The Captive Curse
Encyclopedia
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 fictional teenage sleuth Nancy Drew, from the book series of the same name. Players take on the role of Nancy Drew, and solve a mystery through interrogation of non-playable characters, by solving puzzles, and by searching for clues. The game is available for play on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X platforms. It has an ESRB rating of E10+ for moments of mild violence and peril.
castle, called Burg Finster, in Germany
. According to the legend, the monster will vanish for years at a time, until without warning it reappears to claim its next victim. So far every victim it has claimed has been a young woman, reputed to be wearing a peculiar jeweled necklace at the time of her disappearance. In the present day, young American detective Nancy Drew has been called in by the castle's owner to discover the truth behind recent monster sightings, before the monster can strike again. As Nancy delves deeper into the case, she begins to fear that someone in the castle plans for her to be the monster's next victim.
: Nancy is an American amateur detective from the fictional town of River Heights, who is attempting to solve the mystery at Castle Finster. She is the protagonist of the game, and the plot is revealed from her point of view.
Anja Mittelmeier: Anja is the castellan of Castle Finster, meaning she is in charge of guest services. She is very open about her feelings towards Karl, the monster sightings, and her past relationship with Markus, the castle's owner. Lukas is her nephew, her brother's son.
Lukas Mittelmeier: Lukas is the youngest resident of Castle Finster. His father, Franz Mittelmeier, is the head of security at the castle, and his aunt is Anja. Perhaps because he feels lonely, Lukas likes to play pranks on the other castle residents, especially Karl.
Renate Stoller: Renate is a traveling storyteller, who is deeply familiar with the legend of the monster. She is not too keen on Nancy's presence, and ominously warns her to keep away from the monster. Her favorite place to sit is the rocking chair by the dining room's fireplace.
Markus Boehm: Markus, the owner of Castle Finster, has hired Nancy to solve the case of the monster. Despite being wealthy, Markus is planning on bringing in potential investors to Castle Finster. At the time of the mystery, Markus is driving en route to the castle; he expects that Nancy will have solved the case by the time he arrives.
Ned Nickerson
: Ned is Nancy's longtime boyfriend, who isn't too thrilled with Nancy's latest adventure. He resents her mystery-filled life, and wishes he could be off solving mysteries with her. Ned can also be contacted for slight hints in the game.
Frank Hardy
: Frank Hardy is a character known from the Hardy Boys book series. In the game, Frank is a good friend of Nancy and Ned, and helps them resolve their disputes. He is also available to give slight hints to Nancy, hints about both her case in Germany and his possible romantic feelings for her.
Jordan Blakesly: Jordan is an employee of Castle Cast, Anja Mittelmeier's former employer. Nancy can call Jordan for more information on Anja's past.
Else: Else is the Freiherr's daughter from the legend. She was the first victim of the monster. It is her necklace that all of the following victims were wearing when they disappeared. A painting of her can be found in one of the castle hallways.
Joe Hardy: Joe is a character known from the Hardy Boys book series. His brother is Frank Hardy, and it is Frank that tells Nancy what Joe is up to. Joe spends the game helping Ned get back together with Nancy.
Franz Mittelmeier: Franz is the head of security at Castle Finster. His son is Lukas, and his sister is Anja.
Sonny Joon: Sonny Joon is a character referenced to in many of the other Nancy Drew games of the Her Interactive series. In this game, his resume is found in one of Karl's office files.
, George Fayne
and Ned Nickerson
. But when the competition spirals out of control and River Heights' Town Hall is burned to the ground, Nancy finds herself to be the prime suspect in a high profile arson case. It's up to Nancy to clear her name, before she's forever known as River Heights' "Public Enemy Number One." The official release date for Alibi in Ashes is October 18, 2011, and pre-orders began September 26, 2011.
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 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...
, and was released on June 28, 2011. It is preceded by Shadow at the Water's Edge
Shadow at the Water's Edge
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...
and will be followed by the forthcoming Alibi in Ashes
Alibi in Ashes
Alibi in Ashes is the 25th installment of the point-and-click Nancy Drew adventure game series by Her Interactive, named in a teaser trailer at the end of The Captive Curse...
. The game takes place in Germany, and features the fictional teenage sleuth Nancy Drew, from the book series of the same name. Players take on the role of Nancy Drew, and solve a mystery through interrogation of non-playable characters, by solving puzzles, and by searching for clues. The game is available for play on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X platforms. It has an ESRB rating of E10+ for moments of mild violence and peril.
Plot
For centuries, a legendary monster has terrorized residents of a fictional BavarianBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
castle, called Burg Finster, in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. According to the legend, the monster will vanish for years at a time, until without warning it reappears to claim its next victim. So far every victim it has claimed has been a young woman, reputed to be wearing a peculiar jeweled necklace at the time of her disappearance. In the present day, young American detective Nancy Drew has been called in by the castle's owner to discover the truth behind recent monster sightings, before the monster can strike again. As Nancy delves deeper into the case, she begins to fear that someone in the castle plans for her to be the monster's next victim.
Playable Characters
Nancy DrewNancy 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...
: Nancy is an American amateur detective from the fictional town of River Heights, who is attempting to solve the mystery at Castle Finster. She is the protagonist of the game, and the plot is revealed from her point of view.
