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Nancy Drew Gamer Looking for More Complex Adventure Games
Hi all!
I stumbled on this forum when I was looking for something completely different and now I’m super excited. A friend of mine introduced me to Nancy Drew games a long time ago and I loved them because I like games more like that and not action games, but I didn’t realize that there was a whole genre of games that were similar to that.
I’d love to try something out that’s more complex than the Nancy Drew games where the things that you say and do have a real impact on the direction that a story takes. But of course I have no idea to start. I checked out some of the different lists, but I’m completely overwhelmed with all of the choices and have no idea where to start.
So I’m turning to you experts! Any suggestions?
My laptop’s a little on the older side so nothing that’ll have a hard time running on a not so powerful system.
When you say “more complex,” are you talking about games including more cerebral puzzle solving? Or just games that allow you more direct control over the course of the narrative? Those are kind of two different things.
If you’re looking for the former, almost any of the great classic-era adventure games would probably be a joy for you. Some of my favorites (in no particular order) that would be good for newcomers are: Monkey Island 2 & 3, Day of the Tentacle, King’s Quest 6, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis, Quest for Glory 4 (make sure you get the patched GoG version!), The Dig, Space Quest 5, Gabriel Knight 1, Kyrandia 2: Hand of Fate, etc.
Of those that I listed above, Fate of Atlantis and King’s Quest 6 have distinct branching narrative paths, and most of the others allow you to progress through the game at your own pace and accomplish tasks in a nonlinear order. All of them have plenty of great puzzles that require outside the box (but logical) thinking.
Nancy Drew games… I like games more like that and not action games, but I didn’t realize that there was a whole genre of games that were similar to that.
Oh, are you in for a surprise! There are (almost) 2,000 adventure games out there.
So, it’s not easy to recommend AG’s to someone whose preferences we don’t know. Assuming you have enjoyed the ND games, I’d suggest you start with Agatha Christie games.
If you want to have a quick taste of some other adventure games, go here and look at the screenshots, maybe you’ll find something that appeals to you. I know you can’t read the descriptions of the games there, but you’ll find links to their Moby pages and get more info (in English) at MobyGames.
Have fun!
Everybody wants to be Cary Grant.
Even Me.
-Cary Grant
Also, visit Good Old Games, where most of the classics can be bought dirt cheap and come already patched to run on current machines. It’s one of the best websites ever! 
I’m also a fan of the Nancy Drew games (even though they do get mocked around here sometimes!) but I have also been playing traditional adventure games for about 20 years. Try The Longest Journey. It’s a personal favorite of mine. It’s a long game with lots of dialogue and a fun story. I think you’d enjoy it.
Thanks all for your help! GOG is awesome and I ended up picking up 3 new games (Longest Journey, Gabriel Knight, and Last Express). I’m sick and stuck in bed right now so I’m hoping they’ll be a great way to pass the time.
I can see you have already bought The Longest Journey which would have been my primary recommendation, so let me instead remind you to also pick up Dreamfall, which is the sequel to TLJ, if you like TLJ.
Other games I can also recommend is Syberia, Disckworld Noir and Grim Fandango.
Both Diskworld and Grim is partly humorous and partly more serious, Grim is also relative difficult and has some clunky controls, which perhaps is not the best for a beginner in AG, but all three have some great stories and are considered among the best AG ever made.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
I ended up picking up 3 new games (Longest Journey, Gabriel Knight, and Last Express).
You’ve made a good choice as those are great games but:
a) The Last Express is a very unique game, so perhaps you’d want to wait a little bit until you’re accustomed with the genre.
b) The Longest Journey and Gabriel Knight are 3rd-person games, featuring quite more of inventory puzzles than found in Nancy Drew. You should be prepared for all sort of crazy MacGyver-ish type of combinations.
I’m gonna add some more recommendations - if you love history & time travel, check out The Journeyman Project 2 and 3. As for the mystery games, you can’t go wrong with The Broken Sword series.
Recently finished: Four Last Things 4/5, Edna & Harvey: The Breakout 5/5, Chains of Satinav 3,95/5, A Vampyre Story 88, Sam Peters 3/5, Broken Sword 1 4,5/5, Broken Sword 2 4,3/5, Broken Sword 3 85, Broken Sword 5 81, Gray Matter 4/5\nCurrently playing: Broken Sword 4, Keepsake (Let\‘s Play), Callahan\‘s Crosstime Saloon (post-Community Playthrough)\nLooking forward to: A Playwright’s Tale
Games I’ve successfully recommended to others (meaning they’ve played them, enjoyed them and come back asking for more) that were previously unfamiliar with the genre are Curse of Monkey Island (the third game in the series) and the first two Broken Sword games.
Duckman: Can you believe it? Five hundred bucks for a parking ticket?
Cornfed Pig: You parked in a handicapped zone.
Duckman: Who cares? Nobody parks there anyway, except for the people who are supposed to park there and, hell, I can outrun them anytime.
I’d recommend Lost Horizon as an introduction to the genre. It’s newer, so has better graphics than most in the genre, it’s full of globe-trotting (a staple of adventure gaming), and because there’s only a few locations/screens available at any one time, it’s relatively easy - a good way to ease into AGs?
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
I’m a huge Nancy Drew fan, and I also would recommend Broken Sword, Lost Horizon and Book of Unwritten Tales.
The real problem with reality is the lack of background music.
Knightette of the Order of the Caption
Music is what feelings sound like…
The new Nancy Drew games now have amazing graphics and I’m proud to own them.
I’d also recommend Syberia 1 and 2 also the Art of Murder and Chronicles of Mystery series too.
I enjoy playing adventure games on my Alienware M17 r4 and my Nintendo Switch OLED.
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