Secrets can kill

Cryptologia, Apr 2000 by Kruh, Louis

Carmel, Hesi, ed. Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill . An interactive mystery game. HerInteractive.com, 11808 Northup Way, Suite W-350, Bellevue WA 90005 USA. 1999. 2 CD-ROM Set with detective handbook and clue notepad, $29.95. Available from website: www.herinteractive.com or call 1-800-561-0908.

For almost 70 years, girls have followed Nancy Drew through 350 intriguing mystery novels, six movies and two TV series. Now she has made the leap to interactive computer games.

In Secrets Can Kill , Nancy is visiting her aunt in the fictitious town of Paseo Del Mar, Florida, when a crime is committed at the local high school. The principal asks Nancy to help and posing as a student she explores the town, collecting clues and talking to people who knew the victim, Jake Rogers. During the course of the investigation, she learns that each of the four student suspects has something to hide and that Jake had something on each of them. ,

The game cursor is in the shape of a magnifying glass and as you navigate through the software the outline of the magnifying glass changes color as it provides suggestions for your next move. If you find yourself stuck during the game, Nancy's best friends, Ned, Bess and George are just a calling card away and you get 15 chances to call them for hints before your calling card expires. As Nancy Drew, players can solve dozens of cryptic codes and puzzles, collect all kinds of interesting clues and crime evidence while having fun and exercising critical thinking skills, logic and deduction. The game can be played at three levels of difficulty: junior, senior and master detective. Designed for girls 11 years and up, Secrets Can Kill , has won numerous awards and accolades including the Good Housekeeping 1999 Top CD-ROM and Teen People Online Editors Choice for the Best Mystery Game for Girls.