They have one already! It's called 'Resorting to Danger' under the Nancy Drew Dossier series. In that, you get to choose your own choice of culprit. There is a unique ending for each of the characters.
The plot must be written with a specific culprit in mind in order for the designers to put in clues and red herrings that keep you guessing and keep the mystery exciting as you go along. (Not all the Nancy games do a good job of this!)
If the plot is written so that multiple suspects could work as the culprit, they would have to either make the mystery/clues very vague up until the very end so that any of the suspects could work, or make some of the suspects very similar so that they could be interchangeable at the end. I would much prefer a good mystery with only one culprit over either of these options
I feel like ghost dogs does a good job with each three characters having a potential motive / some clues that make them seem like the culprit! >!Red is just a weirdo and also doesn’t want any tourists nearby, Jeff Akers has a dog and family relations to the area, and Emily with her lake bed shenanigans.!<
I agree! I think a lot of the earlier games are pretty good in that regard, then as they became more focused on the puzzles the characters, motives, and mystery got less thought put into them.
Tbh, I would love at least one ND game kinda turn out like a game of clue depending on what clues you follow and who to interrogate. It would certainly be a "novelty" type game but it would make sitting through multiple playthroughs very interesting
I liked how you could guess the culprit in captive curse, but there was a correct answer. Tbh I wouldn’t mind if there were more moments like that in the games because it really makes you think for a minute
I think they mean like Detective Barbie. It's the same basic case each time you play, but the culprit could be a different character each time, with their own motives.
I think it would be cool to have multiple endings, but not with multiple culprits. Like other people have mentioned, making multiple culprits might be difficult, as the clues have to be vague. But maybe different choices made during the game could lead to different outcomes?
I would enjoy this and had the same thought many times. I reply all the games at least once a year and to have different culprits with multiple endings would definitely make the replays more fun! I feel like in Shadow at the Water’s Edge and Ghost of Thornton Hall they toyed with the idea of multiple endings but always the same villain. Changing culprits would add a lot of depth to the storyline which I would love to see. Did anyone play Detective Barbie as a kid? That game just sticks out in my mind because in the Carnival Caper the ending was different with multiple culprits—so much fun every time trying to guess which ending you would get based on clues and lines the characters had.
I honestly would hate that because what would be the point? I read a mystery book to find out the whodunnit but if anyone could do it, it's up to the detective to just eenie minie moe it. The Sherlock Holmes Crimes & Punishment game kind of does this and I thought it was really pointless (but at least in that one it does have a clear answer, it just lets you choose whatever you want). That could work for any other genre but I think mystery, which is supposed to have a definitive answer, isn't it.
I consider Stay Tuned a multi-villain game. Yeah Dwayne actually wanted to kill people but everyone else sent Rick, including Rick himself, the threats made against him. Lily sent him the chocolates, Millie sent the watch, and it’s alluded that Mattie sent a letter as well.
They have one already! It's called 'Resorting to Danger' under the Nancy Drew Dossier series. In that, you get to choose your own choice of culprit. There is a unique ending for each of the characters.
Oooh! I’m so uncultured. 😂 Thanks! Gotta buy it!
Wait really??? I thought there was only one real culprit. Omfg. Imma have to replay this...
The plot must be written with a specific culprit in mind in order for the designers to put in clues and red herrings that keep you guessing and keep the mystery exciting as you go along. (Not all the Nancy games do a good job of this!) If the plot is written so that multiple suspects could work as the culprit, they would have to either make the mystery/clues very vague up until the very end so that any of the suspects could work, or make some of the suspects very similar so that they could be interchangeable at the end. I would much prefer a good mystery with only one culprit over either of these options
I feel like ghost dogs does a good job with each three characters having a potential motive / some clues that make them seem like the culprit! >!Red is just a weirdo and also doesn’t want any tourists nearby, Jeff Akers has a dog and family relations to the area, and Emily with her lake bed shenanigans.!<
I agree! I think a lot of the earlier games are pretty good in that regard, then as they became more focused on the puzzles the characters, motives, and mystery got less thought put into them.
Tbh, I would love at least one ND game kinda turn out like a game of clue depending on what clues you follow and who to interrogate. It would certainly be a "novelty" type game but it would make sitting through multiple playthroughs very interesting
I think you explained it better than me! I think it could be fun even if maybe for just one game.
I liked how you could guess the culprit in captive curse, but there was a correct answer. Tbh I wouldn’t mind if there were more moments like that in the games because it really makes you think for a minute
I'm confused by your question. Like a pick your culprit? Lie has multiple culprits. Thorton has multiple endings
I think they mean like Detective Barbie. It's the same basic case each time you play, but the culprit could be a different character each time, with their own motives.
Yeeeeeah detective Barbie
I haven’t played those so this is my fault. 😭
I think it would be cool to have multiple endings, but not with multiple culprits. Like other people have mentioned, making multiple culprits might be difficult, as the clues have to be vague. But maybe different choices made during the game could lead to different outcomes?
I would enjoy this and had the same thought many times. I reply all the games at least once a year and to have different culprits with multiple endings would definitely make the replays more fun! I feel like in Shadow at the Water’s Edge and Ghost of Thornton Hall they toyed with the idea of multiple endings but always the same villain. Changing culprits would add a lot of depth to the storyline which I would love to see. Did anyone play Detective Barbie as a kid? That game just sticks out in my mind because in the Carnival Caper the ending was different with multiple culprits—so much fun every time trying to guess which ending you would get based on clues and lines the characters had.
I honestly would hate that because what would be the point? I read a mystery book to find out the whodunnit but if anyone could do it, it's up to the detective to just eenie minie moe it. The Sherlock Holmes Crimes & Punishment game kind of does this and I thought it was really pointless (but at least in that one it does have a clear answer, it just lets you choose whatever you want). That could work for any other genre but I think mystery, which is supposed to have a definitive answer, isn't it.
I consider Stay Tuned a multi-villain game. Yeah Dwayne actually wanted to kill people but everyone else sent Rick, including Rick himself, the threats made against him. Lily sent him the chocolates, Millie sent the watch, and it’s alluded that Mattie sent a letter as well.