Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge

About

In Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge, players assume the role of the famous detective as they investigate a series of mysterious incidents at a Japanese inn. Players will need to explore the environment, gather evidence, and solve puzzles to uncover the truth behind the shadowy events. The game features a compelling story, engaging gameplay, and the opportunity to learn about Japanese culture.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge screenshot

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 323 reviews

story70 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and spooky storyline that keeps players engaged.
The puzzles are challenging and varied, including fun mini-games like making bento boxes and solving nonograms.
The atmosphere is beautifully designed, immersing players in a Japanese setting with a mix of cultural elements.

Many players found the number-based puzzles, particularly Sudoku and nonograms, to be tedious and overly complex.
The voice acting for some characters, especially the Japanese ones, was criticized for being insensitive and poorly executed.
The game has navigation issues and can feel repetitive, with some players getting stuck due to unclear objectives or dialogue.

story
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
2%
The story in this game is generally praised for its intriguing plot, rich character development, and immersive setting, particularly with its haunting themes and emotional depth. While many players found the narrative engaging and well-crafted, some noted that it could be overshadowed by challenging puzzles or predictable elements. Overall, the combination of a compelling storyline and interactive gameplay keeps players invested, despite occasional criticisms regarding pacing and complexity.
- “The storyline in this game is top notch, investigating the mysterious 'haunting' and the lore behind the mother's death.”
- “The story was interesting and the mini-games, like making the bento boxes, were amazing!”
- “The story sticks strong throughout the entire game and the ending is satisfying as always.”
- “The downside of this particular game (compared to other Nancy Drew games) is that the motive of the 'bad guy' and the story don't really match.”
- “Overall, for a story-focused game, it does suffer from its rather predictable plot, and it does leave things unexplained here and there, plus the ending of the game feels too happy.”
- “If I played Nancy Drew solely for the storyline, I would be really disappointed.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The music in the game is described as hauntingly beautiful and integral to its spooky atmosphere, enhancing both the tension and emotional depth of the story. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to evoke fear and complement the game's visuals, some found it overly intense or mismatched with certain gameplay moments, leading them to play with the sound off. Overall, the music is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's eerie ambiance and character dynamics.
- “The music in this game is iconic, the range of quirky and funny characters are great.”
- “The music and visual design were particular standouts here as well.”
- “The music in this game is compelling and at times straight up horrifying.”
- “The music really added to the creepiness.”
- “Had a strong urge to disable the music because of how out of place it felt.”
- “Really terrible game, slow gameplay, the music is strange and doesn't fit the game, it'll spike when there's nothing spooky around, and the voice acting is painfully bad and sounds choppy at times.”
atmosphere
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
26%
16%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its creepiness and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the effective use of jump scares and a captivating setting, particularly in Kyoto, Japan. While the ambiance is often described as beautifully eerie and engaging, some players noted that the pacing and puzzle design could detract from the overall experience. Overall, the combination of a spooky atmosphere, intriguing characters, and a compelling soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Really creepy atmosphere, with a few jump scares as well.”
- “The atmosphere, music and spooky moments are brilliant.”
- “The atmosphere was entertainingly spooky, and because the characters were interesting, the mystery was compelling and fun to solve.”
- “A neat concept and heavy atmosphere is brought down by exhausting pacing and stupid puzzle design.”
- “Atmosphere was too spooky >:(”
- “A long game with a spooky atmosphere.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The gameplay of this title has seen significant improvements over earlier entries, featuring more fluid movement and better inventory management, though it still suffers from outdated mechanics and slow progression. While it excels in story immersion and nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic Nancy Drew games, many players find the lack of quality-of-life improvements and excessive padding with puzzles detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, some technical issues have hindered gameplay for certain users, leading to frustration.
