Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy

About

In Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy, players step into the shoes of the titular detective to investigate a case with personal stakes. The story begins when echoes of a past biochemical weapon plot resurface, leading Nancy to suspect her mother's death may not have been an accident. As Nancy, you'll uncover secrets, expose a sleeper cell, and unravel the truth about your mother's tragic fate.

Genres & Tags

Adventure

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 135 reviews

story55 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and emotional storyline that delves into Nancy's family history, particularly her relationship with her mother.
The puzzles are engaging and challenging, providing a good balance of difficulty without being overly frustrating.
The game offers a unique setting in Scotland, with interesting characters and a variety of locations to explore.

Players often felt lost due to unclear directions on what to do next, leading to frequent reliance on walkthroughs.
The storyline can be convoluted and confusing at times, with some plot points left unresolved.
Some puzzles were criticized for being overly complicated or not intuitive, detracting from the overall experience.

story
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
39%
7%
The story of this Nancy Drew game is praised for its emotional depth and personal connection to Nancy's family, particularly focusing on her mother's mysterious past. While some players found the plot engaging and suspenseful, others noted it could be convoluted and confusing at times, with a few feeling the pacing and character development were lacking. Overall, it is considered one of the stronger narratives in the series, offering a unique blend of mystery and personal stakes, though opinions on its execution vary.
- “The story being closely tied to Nancy herself for once leads to a more emotional climax in certain scenes, and honestly makes it an excellent end to the series if you're going through them all and want a satisfying stopping point.”
- “The story kept me intrigued the whole time, not to mention amazing soundtrack, and wonderful voices to fit the very smoothly animated characters.”
- “We finally see a humanized Nancy with an emotional backstory, and the storyline is so edgy that it really keeps you engaged.”
- “The story is a little confusing and wordy at times.”
- “Honestly, not surprised that this game is not well liked; the story is rushed and doesn't make much sense.”
- “I have played this game multiple times and I honestly still don't understand the story no matter how hard I try.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting its heartfelt storyline and deep emotional resonance that leads to impactful moments, including tears. The narrative's connection to Nancy Drew's character adds depth, making it a compelling and satisfying conclusion to the series. Overall, the game effectively balances engaging puzzles with a touching story, showcasing a more humanized version of Nancy.
- “It's suspenseful and has an emotional depth you wouldn't expect.”
- “At the end, onions were definitely being chopped; I don't think another Nancy Drew game has made me cry!”
- “To be honest, the game made me cry several times; this feels like almost a send-off to Nancy Drew as a whole.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
43%
The music in the game is widely praised for its sentimental quality, featuring beautiful Scottish songs that enhance the atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the amazing soundtrack and voice work, which complement the engaging story and smoothly animated characters. However, some players find the musical puzzles challenging and not universally appealing.
- “Amazing mystery and story, cool puzzles, interesting characters, and great soundtrack.”
- “Beautiful music and scenery.”
- “The story kept me intrigued the whole time, not to mention amazing soundtrack, and wonderful voices to fit the very smoothly animated characters.”
- “Some musical puzzles do not appeal to all players.”
- “While there are interesting puzzles scattered around, some players find the music aspect lacking.”
- “The music can feel repetitive and doesn't always enhance the gameplay experience.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some praising its smooth mechanics and enjoyable arrow shooting mechanics, while others found it lacking in coherence and excitement, particularly regarding the final villain reveal. The inclusion of newer mechanics has been noted as a positive change, making the experience more user-friendly compared to earlier versions of the game. Overall, the gameplay is seen as decent but not universally appealing.
- “Great gameplay and an especially heartfelt storyline, one of the best in my opinion.”
- “The puzzles were decent, and the arrow shooting mechanics were really fun.”
- “Newer mechanics make it nice to not have to take as many notes by hand.”
- “Personally didn't enjoy the gameplay.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The graphics in the latest Nancy Drew game have received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the improvements and innovative sound design, others find them lacking and not up to par with expectations for a graphic adventure. Overall, the visuals show progress but still fall short of excellence.
- “Love the new Nancy Drew graphics!”
- “In graphic adventures, the operative word is graphic!”
- “The 29th game of the series, of course, cannot hit with some revolutionary changes (and for what?), but there is some improvement in the graphic part, there are some interesting solutions in sound design. Technically, the series is moving forward while not forgetting its traditions.”
- “The voice acting is not excellent, the graphics are very, very not excellent, the story is a bit of a stretch but overall I still enjoyed it and would play it again once it's not fresh in my mind.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable, with puzzle completion and earning money feeling adequate rather than overly tedious. However, some users noted that certain elements, like the storyline and reading materials, can feel repetitive and drag on at times. Overall, while not everyone's favorite, the grinding is considered tolerable.
- “The puzzles weren't my favorites, and I also do not understand how there can be a 'wrong cookie,' but I felt that completing them and earning money were adequate and it wasn't too tedious.”
- “Also, reading the letters, dialogues, and books was kind of tedious for me.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
While some users feel the game lacks a strong atmospheric presence, the engaging storyline compensates for it, immersing players in a suspenseful spy narrative set against a grim and tense backdrop in Scotland.
- “And gradually, a whole spy story is revealed in front of the player, with interesting plot twists, terrorist organizations, and special services, creating a rather grim and tense atmosphere in Scotland, with suspicions lurking around every corner.”
- “The atmosphere feels overly grim and oppressive, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “While the plot has potential, the atmosphere is so thick with gloom that it detracts from the experience.”
- “The setting is supposed to be immersive, but instead, it feels suffocating and uninviting.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by excellent writing that features witty jokes and a surprising depth of political commentary, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The writing is excellent with lots of witty humor and a surprising amount of political commentary.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers good replay value, encouraging players to return for multiple playthroughs.
- “The game offers excellent replay value, keeping me engaged for hours.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, thanks to the diverse choices available.”
- “I love how the different endings encourage me to replay the game multiple times.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Character development in the game is noted for its darker tone, with significant growth for Nancy as she uncovers answers, alongside a notable evolution in Carson's character.
- “This was fundamentally a lot darker than I expected based on previous games, but it was cool to see Nancy get some answers and witness some character development from Carson.”
- “The character development in this game is truly impressive, as each character evolves in meaningful ways that enhance the overall story.”
- “I loved how the game explored the backstories of the characters, allowing for deep emotional connections and significant growth throughout the narrative.”
- “This was fundamentally a lot darker than I expected based on previous games, but it was cool to see Nancy get some answers and see a bit of character development from Carson.”
- “The character development felt rushed and superficial, leaving me unsatisfied with the growth of the main characters.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of meaningful character arcs; it seemed like the characters didn't evolve at all throughout the game.”