Nancy Drew novels are timeless classics. I have personal memories of reading these books, and having a tremendously hard time putting them down! I'll just read one more chapter, I used to lie to myself over and over again. This CD-ROM set is similarly addictive and absorbing!

There are 3 challenge levels to choose from: Junior, Senior, or Master Detective. Players start off in Nancy's Aunt Eloise's house, searching for clues. They are free to explore the different locations -- the diner, the high school, and the house. Players roam the halls of the high school and meet up with interesting students/suspects. Interrogating them is fun -- players are given a choice of a few questions at the bottom of the screen to ask these suspects.

Throughout this mystery adventure there are puzzles and codes to solve. Players should have a pencil and notepad handy, and they will definitely need to use them! A coded message on a bulletin board in the high school halls leads players to deduce the combination of the murder victim's locker, by using the hall phone! Some codes include things like Morse Code, Braille, and the greek alphabet. A slider puzzle must be solved before players can open a box that hides a secret message,which in turn must be solved in order to lead to important clues. "Nancy" uses a phone card to call friends who dispel advice and helpful hints.

This is the kind of game in which collaboration has great pay-offs. Although it can be played alone, it is challenging. The music is mysterious and sets the mood and the graphics of the game are excellent. Kid testers love playing this game, and it even attracted and intrigued their parents. Nancy Drew Secrets Can Kill was designed with girls in mind, placing perhaps a bit more emphasis on social interaction with characters, for example. However, although boys may at first object to the female main character, if they give the game a chance, there is no reason for them to be less interested in the program than girls are.

Technically Speaking
Minimum requirements are Windows 95/98, a Pentium 166 processor, 16 Mb RAM, and 8X CD ROM. It requires a minimum of 42 Mb of hard drive space for the minimum install option. Direct X6 needs to be installed and is included.

Skills Covered
problem solving, deductive reasoning, puzzles.

Educational Value
Although designed more for entertainment purposes, this program will get players thinking logically and solving problems.

Entertainment Value
Any pre-teen or teenager who enjoys a good mystery will find this program enjoyable and pleasantly addictive.

Design
This game is easy to navigate. The cursor is a magnifying glass that turns blue when the screen can scroll in the direction it is pointing, and it turns red when there is a "clickable". The game is contained on 2 CD-ROMs which means occasionally swapping disks during the adventure.

Replayability
Players who enjoy a challenge will be highly motivated to follow through to the end of this game. There is a lot of content to keep players busy for some time.

Dollar Value
This game sells for approximately $40 US. We consider it very valuable not only because there are few games on the market for its target audience, but also because it happens to be excellent.