spy at the very bottom below even Midnight in Salem. There are a handful of games that I consider to be bad games in the series but Spy is the only one that feels offensive to me lol! I just love the original books so much and I hate how far away they strayed with Nancy's mom. Also to me it diminishes Nancy's sleuthing skills! It takes away from how amazing she is and turns it into "oh well it's in her DNA so she's destined to be a sleuth just like her mom."
@@katherinelennon668 love your top 10!! And excellent points about SPY!
can i ask a question do you think when you have a really good or great installment in a franchise the next one is never as good or bad and also could you think of ransom of the seven ships as an attempt of we know the culprit is and we spend the game trying to catch them those type of mystery series exist
@kelsey1467 there were some trends in the series where the developers seemed to put lots of energy into one game, so either the previous or next game suffered a bit in comparison (e.g. CRE to ICE, RAN to WAC, CLK to TRN)
Hi WZ. Since you ranked Keys so low, do you think the soundtrack was as bad as those bottom 3 games?
@jacksampsonforever kind of? It's so much better than MID, but really repetitive and doesn't have much character.
We are so back
Yeah we are!!! 🙌
What kind of doctorate are you pursuing? Too cool!!
@@iTotofogo a doctorate of education! 😊
Waverly is my #1 as well
my other top ten favourites
2. The Final scene
3. Phantom of Venice
4. The silent spy
5. Ghost of thorton hall
6. Deadly device
7. curse of blackmoor manor
8. Alibi in Ashes
9. shadow at the waters edge
10. Danger by design
Honorable mentions
Captive curse
last train to blue moon canyon
sea of darkness
message in a haunted mansion
Ghost dogs of moon lake
Least favs
1. Midnight in salem
2. Secret of the old clock
3. Creature of kapu cave
4. Secret of the scarlet hand
5. Mystery of the seven keys
6. White wolf of icicle creek
7. tomb of the lost queen
8. Secrets can kill
9. shattered medallion
10. labyrinth of lies
dishonorable mentions
trail of the twister
haunting of castle malloy
ransom of the seven ships
LOL, love the dishonorable mentions!
This video inspired me to make my own ranking! Mines a bit different from yours but I think that’s neat because we all have different opinions on the games and that’s okay! Here’s my ranking:
:1. CUR
2. TRT
3. DDI
4. CLK
5. ICE
6. SEA
7. CRE
8. DOG
9. SSH
10. SHA
11. SPY
12. DAN
13. CAP
14. WAC
15. CAR
16. SAW
17. MHM
18. TOT
19. TRN
20. ASH
21. DED
22. MID
23. STFD
24. FIN
25. MED
26. GTH
27. VEN
28. HAU
29. CRY
30. TMB
31. LIE
32. KEY
33. RAN
34. SCK
@@FlawlessSelMarie ooh interesting!! I absolutely agree that it's fun to see other's lists!!
I’m from Oklahoma and I wish I could like Twister better, but honestly I just can’t.
The puzzles are mostly ok, but the characters and plot are underdeveloped and go nowhere. And yes, I have been through actual tornadoes and I agree, I didn’t feel the danger.
Same with Katy Cave, my mother spent her teenage years in Hawaii. I can’t like it all that much, because entire plot points can be missed entirely and the conclusion is underdeveloped. No kidding, in one play through I was able to learn the Hilihili’s top secret project and how it relates to the Hardy Boy’s story, but only once, never again was I able to trigger it.
My top three surprisingly hasn’t changed over the past while
Last Train
Thornton Hall
Deception Island
@@IWish2500 all such excellent games!!
Soooo many thoughts…
I will keep it down to fighting you over TOT and VEN being in the bottom 10 and SEA not being in the top 10. The other choices I can look over. 😂😅🤪
LOL! Fair enough!! 😁
@@karricompton I'm a big fan of those two as well! Venice is my #1 !🕵🏼♀️
I think TOT is unfairly hated on! I agree with you
I have a terrible hot take...I really don't like Blackmore. It’s too spooky for me. BUT I do agree Warnings at Waverly is the one I love most.
My top 5
1. CUR
2. TRN
3. FIN
4. DDI
5. HAU/CRY
These games are my go to if i want to feel fully immersed.