Suspects
Karl Weschler: Karl is the "Burgmeister," or mayor of the castle community. He keeps himself locked away in his office. He has dreams of becoming a famous board game designer, but is hindered by the belief that he is cursed. Karl ruffles many people's feathers, but he is most at odds with Anja Mittelmeier. He greatly dislikes that the castle is being used for tourism, and wishes to keep tourists away.Anja Mittelmeier: Anja is the castellan of Castle Finster, meaning she is in charge of guest services. She is very open about her feelings towards Karl, the monster sightings, and her past relationship with Markus, the castle's owner. Lukas is her nephew, her brother's son.
Lukas Mittelmeier: Lukas is the youngest resident of Castle Finster. His father, Franz Mittelmeier, is the head of security at the castle, and his aunt is Anja. Perhaps because he feels lonely, Lukas likes to play pranks on the other castle residents, especially Karl.
Renate Stoller: Renate is a traveling storyteller, who is deeply familiar with the legend of the monster. She is not too keen on Nancy's presence, and ominously warns her to keep away from the monster. Her favorite place to sit is the rocking chair by the dining room's fireplace.
Phone Characters
Phone characters are game characters that may only be contacted through Nancy's in-game telephone. These characters will shed more light on the plot and give hints.Markus Boehm: Markus, the owner of Castle Finster, has hired Nancy to solve the case of the monster. Despite being wealthy, Markus is planning on bringing in potential investors to Castle Finster. At the time of the mystery, Markus is driving en route to the castle; he expects that Nancy will have solved the case by the time he arrives.
Ned Nickerson
Ned Nickerson
Ned Nickerson is a fictional character in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series written under the collective pseudonym "Carolyn Keene". Ned is often referred to as Nancy Drew's boyfriend...
: Ned is Nancy's longtime boyfriend, who isn't too thrilled with Nancy's latest adventure. He resents her mystery-filled life, and wishes he could be off solving mysteries with her. Ned can also be contacted for slight hints in the game.
Frank Hardy
Frank Hardy
Francis Joseph Hardy, or Frank, was an Australian left-wing novelist and writer best known for his controversial novel Power Without Glory. He also was a political activist bringing the plight of Aboriginal Australians to international attention with the publication of his book, The Unlucky...
: Frank Hardy is a character known from the Hardy Boys book series. In the game, Frank is a good friend of Nancy and Ned, and helps them resolve their disputes. He is also available to give slight hints to Nancy, hints about both her case in Germany and his possible romantic feelings for her.
Jordan Blakesly: Jordan is an employee of Castle Cast, Anja Mittelmeier's former employer. Nancy can call Jordan for more information on Anja's past.
Other characters
There are other characters in the game that don't have an active participation in the plot, but are often mentioned. Nancy never has any interaction with these characters.Else: Else is the Freiherr's daughter from the legend. She was the first victim of the monster. It is her necklace that all of the following victims were wearing when they disappeared. A painting of her can be found in one of the castle hallways.
Joe Hardy: Joe is a character known from the Hardy Boys book series. His brother is Frank Hardy, and it is Frank that tells Nancy what Joe is up to. Joe spends the game helping Ned get back together with Nancy.
Franz Mittelmeier: Franz is the head of security at Castle Finster. His son is Lukas, and his sister is Anja.
Sonny Joon: Sonny Joon is a character referenced to in many of the other Nancy Drew games of the Her Interactive series. In this game, his resume is found in one of Karl's office files.
Fatal Errors
In each of the games, there are different points where Nancy can make "fatal errors." These points are usually 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 try again before the fatal error occurred. If the player doesn't wish to retry, then the game is over. The Fatal errors in the Captive Curse include:- Pulling the gate lever, which lowers the portcullisPortcullisA portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
directly on top of you. - Snooping in Anja's things when she is coming back after a monster sighting, or snooping for too long and getting caught.
- Snooping in Karl's desk when he is coming back after a monster sighting, or snooping for too long and getting caught.
- Waking Renate while snooping through her bag.
- Opening the furnace door without first putting the shield up.
- Fall into the trapdoor in the dungeon by opening the trapdoor and walking forward.
- Incorrectly identifying the culprit.
- Failing to stop the culprit in time.
- Not freeing Lukas in time.
Release
The game was officially released on June 28, 2011. It will be the first game in the series to feature improved installation, gameplay, and graphics through the use of a DVD for installation of physical copies of the game. On May 17, 2011, pre-orders were announced to begin on June 1st, with each pre-ordered copy of the game including bonus content. Pre-orders concluded on June 15, 2011.Alibi in Ashes
At the end of the game, the player is shown a teaser trailer for the next Nancy Drew game, entitled Alibi in Ashes. According to the teaser, the plot is about Nancy returning home to the fictional town of River Heights, Illinois to compete in the annual Clues Challenge with Bess MarvinBess Marvin
Elizabeth "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...
, George Fayne
George Fayne
Georgia "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...
and Ned Nickerson
Ned Nickerson
Ned Nickerson is a fictional character in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series written under the collective pseudonym "Carolyn Keene". Ned is often referred to as Nancy Drew's boyfriend...
. But when the competition spirals out of control and River Heights' Town Hall is burned to the ground, Nancy finds herself to be the prime suspect in a high profile arson case. It's up to Nancy to clear her name, before she's forever known as River Heights' "Public Enemy Number One." The official release date for Alibi in Ashes is October 18, 2011, and pre-orders began September 26, 2011.