Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse is the 24th adventure game in a long-running series of interactive mysteries starring teenaged sleuth Nancy Drew. The game offers two modes of difficulty, and both contain challenging puzzles and mini-games that can't be skipped. The story, in which Nancy investigates reports of a monster terrorizing the community, contains some scary moments and mild violence. The game also exposes players to German culture, folklore, and language.
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What’s It About?
In NANCY DREW: THE CAPTIVE CURSE, Nancy travels to Germany to investigate reports of a creature that has been terrorizing a remote Bavarian castle and surrounding community. As Nancy, players investigate the mystery by searching for clues, interviewing suspects, and completing mini-games and inventory-based puzzles.
Is It Any Good?
The Captive Curse follows the same successful formula as previous Nancy Drew mysteries, combining challenging inventory puzzles and mini-games with a cast of interesting characters to talk to. There are also collectibles to hunt for (coins and medallions scattered throughout the scenery) and trophies to earn. The setting is the weak link this time around, however. The nondescript castle has a layout that makes it difficult and confusing to navigate, and the same goes for the game's other two primary locations. The good does outweigh the bad, but The Captive Curse isn't quite in the same league as some of the other top Nancy Drew mysteries.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the words that they learned in German. Do some of the German words sound similar to their English equivalents (such as "maus" for "mouse," and "einhorn" for "unicorn.")
Families can also talk about other famous monster myths, such as yeti and the Loch Ness Monster. Why are there so many stories about monsters, and why do you think people make them up?
Game Details
- Platforms: Mac, Windows
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Her Interactive
- Release date: June 28, 2011
- Genre: Adventure
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Mild Violence
- Last updated: April 29, 2021
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