Nancy Drew The Secret of Shadow Ranch Review

It's been a quick minute since I last write a Nancy Drew review.  So this week I though it would be fun to write a review on the latest Nancy Drew game that I just got done playing over on Twitch, which Daniella and I had a blast doing!  The Secret of Shadow Ranch is the tenth game in the Nancy Drew series and it was released on August 30th, 2004.  So let's get started!

The Secret of Shadow Ranch: Rawley's Living Room

Game Description

"Take a Wild Ride into Terror and Trickery to Rein in a Ghostly Secret!

Ropin’, ridin’ and revenge. A ranch vacation takes a terrifying turn when a ghostly horse appears in this mystery game. Is it driven by the vengeful commands of its long-dead master, Dirk Valentine? Or is a living villain behind the ranch’s string of bad luck? It’s up to you, as Nancy Drew, to figure out who’s wearing the black hat before your investigation is ambushed in Nancy Drew: Secret of Shadow Ranch!"

The Secret of Shadow Ranch: AZ Map

Storyline

I absolutely love this storyline in this game, after all, who doesn't love a good old ghost story intertwined with romance and heartbreak.  This definitely made the story enjoyable and gave you the ability to pine for what could have been.  Overall the story between what was happening in present time compared to the past was flawless and really wrapped up all the loose ends in the story.

The Secret of Shadow Ranch: Chicken Coop Puzzle

Puzzles

I loved the puzzles in this game.  They were super simple and easy to figure out, while also challenging enough to make you think.  Most of the puzzles were simple everyday chores that one could expect if you lived on a ranch that cared for animals and had a small garden.  Picking up eggs from chickens (avoid miss sassy white hen if you don't want to loose an eye), picking different vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, etc.; feeding the horses and chickens, and gathering materials to build a fire, along with snooping and discovering hidden passageways!  Theres something for everyone to love in this game puzzles wise and it make it for a great time.

The Secret of Shadow Ranch: Nancy's Horse Bob

World/Graphics

I absolutely love the locations in the game.  Though you don't find many empty desert locations in AZ like you do in the game, I love how they were able to capture the feeling of the AZ desert and what it can be like if you far enough out of the city.  They even managed to capture what its like when AZ gets super hot too.  This really brought a realistic appeal when playing the game.

The Secret of Shadow Ranch: Marry's Gifts and Culture Emporium

Music/Soundtrack

I absolutely love the music in this game!  It's just so much fun to listen to and its quite catchy as I've been known to play the music while I'm working on blogposts, driving in the car, or just sitting and listening to it to relax.  So I would highly recommend buying the soundtrack for this game as it is one of my favorite parts about the game (You could also get other music from some of the other games as well in the soundtrack pack.)

Thank you everyone for reading!  I have had such a fun time reminiscing/re-playing the game for the billionth time and I honestly cannot wait to replay this game again.  If you want to see more of my Nancy Drew related posts, check out all my Nancy Drew posts!  Also check out my other Game Reviews for new recommendations of games that I have played.  You can get Nancy Drew The Secret of Shadow Ranch on Steam or at Her Interactive where you can get a free strategy guide!

Until next time,

Twitter   Pinterest   Bloglovin   Instagram