Cruise Control

So I was getting a little nervous, given the rocky start this week's had so far [i.e. see yesterday's post], but it looks like all is back to normal. Well as normal as things can be around here at any rate. I mean when you've got an official full of amateur detectives... leaving dirty dishes by the sink is ill-advised. What can I say, a crime scene means a mystery, and sometimes we just can't help ourselves. :P

Of course we have been a bit pre-occupied as of late. It has been a launch heavy year, and here we are eagerly anticipating the holidays (the turkey can't get here soon enough, I say). Holidays means specials and new holiday content. Maybe there will be a little more info regard this in the upcoming newsletter. Which I should add you'll be seeing this week, if you've signed up for our newsletter that is [if not, you totally should]. Plus some extra content I hinted at last week. It's mere days away. ^.~

Puzzle 78 and 79 have been crushed! Excellent job sleuths, and you got puzzle 79 in just one day! ^.^ You can see how to solve them below.

- Puzzle 78 Solution -

First you need to put the words into a [ atbash cipher. ] You'll end up with a pretty incoherent sort of phrase [ Lasagne Timers Smirking ].

Take this phrase and [ unscramble it ] using the hint provided. The hint has three words that help you out [ Sit, Speak, and Heel ] These words are all [ commands for a dog ]. With this hint, you'll know that part of the answer is [ Mr. Mingles ] so simply solve the rest. [ Mr. Mingles Strikes Again ]

--

Annnnnd...

- Puzzle 79 Solution -

This puzzle can be broken down into the questions for each line -

What makes Helios's chariot shine: [ Helios was the greek personification of the "sun" ]

How many "good boys do fine"? [ Every, which in the musical mnemonic = "E" ]

When did the roses sing to Alice: [ In Alice in Wonderland, the roses sang about "June" ]

Now [ say ] it altogether and don't forget to [ add 'coming soon' ].

[ Sonny Joon Coming Soon ]

--

See you tomorrow.

o Novel o

Margin of Error

So Friday was a total whirlwind. So much so that no one posted the puzzle! I am way sorry for that (it is now posted), and totally don't know how not a single person here noticed... My computer decided that 'enough was enough' and promptly stopped functioning in every sort of way. It was whatever the direct opposite of "awesome" is.

I figure I'm pretty much the Western equivalent of Rentaro. I've got glasses, love crazy puzzles, and I'm completely obsessed with technology and any new whiz-bangs and gizmos that I can find. No robo-cats though. Still, all that stuff just likes to break for no reason. I'm a magnet for computer errors, it's like a weird super-power. Though I probably would've chosen flying if given the chance.

Now I've got a new computer (temporary) and here's the post. Promptly placed for your enjoyment. See you soon (accident-free).

- Novel -

Weekend Puzzle 79

Woo hoo it's Friday! I hope everyone had a fantastic week. Here's a puzzle to keep your mind in shape till Monday. Enjoy!

- Weekend Puzzle 79 -

When you find what makes Helios' chariot shine,
and take note of how many "good boys do fine".
Then learn when the roses sang Alice a tune,
You will have the question that ends with "coming soon?"

--

Have fun. ^.^

- Novel -

Nose Buried

There's nothing like sitting down with a Nancy Drew mystery on a cold, Fall day. Don't worry, it is work related. ;) Sometimes we read through a mystery or two to stay up on the Nancy trivia. And sometimes we just need a good case to solve. But today, I've been reviewing a few classic Nancy Drew stories in preparation for upcoming testing. We always like to make sure that our games continue to reflect the kind of Nancy Drew experience we all know and love. Now sometimes we like to add our own sort of "flair" to that formula, and it seems to fall squarely onto Marketing (i.e. me and my awesome team) to make sure that these changes don't stray outside of the "normal" Nancy Universe. Of course we're not the only ones reading the "yellowbacks, et al" I know I've seen a few of the designers sneaking into the library throughout the day. It's good to know Nancy is in capable hands!

I see that you're soooooo close on the puzzle, so here's the last hint.

- Puzzle 78 Hint -

Space the letters like so: 2 - 7 - 7 - 5

--

There's a new one going up tomorrow, so finish this one up quick, like I know you can. ^.~

o Novel o

The Forward Momentum

The hive is stirring! We've got holiday plans coming together nicely (and it's not even Thanksgiving yet) I know I hinted at a newsletter on Monday, but don't expect it for a few days or so. Just let it gather a bit. Trust us on this. In the meantime, maybe enter a contest? :P

- Pic of the Week -

- A new Collector's Bundle? -

--

The puzzle players got part of the clue, but they might be focused on the wrong kind of companion. Think poof-ier.

I'm hoping for random tomorrow. *fingers crossed*

- Novel -

Contests, Hints, and Announcements

So there's a few things to run through today. First off there's an awesome contest starting today. It's all about the Collectors Edition Fan Favorites so be sure to check that out. All the rules are explained on the Dare To Play blog. I know how creative you all are, so I'm expecting to see a whole lot of awesome entries. Good luck!

It looks like there's another HI message going up on the MB. (This occurs every other Tues. if you haven't caught on. ^.~) You might want to read it once it goes live. I've had an advanced screening, and I think it is super important for everyone to give it a look. *edit: link to post*

Lastly, lets look at a hint to help you all finish up the weekend puzzle.

- Puzzle 58 Hint -

The original hint gives you 3 keywords that one particular Nancy Drew character might be familiar with. Use that to help you solve the anagram.

--

I'll round up some hi-jinks for tomorrow. See you soon.

o Novel o

Inspiration of Choice

If you look at current trend of gaming these days, you'll see that innovation is a major player. There's all sorts of incredible technology being developed, and in concurrence, plenty of designers stepping up to the challenge of creating whole new gaming experiences. Now the devs here at HI might not be looking to change the face of PC gaming, but we like spicing things up every now and then. Looking to this explosion of fresh ideas is a great source of inspiration for our designers. It's one of the reasons we're so excited about the Nancy Drew: Mobile Mysteries Series.

I've even put in a special request to learn about where some of that inspiration comes from. Perhaps the principle designer of Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge will give us the inside scoop... maybe just in time for a new newsletter...

I like the possibilities that are brewing, and I'm certain we'll enjoy seeing where all these new ideas can lead.

Adios amigos,

o Novel o

Puzzle 78

It's Friday once again! And you know what that means!

- Weekend Puzzle 78 -

Ozhztmv Grnvih Hnriprmt

hint: If the answer doesn't sit well, turn on your heel, and speak it aloud.

--

Have a great weekend.

o Novel o

Open for Business

We posted a fantastic little video today. We had a true to life fan come in and help us out on the endeavor. It provides a grand perspective of the Collector's Edition Fan Favorites. You know, cause maybe you wanted to see how it all fits together. Or perhaps what the inside of the journal looks like. Either way I think it is a fabulous treat for a rather lackluster Thursday. Although the knowledge of a puzzle tomorrow is getting my hopes up. Maybe I'll have to go sneak an early peek at tomorrow's brain-bender. You should probably watch the video... or if there's still sun, enjoy the day. We'll be here when you get back. :P

o Novel o

Amazing Crafts

So there's not a lot of time to gossip today. But I wanted to show you something waaaay cool (that you may or may not have seen.)

- Pic of the Week -

- Oh so charming! -

--

Yup, those are custom created cell phone charms. This epic win is courtesy of our last intern (may she sleuth on forever!). We can't help but gush over how close they are to the in-game versions from Shadow at the Water's Edge. And she even made one of a fake-eye from Legend of the Crystal Skull, too awesome!

