Shadow at the Water's Edge
Encyclopedia
Shadow at the Water's Edge is the 23rd installment in the point-and-click
Nancy Drew
adventure game
series by Her Interactive
. It is preceded by Trail of the Twister
and followed by The Captive Curse
. The game runs on Windows XP
and Windows Vista
. It is also the third game of the series that can run on Mac OS X
. In the game, the player assumes the role of American teenage detective Nancy Drew
, using puzzles and interrogation of non-playable characters to solve a mystery. There are two levels of gameplay, Junior and Senior detective modes, each offering a different difficulty level of puzzles and hints. (Neither of these changes affect the actual plot of the game.) Since it contains scenes with mild violence and peril, the game is rated E for everyone 10 and up.
, Japan
with friends Bess and George as a reward for solving the preceding mystery in the game series (Trail of the Twister
). Once she arrives at her ryokan, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. Strange events, supposedly caused by a woman who died mysteriously at the inn, are scaring away guests. One by one, the guests leave the Ryokan Hiei, until Nancy is left only with the secretive family that owns the inn. Unable to resist a mystery, she works to discover who is pretending to haunt the inn. Along the way, she uncovers tangled family relationships that play a part in solving a complicated puzzle left by the dead woman. Gameplay is not limited only to the inn. Players can navigate the complicated subway system of Kyoto to such places as a technology expo and a pachinko parlor. Nancy also has an in-game cellphone, which can be used to call other characters, receive text messages, play games, and take photos. The ending to the game varies depending on what the player decides to do when Nancy catches the culprit.
Games Rentaro Provides:
(Game-event puzzles involving sudoku and nonograms also occur.)
Games On Nancy's Cellphone:
Additional Games:
Fatal Errors in Shadow at the Water's Edge:
Take any of the Easter Eggs to Yumi's apartment and with the egg in hand, open the avater program for extra options.
. Leading up to the game release, Her Interactive released a demo, a fictional blog for one of the game's characters, Yumi, and a microsite featuring John Grey from Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
.
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
series by Her Interactive
Her Interactive
Her Interactive is the leading mystery-maker and pioneer of fun and inspiring interactive entertainment. The company, with 24 awards to its name, designs, develops and publishes high-quality, mystery adventure games and apps, and is the world leader in the mystery games category. Her Interactive's...
. It is preceded by Trail of the Twister
Trail of the Twister
Trail of the Twister is the 22nd installment in the Nancy Drew PC game series by Her Interactive. It is preceded by Warnings at Waverly Academy and followed by Shadow at the Water's Edge. It is based on the Nancy Drew novel #155, The Mystery in Tornado Alley...
and followed by The Captive Curse
The Captive Curse
The Captive Curse is the 24th installment of the point-and-click Nancy Drew adventure game series by Her Interactive, and was released on June 28, 2011. It is preceded by Shadow at the Water's Edge and will be followed by the forthcoming Alibi in Ashes. The game takes place in Germany, and features...
. The game runs on Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
and Windows Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
. It is also the third game of the series that can run on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. In the game, the player assumes the role of American teenage detective Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
, using puzzles and interrogation of non-playable characters to solve a mystery. There are two levels of gameplay, Junior and Senior detective modes, each offering a different difficulty level of puzzles and hints. (Neither of these changes affect the actual plot of the game.) Since it contains scenes with mild violence and peril, the game is rated E for everyone 10 and up.
Plot
In the game, Nancy travels as an English teacher to KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with friends Bess and George as a reward for solving the preceding mystery in the game series (Trail of the Twister
Trail of the Twister
Trail of the Twister is the 22nd installment in the Nancy Drew PC game series by Her Interactive. It is preceded by Warnings at Waverly Academy and followed by Shadow at the Water's Edge. It is based on the Nancy Drew novel #155, The Mystery in Tornado Alley...
). Once she arrives at her ryokan, however, she discovers that not all is as it seems. Strange events, supposedly caused by a woman who died mysteriously at the inn, are scaring away guests. One by one, the guests leave the Ryokan Hiei, until Nancy is left only with the secretive family that owns the inn. Unable to resist a mystery, she works to discover who is pretending to haunt the inn. Along the way, she uncovers tangled family relationships that play a part in solving a complicated puzzle left by the dead woman. Gameplay is not limited only to the inn. Players can navigate the complicated subway system of Kyoto to such places as a technology expo and a pachinko parlor. Nancy also has an in-game cellphone, which can be used to call other characters, receive text messages, play games, and take photos. The ending to the game varies depending on what the player decides to do when Nancy catches the culprit.
Characters
- Nancy DrewNancy DrewNancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
: Nancy is an eighteen-year old amateur detective from the fictional town of River Heights in the United States. She is the only playable character in the game, which means the player must solve the mystery from her perspective.
