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Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fab fun as teen super-sleuth goes undercover at prep school.

In this game kids can:   improve hand-eye coordination, live vicariously, play music, solve a mystery, solve puzzles

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Many of the puzzles can only be solved by thinking logically. The game is full of puzzles embedded in the mystery.

  • Messages:

    The overall message is that if you use your mind and wits, you can solve this mystery. While some of the girls depicted in this game are cruel and mean, Nancy never is and rises above the pettiness. She does, however, use some unorthodox methods to solve the mystery including breaking school rules and vandalizing property.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    If you fail to solve some of the puzzles correctly, you can hurt yourself, which results in a blank screen with words describing what happened. For example, one of the puzzles involves memorizing how a squirrel jumps from limb to limb to traverse a giant Oak tree. If you don't recreate the path correctly, you'll fall down and injure yourself (never shown, just told). The game automatically gives you a "Second Chance" to try the puzzle again.

  • Sex:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Girls are catty and at times, malicious in their comments about others.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy was written by Jinny Gudmundsen

Parents need to know that Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy is a fabulous mystery game set in an elite New England prep school for girls. Amid rumors and gossip that are typical of most high schools, Nancy must learn to make friends and discover the truth of who is causing harmful accidents to happen to the seniors vying for valedictorian. Nancy's methods are not always above-board, as she resorts to vandalism, hacking into computers, and other rule-stretching tactics.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about heroines in video games. Who is your favorite and why?
  • Nancy broke several school rules to solve this mystery. She hacked into computers, broke window, went out after curfew, and more. Why is this behavior OK within a video game, but not in real life?
  • This mystery is set in an elite girls' boarding school. Do you think the dialogue and interaction between the girl students caught the feel of what it is like to be in high school? Why or why not.
Did this review help you decide?

OK for Your Kids to Play?

Do you play it? Review It!

More on Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy

What’s the Story?

NANCY DREW: WARNINGS AT WAVERYLY ACADEMY is the 21st installment of the popular Nancy Drew series of PC games. This time Nancy is undercover at an elite boarding school for girls. Someone has been threatening the valedictorian candidates and making "accidents" occur, like sneaking peanuts into the food of a highly allergic student. You play as Nancy, who is pretending to be a transfer student so that she can snoop out the fiend. You solve this point-and-click mystery by talking to others, solving puzzles, and exploring the school and its grounds.
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Is It Any Good?

This is a wonderful addition to the Nancy Drew series, and one that will resonate with tween and teen girls. The mystery is good, and it plays out, in part, by using Nancy's onscreen phone to deliver text messages. She can use a special "sneak mode" to avoid the hall monitors. To solve the case, Nancy must navigate a world full of insecure, catty girls and find the truth amidst the rumors.

Also good are the game's puzzles. Nancy has to take a series of photos that meet certain criteria. She must learn to decode musical notation so that she can open a drawer that only opens when a certain song is played. Plus, these puzzles can be played on two levels of difficulty. This Nancy Drew is a little easier than some of the others.

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Publisher’s Details

Developer: Her Interactive
Released on: 10/14/2009, Price: $19.99, not online enabled
ESRB Rating: E for Mild Violence

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Novalita
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Negative message
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational
    • Good role models
    • Safety isn't an issue

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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