Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy

Platform Tested: PC Genre: Strategy ESRB: E for Everyone For Nancy Drew fans, there's nothing more exciting than following in the gumshoe's footsteps to solve one of her convoluted cases. In the newest title in her PC game series, The Haunting of Castle Malloy ($19.99 direct), Nancy travels to

66%Game Brain Score

story, music

grinding, character development

81% User Score Based on 155 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $9.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

About

In "Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy," amateur detective Nancy Drew investigates strange occurrences and ghostly rumors at a remote Irish castle. Players explore the castle and surrounding grounds, gather clues, solve puzzles, and interrogate suspects to uncover the truth behind the haunting. Along the way, they'll encounter a colorful cast of characters, including the castle's eccentric owners, and experience the rich culture and history of Ireland.

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

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

Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy screenshot

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 156 reviews

story28 positive mentions

grinding17 negative mentions

The game features a captivating atmosphere with beautiful music and a spooky setting in an old Irish castle.
The puzzles are diverse and challenging, offering a good mix of difficulty levels for players of different skill sets.
The story is engaging with unexpected twists, and the inclusion of unique gameplay mechanics like the jetpack adds a fun element.

Many puzzles are overly complex or tedious, leading to frustration, especially with the infamous chemical puzzle.
The character development is lacking, with some characters feeling one-dimensional and interactions being minimal.
The game can be difficult to navigate due to its dark visuals and top-down perspective, making it hard to see important clues and locations.