- “As far as gameplay mechanics go, this game was a far cry from earlier entries with many needed improvements being implemented here such as more fluid movement/navigation and a better managed inventory.”
- “It does a phenomenal job at immersion into the story about a haunted ryokan and has some really amazing mechanics.”
- “I really liked the setting and gameplay of this game.”
- “Lacking in 'quality of life' game mechanics especially for the inventory, phone numbers, and paper puzzles.”
- “Should have had more sleuthing but this relied so obviously on padding the gameplay with extra puzzles rather than story.”
- “It's got the worst progression mechanics I've ever seen, unskippable and painfully slow dialogue, a Windows 95 interface in a 2010 game, and spooky ghosts.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite tedious, particularly during the puzzle-solving segments, which can feel overly long and frustrating, especially for first-time players. While the story and cultural elements are appreciated, many feel that the tedious nature of the tasks detracts from the overall enjoyment, making it a challenging experience to navigate. Despite these criticisms, some players still recommend the game for its compelling narrative.
- “I found it to be quite tedious for a first-time playthrough with no walkthrough on senior.”
- “Overall, story and setting are very compelling, but I really had to trudge through the tedious puzzles.”
- “Again, my main problems are with the puzzles that aren't hard, but they are extremely long and tedious at times.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
23%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and stunning settings, particularly the Japanese aesthetic, though they fall short of modern AAA standards. While some players appreciate the complex visuals and atmospheric design, others find the outdated style and navigation challenges detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are good but not groundbreaking, with a mix of admiration and disappointment from users.
- “It has mystery and thrill with beautiful graphics!”
- “- Beautiful graphics, with absolutely stunning settings.”
- “But this game, while scary, has an overall aesthetic that is quite divine.”
- “And once again, because of the completely antiquated Myst-style still graphics, it makes navigation incredibly challenging at times, especially around the gardens and hotel rooms that all look the same.”
- “I liked the game, but among the indie games, it wasn't my favorite, which was really disappointing because the visuals looked so good in the trailers.”
- “The graphics aren't going to be on the same level as a AAA or AA game, but they hold up fairly well.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the characters, enhancing the story's impact and making the plot feel heartfelt and engaging. While the game features suspenseful and challenging elements, some players found the endgame puzzles overly complex, detracting from the emotional experience. The resolution of the mystery is praised for its believable and emotionally resonant motive, contributing to a satisfying narrative experience despite moments of frustration.
- “I found myself connecting to the characters more than usual, which gave the story more emotional weight.”
- “This is a polarizing title for me...one of the best plots in the series, genuinely heartfelt and interesting, but dear god my brain is bleeding from the endgame puzzles.”
- “The eventual reveal in this game both logically explained how the hauntings were happening and also felt genuinely believable from an emotional perspective as a selfish, unhealthy reaction to a horrible loss.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a range of quirky and humorous characters, with standout moments like Nancy Drew's comedic antics and Rentaro's neurotic rants that add charm. Players particularly enjoyed the amusing paper-grading segment, while the lead voice actor's American pronunciation of Japanese names provided an additional layer of humor. Overall, the humor is a highlight, enhancing the game's appeal despite its primary focus on adventure.
- “The music in this game is iconic, and the range of quirky and funny characters is great.”
- “My favorite part of the game was when you got to grade papers as a teacher, which made me laugh every time, but it's sad to say this is supposed to be an adventure game.”
- “Rentaro's little neurotic rants were actually very funny and charming.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers high replayability, as players can easily forget the storyline within a month, making subsequent playthroughs enjoyable and fresh. Each replay is essential for progressing in the story, highlighting the importance of replay value.
- “The game is totally replayable; in a month, you will forget what happened.”
- “Each replay is necessary beyond the initial play to progress in the story.”
- “The replay value is important!”
- “The game is totally replayable, but in a month, you will forget what happened.”
- “Each replay after the initial play is needed to progress in the story.”
- “Replay value is important!”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs that detract from the overall experience. Additionally, players find it difficult to engage with the game due to its problematic themes.