#I can only take reccs from cool people with good taste now

[gaylittleguys]

book musings don’t mind me

I was really so disappointed with the long way to a small angry planet. As soon as I identified WHY it was bothering me, I just started getting so annoyed I just returned it without finishing it. I didn’t want to be disappointed because I really loved the setup and the characters, and thought it had so much potential! But I really just couldn’t get over the way it was written, and the way it felt like Nothing actually happened ever, despite there being SO MANY things that were happening. It just felt like none of it mattered? Things would come up and be resolved with a neat little moral or something to say and that’s it. But I was over halfway through the book, and I don’t think I learned more about anybody than I did in the first couple chapters. It felt so devoid of any conflict or imperfection that it just wasn’t interesting lmao. There was a review that compared it to a tv show like Firefly, and Yeah. It felt like it was trying to be an episodic tv show, with fun little side adventures with the same cast, but that’s not what I want out of a book! I’d go watch a show for that!! I want a cohesive story PLEASE. There was just too many offshoots and too many side plots that I just didn’t care and none of them were interesting. Which is a shame because the world building was very compelling and I Wanted to be invested, but there was just barely any focus on the interesting plot points. I just had such a hard time with it, and I couldn’t finish it. I skimmed through the rest of the book to see if it got more interesting, but it seemed like it was just more disconnected side stories. Which was maybe the point, but it just felt like….. uninteresting. There was nothing to be invested in.

[charliemcarthy]

hello!! so ive been following u for a while now (since 2014 or earlier i think? i have vague memories of danny phantom merfic) and ur the only person i follow who posts about nancy drew so i Have to ask bc my curiosity keeps piquing over the years. i love puzzle/detective games, where do u think i should start if i wanted to get into the nancy drew games? :]

80 Hello! What a juicy ask to answer over my morning coffee >)

I have answered a couple asks/posts over the years about starting the games:

This one as well as this ask can be quick places to start <3

I also highly recommend this post made by Nancy-Drew-Designs that I just rebagled. I love the way they've organized the games into this chart, it's very reliable, even when taking int account that each game's difficulty can be suggestive. It might be easier to use this when you've got a few games below your belt, though! None of the above posts contain spoilers <3 (None of the below do either!)

This gets VERY long and rambly here, and I don't even mention all the games >>; Sorry!

So TBH my tastes/suggestions haven't changed much in the 4 years since I was asked which games were the 'best.' I will still stick by Ghost of Thorton Hall, Shadow at the Water's Edge, Final Scene. I will also toss Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake, The Haunted Carousel, or Message in a Haunted Mansion into the ring. ...Charlie loves spooky stuff, can you tell XD DOG, CAR, and MHM are all older games, and despite their age they have stood up to time pretty well.

MHM is a shorter game but riddled with spooks and creeps around every corner. There's a particular scare on the foyer staircase that chills me to this day. Play this in the dark with headphones on!

DOG was baby Charlie's first game and so it will always be one of my reccs. It's got ghost puppos, spooky woods, cemeteries, and talks of old gangsters in the roaring 20's! What's not to love!

CAR is another shortish game, with somewhat simple puzzles. I love theme parks too, I grew up with my folks working the town carnival. There's something about an empty theme park that soothes/relaxes me, but I think it's liminal space for a lotta people. I also like it's secondary plot/message about grieving and loss, and it's one of my most replayed games simply for the gentleness of it. The music is just haunting, too~

The nice thing about ND games is there is, literally, something for everyone! And they, most of them anyway, maintain their theme's integrity or showcase good, honest research to whatever their niche subject is. Some games you have to suspend disbelief more than others, for example Secret of the Scarlet Hand is NOT osha safe, and that's all I'll say about that. (But omg, is it a cool as fuck game, and they did their due diligence with Mayan culture, even made baby!Charlie stop and question why it was okay for museums to just...take from other cultures even in the name of learning and preservation. Like, good for them, my mom loved that sm.)

If you love orcas or the ocean, or perhaps have fond memories of East Coast livin', you'd enjoy Danger on Deception Island, or maybe you'd like to head to the tropics, in which case, Creature of Kapu Cave might be a fun one.

The Legend of the Crystal Skull has lots of perils and unease, and since it's rooted in New Orleans that's no surprise.

If you like horses, or old western romances, perhaps the Secret at Shadow Ranch will tempt you first!

You also can't go wrong with The Secret of the Old Clock, which is a cute lil rewind and lovingly recreates the first Nancy Drew book while still keeping itself fresh and unique. Plus hey, mini golf!

And if you were an Ancient Egypt kid, like so many of us were, then Secret of the Lost Tomb will be right up your alley~

And of course, if you want to literally start from the ground up, simply check the wiki, and you can play them in order <3 (Though I will suggest playing the Remastered Secrets Can Kill in place of game 1. XD It's a lil more fleshed out, more polished etc.)

The newer games, in my opinion, are sort of where things start to...fall apart. I have played The Silent Spy, Labyrinth of Lies and didn't like them. I played Sea of Darkness and did enjoy it but...well, let's put put this way:

I've played those newer games past GTH once. More out of desperation and loyalty for the old studio, frankly. They are not high on my list of recommendations, but perhaps you will play them and find something more to love than I did, Anon.

I've replayed most of the above recommendations since 2002, almost ad nausea, all different levels. Some of my best memories are playing them over with my friends, watching the game new through their eyes. I've converted a few who snubbed point and clicks into ND addicts, having had them tell me, "well these games are different. Even the campy, old ones--they just are."

Now, quickly, difficulty can be relative. I personally think some of the 'harder' games are easier and vice versa, but the games thankfully all come with Amateur and Master Sleuth modes.

There really isn't a wrong answer, to be honest. (Except Midnight in Salem. Please don't start with that one.)

Certainly go with your gut, and dig into titles that pique your interest beyond the ones I've mentioned. And of course, come back and tell me what you think!