story
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
48%
13%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its quirky and bizarre elements, engaging characters, and atmospheric setting, while others found it confusing, disjointed, or lacking depth. Some enjoyed the humor and unexpected twists, but many felt the plot could be tedious or unrealistic, particularly towards the end. Overall, while the story has its strengths, it often struggles with clarity and character development, leaving some players feeling less invested.
- “I enjoyed pretty much everything this game has to offer, from the story, characters, setting, and soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack, location, story, and characters all fit so well together.”
- “I think that this mystery was fast-paced and interesting with a great ending and a detailed backstory for both the characters and the setting itself.”
- “The plot is so bizarre and nonsensical, the puzzles are either tedious or require too much guess-and-check, and it introduces my least favorite mechanic of a prototype 'overworld' map.”
- “The story was odd—at least the exposition dump at the end kind of took me out of it.”
- “The story is so boring that they had to throw in chemical spills, jetpacks, and a love triangle between three characters in an attempt to make it interesting.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
35%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful orchestration and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its captivating ambiance and integration with the story and setting. The soundtrack, featuring elements like bagpipes and drums, adds a distinct Irish flavor that complements the game's themes, although some mini-game music elements received mixed feedback. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience and is considered one of its standout features.
- “The atmosphere is captivating, puzzles are challenging but fun, and the music is beautifully orchestrated.”
- “I enjoyed pretty much everything this game has to offer, from the story, characters, setting, and soundtrack.”
- “The music and environments are beautiful and still hold up 10+ years later, and the story is less confusing than people like to believe.”
- “I think someone younger (under 15) would struggle enormously with them and may find the game frightening (it does have a few jump scares and the music only adds to the spooky environment!).”
- “On the subject of mini games, the drink mixing game was ok, but the drum rhythm game was poorly done, with your drum beats not even remotely matching up to the rest of the music.”
- “The presence of bagpipes and drums definitely help add the appropriate Irish flavor to the soundtrack.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful music and unique settings, such as a spooky Irish castle. While many players appreciate the overall ambiance and engaging puzzles, some note that certain gameplay elements, like the top-down view or specific items, can detract from the initial atmospheric experience. Overall, the game successfully creates a foreboding and enchanting environment that resonates with players.
- “The atmosphere is captivating, puzzles are challenging but fun, and the music is beautifully orchestrated.”
- “I really like the atmosphere of this game; it's one of my favorite settings in the entire series.”
- “I went in expecting an atmospheric, spooky adventure where I explored a deteriorated Irish castle and surrounding grounds.”
- “The top-down view took away from the atmosphere of the game slightly.”
- “All sense of horror is pretty much thrown right out the window once you acquire a certain item about two-thirds of the way through the game.”
- “Really dark environments and perpetual night throughout the whole game, which adds to the atmosphere, but makes it annoying to try to find my way around the place.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
94%
The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, particularly through its puzzles, which many players found to be tedious, overly complicated, and frustratingly difficult. While some puzzles were enjoyable, a large number were criticized for their vague instructions and the excessive effort required to solve them, leading to a sense of tedium that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game's mechanics and pacing contributed to a grinding experience that left players feeling overwhelmed and dissatisfied.
- “The grinding aspect is engaging, with plenty of puzzles that keep it from feeling tedious.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding is balanced; it feels rewarding without becoming a chore.”
- “The variety in tasks makes grinding enjoyable and keeps me coming back for more.”
- “It can be tedious, and if you're anything like me, you'll avoid games where the hints are concealed in absurd locations.”
- “But even with outside instructions, the final set of puzzles felt very tedious and frustrating.”
- “There's a lot of moving a small figure of Nancy around the site, which gets tedious after the first explore and really needs to be sped up.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
47%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the aesthetic and noting that they are decent for the time, while others criticize them as poor and outdated compared to modern standards. Many feel that the graphics contribute to the game's atmosphere, enhancing both the horror and humor elements, but there are complaints about low resolution and visibility issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are not universally praised, they are seen as serviceable within the context of the game's nostalgic appeal.
- “I love the music and the graphics are honestly pretty good for the time.”
- “The graphics were good and I really enjoyed the ending scenes.”
- “The graphics make the scary parts of this game even more horrifying because they are lo-fi grotesque.”
- “Terrible graphics and random, non-related puzzles.”
- “It's too dark, the graphics are worse than an older Nancy Drew game, and I can't get through the stupid drink mixing 'game.' I seriously can't tell what I'm doing wrong; I'm starting to think it's just a glitch.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of innovative mechanics and frustrating elements, with some players enjoying the introduction of new features like the jetpack, while others criticize tedious puzzles and excessive backtracking. The overall experience is marred by a lack of direction and precision issues, leading to moments of exasperation, particularly with sensitive mechanics. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Made even more awesome by my new favorite game mechanic, the jetpack!”
- “The puzzles are a bit difficult, but I enjoy the gameplay quite a bit.”
- “This game introduced a new element of gameplay to the series and did not seem to rely too heavily on past installments.”
- “The plot is so bizarre and nonsensical, the puzzles are either tedious or require too much guess-and-check, and it introduces my least favorite mechanic of a prototype 'overworld' map.”
- “It has a promising start but there is a lack of direction in both gameplay and storyline.”
- “The concept isn't challenging enough to work your brain, and the actual mechanics involved are so precise and frustrating that I found myself throwing my head in my hands in pure exasperation after the mechanical arm lightly brushed against an explosive chemical container for the fifth time.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its clever and absurd storytelling, with quests like sheep shearing and food preparation providing comedic moments. Players find the combination of whimsical activities and amusing graphics to be entertaining, making the game a worthwhile purchase, especially during sales. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay experience.
- “I enjoyed the story overall, and indie games really do have a penchant for creating the most wildly irrational explanations for what's going on; it always ensures a hilarious and interesting reveal.”
- “Some quests were really fun and funny, like shearing the sheep and making drinks. I always love the food prep activities.”
- “But anyway, the castle was beautiful and spooky, and flying around in a jet pack was hilarious.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging, as it provides a sense of accomplishment upon solving puzzles. However, the frustration experienced during gameplay can detract from the overall emotional experience, leading to mixed feelings about the challenges presented.
- “I think this game is a good experience, and it made me feel accomplished upon solving the case.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers great replay value, with players finding the entire series enjoyable and worth revisiting.
- “Great replay value, and the whole series is fun.”
- “The game offers endless possibilities, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple endings and diverse character choices, I find myself coming back for more.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development in the game is criticized for becoming increasingly annoying and unbelievable as the story progresses, with some players also experiencing glitches that hinder gameplay, such as during a drinking game segment.
- “I finally got past the drinking game - I think there is indeed a glitch that causes it to be impossible during some plays - but the character development and story only get annoying and unbelievable from there.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and their development is rushed, making it hard to connect with them.”
- “I expected a deep narrative, but the character arcs are shallow and lack meaningful progression.”