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First off, thank you for the read! This is most likely going to be a lengthy review, so grab yourself a snack and pour yourself a drink, because this hear is gonna be a long one. 
Plot: You as Nancy Drew are competing with your friends Bess, George, and Ned in the Clue Crew challenge in River Heights. Things get special when Nancy is framed for setting the old Town Hall on fire. Classic. Nancy is then arrested and detained until her friends gather enough evidence against the three other suspects (those who were also spotted at the fire), the police chief then releases her. Beyond that, you must use your sleuthin' skills to find out who'd dare try and take down the (wo)man, the myth, the legend: Nancy Drew. Overall, very original. 10/10
Setting: Ladies and gentleman, we have ourselves a local game! This mystery is set in the famous River Heights, New Jersey, Nancy's hometown. The town is very quaint and New England-y sorta. To get around, the player uses a map, and simply points and clicks at their desired destination, then whoever they are playing as, drives to said destination. This aspect is reminiscent of the driving in Secret of the Old Clock, except in this game, gas is apparently not a thing because no one's car ever runs out of fuel for the entire game. 10/10 for Nancy's hometown AND fuel-efficient vehicles all around.
Characters: Boy howdy. There was a grand total of eight characters, not including your phone friends Holly, Jessica, and Daddy Drew. 10/10.
Toni Scallari: Very passive-aggressive suburban mom-esque; she's got the hairstyle down to a tee. She is a town council woman and sees the citizens of River Heights as her peasants. She is corrupt and has a gargantuan grudge against Nancy. Could she be so bold as to frame Nancy Drew for a crime she didn't commit?
Deirdre Shannon: Desperation. That is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Deirdre. She's an annoying little chipmunk alllll throughout the game, however, if you're like me, she kinda grows on you in her very own signature Deirdre way. Deirdre is a cute girl who's got her eyes GLUED on "Nedstopher". Obviously, Nancy kinda sorta stands in her way of getting with Ned. Is that a strong enough motive for Deirdre to take down Nancy?
Alexei Marcovic: Sob story. I just wanted to reach through my screen and give him a hug, or like, bake him a cake. Alexei was a kid detective himself, however his career was cut short when he was framed for a crime he did not commit at only 20 years old. At present, Alexei owns and operates the town's antique shop. Alexei's back story is eerily similar to the plot we're dealing with at hand. Could Alexei have such a vicious jealousy as to set a historic building ablaze with Nancy still inside?
Brenda Carlton. I really wanted to like her, and I really tried. But man oh man, she is a little garden snake. She takes what people say and twists it all around in order to make her broadcasts more compelling. Brenda is the top reporter on the Heights Nine news team. Brenda always manages to find her way to the scene of the crime first. Could Brenda have destroyed a town treasure just to create some juicy news?
Bess Marvin, George Fayne, Ned Nickerson: Bess is her usual clumsy, silly self. George is serious and confrontational. and Ned is charming and very helpful! (particularly with Deirdre if you catch my drift)
Character Interaction: O M G. Girl, that is the entirety of this game. Nancy is constantly on the phone with her friends Bess and George or her boyfriend Ned, while being held in jail. The player is allowed to switch off between these four characters for the duration of Nancy being imprisoned. To top that off, there is an abundant amount of interaction between you and the culprits. Definitely 10/10!
Music: Meh. It's nice, but it's just not memorable. Maybe you guys feel differently. 6/10
Puzzles: Holy heck the puzzle at the end of the game. If you've played Curse of Blackmoor Manor, you know what a nightmare those door puzzles can be. Other than that, i feel like there weren't a whole, whooole lot of puzzles, but there were a few. 7/10
Snooping: What is privacy? Snoop to your hearts content or til the cows come home. The player gets to go through file cabinets and supply closets galore! 10/10
Game Length: Is it just me or was this a rather short game? It just felt kind of abrupt to me? 7/10
Phone Friends: The player has contact with all playable characters, this includes: Ned, George, and Bess. A little ways into the game, the player adds Holly and Jessica to their contacts; both of them are essentially the same person meaning they have essentially the same dialogue. Nancy's father Carson is also in Nancy's contact list. 7/10.
Spook Factor: Hm, basically next to nothing. There is a jump scare near the end of the game, but that's about it. Trying to escape the fire in the beginning of the game is a hoot and a half, however, everything else seemed pretty tame. 4/10.
Ending: I'm so glad the culprit was who it was. It was so satisfying to take them down. Be weary of the puzzle at the end of the game, it was driving me up a wall. I had to look at a walk through to get past it. Overall, I'd say a solid 8/10.
All in all, this game had some very original ideas implemented in it! It was lovely to see River Heights and have the opportunity to play as multiple characters! While this game wasn't my all time favorite, it has a very unique feel to it. It can hold its own against other ND games. Overall, I would give Alibi in Ashes an 8/10! Until next time y'all, toodles!