- Shimizu Kasumi: Kasumi was a member of the family who owns the Ryokan Hiei. She drowned one night in the baths at the inn, and now her ghost supposedly haunts the ryokan. She is often mentioned by other characters. Before her death, Kasumi created an elaborate puzzle hoping it would encourage her family to work together. Nancy finds letters written by Kasumi that contain clues towards solving this puzzle.
- Shimizu Yumi: Yumi is Kasumi's older daughter who runs a bento stand called Happy Bento in the inner city of Kyoto. As the eldest daughter, she is, by tradition, to inherit her family's ryokan, although she prefers to live in the city. She has a very strained relationship with her family and Rentaro, due in part to her unconventional views and over-bearing personality. Players can meet and interact with Yumi at her bento stand by the Technology Expo in Kyoto. Miwako considers her a brat, and Yumi thinks Miwako needs to have more fun.
- Shimizu Miwako: Miwako is the receptionist at the Ryokan Hiei and is the younger daughter of Kasumi. She is devoted to the ryokan and her family heritage, although, being the younger daughter, she is not going to inherit the inn. She is a very shy, polite, and delicate person, unlike her sister Yumi. She is very upset when she hears anything about her dead mother, Kasumi. Her traditional views create tension between her and her older sister Yumi and her boyfriend Rentaro. Players can meet and interact with Miwako in the lobby of the ryokan.
- Aihara Rentaro: Longtime friend and neighbor of the Shimizu's, Rentaro is also Miwako's boyfriend and the ryokan's handyman. He is into electronics, and bought a robotic cat, Suki, for Miwako. His goofy and quirky personality sometimes annoys the Shimizus, but for the most part, they get along well. Rentaro is a friendly but eccentric person. He dreams of one day moving to the city with Miwako, but she feels too tied to the inn to move. Players can meet Rentaro at the ryokan's baths, and interact with him at the shed in the ryokan's gardens.
- Nagai Takae: Takae is Miwako and Yumi's grandmother and the mother of Kasumi. She is very strict about Japanese tradition and believes Yumi should move back to take over the ryokan. Players can meet and interact with Takae in the "Cultural Room" of the ryokan, where she teaches lessons on Japanese culture.
- Suki: The robotic cat given to Miwako by Rentaro. She can be found standing guard over Miwako's desk in the ryokan's lobby.
- George FayneGeorge FayneGeorgia "George" Fayne is a character in the popular Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. She is one of Nancy's best friends and cousin of Bess Marvin. Her real name is Georgia, although no one calls her that except her parents...
: Nancy's athletic, tomboyish best friend and Bess's cousin. Her love of electronics leads her to spend the majority of her time in Japan at the Technology Expo. She can only be contacted through Nancy's in-game cellphone.
- Bess MarvinBess MarvinElizabeth "Bess" Marvin is a character in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. She is one of Nancy Drew's best friends, along with George Fayne, who is Bess' cousin. Bess and George are introduced to readers in the 1931 novel,The Secret at Shadow Ranch. Bess was originally described as having...
: Nancy's pretty, blonde best friend and George's cousin. Her time in Kyoto is spent mostly with George at the Technology Expo. She isn't quite the tomboy George is, and is more interested in Kyoto's creative fashion than the Technology Expo. Along with George, she has befriended Yumi. She can only be contacted through Nancy's in-game cellphone.
- Savannah Woodham: A former guest of the ryokan, but scared away by the supposed hauntings. Though now a journalist, she has also written a book which features the Ryokan Hiei. In the game, she is covering the Technology Expo for a technology magazine, and is thus available only as a phone character.
- Logan M.: Savannah Woodham's somewhat rude assistant who has a crush on Bess. Since he is at the Technology Expo, he is available only as a phone character. He enjoys hanging up on Nancy.
Cast
- Nancy DrewNancy DrewNancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
- Lani MinellaLani MinellaLani Minella is a voice actress who has voiced in over 500 computer and video games as well as several TV and anime series. She is best known for voicing Nancy Drew, Millie Strathorn, Loulou the Parrot and Freddie in the Nancy Drew computer games, Ivy Valentine in the Soulcalibur video game...
- Rentaro Aihara- Marc Biagi
- Miwako Shimizu- Mikano Fukaya
- Yumi Shimizu- Kira Lauren
- Takae Nagai- Waylayn Sharples
- Savannah Woodham- Adrienne Maclain
- Logan Mitchell- Ryan Demerick
- George FayneGeorge FayneGeorgia "George" Fayne is a character in the popular Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. She is one of Nancy's best friends and cousin of Bess Marvin. Her real name is Georgia, although no one calls her that except her parents...
- Chiara Motley
- Bess MarvinBess MarvinElizabeth "Bess" Marvin is a character in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. She is one of Nancy Drew's best friends, along with George Fayne, who is Bess' cousin. Bess and George are introduced to readers in the 1931 novel,The Secret at Shadow Ranch. Bess was originally described as having...
