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Nancy Drew:
Message in a Haunted Mansion
Developer:Her Interactive
Publisher:Her Interactive
Platform:PC
Genre:Adventure
Release Date:2000
Article Posted:October 2006
System Requirements


There are a few things you should be aware of before you play. The magnifying glass will turn red around the edges when you can interact with an item. An arrow will appear at the right or left of the screen to turn in that direction. A “U turn” arrow will be at the bottom of the screen to back away from a close up or turn around. At a certain point you will need to rotate puzzle pieces. Use the right mouse button. You may use the telephone to call people, but, with the exception of one case, you don’t have to use the phone. The alarm clock can be set to change the time of day. You can tell what time it is by clicking on the pocket watch in the lower left corner. As you move around and open items, such as luggage, cabinets, wardrobes, etc., you must close them before you can back away.

This walkthrough will help you accomplish the game without seeing everything there is to see. Only the actions necessary to get to the end game have been included.


Do not read further if you don’t want the answers.



And now, Adventure Lantern and Southern Belle present – “Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion”.

  • Turn right and look at the tapestry hanging on the left side of the door.
  • Click on the tapestry.
  • Turn right and look at the luggage.
  • Open the luggage using the key in inventory and read the journal. Close the lid on the suitcase.
  • Back away from the luggage and turn around until you see the fireplace.
  • Look closely at the green dragon on the fireplace.
  • Click on the plaque attached to the dragon’s base and see the Hanzi symbol for daughters. All of these symbols are very important. You will need to know the form of the symbol and what each symbol means toward the end of the game.


  • Step away from the fireplace, turn around and exit your room.
  • Go straight to the intersecting hall and go left.
  • Click on the door on the left and talk to Abby. Exhaust all conversation.
  • Step away from Abby’s door. Go to the end of the hall and turn right.
  • Go all the way down the stairs.
  • Turn right and enter the double doors to the dining room.
  • Talk with Rose.


  • Turn around and look at the buffet cabinet behind you.
  • Look closely at the work schedule on the buffet.
  • Put the work schedule down.
  • Look in the drawer on the right. Click on the white paper on the right. Get the Hanzi symbol for fire.


  • Turn back around and click on the floor under the white cabinet behind Rose. Continue to click until you get a close up of the puzzle.


       

  • Match the grain in the wood closely. Rotate the pieces by right clicking. A piece will highlight just before you place it. You will hear - “I did it.” - when the puzzle is complete.
  • Step away from the puzzle and talk with Rose.
  • Turn around and exit the dining room.
  • Go toward the door with the stained glass, but do not enter.
  • Click on the door to the right of the one with the stained glass.
  • Go downstairs and talk with Charlie until he says he has work to do.
  • Go back upstairs and enter the door with the stained glass window.
  • Move forward and turn left.
  • Look at the painting supplies under the scaffolding. Move the paint tray by the door and pick up the scraper.
  • Step back from the painting supplies and turn around.
  • Enter the parlor door to the left of the clock.
  • Turn around and look at the cabinet in the corner.
  • Open the door and find a fire extinguisher. Close the door on the cabinet and step away from it.
  • Turn right and look at the lamp on the table by the sofa.
  • Look in the box on the chair in front of the fireplace.
  • Step away from the box and turn around.
  • Go to the writing desk in the corner.
  • Click on the desk and then on the little drawer on the lower left. Read the letters.
  • Exit the parlor and turn left.
  • Take the staircase on the right to the top landing.
  • Turn right, then left and go back to your room.
  • Look at your journal in the top suitcase.
  • Turn around and click on your alarm clock. Set the time to noon or any other time when Louis is at work. Press alarm, using the up and down arrows, set it to 12:00 p.m., press set.
  • Go back downstairs to the parlor.
  • Enter the parlor and turn right.
  • Enter the study’s double doors.
  • Turn left and talk with Louis.
  • When the conversation is over, turn around and look at the book on top of the boxes to the left of the globe.
  • Turn right and look at the Mah Jong set. Look closely at the bottom right and see the Hanzi symbol for four.


