Scariest Nancy Drew Games, Ranked

Summary

• Nancy Drew games involve exploration, puzzles, and solving mysteries – often with eerie settings and paranormal elements.
• Characters often face chilling moments and scenarios, from encountering ghostly figures to solving suspenseful myths.
• Nancy Drew takes players through haunted mansions, eerie ships, and creepy amusement parks, challenging them with spine-tingling puzzles.

The main character from a series of mystery books dating as far back as the 1930s, Nancy Drew is a sharp-minded detective who always finds herself stepping into a mystery begging to be solved wherever she goes, even when trying to take a vacation. There have been various movies, TV shows, and even game adaptations placing players in the shoes of the iconic detective, challenging them to solve puzzles.

Sometimes, these mysteries come with a helping of fright, as the culprit attempts to scare Nancy off from their trail. Even if players are aware these games always have a logical explanation that unfolds throughout the game, it can still be a challenge to remain brave enough to see it through to the end.

10

Sea of Darkness

Explore the Eerie Sea Vessel

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: May 19th, 2015
• Developer(s): Her Interactive

A town in Iceland is set to celebrate the Ancestors Festival, which involves ship captain Magnus steering the restored vessel Heerlijkheid into the port, only for the ship to arrive sans the captain. Rather than enjoying the idyllic snowy town and the festival, Nancy will be hard at work questioning the locals and exploring the ship to solve the mystery behind Magnus’s disappearance.

It doesn’t sound like a very scary setup, but Sea of Darkness still manages to be eerie with its locations. The ship itself, despite having been painstakingly renovated to its former glory, is still a creepy place to explore, especially since it arrived like a ghost ship with no one onboard. The town offers some reprieve, but it makes returning to the ship even more chilling.

9

Legend of the Crystal Skull

Begins with a Surprisingly Effective Jumpscare

The 17th installment in the series by Her Interactive, Legend of the Crystal Skull takes Nancy Drew and her friend, Bess Marvin, to check on one of Ned’s classmates in New Orleans, who recently lost a family member. Rather than comforting a grief-stricken teen, Nancy finds herself immersed in a mystery involving a legend hardly anyone truly believes in. Was Bruno’s death orchestrated, and where is the legendary artifact now?

These are questions Nancy must find the answers to while exploring New Orleans by night during a rainstorm, the perfect way to immerse players in atmospheric tension, like they are in a classic murder mystery. The Bolet manor itself is an eerie place to explore, only populated by a few characters, making it feel just empty enough to elicit chills. What’s more, Nancy is given a shocking welcome, as a masked man appears as if from seemingly nowhere in a rather effective jumpscare that guarantees to get even seasoned horror game players.

8

The Haunted Carousel

A Series of Events Cast Suspicions that the Park is Haunted

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: August 22nd, 2003
• Developer(s): Her Interactive

Amusement parks are normally places that elicit joy, excitement, and happy memories, but The Haunted Carousel breaks this tradition, pulling players into a sea-themed amusement park that has become a hot-spot of strange occurrences that are making the staff question the source, with someone even pointing toward paranormal explanations. Ever the skeptic, Nancy is determined to brave any of these horrors and get to the bottom of this mystery.

With one of the prized carousel horses stolen, the ride starts itself up at night, leading some to believe a curse has befallen the park. Nancy must explore the attractions, which take on a rather unsettling air when they are not populated by happy thrill-seekers, witnessing a few unusual events herself. Some of the attractions don’t need any help to be frightening, such as the demons of the deep haunted house. Its name alone is enough to hint at the horrors within.

7

Message in a Haunted Mansion

A Single Misstep Could Spell Nancy’s Doom

If this mansion were to relay a message to any hopefuls who enter, it would probably be ‘get out while you still can.’ A classic Victorian mansion in San Francisco in dire need of repairs is where Nancy sets off under the invitation of a friend in hopes she can assist with the repairs. But in classic Nancy Drew fashion, she finds a mystery on her hands that she can’t help but try to solve.

There are more in the mansion than those assisting with repairs, it would seem, as uninvited spirits of the past return in hopes of securing the property for themselves, which in itself presents plenty of danger. Trap doors, secret tunnels, and even unexplained fires are all found in the mansion, which might all be part of someone’s grand scheme to eliminate the competition. The most frightening part of this game is that it is all too easy to become the next victim, as someone doesn’t seem to care who they might hurt to get what they want.

6

Midnight in Salem

Investigate One of the Creepiest Locations in America

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: December 3rd, 2019
• Developer(s): Her Interactive, Mi’pu’mi Games

One of the more recent Nancy Drew titles, Midnight in Salem takes place in that old, fabled town intrinsically tied to histories of witchcraft and witch hunts, rumored to be one of the most haunted places in the entire world. And, with a mystery of a burnt down historical building to solve, Nancy Drew will find her status as a skeptic put to the test when she comes face to face with a ghost haunting the town.

