Learn & Play and TV Shows
Hello sleuths! This weekend we have another sale for our top 5 Learn & Play games: Secret of the Scarlet Hand, Labyrinth of Lies, Tomb of the Lost Queen, The Deadly Device, and Midnight in Salem. Use code LEARN2021 to get 35% off now through Monday.
The Nancy Drew TV show on the CW has launched season two. Are you watching? Don’t give me any spoilers – I haven’t had a chance to see the new season opening episode.
On a side note, I have been really enjoying The Hardy Boys show on Hulu! There is no pizazz about it, nothing sparkly or crazy, or eye-catching about it. BUT, it is good old classic detective work done by two brothers who very much act like the Frank and Joe I know in the Nancy Drew Games and the The Hardy Boys books. Set in the 1980s, this removes the modern technologies we know to use these days, like cell phones and computers. The boys must use their own eyes, follow up on real leads, question people for information, snoop, sleuth, chase and trap villains, and more! While there are a couple of differences in the Hardy canon, these differences don’t bother me too much. Joe Hardy is twelve in the show, instead of 17 like in the books, yet he is bold, brave and totally acts like Joe. Personally I would have switched Phil and Chet’s characters because Chet in the books was the character with all the interesting hobbies and has great enthusiasm. Also in the books was Biff Hooper, another of the Hardy’s guy friends. In the show it is a girl Joe’s age. Her real name is Elizabeth but when she was little, she cold only pronounce her name as ‘biff. Which is super cute.
Anyways, what adventures would you like to see Nancy and/or the Hardys encounter this new year?
-Little Jackalope (Calina Herman)
I read all the Hardy Boys books as a kid. I haven’t seen the show, but it sounds like they made a clever replacement for Biff!
Hi Huw! I also read the Hardy Boys book as a kid. I did like Biff’s replacement, especially since I haven’t seen Iola Morton yet, and there aren’t as many females in the books, so I thought Biff was well done.
I watched the first episode of season two yesterday and it was really good!!
I have the first episode on my DVR, do you have it on yours LJ?
Aww, I think the name thing about Biff is so cute! I would love to see Nancy and the Hardys on a case together (like in MID) and tackle another scary case in the games/and TV (like Thornton Hall) 🙂
Nancy Drew Never went aboard a ship …How about a Cruise won and Nancy goes BUT before the ship docks we have a murder mystery to solve before Pleasure begins ……. im 73 cant wait until nancy drew comes out with an adventure Before Paradise???
Hi Cleanna! I think Nancy spending time on a ship is a great idea, too. Hopefully, she will get to do that in the future!
I love seeing Nancy and the hardy boys together!
On a side note, would you guys ever consider putting the game soundtracks on Spotify? I would love that! Hope you are all doing well!
Hi Esther! I love seeing Nancy and the Hardy Boys together, too. 🙂 I will pass along your request for the Nancy Drew soundtracks.
You’ve totally sold me on the new Hardy Boys show. We’re expecting snow, and now instead of curling up with a book I’m going to curl up and binge-watch the show. 🙂
On another note – I don’t understand why MID is one of the top 5 Learn and Plays, but SAW is not. Not to slam MID, but there’s not much actual learning offered in MID compared to the average ND game, but the puzzles in SAW are great for teaching kids to apply logic skills – not only the sodoku, but the pictograms, the bento boxes, even finding the most efficient subway routes between locations. I think SAW defines the idea of learning while playing more than almost any other ND game. (I know there’s no L&P worksheet for it, but the brain games in the game itself are great mental exercises for anyone.)
Btw – I think the downloadable L&P worksheets are a nice addition by HER but even at that, the one for MID doesn’t stand up to the ones for, say, SSH or DED, both of which are great L&P options. The worksheet for DDI is really nice, too, and that’s another game that’s not even listed among the top 5 L&P games but maybe should be. (And the L&P worksheet for TOT is also very good, if any moms are reading this.) So thanks to HER for creating those!
Hello TC! Glad to hear I piqued your interest in the Hardy Boys show. Hope you enjoy it! MID has some historical aspect to it, and since it is the newest game, we wanted to highlight it again. Glad you enjoy the worksheets! You are most welcome!
I’ve only watched a couple of the early episodes in season 1 of the new Nancy Drew series, so I’d better get back into that!
Obviously we don’t know what’s happening in the next game, but I hope Nancy gets to go to more countries/continents over the coming games. I hope she gets to go to Australia at one point. 🙂
I think she’s already been to Australia which is where new Zealand is in The Shattered Medallion.
Yes, but Australia is a completely different country to New Zealand. 🙂
New Zealand isn’t part of Australia, though that is a common misconception.
I would like to see Nancy take on a mystery in Delaware which is where I’m living now since she took on one in New Jersey in “The Haunted Carousal” where I was born!!
Hi, I was just wondering if you guys would ever put the Nancy drew sound tracks on Spotify? I would LOVE that. Thanks for all you do, love you guys! 🙂
Hi Esther! I will pass along that wish list item, but I am not sure if they will make it on Spotify. 🙁
LJ, I want you to know you just made my night–I had no idea they just released the first episode of ND Season 2! I have really gotten hooked on the show, so I can’t wait to watch it 😀 it took me a few episodes to get into the show, but now that I’ve stuck with it, it’s really grow on me 🙂
I was also going to ask if my husband, Jonathan, could have a birthday shout-out on February 15th, and if I (Rachel) could have a birthday shout-out on February 17th? Jonathan’s favorite game is DED, and my favorite game is CUR 🙂
Thank you so much!
Hi Rachel! Keep an eye out for the post on February 12th. 🙂
Hi! Is there a Valentine’s Day contest this year?
Hi Em! We just launched a Valentine’s Day card contest on Instagram.
Hey LJ, are you planning on doing any Twitch streams this year?
Hi Katherine! We don’t have any plans for Twitch streams this year…. yet. :-/
HI!
Are you going to have a Valentine’s Day Card Contest this year?
Thanks!
Hey LJ! I know you’ve been saying when there’s info about the new game to be released you’ll post it here, but is there anyway you could tell us if any news will be released soon? Like in 2021?? Thanks so much!!
Hi Rach! I do not know when news will become available to share. Sorry!
Hi Little Jackalope, I was just wondering if you guys are actually making more games or not and if it will take as long as last time for the next one to come out if there is another game?
Hi Sarah! I cannot say exactly, since the behind-the-scenes work is top secret. I hope to share news in the near future when I’m able to!
I was thinking of purchasing some of your merchandise off of Teespring, and I was wondering if you could perhaps have more options for hoodies? I was a little disappointed that I could only get designs like Captain’s Cove and Whale World as T-shirts.
Hi Nicole! I can add it to the wish list for Teespring items. 😉