Hasta manana!

o Novel o

Spoken Like a True Sleuth

I got to sit in on a localization meeting today. If you're unfamiliar, it's industry-speak for when a game is translated and released in another country. We localize into French, Russian, and German currently... which are three countries with languages I can't speak or read. Still, the meeting was pretty awesome. It was all about how to make it easier to localize our games to any country. Can you imagine picking up a Nancy Drew game from the store and playing it in Japanese? or Spanish? or even "Ig-pay Atin-lay"? I think that would be totally awesome... though I have to say it's a little "pie-in-the-sky." So don't expect that feature in ND24 or anything, but maybe one day. Cause I'm sure we can all agree, the world loves Nancy Drew, particularly when she's speaking your language! ^.~

Here's the answer to last weekend's puzzle.

- Puzzle 77 Answer -

So this puzzle is a [ rebus ]. The pictures are [ words ]. You can break it down as follows:
-
1. Last
2. Tea
3. Rain
4. Two
5. Blue
6. Moon Canyon
-
If you [ say ] them together you get the final answer:
[ Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon ]

--

We'll catch up some more tomorrow. Have fun till then!

o Novel o

More to Come

So it's the first of November, Halloween has come and gone. Was it absolutely splendid? Are you completely sick of candy? I can tell you that we're not... I'm typing with chocolate-coated fingers right now. (is it bad to want to lick my keyboard?) Still I hope it was an eventful and fun weekend. Maybe you had some time to sit down and play Shadow at the Water's Edge. Or perhaps you did a little due-diligence on the Collector's Edition Fan Favorites (which launches today!)

There's still a good bit of fun to be had before the "Holiday Theatrics." Maybe some videos, a contest or two, who knows. ^.~ The Fall launch may be over and done, but the 'plotting' has not stopped. Promise.

The puzzle has been crushed. I'll do all the spoiling on Tuesday. See you soon!

o Novel o

Weekend Puzzle [77]

Here's your weekly brain-bender. Good luck and enjoy!

- Weekend Puzzle 77 -

--

Be sure to have a fun and safe Halloween. Ta-ta!

o Novel o

Steps Ahead

Planning for holidays is always fun business. We get to think about decorations, promos, giveaways, contests, etc. Happy times I say. I don't always remember what shenanigans we got into in the previous years, but it seems important to try and top them in some way. Halloween's a good time for this as we're already caricatures or costumed crime-fighters. Working at blazing speeds to solve problems in this cubicle jungle. It's a carpeted beat, but one that I patrol with pride. ^.~

Oops, got a little off topic... but I'm excited for the weekend already (and thinking of special days further along the road.) Holidays bring out happy spirits and hospitable hands, so I can't help but get swept away. Maybe I'll check out early today... just don't tell anyone. ^>^

The puzzle was solved! Awesome! Here's the key.

- Puzzle 76 Answer -

There are a couple of steps to this puzzle. First off, you'll need to determine the [ clef ] of the musical notation. The [ included text ] will fill you in, specifically this word: [ "viola". ]
[ Viola ] is traditionally written in [ Alto clef ]. Once you've got that you can discover the corresponding [ notes "A - G" ]. Translate each of the [ notes ] in the puzzle.
Now for a little bit of [ math ]. With the first group of notes, [ FFFA ] convert them to [ numbers i.e. - 6+6+6+1=19 ] which we can then swap with [ 19 = S ]. So the 1st [ letter is "S" ].
Continue replacing [ the notes with numbers ] and so forth. Each [ line ] is equal to [ 1 word ]. Complete the conversion for the entire stanza, you'll end up with:
[ Suki Knows Many Tricks ]

--

Oh, yes, that is most certainly true! Have you learned them all? Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, with a whole new puzzle!

- Novel -

Uncertain Terms of Endearment

So the website has been enjoying a day of "disparate temperament"... or I guess fussiness. The fickle nature of technology these days, I tell ya. It's fantastic to be able to access all this cool stuff, but when something breaks it takes like 50 people to diagnose and fix the problem (which always ends up being an unplugged cable or errant semicolon). Bah! Oh well, I hope it's back in tip-top shape soon.

We got a handsome delivery today; our first set of completed Collector's Edition goodies. I stole one for a few moments to snag a photo.

- Pic of the Week -

--

It's the real-deal, folks. The journal is even more awesome than I could have imagined. I'll have to get some interior shots for you to check out. I'm very pleased with how the whole thing is working out. It's going to be a Nancy-filled winter!

- Novel -

Nancy To-Go

I played around a bit in the Mobile Mysteries world today. I'm not exactly a techno-phile (e.g. Rentaro), but I will say it was quite an awesome experience. Its more novel than "PC snooper" which is fine by me. Of course I exploited the portability as best I could (considering the soppy weather we're having.) and found a quiet and comfortable corner to play in. The encapsulated "Nancy experience" was familiar... cold, dark room; notepad and pencil next to me; fingers tight with nervous tension. I guess its good that they included all that. But I'm still concerned about the barrier of entry (i.e. an 'iProduct'.) I guess they're becoming more common every day so who knows...

These jaunts into new territory are good for HI in my opinion. What do you think?

Here's a hint to help you solve the puzzle. Good luck!

- Puzzle Hint -

If notes were numbers, would they add up?

--

Halloween is 5 days away! Got your costume ready?

- Novel -

Your First Weekend in Japan

So you've had a good, solid weekend to consider the latest Nancy-faire (Shadow at the Water's Edge). Do you absolutely love it? Has it met your expectations? Is it the scariest mystery this side of the Pecos? I guess an even better question is, 'have you completed the case yet?' So many questions, mayhaps we'll break out that most customary of launch rituals, the "post-launch fan survey." No ETA on that though, there's still much to do...

Deep in our secret Testing Facility, we noted that even our most senior of Test technicians took quite a long time to completely play through this game. Chore for them, but boon for you! Personally I find that our games tend to fall right around the "just-enough" play-time for me, with each offering clocking in at a length appropriate to my interest in the story's plot... (except The Phantom of Venice - cause, boy... I coulda spent ages snooping in that lovely city). Now of course I know many of you fall into the "Games are too short" camp, but I'm thinking that Shadow at the Water's Edge might just be the answer you've been lookin' for, ya dig?

You puzzle-players are on the right track. Though I fear it may be more math intensive than you realize. I'll keep an ear out for a good hint to sing your way.

- Novel -

Weekend Puzzle!

I'm particularly excited about this puzzle. It looks like it might be quite a "notable" entry. Good luck!

- Weekend Puzzle 76 -

"A little reading... a little math... and viola, solved!"

--

See ya next week~

- Novel -

All This Stuff

I'm kinda in art overload here. I'm looking at pictures from 5 different launches that have happened, or are expected to happen this year. It's been busier than I can remember. I mean think about it... all those new games... and more on the way...

This here is what we call a "double-edged sword." I've enjoyed getting to solve new mysteries and adventures (on new platforms too). But, sheesh, we barely finish with one launch and we're moving on, setting up the stage for the next act. Can we maintain such a pace? Yeah, probably. If anything, Nancy's taught me that determination and hard-work are the way to go. But it hardly gives me any time to praise the fabulous teams that have made these great games. And how am I supposed to pepper in my commentary of the vox populi (that's you) for each product if I've only got a day or two till I'm hyping the "next-best-thing." Hmmm...

I guess this will take some extra thinking! But I'll come up with the proper solution... (new programming perhaps) No doubt, no doubt.

Keep rocking out in the free world!

