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| Nancy Drew in the Dungeon as imagined by AI. |
What if Nancy Drew found a real dungeon?
Not the kind hidden behind a dusty bookshelf. Not the kind tucked beneath a perfectly respectable mansion. But a real dungeon. Stone walls. Iron doors. Air that hasn’t moved in years. A place that wasn’t meant to be discovered—it was meant to be left alone.
Now that Nancy Drew has entered the public domain (i.e., the 1930s Nancy Drew), that question isn’t just hypothetical anymore. For the first time since 1930, the original girl detective is free. Free to enter new mysteries. Free to explore places she was never allowed to go before.
And I don’t want to write it like a normal story.
I want to explore it the way Nancy would.
Somewhere between a solo RPG and a choose-your-own-adventure.
In a solo RPG, you don’t know what’s waiting ahead. You discover it by entering the space, observing details, and making decisions.
In a choose-your-own-adventure, each choice opens a different path. Combining the two feels like the purest way to experience a Nancy Drew mystery. You’re not just telling her story. You’re uncovering it with her.
You notice what she notices.
A door slightly open.
Footprints where there shouldn’t be any.
A corridor that leads deeper underground.
You decide what she does next.
A dungeon fits Nancy Drew so well. She has always been someone who finds what others try to hide. A dungeon is a place built to hide things (or people).
It is the mystery.
So that’s where the story begins.
Nancy Drew stands at the entrance to a dungeon.
And neither of us knows what’s inside yet.