An absolute triumph and a gift to the ND community!

A quick explanation for those wondering why this release is such a big deal (from my POV, at least):

In their prime, the HerInteractive studio made Nancy Drew games a genre unto themselves, combining immersive scene-setting, excellent writing, and complex, multilayered mystery plots with a very specific, slightly hokey charm; the end result is a series of 20ish games that helped shape a generation of smart, curious, empowered adults. I started playing Nancy Drew games at 10 and now, at almost 30, still enjoy them. Part of the draw is nostalgia, for sure, but the stories, puzzles, and explorative possibilities hold up remarkably well for an adult player.

HerInteractive caught lightning in a bottle and, in retrospect, it's pretty amazing how long they were able to keep it there. It's a testament to the greatness of their '00s run that the community HerInteractive created lives on, even in the absence of satisfying new releases -- the kids I used to race home from school to swap alternate endings and ASCII signatures with on the message board are now adults on Reddit and Discord with a heartfelt appreciation for Nancy and hunger to have that same kind of fun again.

What sets Alex Hill apart from other adventure/mystery games that have made a grab for the ND audience is that the developer is so obviously and deeply one of us. It warmed my heart to see all the thoughtful homages Hannah inserted -- by which I mean not only the obvious ones like names, but things like books you can open and read (with well-written, non AIish text!), fun, quippy one-liners from the suspects, and a breakfast bar you can eat from (a charming, totally unnecessary, fan-fave element from many ND games). Hannah has struck a really delicate balance of updating and refreshing ideas for the now mostly adult audience (the story is more PG-13 than PG, for instance), and preserving the old-school things that never needed replacing (the point-and-click navigation will feel super familiar). The most critical element missing from the later ND games for me is quality writing, and I was thrilled to find this to be an interesting and well-written story.

Is it perfect? No. Is it "long enough"? Yes, although it would be great fun if it were longer. My bottom line is, Alex Hill gets at the heart of what ND fans have hungered for better than any other game I've played. And the developer has done it solo, without the backing of a studio or studio funds. It's pretty darn impressive. I'm eager to see how her next titles will flesh out as she gains traction.

This game wouldn't exist without ND games, and I think everyone is aware of that; Alex Hill feels like an homage, not a ripoff, and HerInteractive wrote a lovely, very classy social media post in support. I love that Hannah has resurrected the genre in a way that everyone can feel good about. There's room for everyone.

So, would I recommend? Definitely. If you were a fan of earlier ND games and hungry for more, this should give you a good taste.

Easily the most successful Nancy Drew formula recreation attempt I've played yet, and I've played a LOT of them. I appreciated that it was slightly more adult thematically than the standard Nancy Drew plot. The quality voice acting was another plus, and the story did take me by surprise with the turns it took!

My only critiques are that I found the music (or often lack thereof) a bit disconcerting in a bad way and some of the logic of what to do to trigger the next scene is a bit strange, a lot of re-entering areas or going through a door multiple times to trigger time changes. There were also some minor graphical issues that made it difficult to see some hotspots. That said, I did really enjoy this game and absolutely recommend it to other Nancy Drew adventure game style fans.

I can't believe there's already a steam page for the sequel :o

A fantastic new game and HOPEFULLY start to a new series that is a great upgrade from the classic Nancy Drew Mystery series. Great job and worth every penny!

It was very difficult avoiding spoilers online while I waited to play, but I just finished the game and I loved every moment! It is so nostalgic, familiar and fresh all at the same time. Hannah did an incredible job with this one and I loved all the voice actors as well. Great emotion, wonderful graphics. I cannot wait until the next addition, already on my wishlist. :) to anyone looking for a spooky point-and-click detective game, absolutely check this out!

What the last two Nancy Drew games should have been

LOVED this. Give me 10 more and I'll buy all of them!!!

this game was a ton of fun! definitely great if you like old school point-and-click style mystery games. it has an interesting and exciting story, and fun puzzles that mesh well with the narrative rather than just being thrown in. the characters are well written and well developed, and the voice acting is also quite good. i had a few issues with graphical bugs, but nothing game breaking, and nothing that i would say impacted the quality of the experience for me. as a pilot entry into the alex white franchise, i think this game is well worth a play, and i can't see what further entries in the series might look like.

If you are a fan of OG Nancy Drew game this will spark a dose of nostalgia you've missed. This was so true to the originals with a new not too adult spin. I love the ode to HerInteractive. I am now sitting on the edge of my seat for more. I feel like I did when I found a new Nancy Drew game in the eletronics section. 10/10 loved it.

My partner and I finished this game in one sitting. It was great! The story was engaging and the puzzles were fun. This really scratched the itch for a good Nancy Drew-like game. I cannot wait for the second one to come out!

My one note is that I wish that the game gave you more direction. The task list was helpful, but I think that more tasks should have been included on it. There were times where I struggled with what to do next.

when Ronnie died, we were so shocked. Fully gasped and mouth agape. The final puzzle really had some challenge.

This game is AMAZING. For all of you who miss the classic Nancy Drew games, this is exactly what you need!!!! I can't wait to play more from this creator and the whole team!!! Very fun point and click, spooky elements, fun conversations, not to mention the classic side-games and getting to eat plates of food! Scratched every itch!!