With plenty of eerie places to explore, such as an old cemetery where the dead might not be as restful as one hopes, Midnight in Salem stands out as one of the more frightening games, designed to frighten players with sprinklings of the paranormal as they seek out the arsonist. When even the brave Nancy Drew finds herself slightly shaken, that’s when players know they are in for a truly scary time.

5

Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake

Beware of the Pack of Undead Canines

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: November 9th, 2002
• Developer(s): Her Interactive

Nancy received a rather alarming note from her friend Sally who had recently bought a property that once belonged to a 1920s gangster by the name of Mickey Malone, claiming that every night, a pack of wild dogs with strange glowing eyes attacked her house. From their strange appearance and the sounds they make, Sally believes they aren’t quite normal dogs, but Nancy arrives at the scene in hopes of allaying her friends’ fears and putting an end to their harassment.

Of course, there is more to this mystery than meets the eye, and she finds herself investigating Mickey’s history — and the rumors of hidden gold that might just be the motive for chasing Sally off the property. Even with suspicions that there are no actual ghost dogs, it can still be terrifying to even consider, as living dogs can also be plenty scary with just how dangerous they can be if the owner trains them to act harmfully.

4

The Haunting of Castle Malloy

Confront a Legendary Folklore Figure

As the maid of honor to Kyler and Matt’s wedding, Nancy sets off for Ireland, where Castle Malloy nestles amid picturesque, albeit a little unsettling, surroundings. It was set to be a fairytale wedding, and the biggest event in Bailor for over half a century. But disaster strikes when the groom goes missing, and so Nancy delves into the mystery to see if he had cold feet, or something more sinister is at work.

All signs definitely point to sinister as Nancy finds herself accosted by a shrieking, ghostly figure that looks every bit like a banshee, giving her a fleeting glimpse at the beginning of the game that causes her to crash her car. The banshee might just be the figure behind Matt’s disappearance, and even more worrying, it might just be real. Both the player and Nancy will have to find the courage to confront this entity and uncover the truth behind this frightening mystery.

3

Curse of Blackmoor Manor

A Curse Threatens Newlywed Linda and Nancy

In this mystery, Nancy jets off to England to check on her neighbor’s daughter, Linda, who has recently wedded a British diplomat. The couple reside in an ancient 14th century mansion named Blackmoor Manor, which is just as creepy as it sounds. What’s more, Linda has become a complete recluse, hiding away in her bedroom behind curtains, not wanting to talk to anyone. She claims she has become cursed, and that Nancy is the curse’s next victim.

Just the mere thought of being caught up in a curse while trying to unravel the mystery is enough to make anyone nervous, especially when the player is given a hint as to what the curse is exactly, posing whether werewolves are real in the Nancy Drew universe. What’s more, there is strange chanting heard throughout the mansion in the early hours of the morning. Though the words cannot be made out, it’s still an unsettling thing to hear in the middle of the night.

2

Shadow at the Water’s Edge

Something Terrifying Haunts the Ryokan

Nancy Drew has decided to take up teaching, jetting off to Tokyo to help students develop their English language skills. While teaching, Nancy boards at an old ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn that is on the brink of closing. There were only a few other guests booked when Nancy arrived, and before long, they all leave, frightened away by unsettling events that occur during their stay. Nancy takes it upon herself to investigate these claims to see if there is any truth behind the supposed haunting.

Looking into any supposed paranormal events, whether someone is a skeptic or a believer, is bound to be frightening. With her remaining as the only guest and determined to stay, she becomes the next target of the shadow, which looks like a very eerie, long-haired ghost, akin to Sadako or Kayako from The Ring and The Grudge. This spirit, real or not, even almost drowns Nancy at one point, meaning that not only is the entity terrifying to behold, it is also very dangerous.

1

Ghost of Thornton Hall

A Missing Bride May Have Been Spirited Away

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: May 14th, 2013
• Developer(s): Her Interactive

Jessalyn is an excited bride-to-be who embarks on a sleepover at the abandoned Thornton Hall as a celebration — only for her to disappear, putting the wedding on hold and Nancy on the trail to find out who, or what, took her. Nancy must investigate the rest of the family and the crumbling edifice of splendor to uncover this mystery that might throw everything Nancy believes into question, as a ghost is said to haunt the hallways.

The rumor takes on more ground as Nancy herself sees the ghost, a specter that is beautiful, sad, and frightening at the same time. Even Nancy, who believes logic prevails, believes there might be some truth to the ghost, and she sets out to make contact — unfortunately for the player, as they must also brave the meeting.