The Nancy Drew Adventure series is a set of cult classic point-and-click mystery games that began its run in 1998. The series, which loosely follows the novels and characters of Carolyn Keen, reached peak popularity in the 2000s with a niche PC audience that had not yet delved into the culture of console gaming.
The 33rd installment of the Nancy Drew series, Midnight in Salem (abbreviated MID), was originally set for release in Fall 2015. The games had historically been released at a volume of two titles per year, with little to no exception.
The digital artwork had been improving drastically over the years and the fanbase was at an all-time high. Expectations for the newest release were higher than ever. So what changed?
It all began with the unprecedented mass firing of the development team.
In March 2015, thirteen employees of the already modest company were laid
off, many of whom had worked with HeR Interactive for over a decade. Among those fired was actress Lani Manella, who voiced Nancy Drew in every game proceeding MID.
In August of 2014, HeR announced a delay in the release of MID. Citing
fan response for “expansive environments, better visuals, more compelling storylines, and longer gameplay”, the company made the decision to switch the platform to the Unity engine and the development of the game was outsourced. A new release date was not confirmed but estimated by 2016.
One month later, Penny Milliken, who had served on the board since
2003, took over as CEO of HeR Interactive. Milliken prioritized the launch of
Codes & Clues, a STEM based game series aimed at younger mobile device users.
The first official environment screenshots dropped in August 2019, leading fans to assume the theme of the Salem Witch Trials indicated an October release. Then came the character renderings.
The company has since earned a dodgy reputation in terms of receiving
feedback. All negative comments regarding the MID release have been expeditiously deleted from the company’s social media pages, although online forums are ripe with criticism.
When MID released almost four years later, on December 3, 2019, what
might have been a momentous occasion was otherwise thwarted when many
of the same PCs used by players for over a decade did not have the processing
power to effectively run the program. Those who did own computers capable of
finishing the game realized it delivered exactly what had been expected. Heavy
with cutscenes and devoid of the signature puzzles fans so adored, MID is unrecognizable from any of the previous titles. Renderings look incomplete with bugs abound; many players even reported NPCs locked in T-Pose. The most significant variation? No future game was announced at the end credits.
While HeR Interactive appears to be liquidating their stock by advertising year-round sales on physical copies, they’ve done little to pique the interest of console and iOS users by way of advertising and cross-platform development. Just one title, The Ghost of Thornton Hall, is available for mobile devices, and only 13 of the 33 games are available on Mac for digital download.
Is there any hope for the future of point-and-click gaming? The answer is:
maybe. A group of Nancy Drew fans have since started a small company called
Airtight Alibi and are in the process of developing a new point-and-click mystery game titled Amelia Darnell: Secrets of Silvercrest Village. More exciting yet,
Lani Manella is set to make her return to the mystery gaming scene as the voice
of protagonist Amelia Darnell.
The future of the Nancy Drew franchise still rests in the hands of Milliken, and while the company has teased a 34th installment, few fans expect HeR to deliver.
Regardless of whether HeR Interactive makes a full recovery, the Nancy Drew
fandom is loyal and resilient and continues to act towards preserving the legacy
of the games that raised them.