- Novel -

p.s. Puzzle tomorrow. ^.^

Today's View

So there was a particularly excellent surprise delivered to the office today. One of our fans sent us a care package for Halloween! It is awesome! All the HI workers took a break to enjoy and peruse the contents. We definitely appreciate the effort of this Nancy-fan. Kudos to you!

- Pic of the Week -

- What could be contained within? -

- Cards, candy, and costume props! -

Oh, and you may notice that yesterday's post is now live... not sure what Blogger is up to, but I'm slightly disappointed that I had to wait a whole day to send you a shout-out. Here's hoping this one hits a little sooner.

Peas and thanks!

- Novel -

Shadow at the Water's Edge Launch

It's happened! We've launched Nancy's next case, Shadow at the Water's Edge! Get in on the adventure (and terror), you won't be disappointed. Promise.

Newsletter releasing in... 5... 4... 3... 2...


So last weekend's puzzle wasn't too tricky, but it was a bit of a departure from our normal approach. Lets see how it was solved.

- Puzzle Answer -

This puzzle is a [ visual puzzle called "rebus" ] Notice that [ many things ] is hidden by [ garden ] If you build that into [ a sentence ] you get the answer:
[ Garden hides many things ]

--

Yup it's a Shadow at the Water's Edge reference. There's more fun to come. See ya soon.

- Novel -

Update: It looks like this post was held in queue for a whole day! Yikes!

One Day Left

So this is it. Launch week. Shadow at the Water's Edge is on shelves tomorrow. (No midnight launches that I'm aware of.) Does it feel like Christmas Eve to anyone else? Maybe New Year's? There's definitely a countdown coming to a close in my head and butterflies keeping me from shut-eye tonight. On the off chance that I say this every time...(let's pretend this is the first time.) This is the most excited I've been about a game release. ^.^ How bout you?

We've already seen a few reviews from people that pre-ordered their copies, and it's looking like "eagerly awaited" is a common motif. Also there's been a few "best game yets." It's just hours away till you're in Japan with Nancy! *grin*

For point three I'll be brief. Newsletter. It's coming. Soon. Very Soon.

I'd say the puzzle is solved. The process is valid, even if the answer is debatable. We'll bring it into view tomorrow. Ciao till then.

-Novel-

Weekend Puzzle

Here's the puzzle for this week. It's a bit of a departure from the norm, but I think you clever cats will nab this one, no problem. ^.^

- Weekend Puzzle 75 -

--

Good luck!

- Novel -

Wednesday Fail

So maybe you're wondering where yesterday went... Well it seems we had a few hiccups in the office, namely the crash of several servers and loss of network communication. Work became fairly limited, but I suppose something good did come of it...

Yeah, that's how we solve some of our problems... cupcakes. Cause seriously what can't be solved delicious baked goods?

Oh hey did you check out the character trailer they released today? I'm hoping they've got some more to dish out. I particularly like these kinds of videos because the characters are my favorite part about our games. Anywho maybe you should check it out. ^.~

Tomorrow is Friday and that means puzzles!

Laters~

- Novel o -

Close to Answers

So officially one week until launch. I guess it would appropriate to start freaking out now. We're close enough. Go ahead, you deserve it. ^.~

I wonder what else we have left to surprise you with. Of course any more surprises and you're going to start believing we're just made up of big events. Still, the bag o' tricks has yet to run dry. And let's say that's a good thing.

It looks like the puzzle wasn't too tricky for you all to solve, but let's check our work.

- Puzzle 74 Answer -

The first step is to determine the code that's being used on this puzzle. You may notice it as [ Unicode ]. All you need to do is [ plug the characters into a decoder ]. This should give you the final answer:
[ Odds are, Pachinko plays a part. ]

--

So it sounds like there will be a little bit of play time in Shadow at the Water's Edge. I guess that'll be a nice balance to the all the scares. Downtime never hurt anybody... ghosts, that's still up in the air.

- Novel -

Scary Business

We're only a week away from Nancy's latest and greatest (see: Shadow at the Water's Edge.) Not to mention scariest. Of course there's so much buzz going around lately it's hard to stay on point with just one case. Talk about a busy sleuthing year, this one certainly takes the cake. Let's hope Nancy is as good at multi-tasking as she is with detective work. ^.~

Oh, also in the news, we're looking for some Beta testers for the up-coming Mobile Mysteries Series. I know the AS blog isn't usually a bulletin board for these things, but this is an extra special case. If you've got an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you just might be the tester we're looking for! Check out this survey if I've piqued your interest. (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KX3G29H)

In the world of puzzles, you've come out on top. Congrats! I kinda figured you all would solve this without much difficulty. But we'll leaving the spoiling to Tuesday; where it usually dwells.

Course we'll bring something else to the table then as well.

- Novel -

Puzzle 74

Friday is already here! Are you aiming for a relaxing weekend? Don't forget to give the weekend puzzle a whirl, check it out below:

- Weekend Puzzle 74 - 

--

Cheerio~

- Novel -

Missing Days and Answers

No blog for two days? You know what that means... Yup, I've been bed-ridden for a short period of time, but I've returned to send some much needed love to my readers.

It hasn't been the most exciting of weeks in the office (from what I can see) but pre-orders have wrapped up, and shipping begins today. That means we're a little under two weeks till the official Shadow at the Water's Edge launch. Soooo soon! :P

You saw the trailer right? I told you it was brimming with spooky goodness. But what did you think? Too scary? Not scary enough?

So I know I promised the puzzle answer on Monday and here it is!

- Puzzle 73 Answer -

This puzzle uses a special kind of code. If you [ remove every 3rd letter ] from the list [ starting with the capital "S" ], you'll discover a [ message - "Start with the first and take out every third to solve!" ].
Take that [ statement ] and look at [ what is leftover. ] There's no need to [ rearrange the letters ], the final answer is
[ Bento can be quite charming ]

--

I'm certain that is a clue for something... Perhaps it'll make more sense when SAW lands on your doorstep. ^.~

We'll have a new puzzle tomorrow, stay tuned.

- Novel -

Start of Something Sinister

Good afternoon, Monday!
It is now officially the first week of October, the month of scares. We’re getting into the Fall swing of things, which as we all know means launch time is almost upon us. If you’ve pre-ordered your copy of Shadow at the Water’s Edge then you just might see it shipping out a little earlier than the retail launch. I suppose that’s one pre-order perk they failed to mention. ^.~

So there’s one more piece o’ the pie; the trailer. Sure they played a short teaser thing, but I’m talking the full-blown, epic, thriller of a preview. You’ll be pleased (or afraid, depending) to know that it is on the way to you. Let’s say… tomorrow, and hope that I’m not proven wrong by the powers-that-be. It'd be best if you didn't miss it, you'll thank me later. Although... talk about nightmares, this one’s definitely got terror written all over it.

The weekend puzzle has met its end. We’ll discuss tomorrow, no?

- Novel -

Got a good Halloween costume picked out yet?

Weekend Puzzle

So I think there were like 8 announcements this week... well at least 3 big things happened. Did you catch them all? I promise next week will be a bit slower. ;)

Any who, here's the puzzle for this week. Good luck, sleuths!

- Puzzle 73 -

bStearntwtitohtcheafinrsbtaendqtaukeioutteevecryhthairrdtmosiolnveg!

--

Adios~

- Novel -

Appetizer

Super short post:

Demo!

OhboyOhboyOhboyOhboyOhboyOhboyOhboy! You should totally totally play it. For realsies. Disappointment, you will have none. :)

Right, right. Puzzles and fun tomorrow. Cheerio!

