First, let me say that, as someone who is seriously considering a master's degree in museum studies, this game was an absolute delight! The museum is filled with nooks and crannies to explore: the curator's office, the exhibition hall, a three-storey Maya temple, gardens, shipping and receiving and the lab, filled with neat gadgets such as an analyzer, foam packing machine, ham radio and more, all of which help Nancy on her quest.

"Secret of the Scarlet Hand" simply offers more locations than previous games, more characters/suspects, and a much deeper storyline. Nancy travels to different locations by subway, with a static image overlay as the various station lights light up on the metro map. Graphics are, as always, beautiful. The Maya artifacts are photo realistic, extremely detailed and vibrant. Music and ambient sounds are more pronounced than in previous ND games. The score features haunting panpipes, rainforest birdcalls, and flamenco, along with more ominous mood music-although some reviewers though the music was too repetitive, I found that the soundtrack greatly enhanced the gaming experience.

This is definitely the most educational of the Nancy Drew games. Players must write down references to Mayan language, religion, rulers and more since there are three temple quizzes that Nancy must pass to progress in the game. Since it is set in a museum, the educational elements fit right into the game world without seeming out of place. "Scarlet Hand" is also the most difficult of the ND games to date, relying on a great deal of snooping, reading, Morse code transmissions in Spanish, telephone calls, and beating puzzles to progress in the investigation, but the great story and characters make it worth it. Parents may find themselves roped into aiding investigations and end up playing the game themselves-there is plenty of variety in the various puzzles and tasks to keep the game interesting. Once again, Her Interactive has provided young girls with a positive, nonviolent role model in Nancy, and "Scarlet Hand" will be sure to thrill Nancy Drew/mystery fans, museum fans, and anyone looking for an engaging cultural journey. Not just for kids, "Secret of the Scarlet Hand" is an intelligent, gorgeous mystery with Mexican flavour and intrigue.


Another great game!   September 16, 2002
Molly P. (Portland, Oregon USA)
35 out of 43 found this review helpful

"Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand" is the 6th in this series by HER Interactive. Each game is full of clues, puzzles, and exciting (and possibly dangerous) adventures. "Scarlet Hand" is no exception. In this game, you (as Nancy) take an internship at the Beech Hill Museum, and when a priceless artifact goes missing, it's up to you to find out what's going on. You'll explore the museum (which includes a pyramid with several levels, and an outside exhibit), and take the subway to visit several other key locations. You'll talk to various people, all the while knowing that one of them could be the thief. It's a really fun game; I've played all the others and this one took longer than the previous game ("Final Scene") for me. It took about 10 hours on the senior level, and I was playing it with a partner. There are a lot of facts to write down and recall, and the puzzles in this game are very original. I was very pleased with the number of puzzles; just the right amount. What I really liked about this game, in comparison to some of the other Nancy Drew games, was that you didn't have to maneuver your mouse so much to find things. In some of the other games, you can only see objects if you position your cursor at just the right angle turning just the right direction. In this game, everything was very out in the open and the game was easy to maneuver; surprisingly, however, that didn't make the game any less challenging than its predecessors. Just another great addition to the "Nancy Drew" games collection, "Scarlet Hand" is sure to please gamers and mystery-lovers alike.


Best computer game ever   September 3, 2002
Kathleen K. Williams (Columbia, SC USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

My children and I have played all the games in the Nancy Drew series, but this is the best one yet. This is not just for kids!! We anxiously await each new game. This game was so clever and so much fun to play. It teaches creative thinking and problem-solving, not to mention that we have become experts on the "Mayan" culture and Mayan artifacts! Can't wait for the next one--This is also NOT just for girls!!