Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

The goodies are dwindling down here (who took the last of the fudge?!) and we are getting ready to close shop. But don't worry, we'll be back January 3rd. We crazed sleuths could use a little rest and vacation. Of course, that just means some awesome mysteries to work on in Nancy's language.

Keep a weather eye on the message boards, the last of the avatars are coming your way, including the top fan choices. I'm excited for these last ones! They are my favorites.

Enjoy your holiday break and be sure to solve or re-solve a few cases (maybe one with snow involved?). From us to you:
~Little Jackalope~

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Foods and Gifts

Ah these holidays! They are a great time for foods and parties. We had an office potluck yesterday and I thought I'd sneak back into the kitchen just now to get a few more leftovers and goodies. I don't think I have a favorite dessert, they were all so awesome. Which reminds me, I wish we could try one of Hannah Gruen's masterpieces in a future game, because I always remember reading about the wonderful foods she makes, and they are described so well, too!

By the way, if you're doing any baking this week, I suggest getting your ingredients now, because stores get a bit crazy later. Same goes for gift shopping, but if you want to beat the crowds in the electronics section (for all your gaming desires), there's always the cool sales we've got going on our site, this week it's for Shadow at the Water's Edge. This is a really fun game to play over winter break, and you don't need to get trampled over to get it. (Being small is not very fun in crazy crowds, trust me).


Stay warm!

~Little Jackalope~

Monday, December 20, 2010

Story Quote Contest Winner!!

What a crazy start to the day! Several Her Interactive employees were locked out of the office because the secure door was being overly secure. It insisted on remaining closed. No worries, we have a back door. Super detectives always have a backup plan for escapes and such. *Sly grin*.

In all the Christmas week buzz, we have an important announcement to make! Congratulations to Rachel for winning the Story Quote Contest!! Curious to see her story? Here it is:


The Case of the Triple Layer Chocolate Cake

“Okay! Nobody is leaving this room until this thing is solved; and I mean nobody!”

George Fayne eyed the occupants of the room as if daring them to retaliate.

“George, don’t you think you’re overreacting…Just a little bit?” Bess Marvin spoke nervously, sure George would not agree. Which she didn’t.

“Are you out of your mind? This is important!” George exploded. “My birthday party, and the cake goes missing? That this was three layers of pure chocolate HEAVEN, and I want it back. No one goes until it comes.” She glared at Joe Hardy, her prime suspect.

“George…” Nancy Drew sighed, curling a lock of her Titian hair around her finger.

“Don’t ‘George’ me! This is serious, and no one is leaving until I find out who did it! I’m going to look for anything suspicious in the kitchen. While I’m gone, reconsider your ‘stories.’ I know one of you took it.” The last line was spoken most pointedly at Joe, who had sworn he only smelled like chocolate due to the candy bar he’d eaten, not from eating her cake, a story which George found suspect at the very least.

After George exited the room, the group formed into a huddle. Ned Nickerson leaned forward to whisper.

“Is she always like this about cakes?”

“Not usually,” Bess Marvin answered worriedly.

“It was probably because she was up so late last night watching movies,” Nancy whispered. “On her last birthday, she made a list of things to do before her next birthday. Yesterday she decided to go for it and try to finish the things she still had on her list. Yesterday she’d already fit in three picnics, a swimming trip, and a hike around the town. She decided to cram some movies in too, to meet her goal. You all know how George is about accomplishing her goals.”

Frank Hardy shook his head. “She’s a determined one. Anyone know how late she stayed up?”

“Not exactly,” Bess answered. “But by three in the morning she was losing it. I asked her what on earth she was doing up so late on the night of her birthday, and she said something crazy-sounding like ‘Isn't it marvelous to be up and about when others are sound asleep? I find my brainwaves are at their most powerful during this time.’”

“Well that’d explain why she was so exhausted and grouchy this morning,” Joe whispered.

“Yeah. She sure isn’t now, though,” Nancy chimed in. “Nothing like a good sneaking suspicion to keep you on your toes I say.”

George re-entered the room.

“Okay! What are your alibis? Speak up! Joe!”

Joe, who hadn’t expected to be called on, had the same reaction he had when this had happened to him in school. He just about shot out of his seat and hit the ceiling.