- Novel -

Content Galore

Have you seen this? [this]

S' pretty hilarious IMO. The schemes of these guys... I love 'em. Oh hey, speaking of which, tomorrow you're going to be very, very happy. I promise. Cause you know there's not been enough to hype our projects. I swear we're just cranking out goodies this day. It's a bit like owning a candy factory, let me tell ya. Our offerings are consistent, sure, but there also absolutely fabulous. Make no mistake, we love this part of the gig.

Case in point.

- Pic of the Week -

- That's dedication, no? -

See you on side B.

- Novel -

iDon't Know

So while I'm waaaay stoked about the new project, details are a little sparse in my neck of the woods. I hear cheers from that half the office every so often (insert "greener grass" aphorism). But there's still a lot of mystery surrounding it. Perfect for an avid Nancy Drew fan, huh? Maybe I can snoop out some photos or secret documents. Now that would make for an exciting day!

The reception on the boards has been pretty good. We're never sure just how well received any of our odd-ball schemes will be. We just keep trying to make the best Nancy Drew experience for everyone and hoping for the best. Eh, it does teach you that Nancy Drew, timeless as she is, isn't afraid to take that leap to emerging technology. And I'm glad that HI is part of that process.

So I guess the hint for a hint was a little too much. The puzzle has been vanquished. Congrats to everyone for helping out. Check out the solving steps below.

- Puzzle 72 Answer -
Follow these easy steps to solving:
1. [ Cut the numbers into vertical columns ]
2. Use the clue to determine [ the amount of up or down movement ] which is random.
3. Now apply step two to step one; the [ 1st column moves 0 ]. Next up, the [ 2nd column moves up 3 ]... [ 3rd column moves down 1, 4th column moves down 3, the 5th column doesn't move, 6th column moves down 3, 7th column shifts up 1, the 8th column goes up 3, the 9th column moves down 4, the 10th column moves down 3 ]
4. Scour the newly formed [ configuration ] and you'll spot the answer.
[ The Curse of Blackmoor Manor ]

--

Super sweet. I'm completely thrilled that you all managed to work it out. I really liked this one. Okay-dokey, looks like I'm done for the day. We'll cross paths again around the same-ish time tomorrow, yeah?

- Novel -

Say What?

If you haven't been over to the homepage today, I suggest you make a trip. We've released some rather exciting news today. You know how we love a good surprise, so hopefully this one has blown your socks off. I mean, it's Nancy, but on-the-go, how much cooler could it get. Most importantly... (cause I know this came up last time we ran a new series) you'll still be seeing your favorite sleuth on PC twice a year. But hey, we've also got this sweet side-gig, if you know what I'm saying.

Give it a gander.

We've had our eye on this prize for some time now. And I know everyone is just pleased as punch that the cat is out of the bag. I guess that's all I can say right now... besides I've met my idiom quota for the day.

- Novel -

P.S. Puzzle help tomorrow... think like Otis.

[72] Pzzle

Here it is, the next puzzle. This one promises to be quite the brain-buster. See for yourself.

- Puzzle 72 -

Hint: 0313031343

--

Ok... Go!

- Novel -

Back to the Asics

Boy oh boy! The meetings this week have been vibrant and entertaining. (re:BBQ post) But that's not all. Next week is going to be a big one as well. New SAW content will be showing up. Plus we've probably got something or other to announce. You know us, we're all secrets and mystery (it is our business after all.) In fact I think we've been tossing around this idea of "Her Interactive - The Mystery Makers." I'll put my seal of approval on that. It definitely has the kind of ring my ears enjoy... alliteration aside. It's been gracing the newsletters since sometime back, and maybe we haven't gotten it tattooed on the business cards just yet, but I like the concept. Making mystery, crafting crime, selling suspense; yup, we do that.

In other news, we're trying to keep pace with everything. The launch is bearing down on us fast; pre-orders sit waiting to be fulfilled (begin shipping in just over two or so weeks!) I'm thinking I need some one here just to help me remember where I misplaced my "To-Do" list. Ah well, with Fall officially rung in, I guess we can't help but begin feeling a bit "too cozy." Which I suppose is the perfect time to shake things up, yeah?

- Novel -

Party Plans

So yesterday we had a bit of a party... It was a celebration for all three launches this year (TOT, SCKR, and SAW; if you're keeping track.) We haven't had much time to focus on cutting loose, ya know with all the back to back releases. So official "launch parties" have been in seriously short supply. It was much needed. Lemme just say this... we had BBQ. Yeah it's true and it was awesome. Take a peek.

- Pic of the Week -

If only there was "smell-o-vision"...
--

So that's been our week so far. That and leftover cake! What more could you want!

- Novel -

The Reach of Teaching

I was reading some interesting articles about video games being used as teaching tools in schools. Apparently there are some classes being taught about game design in a Junior High setting! I think that's fantastic. Games can be a great medium to convey a variety of subjects. Some modern games instill philosophical tenants, political commentary, or even scientific facts into their games.

If you've played any of ours (and I totally know you have) then you've probably learned more than your fair share of random trivia. Say... the Italian language, Marie Antoinette, Shakespeare, or even entomology. There's tons to pick up on, so maybe you'll find one of our games in your syllabus next semester. :P Now that would be epic!

What were you most surprised to learn in a Nancy Drew game?

Also the weekend puzzle has been solved, congrats! Check out the steps below to see how it all worked out.

- Puzzle 71 Answer -
The first step in solving this puzzle is knowing that [ the symbols are letters ].
To determine each symbol's meaning, the clue suggests [ that there is a rotation occuring (clockwise) ]
In the puzzle, only [ 1/4 of each letter is shown ] at a given time. The first symbol is [ the top left of an "R" ] which means the next one [ shows the bottom-left ( of an "E" ]. Continue on in this fashion until you've deciphered them all [no anagrams here!]
The final outcome is:
[ Rentaro loves Miwako ]
--

Oooooh, a little romance. Yup, SAW's got the whole gamut of plot. Still for some, the promise romantic plots can also add a twinge of terror. No wonder we keep saying it's our scariest one yet.

Arrivederci

-Novel -

Extent of what we SAW

So there will be [is] a brand new newsletter! Yup, your inboxes are about to get a friendly visit from the SAW-fairy... if you're beyond waiting till the end of day, I suppose you could click here. (Don't say I never did nuthin' for ya.) ;)

Also I'm sure that by now you know all about the spooky "Paranormal Tours" site we launched in preparation for SAW... starring none other than John Grey! That's right, the ghost hunter from TRN has taken a tour of the famous SAW ryokan. There's a whole bunch of content to discover.

And I suppose lastly, I've got some competition in the blog business. It seems that Yumi Shimizu (Bento-maker and fashionista extraordinaire) has decided to run her own super fantastic daily blog. You should definitely give it a read, she's got some spunk!

Other than that, it's a good soft Monday. Maybe this week will follow suit. See ya later!

- Novel -

P.S. Did you pre-order SAW yet? Cause today you can!

Weekend Puzzle

Hey! Hey! Hey!

The eagerly awaited puzzle of the week is now here. Check it out!

- Puzzle 71 -

Think clockwise!
--

Good luck and have an awesome weekend.

- Novel -

Games! Games! Games!

