Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock

Secret of the Old Clock was the first game to release in 2005. It was also based on the very first Nancy Drew book to be released.

Game Description

Venture into the Past and Outwit a Criminal Before Time Runs Out!
It’s 1930 and Nancy Drew is asked to visit Emily Crandall, in Titusville, a girl whom Nancy knows only through a mutual friend. She and her mother had been counting on the generosity of their kindly but strange neighbor, Josiah Crowley, to leave them part of his estate to support the inn they own. But in his will, everything was left to Richard Topham, his ESP teacher. A contested will, a suffering girl, suspicious psychics — can Nancy solve the mystery before time runs out in Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock?

Game Information

Available on: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10
ESRB: E for Everyone
PC Release Date: July 19, 2005
Release MSRP: $19.99 USD
Current MSRP: $9.99 USD
Number of Discs: 1
Game Abbreviation: CLK
Game Color Code: 7EC78F
Inspired by/Based on: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories Hardback #1: The Secret of the Old Clock, #2: The Hidden Staircase, and #4: The Mystery at Lilac Inn

Game Specs

PC System Requirements:

400 MHz or greater Pentium II or equivalent class CPU
64 MB of RAM
300MB or more of hard drive space
16MB DirectX compatible graphics video card
16-bit DirectX compatible sound card
12x CD-ROM drive
Mouse and Speakers

Fun Facts:

Just like The Secret of Shadow Ranch, this was based off of a few of the original Nancy Drew books. Because of that, it features the 'Classic Mystery Edition' banner across the top of the box.
2005 marked the 75th anniversary of Nancy Drew which is why HeR decided to make their twelfth game based off of the book that started it all off. The physical game case features a gold seal that says 'Nancy Drew 75th Anniversary' to commemorate the event.
Secret of the Old Clock isn't based strictly off of the very first book, but off of the first, second, and fourth books.
This was originally going to be the final game in the series. It is unknown what HeR did to continue the games. Most likely, HeR was in the process of renewing the license for the Nancy Drew character from Simon and Schuster and it may have been unknown whether or not they would get the license again.
The strategy guide for this game was the final guide to be 5.5" x 8.5". When Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon released, the guides changed to a smaller size. However, if you purchased the game and guide bundle for Secret of the Old Clock from a retail store, the strategy guide size was the same as Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon's guide.
A picture of Edward Stratemeyer, the creator of the Nancy Drew, is seen going down the staircase of the Inn.
The running gag of the word "Keen" is a play on the pseudonym of the Nancy Drew books, Carolyn Keene.
Emily mentions her "great-aunt Harriett". Harriett Stratemeyer Adams was the daughter of Edward Stratemeyer and the editor of the Nancy Drew books, later revising and writing many of the books.
Deer Mountain Resort was the name of the resort in the book The Haunted Bridge.
Camp Avondale was the camp Nancy spent a week at in the book version of The Secret of the Old Clock.
Jim Archer is a recurring character in the earlier books and is also the fiancé of Helen Corning. She is Nancy's friend (before the introduction of Bess and George), who was only mentioned as a mutual friend of Nancy and Emily.
Hidden in the game files is an unfinished version of the map of Titusville (seen in the image gallery).
The clock face on the cover art has two mistakes on it: the number 4 was written as IIII and it has the number 13 (XIII). The clock face on the logo in-game doesn't have the number 13 (XIII) on it, but it still has the incorrect number 4. Instead of IIII it should say IV.
You can play the game from start to finish without ever having to fill up on gas, change a tire, or deliver a telegram.
There are some posters and a carousel horse in Josiah Crowley's house that are from The Haunted Carousel.
You don't need to play mini golf at all. However, mini golf is a cheaper way to obtain the toys for the orphanage. The only catch is that it will take longer to obtain the toys.
The key to open up the clock at the bank is the same key that was used in Message in a Haunted Mansion. Mr. Waddell also said that it had fake jewels in it, but the icon of the key in the game clearly has no jewels of any sort in it.
The tutorial level for this game shows the player how to drive the car in this game as this was the first game in the series to introduce a top-down travelling function.
This was the first game not to feature the Nancy Drew logo on the game logo when you open the game. It simply says Secret of the Old Clock.
This was the first game since Message in a Haunted Mansion to not use the cover art as the game logo on startup. Technically, Secret of the Scarlet Hand broke that streak, but at the same time it didn't. Reason being they used the original design for the cover art as the startup game logo instead of the final cover art. So it was still the game's cover art, but it was scrapped from an early version of the box art and never changed in-game.
The back of the box started showing the previous games in the series as if they were on a bookshelf with all of the box spines showing with one against the other.
Emily has a vinyl record of "Ballad of Brigitte", a song in the Curse of Blackmoor Manor soundtrack.

Image Gallery
Characters
Walkthrough
Soundtrack
Extra

Image Gallery

Characters

Jim Archer

A good-natured but secretly desperate businessman is trying to make it through the end of the Depression. The bank he owns is teetering on the brink of failure. Jim has been helpful to Emily and her mom, but he’s desperate for money. How far would he go to save his bank?

Richard Topham

A self-proclaimed expert on ESP, Richard Topham lives near the Lilac Inn in the house that once belonged to Josiah Crowley. How did he inherit Josiah’s estate and money? Richard runs the School for the Study and Development of Paranormal Powers, but is his act just a hoax?

Emily Crandall

Seventeen year-old Emily runs the Lilac Inn. She is plagued by strange occurrences – objects on the wall move, whispers call from the shadows, things mysteriously disappear and then reappear… Is Emily just stressed out or are things really amiss?

Jane Willoughby

Gloria Crandall, Emily’s mother, asked Jane to look after her daughter in case anything happened to her. She’s doing her best to help Emily, but doesn’t know much about raising kids or running an inn. Could Jane have a hidden agenda?