“Yes ma’am!” he shouted, jerking to attention.

“Did YOU eat my cake?” George demanded.

“No, ma’am. ‘N it’d suit me just fine if I never saw it again,” Joe answered quickly.

George wasn’t buying it.

“Well then who did?”

“Ahem.”

Everyone turned and saw Hannah Gruen in the doorway, blushing just a little. In her hands was the cake.

“Hannah?” Nancy asked.

“I’m afraid I’ve caused a bit of a misunderstanding. George, no one stole your cake. I just got downstairs a few minutes ago and realised that I’d left the candles off your cake. I looked around, but realized we were all out of birthday candles. So, I rang up a neighbor and went over there to get some candles. I took the cake over there with me so I could compare the candles she had to the color of the frosting I used. Sorry for the confusion; I should have left a note” Hannah explained.

Everyone stared in silence for a moment, while George’s cheeks grew red with embarrassment. Then Joe spoke up.

“So, I’m not going to jail forever?”

Everyone broke into laughter and got on with the party; a highlight of which, everyone agreed, was a certain triple layer chocolate birthday cake."

-- Rachel


And congrats to you sleuths for figuring out puzzle #84! Here's how it's done: Start in the center (S) and then move to it's right, following in a spiral movement similar to the dart board in Warnings at Waverly Academy. Here's the answer: "See it on the cover of Glam Glam".

Keep the wheels spinning!
~Little Jackalope~

Friday, December 17, 2010

Weekend Puzzle 84

It looks like we had a pretty exciting week. But I'm thinking next week will be even more awesome! We'll have a few more fun things going on, so be sure to stop by. :)

We've got a new puzzle for you this weekend. I'm hoping maybe it will inspire some good ideas for puzzle #83 as well. Good luck sleuths!

- Puzzle 84 -

M G L A M
A N T H E
L O S E C
G T I E O
F O R E V

Hint: This puzzle starts with 50 points at Waverly Academy

--

We'll see you next week. Have fun!

- Novel -

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Solving cases and keeping on our toes.

Today is alive and we are running! This place feels like a hot zone for all sorts of action; meetings all day, phone calls, contests to check out, schedule planning, and lots of food talk is what I'm hearing all at this moment. (These things that keep us on our toes and our minds alert are what make it so exciting in this office!)

Earlier a few office sleuths solved "The Case of the Disappearing Chair". Using their keen observation and interrogating skills, they cracked the case. There is predicament I'd like to try solve, too: how to get into the special snack closet, which of course "Is locked!" without anybody noticing...

The ND Decoder sweepstakes is hopping! Lots of you have entered, but if you haven't, you still have time! Tomorrow night at 11:59pm PST we will stop accepting entries. So hurry to it!


By the way, Sonny Joon wishes you a "peaceful" season.
~Little Jackalope~

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Fun Quotes and Jackalope Displays

I've been reading a lot of fun stuff today. There are some awesome quotes in the games that I haven't caught before, and they are really funny! I've missed several of Frank and Joe's conversations in the past because I don't call them very often for hints in a few of the games...and they are hilarious, totally worth listening to! Here's a couple I like from Trail of the Twister:

Radio Commercial:
VOICE 1: "How much would you expect to pay for this top of the line product?"
VOICE 2: "$64.95"
VOICE 1: {Caught off guard} "That's...yup. Thats right. Did someone tell you?"

Frank and Joe Hardy:
Joe: "Now I've forgotten what I was saying...oh yeah. Acts of revenge always make less sense than sabotage. But remember, Every act of sabotage reveals the nature of the saboteur. Think about what type of person would behave this way..."
Frank: {Lightly teasing} "That's very deep, Joe...not extraordinarily helpful, but deep."
Joe: "Eh, one out of two ain't bad."

I've also learned the secrets of the jackalope display in Trail of the Twister, which I love. Have any of you figured it out?

Weekend puzzle 83 is waiting for a master detective to figure out its answer. Give it a try!


~Little Jackalope~

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Ah, Ambience.

