Pre-Release News Timeline - Page 2
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Page last updated: August 18, 2023
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Click on all images to enlarge.
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June 7, 2023 // Czech-lists
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At 3:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive shared a new video for Mystery of the Seven Keys highlighting some of the various Czech words that will be heard in the game. The following words appear in the video:
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For the first time since May 26th, HeR Interactive updated the ND34 landing page. The icon changed from a finished hourglass to a checklist. This is meant to imply that Nancy will be checking off various things on her checklist before setting off for her mystery. The checklist features 3 items on the list to be checked off which is foreshadowing the puzzle reveal 2 days later.
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June 9, 2023 // A Detective's Guide to Prague Puzzle
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At 3:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive published a post on Instagram informing followers that a new Amateur Sleuth Blog post just came out. This post contains weekend puzzle #378. The description of the post read Indy’s back with a weekend puzzle on the Amateur Sleuth Blog 🧩 Solve it to help Nancy learn about Prague and mark off her checklist! The graphics on the image are featured in the ASB post. The background is the café at the castle.
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The ASB post contained a message from Indy highlighting the recent announcements and updates. At the bottom of the post is a hint about how to solve the puzzle. According to Indy, this puzzle requires "unjumbl[ing] words and letters to create secret messages". The following images used as the puzzle were included in the post:
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This image features Nancy's stationary that has been used for several months leading up to June 9th, 2023. There are 3 items listed in a checklist format: Brush up on Czech, Pack your bags, and Learn more about Prague. The first line item is checked off as it was completed with the video update from June 7th, 2023. This puzzle focuses on the third line item. The second line item will be unveiled next.
This file is called pirt.png which is an anagram for trip. |
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This is a faux book created for the purposes of this puzzle. The book is titled A Detective's Guide to Prague. There is a note in the top right from Carson Drew which reads I think there was a printing error in the book. Some of the facts don't make any sense. -Dad. This note specifically refers to the puzzles on the second page. The first page explains some of what will occur in ND34 and somewhat explains the puzzles in the next page. Both pages feature out-of-order page numbers with the first page being labelled as page 8 and the second page being page 3.
Page 2 features 5 fun facts with 3 of them scrambled up. When fully solved and completed, the 2 pages read (the bolded bullet points are the solved points): |
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Fun Facts to Czech Out
An Introduction
Welcome to the captivating city of Prague, where every street holds the potential for intrigue and every corner conceals a captivating mystery. In "A Detective's Guide to Prague," we invite aspiring sleuths to discover the secrets of this enigmatic city while honing their investigation skills. Uncover hidden clues amidst the grandeur of Prague Castle, navigate the labyrinthine lanes of the Old Town, and decode the riddles embedded in its rich history.
With this guide as your trusted companion, embark on an unforgettable journey of exploration, unraveling the city's enigmas one step at a time. Before you pack your magnifying glass, learn more about this unique city and its proud citizens. |
A Detective's Guide to Prague
Fun Facts to Czech Out
Immerse yourself in the lesser-known stories that make Prague a city brimming with wonders and surprises.
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June 16, 2023 // Suitcase Packing Puzzle
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HeR Interactive uploaded the third post in their checklist/Czech-list puzzle series at 1:34 PM Pacific Time. This puzzle revolved around packing Nancy's suitcase. The description of the post reads 💼 hElp naNcy get sOme iTeMs packEd fOr praguE! wHat’S she misSing? When the capital letters are rearranged, they spell see them soon implying that the items Nancy is taking will be revealed "soon." This first image contains a shot of the floor of the café environment with a suitcase on top. The suitcase features 3 stickers from the HeR Interactive merch store on Teespring. Nancy's to-do list has Learn more about Prague checked off and the new magnifying glass graphic is on top.
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The second image contains three puzzles. The first two puzzles revolve around taking the names of the images seen and putting them together. The third puzzle uses the Wingdings typeface. The solutions for all three puzzles can be found below:
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June 21, 2023 // Packing for Prague Video
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At 2:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive shared a brand-new video for Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Seven Keys. This video is the final product of the checklist/Czech-list puzzles they've been releasing over the last few weeks.