I’m sure by now you’ve seen… and played the brand new minigame! Yeah, it is as they say in the business, “the Bee’s Knees.” IMHO the best part is the Free Play mode, cause making up your own crazy outfits is like a bajillion times better. In fact, you should send us your favorite combinations! That would be totally ‘ab-fab’ … if you catch my drift. Here’s my current incarnation:

“With trimmings too!”
Plus, if you couldn’t already guess, you get to play this minigame in Shadow at the Water’s Edge! It’s a pretty sweet puzzle/feature we added to this game, but you’ll have to wait and see how it all comes together. For now, fashionistas, enjoy the small sampling!

Speaking of which, Pre-orders start next Monday, September 20th! So get ready. I know we’ve already talked your ear off about the cool extra content in the Special Edition, but feel free to review. ^.~

You know the drill, show up tomorrow and you’ll be rewarded with the sweet agony of a mental workout! That’s right, it’s puzzle time all over again. Bring your thinking caps. :P
- Novel -

Not Window Dressing

So we've got something special lined up for Thursday (tomorrow.) It is often the news nexus of our week. And though you may hazard a guess, I can guarantee that it isn't the aforementioned (yesterday) newsletter. I will hint that it is something you're simply going to love. Maybe I left a clue around here somewheres...

On to more important events. Like say, pictures! *snap*

- Pic of the Week -

Flowers definitely brighten up the office.
--

Yeah, so every so often the office gets some flowers. Maybe as a 'thanks' or just a hello. Regardless, we're always ecstatic to be adored. Also, sometimes you don't have to stop to smell the roses, sometimes they come and find you. ^.^

So yeah, tomorrow, stop by... oh, and dress for success. ^.~

- Novel -

The Rest of the Week

Monday held some excellent news. I mean we've got real dates for Shadow at the Water's Edge . Now comes the hard part... waiting. Of course we'll give you all sorts of interesting content to keep you preoccupied till then.

Speaking of which, maybe there's a newsletter in your future. Of course, there's no telling what kind of information you can find inside. I'm guessing even more spoilers, and probably a refresher on dates. Maybe a surprise or two as well. You know the score. ^.~

So the puzzle has been solved. I think it might be a little tricky for me to explain, so I'm going to cheat a little and link to "methods of solving"

- Puzzle 70 Answer -

This puzzle is called a [ nonogram ]. Steps for solving this kind of puzzle can be found here. Just be sure to watch out for the typo... For this particular one, when you've completed it, you may notice [ a picture ] forming.

--

We can discuss the meaning of that answer very soon. But, today is wrapped up, join me tomorrow for something not altogether different.

- Novel -

What We SAW

So maybe you've noticed some of the late-breaking news we posted on Facebook, or perhaps you caught it on the Shadow at the Water's Edge product page. Regardless, we've now got a definitive pre-order date for Nancy's next case; quote for quote. "Pre-Orders begin September 20th!" That's right, you can begin to pre-order in just one week. Granted I'm sure you also noticed the October 19th launch date, right? That's like just-barely-slightly-close-to one month away. No sweat... I've got the patience... I think... *bites lip*

Anywho, I know the 'Powers That Be', would love for me to do a little extra sales pitch here and mention the totally sweet bonus goodies you get for pre-ordering your copy. I'm inclined to agree, given the amount of awesome contained there-in. Check out the list below:

* Additional Tricks for Suki
* Extra outfits for your cellphone avatars
* An Extra Metagame Award
* Two minigames to play on Nancy's cellphone
* Additional Outtakes

I've got to say, that's quite the haul. If you were on the fence before, I'm thinking this should just about push you right over. It looks like tomorrow could turn out to be a slow news day... comparatively. I'll just have to wrangle up something to compete. ^.~

In puzzle news; you've all managed to complete this one, despite a slight numerical error in the design. We'll have the whole 'sha-bang' on that tomorrow. Catch ya then.

- Novel -

Weekend Puzzle 70

Puzzle Time! Here's the latest weekend puzzle, good luck!

- Puzzle 70 -

(click image to enlarge)

--

Cya next week. ^.^

- Novel -

The First to See

I know there's a usual dance that the blog takes, with steps chosen by the days of the week. But we've had a bit of a buzz around here and it may have knocked me slightly off queue. Still, there's been some fires that needed dealing with. And I'll borrow an excuse from there.

I'm guessing you are more than primed to hear about Shadow at the Water's Edge, and I don't blame ya. Well, I've got good news... there's a trailer for that! Yup. Finally the first, of what I can assume is many, vids for the next Nancy Drew case. Beautiful scenery, yes. Spooky, definitely. I can't wait for the next installment.

SAW is on its final polishing phase. Which comes with about a million hurdles. As commented yesterday, most of the office is knee-deep in mystery, ensuring only the best is shipped. This is our mission, our duty, and our passion. :P


Looking for more mystery? Fret not and return tomorrow with an open head and a brave heart; for a nefarious puzzle awaits!

- Novel -

Countdowns

So Shadow at the Water's Edge is running right into crunch time. I've seen no less than half the office doing test passes and giving momentary "yelps" of fright. It is too fantastic. But one thing is certain... we're nearing the launch of another Nancy Drew mystery.

I know, I know. No date has been given for this latest and greatest of cases. But I'm more than certain tomorrow will bring at least one or two new SAW surprises. Let's just hope one is a release date. ^.~


Good work to everyone who helped solve this puzzle. It was tricky, but you all managed to knock it out. Check out the solving steps below.

- Puzzle 69 Answer -

So solving last week's tricky puzzle requires you to start by
[ creating a 5x5 grid ]. Next you'll need to place the [ alphabet in the grid (excluding Z) ] Now take a look at the image, you have to [ overlay the lines on the grid ]. Write down the [ letter where each angle lies ]. Do this for each [ shape ] and you'll end up with the following:
-
A I D E Y W S
A Y N R
A L M
A E T W R N
A C G V
-
Unscramble the clues and you get
[ Warnings at Waverly Academy ]

--

Cya tomorrow!

- Novel -

Recording Panel

So yesterday was Labor Day and they graciously gave me some time off. I spent a great deal of my weekend attending the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX). It's an annual Gaming/Gamer event, with plenty of opportunities to learn some new industry tricks and see the latest and greatest fellow developers have to offer.

If you recall in years past, I tend to twitter from the floor, but this year I was busy being the principle note-taker for all of the panel discussions HI attended. It definitely wasn't all easy-breezy-lemon-peezy (particularly in the "Legal Issues in Video Games" panel), but I did get the opportunity to hear all about "Building Better Online Communities (that's for you) and some killer intel on "Girls and Gaming." (that one's for both of us) All and all, I'd have to say it was a pretty rocking experience with lots of good wisdom. Anytime you get to hang out in the thick of gamer-culture, you know it's gonna be a pretty chill time. ^.~

By the way, I just have to say, Holy cow! Someone solved the puzzle! It was a major piece of work and mad props to all the sleuths who stepped up and completed it. We'll do all the solution steps in a big post tomorrow.

- Novel -

Weekend Puzzle (Remix)

So it looks like there's still soo much work to be done on last week's puzzle that we're going to revisit it. Below you'll find the original puzzle along with a new hint to help you solve this tricky brain-teaser.

- Weekend Puzzle 69 (Re-visit) -

This puzzle is coming to you 5/5. So buckle down with your pens and papers, you won't be catching any Zzzz's for a long while.

Hint 1:
To solve this tricky puzzle, you’ll need to use the shapes on a special grid

Hint 2:
In search of clues, the compass points.
To find the answer, search the joints.
Then combine the hints you will find.
And soon the secret comes to mind.

--

Good luck!

- Novel -

Sleuth On

Hey everyone,

Today I brought my two best friends into HER with me to work on super special secret project, which I can’t tell you about due to its super secret nature. However, we’ve yet to move past the brainstorm portion the task.