- Jennifer Pratt
- Additional Characters- Chris Maxfield, Naoko Nibu-Butler, Akika Tanaka, Adrienne Maclain, and Sana Watterson
Minigames
Aside from game-event puzzles and challenges, Shadow at the Water's Edge incorporates several additional Japanese puzzle games and pastimes into the gameplay. While solving some of these puzzles is necessary to complete the game, optional mini-games can be accessed from Nancy's cellphone and puzzle book without affecting the overall outcome of the game.Games Rentaro Provides:
- SudokuSudokuis a logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9...
- RenogramHidatoHidato is a logic puzzle game invented by Dr. Gyora Benedek, an Israeli mathematician. The goal of Hidato is to fill the grid with consecutive numbers that connect horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.-About the puzzle:...
- Nonograms
(Game-event puzzles involving sudoku and nonograms also occur.)
Games On Nancy's Cellphone:
- Avatar creator- Create animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
style characters for use as cell phone avatars. (Can only be used after downloading the program in-game off of Yumi's computer.) - Land Rush mini-game from Trail of the TwisterTrail of the TwisterTrail of the Twister is the 22nd installment in the Nancy Drew PC game series by Her Interactive. It is preceded by Warnings at Waverly Academy and followed by Shadow at the Water's Edge. It is based on the Nancy Drew novel #155, The Mystery in Tornado Alley...
. (Available on pre-ordered versions of the game only.) - Memory mini-game from Warnings at Waverly AcademyWarnings at Waverly AcademyWarnings at Waverly Academy is the 21st installment in the Nancy Drew video game series created by Her Interactive. It is preceded by Ransom of the Seven Ships and followed by Trail of the Twister. The story is based on Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #158, The Curse of the Black Cat, set in a fictional...
. (Available on pre-ordered versions of the game only.)
Additional Games:
- PachinkoPachinkois a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
- BentoBentois a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware...
puzzle - the player assembles bento boxes for Yumi based upon clues.
Fatal Errors
In each of the games, there are different points where Nancy can make "fatal errors." These points usually occur when she blows her cover as a detective or gets seriously injured. At such points, the game will stop and give the player the option to start again from just before the fatal error occurred.Fatal Errors in Shadow at the Water's Edge:
- Asking Miwako about the newspaper article on Kasumi's death.
- Attempting to take the puzzle box too many times while Suki's in guard mode.
- Getting caught by Miwako when steaming open her password envelope.
- Not solving the mirror image puzzle in time and getting hit by a falling plank.
- Drowning when Nancy is pushed into the bath by the yurei.
- Letting the culprit escape.
Awards
Awards are given at the end of the game for completing special tasks that have no effect on the actual plot:- Easter Egg: For finding an Easter egg (there are four that may be obtained; see below).
- Puzzler Pro: For completing all of Rentaro's puzzles.
- Sous Chef: For filling a lot of bento orders.
- Fashion Designer: For sending a lot of avatars to friends.
- Souvenir Searcher: For winning all the prizes at the pachinko parlor.
- Recording Artist: For recording all of the ghost sounds.
- Squeaky Clean: For taking many baths in the hot spring.
- Cat Whisperer: For giving Suki all the commands.
- Mystery Seeker: For watching the DVD from Yumi's apartment.
- Password Pilferer: For returning Miwako's password envelope to its original place.
- Teacher's Pet: For always checking the students' homework.
- Trivia Tamer: For answering the trivia question given at the end of the game correctly.
- Gaming Guru: For playing the games a lot on Nancy's cellphone. (Special edition only)
Easter eggs
Easter eggs are left by the game developers to find in the game. They are often found by completing random tasks, but rarely have any effect on the plot of the game.- By printing out the blurry photo of an egg off Nancy's cell phone, an Easter egg is awarded.
- An Easter egg is awarded if you open the puzzle box twice.
- Record from the machine Retaro gave you while standing very close to the stone lantern in the garden by the entrance. Listen to the recording, go to the bath, and click the cracked tile (to the right of the bath).
- Put 15–30 pachinko balls in the prize machine and the Easter egg will appear for purchase for one pachinko ball.
Take any of the Easter Eggs to Yumi's apartment and with the egg in hand, open the avater program for extra options.
Release
The game was officially released on October 19, 2010, though pre-orders began on September 20, 2010. Special editions of the game, which included bonus avatar outfits, games, commands for Suki, and outtakes, were sent out to those who pre-ordered the game directly from Her InteractiveHer Interactive
Her Interactive is the leading mystery-maker and pioneer of fun and inspiring interactive entertainment. The company, with 24 awards to its name, designs, develops and publishes high-quality, mystery adventure games and apps, and is the world leader in the mystery games category. Her Interactive's...