Conversation flow is so important to me and in LIE the puzzles didn't bother me compare to how awkward the convo flow goes, Melina was the best. I felt that awkwardness in SPY, DED, SAW and MED, the rhythm is just weird.
Games I will mostly never play again MID SCK rem and SPY, gives me an itch. 😂
@@Maevava88 I get what you mean about the conversation flow!!
I agree with you on midnight in Salem that one was the most disappointing in the entire series. Plus I am still waiting on Ned and Carson Drew to finally and I do mean FINALLY make an appearance already not just phone calls *face palm
@@melissamiller4740 true!! I'd love a Ned and Carson appearance!
MHM was my first ever game. I compare all ND games to it. The environment, music, sound effects and details are unmatched. The old ND games will never be beaten by the newer games. I would give anything to have the same quality of games that the classics are. The new voice actress feels flat, and the games feel rushed. I completely agree with the "worst" games on your list. I have played the Shattered Medallion once. I tried to play a second time and I turned it off!
@@Lizpuff2006 MHM is such a delight of a game! So marvelous!!
I loved doing this survey I love helping fellow Nancy Drew lovers like me
@@nerdygeekgamer5528 more details on the survey results coming soon!!
I find myself agreeing with this list more than the original one. But a couple of stray comments.
MID: The very best part about this game is still Creepy Deirdre appearing over your shoulder.
MED: An awful game, with no definable ending, but I can almost justify the fact that it's a STORY about a game show, rather than an actual game show. If the rest of the game was good, I wouldn't mind that the game show came out the same way no matter what you did. A game show where the results weren't pre-set would be more suited to the Dossier games.
RAN: I almost feel like taking this one off the table entirely, as it's gotten so much heat for political rather than gameplaying reasons. This was one of Arglefumph's Top 5 games before he found people might be offended if he didn't hate it, and it dropped to his rock bottom spot. That being said, I agree with pretty much everything you said except for the one suspect part. It's bad writing to think that the culprit in any mystery must be someone standing in plain view the entire game. And it's a testament to how much HER has overused this idea that they couldn't get players to imagine anything different. I still maintain that Bess and George should have been the culprits, the kidnapping a joke, and Johnny a red herring.
LIE: A really DULL, linear game, full of puzzles that you discover before you can do anything with them, and which feel disassociated from their environment. Characters are unlikable, maybe because they're all culprits, there's little to do in the museum, and Niobe is in two places at once for half the game. People usually rate this one too high but you've got it just about right.
SPY: In addition to what you said, I couldn't get over the idea of a Midwestern Lawyer's wife being an international secret agent. That's like James Bond marrying an auto dealer from Toledo. And of course a culprit who's a culprit just because he can be, oh Murgatroyd...
SCK: People tend to roll these into one, but of the two the original Secrets Can Kill is better, especially with the No CD patch, just because it has more unintentional laughs in it (Juvenile Delinquent Nancy, Echo Nancy, et cetera). Also, Daryl and Hulk are much better in the original.
VEN: Something you didn't mention is the whole question of whether Nancy operating as a professional detective is really within the scope of the series.
CLK: I rate this one much higher, mainly because we live in the 1930's part time, and listen to Jack Benny shows from that era on a regular basis. Driving around Titusville is funnier if you get who all the people Nancy meets are.
CAR: Feels very claustrophobic for an amusement park, the Miles Subplot is total padding, and ridiculous to boot (Joy's dad built a sentient robot, using technology that NASA scientists don't have). Best Part: "Nancy, you slipped and broke your neck? You're off the case!"
TMB: Game breaking bug: The Egyptians spoke English. Major Annoyance: Shoehorning the Annunaki subplot into another game where it doesn't belong.
DED: Like VEN, this game wrestles with questions about whether or not Nancy is a professional. Cause if she's not, Victor calling in an out of state teenage amateur on a MURDER case is insane. Game is even more claustrophic than CAR.
ASH: Nancy being actually arrested on the basis of no real evidence is still a game breaker for me. And you complain how unconcerned Nancy is in RAN, but all her friends are the same way in this one, what with their quasi-military banter. "Bess, turning the case over to you!" "Ned, accepting case!" It's like they think this is part of the Clues Challenge, and don't grasp that Nancy is really in jail. No matter how well a game executes, if it's based on a crazy premise, it drags the whole game down.