Otherwise, I’m sorry to report that today will be my last blog entry. Next week I go back to school and you guys will go back to reading the delightful words of Novel every day. I’ve had a really amazing summer here at HI and I’ve loved writing the blog (both last year and this year) for such amazing fans. Make sure you guys keep using your sleuthing powers for good!

Laterz.

-Summmahhh Sleuth

September is Here!

As you may or may not have realized at this point in the day, it’s now September! For almost all youngins like myself, September marks the beginning of a new school year which isn’t necessarily the best news. Buuuutt, September is, and should be recognized for, all it’s other attributes. Firstly, soon there will be crunchy leaves on the ground to step on (my favorite fall treat). Secondly, it’s now only the month before the month that SAW comes out. Thirdly, September is the first month that it becomes acceptable to drink hot chocolate and apple cider again, in preparation for the cold months ahead (okay if you live in Florida that doesn’t so much apply to you).

In fact, September is such a great month that it has a multitude of monthly holidays that are associated with it. Some of my favorite of the whole year in fact, check it out:

Classical Music Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

Fall Hat Month

International Square Dancing Month

National Blueberry Popsicle Month

National Courtesy Month

National Piano Month

Better Breakfast Month

Chicken Month

Baby Safety Month

Little League Month

Honey Month

Self Improvement Month

I don’t know about you guys, but Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day (also the most important!) so I fully plan to spend my September improving my morning feast. All of these holidays are super important…okay so maybe not all of them… but it’s fun to celebrate things that that don’t matter! I say go crazy with hat shopping this month or in the spirit of self improvement (month) spend a day trying to make your own blueberry popsicles and honey. Enjoy!

-Summer

Well not much news today so I thought I’d give you guys a better visual of what Girlfest was like:

Here’s some of the lovely volunteers of the HI team that spent their Saturday spreading the Nancy Drew word to thousands of young girls. Aren’t the matching shirts super spiffy? This morning I got to randomly pick a winner to receive a full set of all the games which is a pretty big prize! I’m super excited to email her later this week but I’m also excited for all the other girls who were interested to start playing the games.

Otherwise, today has been pretty average. It’s raining in Seattle (boo) and this is my last week here at HI, so I’m starting to wrap things up. But later this week I’m going to be working on a cool project that hopefully you guys will get to see soon!

-Summer

Over the Weekend

Well it was definitely an exciting weekend for HI! Once a year, here in Seattle, there’s an event called Girlfest where thousands of Girl Scouts are invited to come participate in activities that range from henna tattoos to rock climbing to playing Nancy Drew games! About a dozen HI employees headed to downtown Seattle for the occasion to assist girls with contests and help girls play the games.

We had two contests set up, one was a free raffle to win Secrets Can Kill Remastered which we did drawings for three times throughout the day. The other was a questionnaire about Nancy Drew games, all based on information that could be found on the boxes which were lying out. By answering all the questions right, each contestant was entered into a drawing for an entire set of all the ND games! A pretty good prize I would say.

While we were busy at Girlfest I hope you guys were busy working on the weekend puzzle. But since no one on the message board has solved it yet, here’s a hint:

- Puzzle 69 Hint -
“To solve this tricky puzzle, you’ll need to use the shapes on a special grid”

This one is extra hard, gooood luck!

Weekend Puzzle

Aaaaaand here it is! The next big puzzle. Loaded with extra trickiness. Enjoy.

- Weekend Puzzle -

This puzzle is coming to you 5/5. So buckle down with your pens and papers, you won't be catching any Zzzz's for a long while.

--

Good luck and we'll see you next week.

- Novel -

Sick News

Well today I was back to compiling reviews for all the past games. Gathered from all over the web. Other than that I didn’t really do much…except blow my nose one thousand times. That’s right, I’m sick. But hopefully a good night sleep tonight and a lot of Vitamin C will have me in tip top shape in no time.

Otherwise, I spent some time today trying to brainstorm for ideas for both an upcoming contest and for a bigger, creative project I’ll be working on next week. However, we’ve had so many contests already it’s hard to think of brand new ideas! Hopefully something will come to me soon though…

You guys should also get excited for the September newsletter (I know it’s kinda early to say) but I began writing the draft yesterday. It contains some new details about SAW which I’m sure you’ll love because so far not much has been revealed.

Plus, SCK2 launched this week and I’ve been reading a bunch of reviews on the message boards. So I just wanted to say thanks for all the extremely helpful feedback. Without reviews, we wouldn’t know what you guys like/don’t like about the games, and that’s the most important thing.

Novel will be giving you guys your puzzle tomorrow, so have a good weekend and make sure you go enjoy the last few days of summer!

-Summer

Mid-Week Photo

Okay, I admit it, I was wrong. The puzzle was solved on Monday and I just somehow missed the answer on the message boards. Sorry for any confusion, but good job figuring it out so quickly!

Now on to important Wednesday business...



...do pictures count as important? Well regardless, this is the other intern's cubicle and some really great drawings she did. My favorite is the man running from the tornado (TOT inspired perhaps?). And you can't quite make out the writing but the candy bar in the bottom left says "Koala Kringles" (I’m sure Sunny would be proud).

Well, at least one of the interns here is artistic...
-Summer

The Secret is Out!

It's official, Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED was released today. Have you gotten your copy already? We've already heard some fan-tabulous raves and reviews from sleuths who have solved the case. I knew it would be a hit! It must be the love of nostalgia. The thrill of that first case... with out knowing the resolution. What could be more enticing? (a trip to Japan does sound pretty good though ^.~)

On the puzzle-side of things, it appears as though a bit of misinformation has been spilled. My dear associate posted yesterday that the puzzle had yet to be solved. This was in fact incorrect. I have seen the answer on the boards! Perhaps I'll let Ms. Summer sort out this little mishap. ^.~

- Novel -

Happy Monday!

Hey guys,
Well there’s not much today. After being out of town all last week, I was happy to return and finally finish SAW. And though I’m not at liberty to reveal…well anything about the game, I can say that it is DEFINITELY something to look forward to. There was several times during the game where I literally screamed out loud (kind of embarrassing in an office building). I wish I could tell you more but you’ll just have to check it out for yourself.

Also, I hope you’re all gearing up to buy and re-solve SCK tomorrow…if you haven’t already received your pre-ordered copy that is! To pass the time, you can spend your afternoon solving the weekend puzzle! I’ve yet to see an answer up on the message boards, so keep working. And if you’re still baffled tomorrow, I’ll toss a hearty clue your way.

-Summer

Weekend Puzzle

It sure was a nice week. Join us again, when we'll be celebrating the launch of Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED. Be sure to stop by for more fun, and possibly more of Summer!

- Weekend Puzzle 68 -

--

Good luck!

- Novel -

And the Kitchen Sink

I can't even begin to talk about all the cool content you'll have at your fingertips today. In fact... I think I'll just hand you the concise synopsis and let you link your way towards digital amusement. ^.~

There's a spiffy newsletter on its way this afternoon. You should totally read it.

Marketing did a video interview(s) (as mentioned previously) and they've posted it today. I recommend watching it. Plus I hear it's got some nifty hints hidden inside.

Either way, you should be pleased as punch. And I'll be sure to include a dandy Friday puzzle just to round out the week. Catch you on delivery!

