Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness is my new obsession!

Check out my video review of Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness below and/or keep reading to hear why I’ve deemed it worthy a place on this blog as I review Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness.

Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness – A Review

Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness is a computer game set in Iceland where a ship captain by the name of Magnus has suddenly disappeared…along with the treasure! Was he thrown overboard? Did he run away with the gold? Or is something more nefarious afoot?

Now I’ll admit that as a 31-year old mother of two, my video game skills aren’t what they used to be! That said, this game was an absolutely blast to play and I only died like three times!! (*hold for applause…*)

The storyline is really well written and every character you encounter has such a vibrant – and often hilarious – personality. My favorite by far was Dagny, the gal who hired Nancy Drew to help her find Magnus and their missing treasure. Dagny is sassy and solid, a well-built character that’s sure to keep you entertained.

The graphics of this game are also phenomenal. Maybe it’s the early Illinois winter that’s come our way, but I often felt like I was actually in Iceland!

Is this game scary?

It’s definitely not scary, but there are a few tense scenes. This is what makes it fun! In fact, it opens with a dark shot of a dock and ship crashing through it. Just as everyone screams, the game fades to Nancy’s room, where she’s received a letter. If you’ve played previous games, you might recognize Moira Chisholm’s name. *psst* she’s the one who sent Nancy’s mother to her death, but hey – thanks for the referral, I guess?

Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness letter from Dagny Silva

Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness Back Story

As Dagny outlines in her letter, the back story here is (of course) centered around the ship and an Icelandic town called Skipbrot. Dagny and her partner Magnus were commissioned to restore the ship, under the condition that any treasure found would be theirs. The ship is restored and Magnus plans to sail it to kick off the town’s annual festival. Somehow, though, the ship arrives empty and Magnus is missing! Now your job as Nancy Drew is to find Magnus and hopefully get Dagny paid!

Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness Skipbrot welcome sign

Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness Strategy Guide

Now I will recommend that you bring an extra cup of coffee with you as you sit down to play because the puzzles…phew! There were some tough ones!! Luckily HeR Interactive provides a strategy guide, because frankly I’d be lost without it.

Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness makes for a fun game to play alone or with a friend! If you have children who are a bit older (i.e. not my 3 & 5 yr olds) then invite them to help you out as you explore the wonderful town of Skipbrot and work to find Magnus.

Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness Walk-Through

The strategy guide provided by HeR Interactive was all I needed for 99% of the game – that and my sweet Geriatric Millennial gaming skills that I’ve been honing since Y2K. That said, I definitely got hung up on the “Match the Sails to Their Name” game. Maybe it’s because I’m not exactly a mariner, but that game was tricky! So I will say that while I didn’t use a full walk-through, I definitely had to look up help for that one. No shame in this game!

Match the Sail to Its Name Game in Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness

Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness: Characters

As I mentioned above, Dagny was definitely my favorite character in the game. That said, I have to applaud the character development overall. The storyline itself is strong enough to hook, but the characters really make the game top notch. I appreciate the humor that’s woven through, too.

Soren at the Skipbrot Cultural Center in Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness

For example, we’ve got Soren, the organizer of the festival and director of the Cultural Center in Skipbrot. His dead-pan sense of humor and slight digs at the locals made me laugh.

Review of Nancy Drew Sea of Darkness PC game - an especially great video game for girls who love puzzles or mysteries to solve!

My favorite part of the game is of course the strong female protagonist combined with the first-person PoV…or maybe it’s that I could make a “fatal error” and wouldn’t have to start all over again!

This game would make for a wonderful holiday gift, as would Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water’s Edge – hey why not buy them both and enjoy them over the long holiday weekend? Just don’t forget those strategy guides!

Did you read Nancy Drew as a child?

Comment below, I’d love to know your favorite book!

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