  • Turn around.
  • Look at the bookcase to the left of the desk.
  • Click on the books when the magnifying glass turns red.
  • Click on the right end of the books.
  • Take the tile behind the books.
  • Exit the study.
  • Exit the parlor.
  • Go upstairs to Abby’s room.
  • Enjoy the séance.
  • After the séance, go back downstairs to the cellar.
  • Move toward the fireplace.
  • Look at the table in the right corner.
  • Look at the base of the table.
  • Find a projector, tape cassette and smoke machine. Take the tape cassette.
  • Back away from the table and turn left.
  • Look at the cash register.
  • Click on the 10 to open the drawer. Take the key.
  • Back away from the cash register and turn right.
  • Look at the toolbox on the table. Take the screwdriver.
  • Move away from the toolbox, turn around and move forward once.
  • Turn left and around to look at the piano bench.
  • Open the piano bench and find the sheet music for “Swanee River”. Note the Hanzi symbol for River.


  • Back away from the piano bench turn around and go back upstairs to your room.
  • Set the alarm clock for 6:00 a.m.
  • Go to the foot of the bed and open the bed post finial with the paint scraper.
  • Exit your room.
  • Go down the hall and turn right.
  • Go straight to the ladder.
  • Climb the ladder.
  • Use the paint scraper to remove the eight damaged tiles in the ceiling.
  • Use the key from the cellar cash register to open the hidden trap door.
  • Enter the attic.
  • Turn right and open the writing desk with the red top. Use the key you found in the bedpost.
  • Look at the sheet music for “The Bandit’s Treasure”. Notice the highlighted notes on the top staff.


  • Look at the bottom of the sheet music.
  • Click on the very faint words you can see.
  • Click on the pigeonhole in the upper left corner. Find the Hanzi symbol for beginning.


  • Back away from the desk and look to the right.
  • Look at the toolbox and take the crowbar.
  • Look right again.
  • Open the box by the doll’s head and take the old fashioned iron.
  • Look to the right and take the ceramic tile from the barrel with the bottles on it.
  • Move away from the barrel and turn right.
  • Look at the trap door in the floor.
  • Pull on the rope.
  • Use the crowbar to lift the trap door.
  • Exit the attic and go downstairs to the cellar.
  • Click on the piano.
  • Click on the keyboard until you have a close up of the keys.


  • If you read music, the notes are BEGAG.
  • If you do not read music, number the keys from left to right, 1 – 8. Press 6, 2, 4, 5, 4.
  • After the doors open, take the paper lying on the bottom of the compartment.
  • Exit the cellar.
  • Go back to the attic.
  • Open the desk and use the paper from the piano on the lyrics from “The Bandit’s Treasure”.


  • The letters showing through the holes are – Find Diego on stairs.
  • Exit the attic and go left to the staircase.
  • Stop on the landing and look at the banister.
  • Turn the spindles to spell the word DIEGO. Once you have Diego, the spindles will begin to turn and show you three more words: Coins, False and Floor.
  • Take the Hanzi symbol.
  • Read the letter. This is a clue for a later puzzle.
  • Back away from the banister.
  • Go to the dining room and talk with Rose until all that is left to say is that you can see she is busy.
  • Exit the dining room.
  • Turn around and click on the dumbwaiter on the left wall.
  • Use the iron on the rope.
  • Go upstairs using the spiral staircase by the dining room.
  • Look at the dumbwaiter on the left wall.
  • Take the ceramic tile.
  • Look at the broken teacup. See the Hanzi symbol for eye.


  • Go back to your room.
  • Look at your journal.
  • Turn left and click on the door to exit the room.
  • Pick up the letter and read it.


  • Go downstairs to the parlor and find the box on fire.
  • Moving as quickly as you can, turn left and open the cabinet in the corner.
  • Take the fire extinguisher.
  • Go right and move toward the burning box.
  • Use the fire extinguisher in inventory on the fire. If you don’t complete this in time, click on Second Chance in the Menu.
  • When the fire is out, you will talk with Rose.
  • After you talk with Rose, go back to the parlor and look in the burned box.
  • Exit the parlor and go back to your room.
  • Check your journal.
  • Set the alarm for 10:00 a.m.
  • Leave your room and go to the study.
  • Click on the fireplace to get a close up of the empty tile spaces.
  • Place the tiles in inventory in the empty spaces.
  • Click on the left andiron.
  • Enter the secret passage.
  • Go forward.
  • Click on the plaque on the bottom of the picture of the girl. See the Hanzi symbol for child.


