Nancy Drew - Message in a Haunted Mansion Game Play Notes: ---------------- Because the game is reliant on certain time blocks (to be able to find certain characters or to search rooms when certain characters are not there), the player must wait for those time blocks or the clock may have to be adjusted to a specific time frame. Some conversations follow different paths, and can be lengthened (garnering more information) by using the "gentle" approach to questioning. During your investigation, you will encounter many ghostly "happenings", such as strange phone calls, spooky noises, fleeing spirits and slamming doors. These "happenings" occur at different instances depending on the route you take. Game Play Hints: ---------------- To help you become familiar with the Message in a Haunted Mansion gameplay and interface and to get your sleuthing started, here is the first of our Solution Guide Nancy's Bedroom - The Chinese Themed Room The bedroom that you (as Nancy) have been assigned has a Chinese motif throughout. We will refer to this room as the "Chinese Room" for the rest of this game. Your inventory contains one item, a key. Thoroughly examine the room. Notice the various forms of dragons decorating the room. Read the poem on the wall. Note the interactivity of one of the bedposts - although you cannot do anything with it at the moment. Note the clock radio: this is quite valuable for changing the time of day, without having to wait for certain time blocks. Click on Cancel to back away from the clock. Examine the dragon sculpture carefully. Take note of the Hanzi for Daughters on the plaque. Look at the suitcases - locked! Take the key out of inventory and place it in the lock, it opens. In the suitcase, the only thing available to look at is Nancy's journal. This is updated as you go through the game and can be used to refresh your memory when piecing the clues together. Click on the inside lid of the suitcase to close it. Leave the room by clicking on the door. Go out into the hallway. At the end of the long hallway you will see a picture of a woman in white. Click on her picture until the camera angle changes. Turn left and go down the hallway. Click on the door on the left. Click on the door again and your character will knock on the door. This is Abby's Room. It is the only door on the second floor that you can interact with other than the Chinese Room. Abby's Room - with Abby (1) Knock on the door. Abby answers the door. Speak to her. Choose conversation topics wisely, as some topics prolong conversations and others end conversations quickly. She suggests that danger surrounds Nancy. She also suggests (out of the blue) that Nancy doesnt believe in ghosts, stating that the spirits in the house may give Nancy a hard time. She offers the name Valdez as having a strong connection with the mansion. She ends with having to prepare for this evening, as "more will be revealed." Turn around and go back down the hallway towards the main staircase. Go down the left stairs. Note the cord tied to the chandelier. If you touch it once you will loosen the cord. Touch it a second time and you loosen the cord further. Touch is a third time and the chandelier will fall causing Rose to tell you to leave because of your negligence. If you decide to try it anyway, either save your game first or use the handy second chance feature after you receive a game over. Continue down the stairs. Notice that the last step "creaks.' This is a significant clue later on in the game.