SSH: People complain a lot about this one not having an actual crime for the first hour, but TRN doesn't have one until the endgame, and nobody seems to mind. I thought the delayed mystery angle worked pretty well.
ICE: Fox and Geese, a simplified Checkers variant, is not something that should make strong players weep. There's too much of it, to be sure,
SAWA: This one would definitely go in my Top 10, in place of DOG, probably.
SEA: A good game, but also frequently overrated. I think people were so relieved that the last one was a good one, after three straight lackluster entries, that they tend to rate it a little too high.
GTH: Graverobbing Nancy is still a game-breaking bug for me, as is visual hallucinations from CO poisoning (while you're in the open air, no less). I also wish the house itself was bigger. Would definitely put CRY above this one. Oddly enough, the "best" ending isn't the best one. The chirpy Best Ending doesn't fit the mood of the story, while the Middle Ending fits it perfectly.
TRT: Only gripe is that the culprit can get into the tower at the end even if you take the precaution of retracting the stairs first. Nancy has to be careless even if the player isn't.
FIN: Good game but I don't get why the kidnapee was someone we'd never heard of instead of Bess or George. I guess that's what happened in the book they were adapting.
TRN: Slightly implausible that the puzzles would still be solvable after a century, but not a huge problem.
SHA: Good game, but I find myself disliking Francis for disowning her dad for daring to arrest a criminal.
CUR: Maybe a little too tilted towards puzzles, more than story, but maybe that's because it has so much backstory.
MHM: I could honestly see putting this game at #1, it's maybe the one that feels the most like a Stratemeyer book. Rather than Jump Scares it relies on "Did I just see what I thought I saw??" scares.
DOG: Without the nostalgia you have, this wouldn't make my Top 10. Top 15, probably. But only 3 suspects. And going out at night was really creepy at first, until it became clear that they only had one dog attack in the animation budget.
@@GraemeCree so fun to read your thoughts on the games! I agree that Deirdre jump scares are the best part of MID, lol. And I definitely get the 3 characters criticism for DOG! One more definitely would've been better.
CUR ftw!! 😊
@@Rltc2191 top 5!!!
I agree midnight in Salem is SO SO AWFUL! I mean the graphics the animations, but I do like the music
@@gabrielplays3065 it really is 🥲
I have to admit that after all these videos, I have no idea what Mystique Manor is, and Googling it doesn't reveal much. If they're paying to bring new people in, it might not be working.
BTW, what does it even mean to say "all opinions are valid"? Is it a polite nothing, or more than that? If you tell me that a game is good, and can tell me 10 good things about it, and another guy says "Idunno, I just don't like it", then clearly your opinion carries more weight than his. His is based on nothing specific. It might make him feel good to tell him his opinion is valid, but it's barely an opinion at all. One thing I've learned is that a viewpoint, no matter how highly developed it may be in your head, is almost worthless if you can't get it out of your head and actually communicate it to someone else.
Case in point. In this hypothetical instance, I can repeat those 10 good things you told me to anyone. But if I try to repeat his viewpoint ("An anonymous guy on the internet said he didn't like the game"), I'd just get laughed at. If by saying his opinion is "valid", you only mean that he's entitled to it, that's true. But that's true of every viewpoint.
My dude. What? She doesn’t want her opinions to discount viewers’ opinions. It’s not deep😅.
Also, mystique manor refers to her Patreon.
@@liz5089 Okay, but don't forget, my views are valid.
I had completely the wrong idea about Mystique Manor. I knew she had a Patreon, but I somehow thought that Mystique Manor was a sponsor.
@@GraemeCree yeah it is. You just had a 2 paragraph comment about opinions when she’s just making a comment to her viewers that her opinions aren’t better than other’s views. It came across as argumentative and a little aggressive
@@liz5089 I just wanted to know what it means. You obviously think I'm wrong to a certain degree. So, what does it mean to say that I'm also valid? Reading between the lines I think you're saying it doesn't really mean anything, it's just a polite thing to say, which is fine. I just wanted to be clear. Your view is valid too, then.
I’m so glad MID and KEY were at the bottom. All other games are basically masterpieces compared to those. 😅
@chrisr9764 yeah, they don't have the same magic!