. Leading up to the game release, Her Interactive released a demo, a fictional blog for one of the game's characters, Yumi, and a microsite featuring John Grey from Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon is a computer game made by the company Her Interactive. The main character is a detective named Nancy Drew. She and the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, are going on a train ride to search for a mine owned by Jake Hurley. The game was released in September 2005...
.
Reception
Critics and players had a generally positive response to the game. While the graphics, characters, and plot of the game were hailed as polished and intriguing, some of the puzzles were thought to be too difficult. The game is also considered one of the scariest in the series.Trivia
- When replaced with letters on a phone, Savannah Woodham's phone number spells 555-GHST, short for ghost.
- In the Room Tracker on Miwako's computer, some of the guests that stayed at the ryokan are Joon, Grey, McGinnis, Mueller, Chen, Tanaka, Nguyen, Berg. These are references to Sonny Joon of the Her InteractiveHer InteractiveHer Interactive is the leading mystery-maker and pioneer of fun and inspiring interactive entertainment. The company, with 24 awards to its name, designs, develops and publishes high-quality, mystery adventure games and apps, and is the world leader in the mystery games category. Her Interactive's...
Nancy Drew game series, John Grey from Last Train to Blue Moon CanyonLast Train to Blue Moon CanyonLast Train to Blue Moon Canyon is a computer game made by the company Her Interactive. The main character is a detective named Nancy Drew. She and the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, are going on a train ride to search for a mine owned by Jake Hurley. The game was released in September 2005...
, Chief McGinnis from the Nancy DrewNancy DrewNancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published...
book series, Simone Mueller and Maya Nguyen from The Final SceneThe Final SceneThe Final Scene is the fifth game in the Nancy Drew computer game series. The game is based on the book bearing the same name and features Nancy Drew and her friend Maya Nguyen. Nancy meets Maya at the Royal Palladium theater to go to the opening of a new movie, Vanishing Destiny. As Maya goes into...
, Elliott Chen from The Haunted CarouselThe Haunted CarouselThe Haunted Carousel is the eighth game in the series of the Nancy Drew computer games. These interactive games are for mystery fans age 10 and up. It was developed by Her Interactive and distributed by Infogrames...
, Hal Tanaka from Secrets Can KillSecrets Can KillSecrets Can Kill is the first of the many Nancy Drew computer games developed by Her Interactive and was released in 1998. It is followed by Stay Tuned for Danger. The game is based on the book "Secrets Can Kill", the first book in the Nancy Drew Files Series. It is set in first person view of...
, and Helena Berg from The Phantom of VeniceThe Phantom of VeniceThe Phantom of Venice is the 18th installment in the Nancy Drew video game series created by Her Interactive. It is based on the book of the same name. The game was released July 8, 2008.- Plot :...
.
- Trying to take a photo of Nancy at the broken photo booth in the pachinko parlor, prints a blurry photo of her.
- The doll on the shelf in Yumi's apartment is similar to the one in the general store in Secret Of The Old Clock.
- In the pachinko parlor, a few of the prizes are references from different Nancy Drew games.
- When Nancy goes to the pond to retrieve the item Yumi threw in the pool, a plank, with a snake on it, is in view. This is a reference to Jake Hurley's mine from Last Train to Blue Moon CanyonLast Train to Blue Moon CanyonLast Train to Blue Moon Canyon is a computer game made by the company Her Interactive. The main character is a detective named Nancy Drew. She and the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, are going on a train ride to search for a mine owned by Jake Hurley. The game was released in September 2005...
.
- One of the frogs in Takae's garden is a reference to the frogs in the conservatory of Curse of Blackmoor Manor.
- After completing the standard edition, several animation outtakes play following the closing credits.
- If Nancy asks Savannah about the scariest things she's seen, she'll reference a German castle with a dark history, which is a hint towards the next game in the series, which is The Captive Curse.
- The Madama Butterfly picture on Yumi's shelf is the same as the one in Jane's Room in Curse of Blackmoor Manor.
- Logan Mitchell happens to be a name of a character from Big Time RushBig Time RushBig Time Rush is a Nickelodeon television series created by Scott Fellows about the Hollywood misadventures of four hockey players from Minnesota—Kendall, Logan, James, and Carlos, after they are selected to form a boy band. The series premiered with an hour-long pilot episode, "Big Time...
.
External links
- Official Website
- Shadow at the Water's Edge by Her InteractiveHer InteractiveHer Interactive is the leading mystery-maker and pioneer of fun and inspiring interactive entertainment. The company, with 24 awards to its name, designs, develops and publishes high-quality, mystery adventure games and apps, and is the world leader in the mystery games category. Her Interactive's...
. - Yumi's Blog
- http://www.herinteractive.com/play-now-demos.php/Shadow at the Water's Edge Demoss