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✰ ✰ ☾ ✰ ✰

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I’m now a decent chunk of the way into The Shattered Medallion (halfway? a third? idk. I remember basically zero things about how the plot goes) and this game is so weird.

I’m not sure if I’m doing things out of the expected order or what, but there have been so many bits where a character says something as if I’m supposed to know what they’re talking about. “don’t you think Sonny is acting strange?” ….no?? because I’ve only ever seen him in the opening cutscene and have had zero other interaction. “this password must be for the water puzzle” WHAT water puzzle?? I got a text saying that challenge 3 was open, but we have no idea what it is yet. Etc etc etc. Every single character interaction involves me learning new information that the characters think I already know

On top of that, challenges keep ending before I’ve had time to do anything. And I know that’s intentional, but it makes me feel like I don’t have time to explore everything because new plot beats are happening so quickly.

When you put all of that together, the game feels too full. There’s so much happening and it’s all going so fast and you feel behind and you don’t have your leisure to explore. But at the exact same time…. it’s too empty. When you strip away the anxiety of racing against the competition, you’re left with a limited number of places to go and some straightforward little puzzles.

I really feel like there’s a GOOD game buried somewhere in here, but it just didn’t come through in the execution. It’s a fun premise, the snark from the announcer is hilarious, the confessional recordings we get to listen to are full of entertaining character bits, the gameshow mechanism opens up so many possibilities (no longer needing to justify why some 19th century person would build a weird elaborate puzzle! it’s a puzzle because it’s a gameshow! we can do whatever we want!)

Basically, this one just has me feeling bummed out because I see all the things it could be but didn’t manage to pull off

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I just love how Nancy here goes, oh, all of my clothing is drenched wet, so let me just, let me fold it into a perfect rectangle, while it's wet, and then also leave it on my bed, wet, where I'm implied to intend to sleep tonight, so that the bed can get wet too :) and we're just supposed to accept this, that after solving all of those mysteries Nancy's brain goes only so far in the matter of wet clothing

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<3

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psa for the phantom of venice: you never have to lock the door to the ca

pass it on

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case photos: The Haunting of Castle Malloy

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Found these cool original editions of sck and stfd at goodwill!

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Tattoo Designs inspired by Nancy Drew games

#11 Curse of Blackmoor Manor

Secrets Can Kill | Stay Tuned for Danger | Message in a Haunted Mansion | Treasure in the Royal Tower | The Final Scene | Secret of the Scarlet Hand | Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake | The Haunted Carousel | Danger on Deception Island | The Secret at Shadow Ranch

→ ko fi | redbubble

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the fact that nancy actually crosses out order bubble wrap, packing tape, sticky labels even though all the guy did was pretty much tell her to fuck off gets me every time

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Will anything in our fandom ever match the chaos of spring 2020? There was official Bucket Day, the beginning of the Nursing Home Saga, the Picture of Megan investigation and accusations flying known as Megangate, new on-theme anon accounts created daily, a special edition podcast for POM, a surge of FMK asks, and then the POM website launched and we tackled its riddles on mother’s day weekend. All while the #cluecrewplaythrough content continued in the background. April 22 to May 11 was a wild ride!

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For every nostalgic mid-2000s computer game you used to love, chances are there's still a small but thriving community of people all over the world still making content for it well over a decade later and i think that's beautiful

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case photos: Treasure in the Royal Tower

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I can explain

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nd in 2d: the hot kettle cafe

more: theft of the pacal (SSH), nancy’s desk (ASH), the great hall of castle malloy (HAU), magnus’s cabin (SEA), the witching hour (TRT), dear sweet charlotte (GTH)

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not knowing what symbols you’ve found and haven’t found

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Surprise!

The ~remastered~ version of my TRN stickers is live in my shop! The first four people to buy the new version will receive a free sticker sheet of the old version! The old version will no longer be available as of this time.