Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger – Review

Nancy Drew is over 90 years old, and yet she stays 18… Anyway, this is the second Nancy Drew game in the Her Interactive series! Cool right? It’s kind of hard to get it to work on modern computers but if you can, it’s a great game just like all the others. Here’s my review for the game!

Why Stay Tuned for Danger?

Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger is the second game in the long-running Nancy Drew point-and-click mystery series by Her Interactive. Released in 1999, this installment takes players behind the scenes of a TV soap opera plagued by threats and sabotage. Even decades later, it remains a nostalgic favorite for many fans.

In this adventure, Nancy goes undercover at the set of “Light of Our Love” to investigate disturbing threats made against the show’s star, Rick Arlen. As she navigates the glamorous yet cutthroat world of daytime television, Nancy must untangle a web of jealousies, secrets, and grudges to uncover who is behind the escalating danger. The storyline is filled with twists and red herrings, making it a classic whodunit experience.

Following the traditional first-person point-and-click format, players gather clues, solve puzzles, and interrogate a colorful cast of characters. Stay Tuned for Danger features more dialogue-heavy investigation than other Nancy Drew titles, requiring players to pay close attention to character conversations and schedules. Puzzle difficulty varies, and there are a few timed sequences that can add tension. Some puzzles may feel a bit dated today, but they still offer satisfying “aha!” moments.

Considering its late ’90s release, the game’s visuals are simple but effective. Hand-drawn backgrounds provide enough detail to create a convincing TV studio environment. The soundtrack is moody and suspenseful, complementing the mysterious atmosphere, and the voice acting, though a little cheesy at times, adds charm to the overall experience.

Stay Tuned for Danger was one of the few Nancy Drew games that included multiple endings depending on the player’s choices toward the climax. Sadly, due to technical limitations, the game was discontinued and can be tricky to run on modern systems without patches or fan support.

For “scary things” This game doesn’t have that. The ending is a bit stressful, but other than that there’s nothing “scary”.

How We Test Games

For testing games we use a Ryzen 7 1700x CPU, AMD RX580, running on Win 10. Tests are done with up to 5 players. We take turns playing and evaluating games.

This game is only 1-player and it’s for PC/MAC. We’ve been playing together on two computers on the Steam version for this game.

Whenever possible we play multiple players. We use a Nintendo Switch firmware version 2H. Hardware includes Joy-con and Pro controller on a large screen TV. We also use a Nintendo 2DS, DS XL.

Pros

Strong, twisty mystery plot.

Memorable cast of characters.

Classic Nancy Drew investigative gameplay.

Nostalgic atmosphere.

Cons

Outdated graphics and interface.

Difficult to run on modern computers.

Some puzzles and sequences can be frustrating without careful timing.

Alas, like most Nancy Drew PC games, after you solve the mystery you know who the culprit is. Maybe after a while you could forget the culprit, but we usually remember as soon as we see or talk to them in the game.

Summary

Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger may show its age, but it’s a solid and suspenseful mystery with engaging characters and a strong investigative feel. It’s a must-play for dedicated Nancy Drew fans and anyone who enjoys classic detective stories.