Plot: You as Nancy Drew are competing with your friends Bess, George, and Ned in the Clue Crew challenge in River Heights. Things get special when Nancy is framed for setting the old Town Hall on fire. Classic. Nancy is then arrested and detained until her friends gather enough evidence against the three other suspects (those who were also spotted at the fire), the police chief then releases her. Beyond that, you must use your sleuthin' skills to find out who'd dare try and take down the (wo)man, the myth, the legend: Nancy Drew. Overall, very original. 10/10
Setting: Ladies and gentleman, we have ourselves a local game! This mystery is set in the famous River Heights, New Jersey, Nancy's hometown. The town is very quaint and New England-y sorta. To get around, the player uses a map, and simply points and clicks at their desired destination, then whoever they are playing as, drives to said destination. This aspect is reminiscent of the driving in Secret of the Old Clock, except in this game, gas is apparently not a thing because no one's car ever runs out of fuel for the entire game. 10/10 for Nancy's hometown AND fuel-efficient vehicles all around.
Characters: Boy howdy. There was a grand total of eight characters, not including your phone friends Holly, Jessica, and Daddy Drew. 10/10.
Toni Scallari: Very passive-aggressive suburban mom-esque; she's got the hairstyle down to a tee. She is a town council woman and sees the citizens of River Heights as her peasants. She is corrupt and has a gargantuan grudge against Nancy. Could she be so bold as to frame Nancy Drew for a crime she didn't commit?
Deirdre Shannon: Desperation. That is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Deirdre. She's an annoying little chipmunk alllll throughout the game, however, if you're like me, she kinda grows on you in her very own signature Deirdre way. Deirdre is a cute girl who's got her eyes GLUED on "Nedstopher". Obviously, Nancy kinda sorta stands in her way of getting with Ned. Is that a strong enough motive for Deirdre to take down Nancy?
Alexei Marcovic: Sob story. I just wanted to reach through my screen and give him a hug, or like, bake him a cake. Alexei was a kid detective himself, however his career was cut short when he was framed for a crime he did not commit at only 20 years old. At present, Alexei owns and operates the town's antique shop. Alexei's back story is eerily similar to the plot we're dealing with at hand. Could Alexei have such a vicious jealousy as to set a historic building ablaze with Nancy still inside?
Brenda Carlton. I really wanted to like her, and I really tried. But man oh man, she is a little garden snake. She takes what people say and twists it all around in order to make her broadcasts more compelling. Brenda is the top reporter on the Heights Nine news team. Brenda always manages to find her way to the scene of the crime first. Could Brenda have destroyed a town treasure just to create some juicy news?
Bess Marvin, George Fayne, Ned Nickerson: Bess is her usual clumsy, silly self. George is serious and confrontational. and Ned is charming and very helpful! (particularly with Deirdre if you catch my drift)
Character Interaction: O M G. Girl, that is the entirety of this game. Nancy is constantly on the phone with her friends Bess and George or her boyfriend Ned, while being held in jail. The player is allowed to switch off between these four characters for the duration of Nancy being imprisoned. To top that off, there is an abundant amount of interaction between you and the culprits. Definitely 10/10!
Music: Meh. It's nice, but it's just not memorable. Maybe you guys feel differently. 6/10
Puzzles: Holy heck the puzzle at the end of the game. If you've played Curse of Blackmoor Manor, you know what a nightmare those door puzzles can be. Other than that, i feel like there weren't a whole, whooole lot of puzzles, but there were a few. 7/10
Snooping: What is privacy? Snoop to your hearts content or til the cows come home. The player gets to go through file cabinets and supply closets galore! 10/10
Game Length: Is it just me or was this a rather short game? It just felt kind of abrupt to me? 7/10
Phone Friends: The player has contact with all playable characters, this includes: Ned, George, and Bess. A little ways into the game, the player adds Holly and Jessica to their contacts; both of them are essentially the same person meaning they have essentially the same dialogue. Nancy's father Carson is also in Nancy's contact list. 7/10.
Spook Factor: Hm, basically next to nothing. There is a jump scare near the end of the game, but that's about it. Trying to escape the fire in the beginning of the game is a hoot and a half, however, everything else seemed pretty tame. 4/10.
Ending: I'm so glad the culprit was who it was. It was so satisfying to take them down. Be weary of the puzzle at the end of the game, it was driving me up a wall. I had to look at a walk through to get past it. Overall, I'd say a solid 8/10.
All in all, this game had some very original ideas implemented in it! It was lovely to see River Heights and have the opportunity to play as multiple characters! While this game wasn't my all time favorite, it has a very unique feel to it. It can hold its own against other ND games. Overall, I would give Alibi in Ashes an 8/10! Until next time y'all, toodles!