I've been listening to some well-known Nancy Drew music from the games, and wow! It is so much fun just to sit back, close my eyes, and hear the stories they create. It is so beautiful, and many are epic! The titles to the songs are simple, and just by looking at them I can make a very good guess as to which game they belong to...can you?

"Memoirs"
"Harpsichord Enchantments"
"Desert Lands"

Weekend puzzle is yet to be solved! "I'm counting the days of old in hopes you will find the answer!"

As for the new sweepstakes (see previous post), I figured you would be more excited to see what the prize actually looked like in its box form:

Looks complex, right? Perfect! Hop to it for the chance to win!

~Little Jackalope~

Monday, December 13, 2010

Contests, wallpapers, and sales, whoo-hoo!

Mondays here are like caffeine boosts! After resting up on the weekends, we come in to greet tons of exciting new tasks and then amp up the old tasks. There is so much going on: contests, new wallpapers, newly added avatars, and this week's game sale! Whoo-hoo!

While the judges are deciding on the winner from our last contest, we've got something fantastic to announce; A brand new sweepstakes!

For this week only you can enter for a chance to win a Nancy Drew Decoder Puzzle! To participate simply email us at HIcontest@herinteractive.com along with your name and email address with the subject line: "Decode Nancy Drew." Submissions will be accepted until 11:59PM December 17th. We'll randomly select 20 winners from the entrants to receive a Nancy Drew Decoder Puzzle! For your best chance, be sure to follow the rules below:

Rules:
  • Each contestant may only enter once.
  • Entries must be received before 11:59PM December 17th.
  • Entries will only be accepted by email.
  • This contest is open to everyone.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and drop your name in the hat! And keep your eyes peeled for more great information.

~Little Jackalope~

Friday, December 10, 2010

Weekend Puzzle 83

Hey-o everybody!

The weeks have just been flying by here at HI. I've been enjoying reading Little Jackalope's posts probably as much a you have! She's been doing some awesome projects recently. We'll hear more from her next week, so stay tuned.

We haven't forgotten about the weekend puzzle, here's the latest mind-bender.

- Weekend Puzzle 83 -

Dpd cm kp sfrasqcgovo

56, 61, 43! Hut! Hike!

--

Good luck and we'll see you next week. ^.~

- Novel -

P.S. correct puzzle now posted. :P

Thursday, December 9, 2010

December Brainstorms

Lots of meetings have been happening today. It is in those hours that we brainstorm Nancy Drew hurricanes! It's a lot of fun, but it's also work, which I love.

We've been getting ready for the new year while cranking away at all of December's action, it's quite an interesting juggling trick. I find it better when there are several things to work on, so I can go back and forth, clearing my mind for an hour of one task, and coming back to it later. Hm, does Nancy have a one-track mind, or do you think she can concentrate on several things at once?


This is me working on very important projects; I figured you'd like to see what that looks like:


Don't take any wooden nickels!

~Little Jackalope~

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Elves and Sneakiness

Santa and Elf hats are sort of funny looking, I think. I've been staring at them all day and goofing off with their different shapes and how they rest, and I realized that elf hats look a little like a medieval archer's pointy hat. You know, the kind with a feather in it? (Using detective skills really trains the eyes to such details and observations). Here's the hat I have:


Lose the stripes and fake ears and fuzz ball at the end and voila! I'm an archer! Or just a sneaky elf in disguise.

Speaking of being sneaky, I casually walked by a meeting room not too long ago and subtly looked through the corner of my eye to see what's going on. It was a secret meeting in the dark, the schemers were speaking about the future. Ooh! I walked quickly by because I wanted to be surprised later.

We have a few surprises in the near future as well! Just wait a bit and you'll see!

~Little Jackalope~

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Researching and Art projects

It's been a while since I have read through one of the yellow hardcover Nancy Drew books, and I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as when I was younger, but my doubts soon vanished when I started reading one for some "research". It was awesome! I loved every page of it and since I just couldn't put it down, I never used a bookmark.
It reminded me that Nancy is a fighter for justice, and that is what drives her to find answers. Well, that and her curiosity, of course!

I've been doing some snooping for old art images to mischievously alter for future projects. I'm particularly looking forward to Thursday when more goodies are released! Busy, busy, busy! I should be wearing my elf hat right now...