  • Back away from the picture.
  • Look up and right at the lantern. Take it.
  • Look up the wall to the right of the lantern and see a loose brick.
  • Click on the brick and then click on the sliding panel.
  • Look through the eyeholes. Close the panel and the brick then back away.
  • Use the handle on the right to exit the secret room and then go back to your room.
  • Set the alarm for 7:00 p.m.
  • Exit your room and go to the cellar.
  • Click on the fireplace to get a close up of the grate.
  • Use the crowbar on the grate.
  • Enter the secret passage and use the lantern to light your way.
  • Avoid the hole by staying left.
  • Click on the box.
  • Move forward.
  • Read the postcard.
  • Take the diskette.
  • Look at the take out food box and see the Hanzi symbol for king.


  • Exit the cellar up the stairs on the left.
  • Go back to your room and set the alarm for 3:00 p.m. or any other time when Abby is out of the house.
  • Exit your room and go to Abby’s room.
  • Turn around and see a black box with flowers on the lid under the stereo unit.
  • Open the box and take the spider.
  • Turn back around and click on the wardrobe until you have a close up of the lock.
  • Use the spider to open the wardrobe.
  • Look down at the cassette play back machine.
  • Insert the cassette and press play.
  • Take the cassette and back away from the wardrobe.
  • Turn around and look at Abby’s desk.
  • Click on the drawer to open it.
  • Take the Moon incense and see the Hanzi symbol for moon.


  • Back away from the desk and turn left.
  • Look at the blue book on the shelf under the picture of Abby and a friend.
  • Back away, turn around and put the spider back in the black box.
  • Leave Abby’s room and go back to the study.
  • If the phone rings in the parlor, answer it.
  • Enter the study and turn left.
  • Click on the laptop on the desk.
  • Click on Maze Game. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move around in the maze until you find a blue pool on the floor. Step in the pool and get access to Louis’s security codes. The code for the briefcase is 4653-4868. If you look in the filing cabinet, click on the filing cabinet at the top left to exit. The same is true for the key and the disk.
  • Back away from the laptop and put the blue disk in inventory in the slot on the lower right.
  • Type in Louis and press enter on your keyboard.
  • Type in Antiques and press enter on your keyboard.
  • Click on the blue disk on the laptop screen and look through Charlie’s outline.
  • Move away from the laptop and look at the book about chess, then go to the briefcase.
  • Click on the left lock and enter 4653.
  • Click on the right lock and enter 4868.
  • Pick up the book and read about Gum Bo Fu.
  • Read the letter on the left.
  • Read the magazine with the flowers on it on the right.
  • Look at Louis’s business card.
  • Exit the study and go in the parlor.
  • Use the telephone to call Emily. It works just the way a push button phone works. Talk with Emily until the only thing left to say is that you should be going.
  • Go upstairs to your room and set the alarm so that Charlie and Louis are at work. Noon will do it.
  • Exit your room and go to the cellar and talk with Charlie.
  • Go up to the study and talk with Louis.
  • Ask Louis about Gum Bo Fu, but tell him you read it in a magazine, not in a book.
  • Exit the study and go to the dining room. Talk with Rose.
  • Go upstairs to your room and read the letter from Emily that is on the chair by your luggage. See the Hanzi symbol for gold. It is the first symbol on the left.


  • Turn around and look on the right side of the bed. Click on the lower wall for a close up. Press the tiles in the following order – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar.


  • Enter the combination to the safe in the following order – Child, Beginning, Daughters, Four, Eye, Fire, Moon, King, River and Gold. Click on the arrow to “set” a symbol. Click on the center to reset. Click on right or left to get a circle arrow to move the dial.


  • Once the safe is open, place the gold Hanzi symbol in your inventory on the pyramid box.
  • Change all the moons to suns by flipping them. Junior Detectives press all four corners and then the center. Senior Detectives move like a knight in a chess game. Press, in order, squares number 2, 8, 15 and 9.
  • Solve the slider puzzle. It is a picture of a Phoenix.


  • Back away from the safe and set the alarm to 4:00 p.m.
  • Go downstairs. Put the red gem in the eye of the Phoenix finial on the banister that is nearest the door to the parlor.
  • Look closely at the Phoenix in the floor.
  • Use the crow bar to pry up the floorboards.
  • Immediately after the cut scene is over, run up the stairs on your right and across the landing. Go down and click on the cleat holding the rope. Click three times and drop the chandelier on Louis.

    Congratulations!

    PC System Requirements:
    Windows® 95/98/ME/XP
    166 MHz Pentium® Processor
    16 MB RAM
    8X CD-ROM Drive
    150 MB Hard Disk Space
    16-bit Color Graphics Video Card