The video starts off with showing off the camera feature in the game with real-time recorded footage. HeR Interactive displays how the camera works and functions. It shows off another view outside of the café. As a transition between each location, they show how the in-game location looks beside the real-life location. It helps display the amount of detail drawn from the real world. The next location was new and hadn't been shown before. It shows more NPCs sitting by a fountain. The third location features a blurred area which can be slightly seen in an unblurred state after the photo is taken. The final location shows the immense level of detail implemented in the Prague castle/St. Vitus Cathedral. Compared to the previous game, this environment highlights so many details providing the players with a much richer and immersive experience. At the end of the video, they highlight a lock picking puzzle. In the background of this clip is audio from the actual puzzle experience. There is a little bit of ambience and music heard, but not enough to ascertain where/when in the game it will take place. |
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HeR Interactive also updated the game's landing page with a golden checklist icon and the new video highlighted underneath.
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June 23, 2023 // Spot the Difference Puzzle
On the morning of June 23rd, 2023, HeR Interactive undid a change to the ND34 landing page that was just made. On June 21st, 2023, HeR changed the icon from a magenta checklist to a gold checklist signifying the end of a puzzle period. The color was changed back to magenta implying HeR hadn't yet finished with the checklist puzzles.
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At 9:34 AM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive posted another puzzle, this time in the form of the "spot the difference" puzzle from Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion. The post's description reads 🧳 heLp nancy find an iTem for PragUe befOre everyThing startS Looking the samE… or dIfferent? 🤔 When the capitalized letters get rearranged, they read SPELL IT OUT.
The idea is to spot the differences across 4 versions of the same image. When a difference gets discovered, a line must be drawn connecting those differences and thus removing a letter from the quadrant dividers. However, in the case of this particular puzzle, HeR Interactive swapped things around so that the letters that intersect with the lines are the letters that must be used. The solution can be found below. |
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All the differences between the 4 images converge over the following letters: LGASIIYGSGNMAFN which can be rearranged to spell MAGNIFYING GLASS. This answers the question in the description about what Nancy needs to find before leaving for Prague. All the remaining letters (RDESVSEBHOLRAT) have been confirmed not to be of use or contain any sort of meaning.
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June 27, 2023 // Magnifying Glass Reveal Video and Post 34 Teaser
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At 1:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive posted a new video showing off Nancy's new magnifying glass for Mystery of the Seven Keys. This video confirmed that the magnifying glass will be returning as the main cursor for ND34 and will be stylized like past cursors. The cursors for Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem were all white without any style or color, so HeR decided to respond to fan feedback and give the cursors a new makeover.
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Indy also made another Amateur Sleuth Blog post about a Nancy Drew-themed party she threw for one of her friends. She shared several photos of the event. All the photos featured file names that spelled out a phrase.
ASB-IndysParty-P.jpg
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ASB-IndysParty-TheyKnowWhatTheyCanGet_With.jpg
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The first 5 images have letters in the file name that spell out Post 34 which indicates they are referring to the 34th post on Instagram that markets Mystery of the Seven Keys. The other 4 file names all feature quotes from past games with missing words. The full quotes and the games they're from are as follows:
- "What, that he's an ex-con? I know." - The Haunted Carousel
- "My battered bow up to the test..." - Sea of Darkness
- "Gotta give a workshop on tornado preparedness." - Trail of the Twister
- "They know what they can get away with." - Tomb of the Lost Queen
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HeR Interactive updated the ND34 landing page once again. For the first time since April 13th, HeR also changed the color of the magnifying glass icon featured above the image carousel. For months, this icon was magenta which meant that the clue hadn't yet been finished. After posting the video on the magnifying glass, that meant that the final part of the clue had been revealed and they could change the color to gold.
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June 28, 2023 // Magnifying Glass Icon Color Change
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After having just changed the color of the magnifying glass icon to gold, HeR changed the color back to magenta. This update came along when HeR added their most recent video to the featured video section of the page.