Oh the puzzle! Congrats to you super sleuths who quickly solved the weekend puzzle! Here's how it went: Start with the first letter and count every third until you reach the end. Next, go back and start on that second letter, counting every third. Do this one more time (starting on the third letter, counting every third) so that every letter and space and punctuation mark is used. You get three titles:
1. Trail of the Twister
2. Secrets Can Kill Remastered
3. Shadow at the Water's Edge

Keep it real!
~Little Jackalope~

Monday, December 6, 2010

Surprise! It's Monday!

Guess what happens on Mondays? Just about everything. There's buzz in the office because a couple got engaged! Congrats to them! It must be the season for everything special. It's also the season for being sick. Several people here at Her Interactive aren't feeling too well but came in to the office anyway. What troopers!
We are super busy with all kinds of things, and a few of us are having a discussion about character hairstyles. It's interesting to hear the artists' and designer's thought process on this!

Ooh! The new holiday wallpaper is up for you to download, and can be found on the home page. Also, if you are on the message boards, there is a new avatar you can use. :)

Cheerio!
~Little Jackalope~

Friday, December 3, 2010

Weekend Puzzle 82

I've been enjoying reading Little Jackalope's posts. She's had some rather interesting adventures already! I can't wait to see what happens next week!

Anywho, here's the puzzle for this weekend:

- Weekend Puzzle -

tssrehacairdleo_twos_f_a_ctta_hnte_h_keti_wlwilas_ttreeerrm' _as_s__te_ed_rg_ee_d_

--

Good luck, we'll see you next week!

- Novel -

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Goodies and ciphers... and a leaky roof

This is what I've learned since I've been at Her Interactive: something interesting happens every day. Yesterday a leak was discovered in the roof, and today (as I speak) someone is trying to fix it (right across from my cubicle). Thankfully the leak isn't over any one's desk!

Whoa! I just realized it's December already! That means some great stuff will be coming your way. Actually, there are a few things available right now. A holiday wallpaper is up for downloading (this is from Trail of the Twister), so check out the Dare to Play blog for details. If you are a member on the message boards, check out the new avatars you can use, (the "Whale" is on page two and "Nancy Drew Book" is on page three under the "Standard Avatar" list).

Congrats to all you sleuths for solving the puzzle from last week (and for catching the typos...that is totally my fault and I will make it up to you, meaning Novel might fire me from puzzle creation.) Here's how it is solved:

Find the lyrics to the song "Let it Snow!" and notice how it is broken up into four verses ("paragraphs" or "sections" for us non-musical people) and use the Ottendorf cipher to find individual letters.
The first number represents the verse/section, the next number is the line, third is word and last is the letter in that word.
For example: 1.3.5.1 = P

2.2.3.5
4.3.2.1
1.4.3.2
3.1.3.2
3.1.3.3
2.3.4.4
1.2.6.6
3.2.8.1

2.2.7.1
4.3.1.2
2.2.4.3
1.3.5.1
3.1.4.1
4.4.2.1
1.3.4.1

2.1.6.4
3.2.2.1
4.1.2.4

Here's the complete answer: (Hannah's Pumpkin Pie).
Stay sharp!

~Little Jackalope~

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Old Secrets Discovered

I was just doing some simple artwork when it happened. It appeared in the art, as if it transformed in front of my very eyes, and then revealed itself to me. The words were invisible to my naked (actually glasses-gazing) eyes until now...now when it wanted to be found...

OK, so I'm being a bit dramatic, but it's because I'm super excited!! I discovered a secret that I never knew! (Well, some of you may have already known). Have any of you studied the old Nancy Drew game menu with the stacked brown-red books? Take a closer look to the right of the Nancy Drew silhouette, where there are some jagged, textured lines. Those lines are actually words!
It says (Her Interactive) in capitals. I thought this was pretty cool. Just think! There are several other Nancy Drew and company references hidden in the games. Try looking for them, even in the old games, you may have missed something, like I did.

Last week's puzzle is still unsolved! I'll be posting the answer sometime soon, but for now, another hint: Use the song lyrics to find letters that make up the three words (hence the three sections of numbers).

Let's get case crack'n!

~Little Jackalope~