- Novel -

Camera Lends

I expect tomorrow to be pretty shiny. The team sat down with some members of the original SCK crew and did a slick interview. It's being spliced together by our editing wizards as we speak. It looks to be quite an interesting movie, we'll at least based on the question list I saw "Mrs. Interviewer" leave on her desk. (Snooping points +5) Plus I got this sweet still -

- Pic of the Week -

The Line-up
--

In other news... newsletter! That's right tomorrow's got a new bit of HI press coming your way. This one has a little Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED, a little Shadow at the Water's Edge and a lot of awesome! Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you haven't already.

See you sleuths later~

- Novel (0909) -

Solv-a-bees

Today has been a rather comedic day. I've been looking over the shoulder of our production team as they put the finishing touches on SAW. Our ultra-talented writer, Nik, has been diligently scripting the Second Chance text for the game. As always, he's been cracking some truly side-splitting puns! (My favorite kind of joke.) Not all of them will make it in the final version, but if they're even half as funny, I'll be spending a lot of time "making fatal errors" during my SAW play-through.

A couple of the other programmers were working on the outtakes for SAW at the same time. Let me tell ya, the best kind of office meeting is the "Outtake brain-storming session." It's not a real meeting, more of an informal hallway-pow-wow. But still, it was fantastically hilarious. It got me thinking; A good way to beat the summer heat wave... lots of laughter.

I've got to post the Weekend Puzzle Answer, cause you all solved it in record time! Congrats to those that reached the final solution.

- Puzzle 67 Answer -

12151511
914
2085
12921811825

To solve this one it might take a little [ guess and check ]. The numbers relate to [ letters ] based on [ A = 1, B = 2, etc. ] You need to [ separate ] them in order to create each set of [ words ]. It should look like this
-
12 - 15 - 15 - 11
9 - 14
20 - 8 - 5
12 - 9 - 2 - 18 - 1 - 18 - 25
-
[ Substitute ] for each number and you get:
[ Look in the Library ]

--

Definitely a Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED reference. But maybe it can be taken at more than face value. Specials await!

- Novel -

Now and Later

Hey-O

It looks like I'm back in the saddle again, Summer is out having some fun this week. There's definitely too much to be done here in her absence. (Come back soon, Summer!) We've got more Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED goodies on the way, even though it would seem some of you lucky sleuths have already gotten your hands on a copy! If you have, I'd love to hear what you thought. If not, well, its just about a week away, so stay vigilant! ^.~

Plus there's the Shadow at the Water's Edge Beta happening right now. Right Now! It is way too exciting around here. I've even heard a few shrieks and squeals from the Test Lab, and I'm not sure if it's from the "thrills," or the "chills." Either way it sounds like we've got an excellent mystery on hand. Of course when the time is right, we'll drop the veil on ND23. For now, I wish you visions of sugarplums and SCK, dancing merrily around in your head. I'm certain you'll enjoy it. :)

- Novel -

Weekend Puzzle

Hey all,

I hope you've had an awesome week hanging out with Summer. She'll be back soon, but first... I wrangled up a brand new puzzle for you. Have fun!

- Puzzle 67 -

12151511
914
2085
12921811825

--

Good luck sleuthers!

- Novel -

Average Morning, Above Average Afternoon

Well guys, not too much has happened today, but that’s all going to change soon.

I started the morning with more fairy tales and typed up some awesome bios of characters that you may or may not get to see soon…Then I moved on to working on the next newsletter to come out which will definitely contain some important details about upcoming releases and all the fall happenings for you to get excited about!

And then around mid-day I received an email announcing that the beta for SAW was ready for me to play! And thus I say that not much has happened today…yet. Because I’m about to jump into what looks like the scariest game yet (!!!!) and as any Nancy fanatic knows, everything pales in comparison to playing a new game.

So I apologize for not posting a longer blog with trivia or weird holidays…but I just have to go play!!

-Summer

Puzzle #66 Answer

Alright folks, here is your well deserved puzzle answer:

[Alphabet is arranged on 3 tic-tac-toe boards. First number in each set refers to the board order, second number refers to the square on the board. So A is 11, B is 12, J is 21, etc. ]

That was a tricky one and I’m super impressed with the thought processes that went into figuring it out (well…I guess they’re all hard and I’m always impressed but that goes especially for this week too).

I spent the morning gathering reviews from Amazon, reading through literally thousands of people’s opinions on all of the games. It’s crazy how one review will say “this was by far the most disappointing game” and then the next will say “easily the best yet, keep up the good work!” It just shows how everyone looks for different things from the games. But it’s a mystery to me how the designers can keep almost everybody satisfied with every game!

And after lunch I got to work reading through some well-known myths, fables, and fairy tales (Aesop, anyone?) to prepare for an upcoming special event! So be sure to check that out in the next couple of days. Reading stories all day? That’s my kind of job.

And in the words of our favorite sleuth, that’s it for now!

A Day Like No Other...

You may think that today is just any ordinary Tuesday…think again.

Today is S’mores day! …or according to my favorite source for bizarre holidays, at least. And since it’s summer, any night is the perfect night to have a campfire with some friends. Just make sure you don’t forget the grams, chocolate, and ‘mallows. (has anyone seen the Sandlot?)

As for my day, I spent all morning compiling feedback about TOT from the message boards, and now I’m working on making an easy to read chart with reviews of all the games as well as overall ratings from all our favorite review sites (including, you guessed it, the message boards!)

I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have so much input from our most devoted followers. I love that at HeR everyone recognizes how important our user’s thoughts are because they’re the ones who are actually playing the games. And I doubt that we would have created some of the amazing products we have without hearing what you guys like and don’t like. So…thanks!!

Also, great job on solving the puzzle!! Keep trying if you haven't figured it out yet and the answer will be up tomorrow.

Now back to work!

A Helpful Hint

With two upcoming releases, things are bustling. And while I’ve only been here for a couple of days, I’ve definitely already gotten in the groove of things here at HI. It probably helps that the marketing team sure has a lot of work on their plates right now and so there’s always something for me to help out with.

But I’m probably just as excited for the new games as you guys are. SCK came out when I was only six years old and to this day remains the only game I was never able to finish. And the thought of having to switch between disks mid-game has kept me from completing the set. However, I’m happy to return to the delightful combination of high school and murder…okay, so maybe “delightful” isn’t exactly the right word…

In other news, I checked in on the message boards and noticed that you guys needed a little help with last weekend’s puzzle. So here is a clue to get you on your way:

- Puzzle 66 Hint -
“Although tic-tac-toe is usually a game between X’s and O’s, maybe you can introduce some new letters into the mix.”

Hope that helps!

-Summer

Weekend Puzzle

There has been a lot of cool treats this week. (did ya see the trailer?) Next week looks promising as well. :) Until then, enjoy this wonderful puzzle!

- Puzzle 66 -

32 18 15 31 15 13 29 15 32 26 16 31 18 11 14 26 35 29 11 25 13 18

Clue: Solve this like you would play tic-tac-toe.

--

Have fun and see ya next week.

- Novel -

Be Nancy Drew Contest Winners

Hey again everyone,
It's the moment you've all been waiting for, the contest winners! I can't tell you how many great entries we recieved so don't be discouraged if your story wasn't chosen, they were all amazing and it was a very close call.

Hope you enjoy reading these!