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July 7, 2023 // 7/7 34 Hour Giveaway and Newsletter
At 7:34 AM Pacific Time on July 7th, 2023, HeR Interactive made their 34th post on Instagram announcing a new giveaway for Mystery of the Seven Keys. 34 hours from the posting time, HeR will announce 34 winners of an exclusive Nancy Drew poster. The way to enter the contest is to comment on the post, like the post and follow HeR's Instagram account. This giveaway was only open to ship in the United States.
2 hours after the giveaway post, HeR sent out a the July newsletter. The full newsletter can be viewed here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/---Nancy-s-Packing-for-Prague---.html?soid=1101714321700&aid=upyu1E9yWtg
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The header for this newsletter only changed the month name. When compared to the last newsletter, the header is the exact same in every other way.
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The first graphic announced the title of the new game. When clicked, the image linked to the video announcement that was revealed on May 26th, 2023.
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This graphic is very similar to the one shared on Instagram, however this image has a badge that reads VIEW POST ON INSTAGRAM. When clicked, this image took readers to the post on Instagram to enter the giveaway.
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One of the recent Amateur Sleuth Blog posts featured some downloadable wallpapers for Mystery of the Seven Keys. When clicked, this image sent readers to the ASB post with the wallpapers. You can also download them on the unofficial Mystery of the Seven Keys game page under the "Downloads" tab.
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This graphic linked to the video HeR created highlighting the new camera feature designed for Mystery of the Seven Keys.
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Leading up to the camera video reveal, HeR created multiple Instagram reels/YouTube shorts which highlighted some key features about Mystery of the Seven Keys' gameplay mechanics. This image linked to those videos.
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Finally, HeR made a graphic with a new texture background which showed off the current merch available for Mystery of the Seven Keys. When clicked, it took readers to the merchandise page on HeR's website.
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For the first time since March, 2023, HeR Interactive didn't include hidden text at the bottom of the newsletter. This has been the most normal newsletter for HeR since before April 1st.
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July 11, 2023 // Giveaway Winners Announced
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HeR Interactive announced the winners of the previous week's giveaway at 7:34 AM Pacific Time in the form of a video. There were 34 winners in the following order:
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**A high-quality photo of the poster will be uploaded to this page as soon as it has been received.**
July 14, 2023 // Hangman Puzzles
On July 14th, 2023 at 3:34 pm pacific time, HeR Interactive released their next update for ND34. This update revealed a few new aspects to Mystery of the Seven Keys. These puzzles are in the style of the hangman puzzle from Nancy Drew: Danger by Design.
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The description of this post reads 📝 these hangMan pages fRom j.j. were Hidden in nANcy’S bag, help FigurE It out for hER so She can contINue packinG for thE trip to pRague! 💼 The capitalized letters read MR HANS FEIERSINGER.
The first image features the next item on the checklist: Make room for souvenirs from Prague. |
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The next image features the first hangman puzzle. Several letters have already been guessed: F, G, R, L, W, A, O, U, and N. By deduction, the solution to the puzzle reads WHAT BOOK DO YOU USE IN SAW AND VEN? The answer is a dictionary. This means that ND34 will include a dictionary and the ability to translate signs, articles, etc. The color of the paper in the background is light green.
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The third image features the second hangman puzzle. Several letters have already been guessed: M, Z, Y, W, T, J, Q, T, and O. By deduction, the solution to the puzzle reads WHAT IS JACQUES FAVORITE WORD? JOURNAL! This implies that HeR will be adding Nancy's journal to the UI of ND34. The color of the paper in the background is light yellow.
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The final image features the third hangman puzzle. Several letters have already been guessed: F, G, I, V, H, P, O, A, and W. By deduction, the solution to the puzzle reads YOU CAN TALK TO MY LAWYER MS. DREW. This image also features 2 assets from Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse (seen below). The postcard in the back has a tiny pretzel and a tiny German flag drawn on it. The piece of paper with the sun, moon, and comet feature some characters in Wingdings that read HANS. The color of the paper in the background is light red.
