Danger by Design does other things right, notably the very welcome ‘Second Chance’ feature which resets the game to just before the last puzzle you failed. I appreciated it the most after my umpteenth death by explosion in the darkroom. For a kid-friendly game, Danger by Design features a surprising number of creative ways for Nancy to die.

Thankfully most puzzles in the game weren’t nearly as hard as this one. If anything the opposite was the case, and on occasion I wondered whether I had accidentally chosen to play the Junior version of the game rather than the Senior. I finished the game in a single 7-hour sitting, during which I resorted only twice to the helpful online community for hints on how to proceed.



Since the puzzle solutions don’t change, and in most cases there is only one solution for each puzzle, replay value is practically nil. This, combined with the short playtime, means it’s best suited for families in which it will receive several playthroughs. Adults can enjoy the game in Senior mode, children can play in Junior mode, and everyone can help each other out.

There’s nothing about Danger by Design which aims it particulaly towards women/girls, apart from the identity of the protagonist. As proof, I enjoyed the game the whole way through, and I’m a young adult male who usually plays M-rated action games. For those holding out hope that Sierra or LucasArts will eventually come to their senses, or anyone who wants to give their brain a workout, Her Interactive’s Nancy Drew: Danger by Design is a fair amount of fun for a low price.

Review by David Pettitt.