Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 222 reviews
  • story
  • grinding
  • gameplay
Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes Game Cover
Starting at €19.50Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Apple Store

In "Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes," Nancy Drew has been accused of arson, and it's up to you to clear her name. Explore River Heights, gather evidence, and question suspects to uncover the truth behind the town hall fire. Play as Nancy and her friends, participate in various activities, and choose between Junior or Senior Detective difficulty levels.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 222 reviews
story34 positive mentions
grinding22 negative mentions
  • The game features a fun and engaging story where players can experience Nancy's hometown and interact with her friends, adding depth to the gameplay.
  • Switching between characters (Nancy, Bess, George, and Ned) provides a unique mechanic that allows for different interactions and perspectives in solving the mystery.
  • The puzzles, while not overly challenging, are enjoyable and contribute to the overall detective experience, making it accessible for both new and returning players.
  • The constant need to switch between characters through Nancy can become tedious and disrupt the flow of gameplay, making it feel unnecessarily complicated.
  • Many players found the game to be light on puzzles and heavy on dialogue, leading to a more repetitive experience with less exploration.
  • The overall plot and setting felt less engaging compared to other Nancy Drew games, with some players expressing disappointment in the lack of excitement and depth.
  • story58 mentions

    The story in "Alibi in Ashes" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its unique premise of Nancy being framed for a crime and the engaging character dynamics. However, some critiques highlight that the plot can feel thin or predictable, and the gameplay mechanics, particularly the character-switching, may detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the narrative is often described as compelling, with interesting backstories for characters and a mix of drama and mystery that keeps players invested.

    • “The story, mystery, and characters are all brilliant.”
    • “I loved the story and the character switches.”
    • “The story was interesting and had me guessing till the end.”
    • “The game seemed more focused on talking to characters in a specific order and exhausting conversation options rather than the actual storyline and puzzles, which is what Nancy Drew games should be about.”
    • “The plot was pretty thin and nonsensical, even as far as Nancy Drew games go, and the gimmick of switching between characters is cool in theory but tedious in practice.”
    • “Nd games are also usually really well planned out, but this one you know who the culprit is pretty early on; not just you as a player, all of the characters know, and Nancy just can't do anything about it for a while, leading to several plot holes.”
  • grinding22 mentions

    The reviews highlight that the character-switching mechanic in the game is often seen as tedious and unnecessary, with players expressing frustration over the need to call Nancy to switch characters, which disrupts the flow of gameplay. While some enjoy the concept of playing as multiple characters, many feel it becomes a time-wasting chore rather than an engaging feature, contributing to an overall sense of repetitiveness and tedium in the game. Despite these criticisms, some players still found enjoyment in the puzzles and the game's premise.

    • “In general, you are basically running errands for Nancy the whole time, and the game just feels super tedious.”
    • “Switching between characters via calling Nancy became really tedious and felt pretty pointless.”
    • “While the idea behind playing multiple characters is nice, it doesn't really feel necessary, and the fact that you have to go through Nancy for every switch is tedious.”
  • gameplay19 mentions

    The gameplay in *Alibi in Ashes* is characterized by a unique mechanic that allows players to switch between Nancy and her friends, each contributing to the story and puzzles. While this character-switching adds an engaging layer to the gameplay, it can become tedious due to the repetitive nature of calling Nancy to swap characters. Overall, the game features a compelling narrative and interesting characters, but is marred by clunky mechanics and a lack of challenging puzzles.

    • “A unique mechanic in this game is switching between Nancy, Bess, George, and Ned, with each character bringing their own contributions and relationships.”
    • “I enjoyed the new mechanic of switching between characters, which made the gameplay even more fun and engaging.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty different from other games in the series, and I enjoyed it, leaving me wanting to try other Nancy Drew games.”
    • “Mechanics are just kind of clunky.”
    • “Another edit, I want to take this down to like an 8/10 because this game is actually really tedious with the whole 'swapping characters mechanic.' The fact that I have to call Nancy just to swap to other characters becomes very exhausting and kind of lame.”
    • “Alibi in Ashes is a sad case of a good story and writing hindered by some awful mechanics.”
  • graphics6 mentions

    The graphics are generally well-received, with praise for the atmospheric environments and aesthetics, though some users noted that character models appear fuzzy and out of focus. Overall, the combination of graphics and sound effects contributes positively to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The graphics are great in terms of the various environments you get to explore, but the actual people/characters seemed fuzzy and out of focus.”
    • “I think another factor for me is that part of what I love about the game is that it is really atmospheric and moody due to the aesthetics and music.”
    • “The puzzles were fun and the graphics and music were great!”
    • “The graphics and sound effects were as I expected, the story was good, and the game is simple to play.”
    • “I think another factor in that for me is that part of what I love about the games is that they are really atmospheric and moody due to the aesthetics and music.”
  • music5 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its contribution to the atmosphere, while others find it repetitive and lacking in depth. Overall, while the graphics and puzzles are praised, the soundtrack is seen as a drawback that detracts from the overall experience.

    • “I think another factor for me is that part of what I love about the games is that they are really atmospheric and moody due to the aesthetics and music.”
    • “Overall good puzzles, plot, characters, music, and replay value.”
    • “The puzzles were fun and the graphics and music were great!”
    • “This one, however, felt very factual and plain in terms of atmosphere, and the music was really repetitive.”
    • “The backgrounds are nice, but are undone by the very repetitive soundtrack.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the comedic elements and quirky characters, such as Ned and Alexei, who add a lighthearted touch to the overall experience. The blend of mystery and humor enhances enjoyment, making it a standout feature for many players.

    • “A game that lets me play as Ned is hilarious, and I adore this one because I too am a Nancy simp.”
    • “Alexei is my favorite; he's such an old, funny, goofy goober man. But umm, yeah, it's like 1 AM as I'm writing this. I'm tired, goodnight.”
    • “I enjoyed the mystery, and there's a good dose of humor in this one.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its moody aesthetics and music, others find it lacking in depth and variety, describing it as factual and repetitive compared to other titles set in more atmospheric locations like Ireland. Despite these criticisms, many still enjoy the gameplay experience.

    • “I think another factor for me is that part of what I love about the game is that it is really atmospheric and moody due to the aesthetics and music.”
    • “This one, however, felt very factual and plain in terms of atmosphere, and the music was really repetitive.”
    • “Not as much atmosphere as some of the other games that are set in Ireland, etc., but still really fun and a decent amount of gameplay.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The character development in the game is well-executed, effectively evoking strong personal feelings towards the suspects, which enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the blend of dialogue, puzzles, and stealth elements that contribute to this depth in character portrayal.

    • “They did a good job with the character development that I was starting to personally not like the suspects.”
    • “This game was a fun mix of dialogue, puzzles, sneaking around, and character development.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    While the game offers a fresh take on the traditional Nancy Drew formula with engaging puzzles, plot, and characters, many users feel that it lacks significant replayability, limiting the incentive to revisit it after completion.

    • “Overall good puzzles, plot, characters, music, and replay value.”
    • “This was a different take on your traditional Nancy Drew game, and it worked well, but it doesn't have much replayability.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes

Play time

8hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
8-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games