Review by Katie Taylor

Nancy Drew games have a long and proud history of having the user complete chores. It started early, in Message in a Haunted Mansion, and has been used poorly often (Trail of the Twister, Icicle Creek – making the food, not the maid work, etc), but in this game it works. On a ranch, everyone pitches in. And really, the only thing you have to pitch in and do is collect eggs and vegetables, set up a camp fire, and feed the horses.

Actually, the camp fire was the only time I cheated, because I couldn’t figure out where to get the kindling. I totally glanced over the true source because I thought it was part of the scenery, so I had a good laugh when I looked at the cheat. Don’t make my mistake players. It’s right in front of your nose, I promise.

The only ‘chore’ I didn’t like was the one that had nothing to do with the ranch, though it was also fair. You do something for the lady at the shop, and she does something for you in return. I just wish it hadn’t been so trying to collect all the arrowheads. Though here’s a word to the wise: You can collect them at any time. So when you see one in the game, pick it up. That way you have less work later.

As a game, I’d highly recommend it to new comers to the series. It isn’t my favorite, but that’s mostly because my favorites, if you look at them, generally follow the same pattern (find secret passageways!). The story is beautiful, the ‘dudes’ are great (and so are the incriminating side stories that all three of them get), I loved riding on Bob (the horse), and it was just an all around good adventure-mystery.