WINNER #1: Sarah
"I first became utterly hooked on Nancy Drew when I read The Quest of the Missing Map in third grade.
Nancy was everything I wanted to be. She was brave, she was confident, and she was clever. She was beautiful, and had loyal friends and a handsome boyfriend who would rescue her from whatever perilous situation she found herself in.
But most of all, she was smart. She was incredibly smart. Nancy could pick any lock, follow any clues, and catch any crook. I read her books religiously, storing away information from her various escapades. I learned how to pick a lock with a bobby pin, how to lift fingerprints, and how to keep a criminal talking to bide more time.
I learned life lessons too, about honesty and integrity, about curiosity and wit. But the lessons I learned most from Nancy, and the ones that I use every day, are the importance of quick thinking and the power of observation.
I was eleven, and home alone with my two year old sister when these skills became especially important. We were walking down the stairs, her hand in mine, when I stopped short.
There was a man standing in our doorway, a seedy, unfamiliar man. But he was holding something very familiar: my mother’s wallet.
“Hi!” my sister said, and I quickly hushed her, never taking my eyes off the stranger as we slowly descended the steps.
He looked around nervously. “Is your mother home?” he asked. He didn’t give me a chance to answer, however. He dropped the wallet on the carpet and ran out the door. I stood by the window and watched as he crossed the street and disappeared behind a house.
Almost automatically, I picked up the phone and dialed those three numbers everyone knows, but hopes they never have to use.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
It felt like a movie. It couldn’t be real, there couldn’t have been a stranger standing in my door just five minutes before.
I told the dispatcher what had happened, giving her a full description of the burglar.
“Dark hair,” I told her, looking back in my memory at the brief moments I had seen him. “A long nose, and eyes that are too close together. He was wearing white tennis shoes, jeans, and a black jacket with writing on the back.”
She stayed on the phone with me until my mom came home. Then the real circus began.
The police arrived. I answered all their questions as best as I could, repeating my description and showing them where he had run off. I watched in fascination as they fingerprinted the doorknob, and as they took the canine around the yard to get a scent.
About an hour later they called to tell me they thought they had him. My mom and I followed an officer to a spot a few miles away, where they had the man in handcuffs.
It was him alright, just as I remembered.
In the end he confessed to over a dozen break-ins in the neighborhood. It felt good to know that my thinking skills and quick reaction helped bring answers to others, too.
And when I was interviewed for the news that night, who did I credit with giving me those quick thinking and observational skills?
Why, Nancy Drew of course!"

WINNER #2: Leah
"Curiosity is a very important skill that every detective should have, without curiosity a mystery could never be solved. As for me, I’m a very curious person, and had gotten a bright idea one day! I had heard several stories in my lifetime about treasure hunters and how they have found wonders right in their own back yards. I couldn’t stand it no longer so I had to go and find me some treasure! I wanted to know what kind of mysteries were beneath my feet, but I couldn’t do it alone. I felt like I needed an assistant. I went and asked my six year old little brother if he wanted to join me on my hunt and to be my side-kick. Of course his answer to my question was YES! We marched out to the chicken shed and I grabbed my shovel and he grabbed his plastic shovel and we both walked to a place that looked right for digging. After digging for a bit we both heard something that sounded like we had hit something big! Our eyes met and we both looked at each other in silence for a moment and then our eyes went back to the ground to where we heard that sound. It was a false alarm, and what we really hit was a rock! This didn’t stop us from digging and continuing our search in finding treasure. While digging awhile longer I wasn’t aware that I’d had dug something up in the mean time, but my little brother was aware of it though. He said with excitement in his voice “I found something”! Sure enough he’d found some kind of object. I was speechless and it took me a moment before I could tell him what a good job he did on finding it. When I finally got my words out his response was “I’m a genius”! He was so proud of himself and I was too!
This reminds me of Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships, when Nancy went to Shark Cove to go dig in the sand to try to find some kind of treasure. It took her many attempts of digging and in those attempts she found items that weren’t worth a buck, but finally she found what she was searching for.
After me and my little brother dug up this unknown mystery item we went to our dad to see what he thought it could be. He told us it was a part of a piece of an old pipe. It was so disappointing to us both thinking that our treasure would be valuable! Now everyday my little brother asks me if I want to go digging with him. Even though we haven’t so far found any valuable treasures, I will always treasure this memory in my heart!"

Guess Who's Back!

Hey guys, you’re favorite summer marketing intern here. That’s right, I—Summer Sleuth—have returned!

I really hope you guys have had a fantastic year and have continued to use you’re impressive puzzle solving skills for the good of mankind. I’d love to hear what you guys have been up to, any good stories? As for me, I’m just happy that summer is here again and I’m not stuck in a classroom anymore.

My first task as an intern this year was to help read through all of y’all contest entries! There is such a broad range of ideas and I love reading all of your tales of sleuthing at home. I have to say, it hasn’t been easy determining the winners…but have no fear, the results will be posted by the end of today.

I’m excited to get back into the groove of things here at HeR, which includes writing the blog several times a week among various other important tasks. As an intern, I pretty much do whatever is asked of me/whatever needs to get done. Similar, you may notice, to Nancy’s role when she’s helping out as part of a team. Yet another way playing Nancy Drew since I was a toddler has prepared me for the real world.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy hearing my narrative of intern life!
Summer Sleuth

The Next Best Thing

Two things! New voice on the 'morrow. (Yeah, contemplate that one for a minute ^.^) Aaaaaaaand awesome trailer action on the way (also tomorrow's news, today.)

Such has been my day. Blissful times with the Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED crew.

Plus there was this:

Pic of the Week

- The "Other" Conference Room -

Yessssss that is a super-secret ND24 meeting. In the sun no-less. I might or might not have been invited. But hey what do you expect from a Nancy Drew fan... at least a little snooping, right? (yes, they did absolutely see me.  And yes, I did get soooo busted.)

I'm out for the count, see ya soon!

- Novel -

Aha!

Yup, we're really jumpin' and jivin' on this whole Secrets Can Kill thing. There's been press releases, blog posts, and the whole-nine-yards. 'Course I'm hearing that a launch like this one is hard. It does happen to fall between two rather exciting and new cases (i.e. ND22 and ND23). So I've been checking the reception on the message boards... pretty decent I'd say. Just wait till you see what else is heading this way. ^.~

Also, we got a lot of good entries for the contest, I can't wait to start the reveal... though I don't know the winner just yet. I believe Thursday is going to be the day with all the fireworks. ^.^

This weekend's puzzle wasn't too tricky to solve.  So lets see how it is done.

- Puzzle 65 Answer -

This puzzle is actually a [ rebus ].  To solve it you need to discover what
[ each picture means ]. 
The first clue can be deciphered as [ Brand ]. 
For the second, you have to know what [ the image is (Gnu) ] and also how it is [ pronounced ("new") ]. 
The last clue is the trickiest.  The image [ -ing ] may seem like a [ directive ] but is actually an [ example of a suffix ].  Another word for this is an [ ending ]. 
Put it all together and you get:[ Brand New Ending ]

--

Now that's a worthy answer!  Definitely one of the more anticipated features available in Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED.

Adios amigos!

- Novel -

Up-Start

It's going to be a short one. The most important news to lay down is the beginning of Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED pre-orders! So get in on that if you can. There's some awesome footage on its way from the Marketing Team that should help to "seal the deal." I've seen it, and I approve.

From what I've heard they've got a few surprises left to deliver before the launch.   It is an awfully content-heavy summer, though "awfully" is probably the most inaccurate phrasing I could have used.  I must be a tad worn thin, mayhaps we'll get another hand about the office...

If the above verbiage tells you nothing else, at least know this: we're staring at a week that is as jammed packed as we can conceivably make it.  Contest winners, puzzle answers, and anything else we can cram in.  Is there more we could give you? Only at the cost of precious, precious sleep...

Promises will be kept, expectations met! ^.^

- Novel -