Nancy Drew:  Danger By Design
 Interview with Jessica Chiang
by Danyboy
July 19, 2006

You, as Nancy Drew, are an intern undercover in a prestigious fashion design studio in Paris.  The lead designer, Minette, hasn't quite been herself lately.  She hides behind a white mask and often throws tantrums, even firing several employees.  Mysterious threats arrive at the old windmill studio and other troubles lurk in the underbelly of the City of Light.

Can you help Minette release her latest clothing line on time?  Or will your sleuthing abroad meet an unfashionable end?

Can you give us a small bio of the characters we will encounter in danger by Design?

Minette – the fashion designer diva who wears a mask.
Heather McKay – Minette’s assistant
Dieter von Svestercrank – fashion photographer
Jing-Jing Ling – exotic model
Jean-Michel Traquenard – fashion critic

What kind of puzzles will we see in the game?

There are many different types of puzzles with varying levels of difficulty.  Players get to design couture collections, make parfaits, and decipher codes created by a puzzle master.

What kind of threats does Minette have to deal with?

As the hottest fashion designer, Minette has many enemies.  There are threatening letters and an unwelcome “box of chocolates” she has to deal with.

I heard there was a maze in the game. Will we have trouble finding our way through it?

Mazes wouldn’t be much fun if you didn’t get lost a few times right?

What locations will we be visiting in the game?

The game is set in Paris, so you’ll be able to go real landmarks in Paris such as the Pont Neuf, Rue de Bac, and Les Abbesses in Montmartre.

Will Nancy be able to trust someone?

Nancy always has Bess and George to back her up.

The fashion world is a very competitive and sometimes secretive environment as fashion creators are very possessive of their ideas. Can you tell us how Nancy will enter this challenging world and become part of it?

Nancy was sent to Paris by Minette’s investor to help out as an intern, so Minette could hardly refuse hired help to work on the less than glamorous aspects of fashion design when she’s on a deadline.

What is the link between the fashion world and the catacombs?

You’ll have to play the game to find out.

Paris is a wonderful place to visit.  Will we feel like we are really there during the gameplay?

Absolutely!  From the music in the background to the architecture that was inspired by actual buildings in Paris, you’ll be astounded by the city of lights.  You’ll even have to translate messages written in French.

Will we be surprised about the identity of the bad guy or gal at the end of the game?

That depends on how much sleuthing you do and how much you’ve discovered before you reach the end of the game.

Have you ever considered bringing Bess or George as another playable character into the games?

We have considered adding Bess and George as playable characters, but we’ll see where that goes.