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July 18, 2023 // Journal and Hans Voice Reveal
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At 4:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR revealed 2 new parts of Mystery of the Seven Keys. The description of the video read 📓 New Journal features unlocked for Nancy's trip to Prague 🗣️ plus hear a message from the elusive Hans! Fans got to see concept art for the return of Nancy's journal. This new design harkens back to classic designs that are less digital. This journal will most likely act as the central hub for clues, notes, and other details the players will find in-game.
The other notable reveal is a voice line from Hans Feiersinger, a still rather unrevealed character. HeR has acknowledged his existence, his voice, and country of origin, but there hasn't yet been any mention as to whether or not he will be a physical character, or if he will only remain a phone contact. The music in this video was originally from Nancy Drew: The Captive Curse. |
HeR also updated the game's landing page which resulted in a weird glitchy layout. They corrected the error shortly after and also updated where the image slideshow appears on the page. Before, it was within the same area as the message from HeR, however it has since been moved just below it.
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July 21, 2023 // GPS Coordinates Puzzle
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HeR dropped the next puzzle on July 21st, 2023 at 1:34 PM Pacific Time which was in the style of the puzzle from Nancy Drew: Danger on Deception Island where players must enter coordinates into a GPS in order to unlock a new location. The description of the post read 🧭 cAn you solVe thEse Missing cooRdinates to heLp nAncy gEt to Prague? When rearranged, the capitalized letters in the description read MAP REVEAL. The graphic itself featured a GPS-style layout, railroad tracks, and Nancy's Magnifying glass.
To solve the puzzle, the following information must be found:
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Source: https://www.prague.eu/en/object/places/2256/prague-main-railway-station-praha-hlavni-nadrazi?back=1
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When correctly solved, the solution to the puzzle reads:
50°4’59.0″N 14°26’09.0″E These coordinates point to Prague Main Station, a real train station in Prague (see image on left). |
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The final act for the day was to update the ND34 landing page. This involved changing the icon from a magenta checklist to a gold checklist signifying the end of the checklist updates. When they updated the page, they also ran into a plugin error which blocked their Instagram feed from showing up at the bottom of the page.
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July 25, 2023 // Map Video Reveal
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At 12:34 PM Pacific Time on July 25th, 2023, HeR revealed a new element of Mystery of the Seven Keys which will further expand the world and history of Prague. The new map feature allows players to explore the history and finer details of various locations around Prague that can be visited. The description of the video read 🗺️ Prepare to navigate your way through the next case in Prague as Nancy Drew! The music featured in this video originally was from Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger.
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HeR also updated the game's landing page by updating the icon from a gold checklist to a magenta map. They fully removed the Instagram plugin from the bottom of the page, too.
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July 28, 2023 // Treasure on the Tracks Throwback Video
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At 12:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR published a new video to their social media pages. This one made heavy references to The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks, which was (and still is) the only Hardy Boys game that HeR has made. This game was released in 2009 as a Nintendo DS exclusive. The music featured in this video comes from that game and displays several instances of captured gameplay. Prague, also known as Praha, was one of the several locations that the mystery took place in. Through the texts between the Hardy Boys and Nancy in this video, they briefly discuss it. Since Frank and Joe will be characters in ND34, it is implied through this video that Treasure on the Tracks will be brought up or referenced.
Two points of interest in this video are as follows:
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HeR also changed the map icon from magenta to gold. They haven't updated the color in that short of a timespan since June.
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August 2, 2023 // Website Update and New Icon Discovery
On August 2nd, 2023, HeR updated the ND34 landing page by updating the star icon beside the text NEW from white to gold. It is currently unknown about why this change was made. On the same day, HeR uploaded a new icon of a film slate/clapper to their website media library but haven't officially published it yet. This icon will most likely be used on a new specific page regarding a possible trailer for KEY. HeR also changed the map icon back to magenta a couple days prior.
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August 8, 2023 // Website Icon Update
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On August 8th, 2023, HeR Interactive officially updated the ND34 landing page icon to be a film slate, also known as a clapper.
