Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge

Game review by Erin Bell, Common Sense Media
Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 10+

Learn about Japan while solving a puzzling mystery.

Mac, Windows 2010
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 7 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Stands out for .

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge is an adventure mystery starring teenage sleuth Nancy Drew that is set in Japan. The game offers two modes of difficulty, but even the lesser one contains some pretty challenging brainteasers that can't be skipped. The story revolves around a haunted Japanese Inn and contains some scary moments, but it also exposes players to various facets of Japanese culture, including calligraphy, rock gardens, and sudoku. The game is aimed at players aged 10 and older, but slightly younger players might enjoy playing with some support from mom or dad.

Community Reviews

irockwhee
irockwhee Adult
January 6, 2011
age 13+

Too scary to be rated 10+, disturbing images

I am 19 and thought the images of the ghost girlk were way too scary. I like my nanayc drew games because they are generally light and fun and im playing it at 11:00 at night alone while everyone else is asleep, and this creepy ghost girl who resembles the girl from the grudge charges at me while croaking. i did not like that. the rest of the game is good but I did not think this was appropriate for a game supposedly intended for 10 year olds. If i wanted to be disturbed by my game, I would play an Adventure Company Jack the Ripper game or something.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

In NANCY DREW: SHADOW AT THE WATER'S EDGE, the 23rd point-and-click adventure game in Her Interactive's long-running series, teenage detective Nancy Drew travels to Japan to teach English but finds herself staying at an inn that seems to be haunted. The mystery proves too intriguing for Nancy to ignore, and she goes about interviewing the employees of the family-run Inn and the surrounding city, diving into Japanese culture, and solving challenging mini-game puzzles.

Is It Any Good?

Shadows at Water's Edge is one of the less linear entries in the Nancy Drew series. Nancy is free to wander around the Inn and beyond (via a subway system), but she'll miss certain events that only happen at specific times unless she sets her alarm. The exotic and beautiful Japanese setting adds a breath of fresh air to the series, allowing players plenty of opportunities to immerse themselves in Japanese culture and learn a thing or two. Like past Drew games, the puzzles can get quite challenging and can't be skipped which might result in some frustration. A skip option for the dialogue might have been nice as well, since some of the characters tend to talk quite slowly. Overall, though, Shadow at Water's Edge has all the ingredients of another worthy entry to the well-respected series.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what they learned about Japanese culture by playing this game. Did they try to make the origami paper sculpture shown in the diagram? Or draw the Japanese characters featured in Nancy's origami lesson? Would they ever try to create a rock garden in the Japanese style?

  • Families can also discuss the presence of ghosts in the game. Why do so many different cultures believe in ghosts? Do you think all ghosts are scary?

Game Details

  • Platforms: Mac, Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Her Interactive
  • Release date: October 19, 2010
  • Genre: Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Mild Violence
  • Last updated: August 30, 2016

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love to use their brains

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