Parents' Guide to

Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Fulfilling mystery has spooky sleuthing & puzzles.

Game Windows 2007
Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

AG Fan Parent
AG Fan Parent Parent of baby, 1, 5 and 9-year-old
July 2, 2012
age 12+

Extremely Scary, Extremely Difficult, Extremely One to Skip

This game is two of the things to encounter most often with Nancy Drew games -- extremely scary and extremely difficult. However, it seems to put both of those things to an even bigger extreme for this one. Literally less then 3 minutes into the game, you walk into a dark scary house, see a skeleton, everything goes black, and the skeleton appears again -- right up against your face. If this weren't enough for scariness, the whole house is nearly empty during the game and is all dark. It's impossible to find your way around or see any people -- except a creepy man who scared the living daylights out of my 9-year-old daughter. It is also extremely difficult, because though we didn't get far enough to have to solve puzzles, there were ones to be solved, and not only that, but it was impossible to know what to do. My daughter got back on the game at least 4 times to look around, but couldn't find any new places or people that would make the game go on. We hardly got anywhere, because it was impossible to know what to do. Though you do get to play on Nancy's friend, there's not much to do with her at least at the beginning, and even though the place she's at (a store) is lit, it's a sort of eery yellow lighting and it still gives off a scary glow. Though Nancy Drew is a very loveable character, and her games are very fun, this one, like the Ghost Dogs one, is definitely one to skip for any child under about 11. My 9-year-old daughter had trouble sleeping because it terrified her.

This title has:

Too much violence
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What’s It About?

NANCY DREW: LEGEND OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL takes place in New Orleans. Bruno Bolet has recently died in the old mansion, and when you stop by to check on his grandson, Henry, a person wearing a skeleton costume accosts you. Instead of being scared away, you decide to check into whether Bruno Bolet's death was really from a heart attack.

You solve the mystery by questioning characters and snooping around to find clues. As with all the past Nancy Drew mysteries, this game is loaded with puzzles. For one, you will need to make grave rubbings to decipher a code to open a mini-crypt. You will stumble upon secret rooms, passageways with peepholes, and a cemetery full of clues including some that are found on headstones.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (6 ):

The 17th computer mystery in this series adds a new gameplay element to its award-winning formula. Not only do you play as Nancy Drew, but also, at times, you get to become her best friend Bess.

As for the game's spookiness, the music, rain, and periodic lightning help create an eerie mood, but it's never overpowering. And if you make a fatal mistake, the game returns you to the moment before that bad decision and gives you a second chance.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes this game scary. Would it be scary without the music? How about the dark lighting or the thunderstorm? Families can also talk about parts of the storyline they may not understand: What is voodoo and where did it come from? What are some of the myths about immortality? What is the role of secret societies in helping to put on Mardi Gras? Also, do you think it was OK for Bess to make the store owner get sick by putting hot sauce in his gumbo?

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Her Interactive
  • Release date: October 8, 2007
  • Genre: Role-Playing
  • ESRB rating: E
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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