Parents' Guide to

Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Teenage sleuth offers puzzling PC mystery in Bahamas.

Game Windows 2009
Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (7):

This is a challenging Nancy Drew mystery which is more about solving puzzles than it is about talking to suspects to collect clues. The puzzles are varied, and most are neatly incorporated into the gameplay. For example, when trying to decode some secret writings, you can experiment with which symbols stand for which letters by simply placing letters of the alphabet in slots above the symbols and the rest of the message auto-populates. On the other hand, a Sudoku-like puzzle requires you to solve it on paper, not in the game.

The game offers longevity because you can play it on two levels of difficulty. Plus an excellent feature in the game is its "Second Chance" -- where if you take a risk that causes a fatal mistake, you are automatically returned to the point before your error. You will face some harrowing situations involving stinging jellyfish, running out of air while scuba diving, and having a cave collapse on you so it is good to have this feature. This is the kind of game that parents and kids will enjoy playing together.

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Her Interactive
  • Release date: July 14, 2009
  • Genre: Girl
  • ESRB rating: E for Mild Violence
  • Last updated: August 31, 2016

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