Revisiting the Soundtrack of Nancy Drew PC Games

Nancy Drew: Message In A Haunted Mansion was a classic in the series of PC games developed by Her Interactive in the early 2000s. It is the third installment in the Nancy Drew adventure game series, and one of the more memorable for its surprisingly spooky, and at-times, downright scary moments. In this game, players take on the role of Nancy Drew, the renowned teenage detective, as she explores a haunted mansion in San Francisco, California.

The plot revolves around Nancy being invited to the mansion by her friend, Rose Green, who plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast. However, strange occurrences begin to happen, and the mansion seems to be haunted by a plethora of ghostly phenomena. Nancy's task is to uncover the secrets behind the haunting and solve the mystery of the mansion.

If you remember playing the game, you most likely also remember the haunting soundscapes and eerie melodies that accompanied your seemingly endless explorations through the mansion. The soundtrack and sound FX in the game served to be just as unsettling as the ghosts, whispers, and jump scares—perhaps the most iconic being the “I see you…” whisper (if you know, you know).

Musically, the score provides some surprisingly elegant moments throughout the gameplay. Drawing from some of these melodies is a newly released take on that haunting soundscape—Andrew P. Oliver’s “Message In A Haunted Mansion” is a nostalgic trek back in time to your days on the Windows 2000. The Lofi-esque track transports you back into the halls where your magnifying glass pointer leads the way. Listen below and revisit mansion one more time for old times’ sake.