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August 9, 2023 // Meet Some of the Game 34 Team
On August 9th, 2023, HeR published a new Amateur Sleuth Blog post introducing some of the core members of the team working on Nancy Drew: Mystery of the Seven Keys. In order, they introduced Roo, Brighella, Indy, and Ghost. Ghost was recently introduced to the community as another key member of the team. You can read the full posting here: https://www.herinteractive.com/2023/08/meet-some-of-the-her-game-34-team/ Below are the images embedded into the post. They feature some cool behind-the-scenes images during the development of KEY.
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At 10:34 AM Pacific Time, HeR shared a new behind-the-scenes video about ND34 showing off work-in-progress screenshots, team photos, and other cool ND34 things. The caption of the post reads 🙋 Send uS your questIons to learN morE aBout tHe proDuction of the nExt nanCy drEw gamE, mysTery of tHe seveN keys! 🗝️ The video is only 18 seconds long but is packed full of teasers and fun stuff.
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The final action from HeR was to upload (but not yet implement) a golden slate icon. This will most likely be put to use when HeR uploads their QnA video they filmed answering fan questions.
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August 18, 2023 // ND34 Team Member QnA Part 1
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At 3:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive uploaded the first part of the QnA with team members Brighella, Indy, and Roo about them and what they do at the company. The shed a little bit of light into their daily activities, but still remain pretty tight-lipped about so many details. There is no clear sense of when part 2 will be released, but Brighella has mentioned there is still tons of footage to sort into future episodes.
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August 25, 2023 // ASB Post and August Newsletter
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At 1:34 PM Pacific Time, HeR Interactive published a new Amateur Sleuth Blog post answering 34 more questions that fans had about the HeR team and ND34. You can read the blog post at this link: https://www.herinteractive.com/2023/08/34-bonus-qa-with-brighella/
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On the same day, HeR sent out a new newsletter. This header has been reused for the last few newsletters. In this case, it was changed to announce that this newsletter is for August.
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The first graphic mentions the newly released video and blog posts which has been introducing some of the HeR team working on ND34 as well as answering several fan questions about the new game. This image links to the Amateur Sleuth Blog. The background of the image is a blurred out, un-revealed location in Mystery of the Seven Keys.
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The second graphic highlights a behind-the-scenes reel that the marketing team created. This 18-second video features tons of behind the scenes footage and images ranging from dev reactions to various bugs and glitches. It's a great example of the work that's gone into the new game.
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This graphic links to the page on HeR's website talking about the top 9 recommended games by parents and teachers for educational learning. This ad is intended to help promote the Back-to-School theme.
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In addition to the above graphic, HeR is promoting their merch store for students to wear on campus.
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This second-to-last image features a few of the promotional reels that HeR has released for KEY's marketing. The background of this image is an un-blurred screenshot from inside of the Prague museum where Oskar can be found. This image conveniently doesn't give away any of the secrets within the game, but still shows off some more of the architectural work that's gone into the game.
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This final graphic links to the video that HeR released announcing the map feature in ND34. While there is still very little known about how it actually works, this video does give a great glimpse into the new feature.
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The footer of this email is the same one as used in the July newsletter and doesn't feature anything new or hidden.
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Shoutout to the HeR Interactive marketing team for an incredible journey of clues, puzzles, and teases leading up to the release of Nancy Drew #34! Specifically, I would like to celebrate Brighella, Indy, and Roo for their fantastic efforts in making this release feel very special and engaging!
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Special thanks to the following people for the help and discoveries along the way:
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Special thanks to the following people for the help and discoveries along the way:
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Calina / StoryRetold
Carter / The Nancy Drew Times Charity / ChazVsJazz GoobaAndJetpack Laura Gabrie Jcat_Ngyuen celeclose SirSick Dazzling-Impact-1947 AmandaKam |
DetectiveDrew99
kalimeris Shannon Lane Susanna / LemonPepperCreations Guciroxie HeatherDew bywayofkpc clover.shoppe Mikel Loinik Casey Nickerson |
emiliiss
jesse Svanessa5 Jordan Jenkins nancy_drew_is_bae southernsleuth Lenee Fleming shannonlane26 siebold_magnolia kate.drew.something |
and the rest of the AMAZING Nancy Drew fans in the community!