Here's this week's Matt Chat featuring Jessica Chiang of Her Interactive. I talk to her about the history of the company, Nancy Drew, and what kind of games appeal to women. Enjoy!

Well, this is pretty fascinating. Check out these Twitter Accounts from characters in Her Interactive's latest game, Warnings at Waverly Academy. The team has gone all out to make some pretty realistic looking websites and Tweets to help promote their new game. I just finished it a week ago, and it's really great. Although I'll have a more detailed review soon on Adventure Classic Gaming, Her did a great job this time bringing in lots of interesting characters and some terrific puzzles and activities. If you're into this series (and if not, WHY not?), you'll love it. It's a wonderful game.

Phil CampbellBoy, do I have a scoop for you! One of the best interviews we conducted at GDC was with Phil Campbell, creative consultant and the genius behind Lights, Camera, Action!, the first "casual" Nancy Drew adventure game. I played through this game recently and was very impressed. What Phil has managed to do here is make a full-length Nancy Drew adventure game without any of the tedium associated with the genre--this one is pure fun, all the way through. I think Phil is one of the best brains out there when it comes to game design, so I got in touch with him after we got back and sent him some questions. He was kind enough to respond with some really incredible stuff. What follows is an illustrated essay he wrote about his work that gives you a behind-the-scenes-look at one of the best adventure games in recent years. Enjoy!

Her Interactive's Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy, is the 19th game in what is undoubtedly the longest-running adventure game series in history. The games have all been outstanding, and even the weakest were better than many a competitor. The Haunting of Castle Malloy is probably the most challenging of the entire series, with about three times as many puzzles as the previous games. Although my wife and I were able to complete the game without consulting outside hints, it took us several days and a few late-nights to get through it. Overall, I give this game a hearty recommendation, and if you haven't played any of the past games, this might be the one that gets you hooked.

Phantom of Venice: Nancy, dancing in a cat suit.I thought AAer's might like to know that ACG has recently published my review of the latest Nancy Drew installment. This one was particularly good, and Her Interactive has certainly redeemed themselves after the so-so 17th game. Phantom has a number of nice innovations and fun minigames, such as a DDR-inspired dancing sequence and singing gondoliers. All in all, it's a great game and well worth checking out if you're into adventure games. Like most other ND games, you'll actual learn something, too--this time a lot about Venetian culture and the Italian language.

The White Wolf of Icicle Creek: A great game, and not just for kids!ACG has just published my review of the the latest Nancy Drew game, so go check it out if you're a fan of graphical adventure games. I think you'll be quite surprised at how difficult and challenging this new game is compared to most of their older games; one puzzles is almost as hard as the infamous slime puzzle in The 7th Guest!

Of course, there's always a "Junior Detective" mode for inexperienced gamers, but the Senior Mode is sure to give your brain a workout. I also loved the story and the characters. Indeed, the only problem I had with the game was the relative lack of music. The earlier Nancy Drew game Danger on Deception Island had amazing, amazing music, and I keep hoping that each new game will match it.

At any rate, I highly recommend this game--it's one of the best Nancy Drew games so far, and definitely not "dumbed down" in the least. If nothing else, you'll enjoy getting to know Isis the wolf, who is one of the coolest critters I've yet encountered in a GAG.

"The Creature of Kapu Cave," the 15th episode in the popular Nancy Drew graphical adventure game series, scores big in some areas and misses in others. In some ways, this is the strongest entry in the series, scoring particularly high marks in graphics and interface. The problems are a bit trickier to isolate. Essentially, the problem is making a long story short. I've been covering Her Interactive's Nancy Drew games for some time now, and this one felt the briefest. Of course, that's not always a problem, and I prefer a game that leaves me wanting more rather than one I can't wait to be over. Unfortunately, what's abridged here are some of the most charming qualities of the series--fun, well-developed characters, intrigue, and plot twists. The focus here is mostly on a series of simple mini-games, all held together with the Hawaiian theme.

Her Interactive's fourteenth and latest entry in the Nancy Drew series, Danger By Design, has met with mixed reactions among fans of the series, and I'm no different. There are certainly some interesting innovations here, and I have to give Her Interactive credit for being willing to take the series in new directions and experiment with new types of gameplay. This is the first time in the series that Nancy Drew has actually fought an opponent in hand-to-hand combat. It also introduces one of the series' wackiest yet memorable characters, the masked Minette. Finally, like much of the Broken Sword series, it's set in Paris, a setting which never fails to provide amusing cultural eccentricities for the bumbling American. Overall, I must admit to being somewhat disappointed by Danger By Design, but it's nevertheless a highly playable and enjoyable game. The key problem is a couple of counter-intuitive puzzles that'll probably leave you stumped--a problem that must explain why Her Interactive decided to include "the official strategy guide" with the game. In cases like this, Her Interactive is its best competition--if we consistently compare each new game to past masterpieces like The Final Scene and The Secret of Shadow Ranch, we're raising the bar a bit high.

Nancy Drew: Map: Small Town, Big Secrets...Secrets Can Kill (SCK), originally released in 1998 by Dreamcatcher, is the first of Her Interactive's licensed Nancy Drew graphical adventure games, and it's a rich and rewarding experience. It's set in a small town in Florida, where the murder of a local high school student and plenty of suspects peaks Nancy's curiosity to the "boiling point." The game is chocked full of clues, codes, and Easter Eggs--and puzzles galore. In short, it's a great game for all ages and both sexes, and even educational to boot. It's a well designed GAG with lots going for it, so if you see it, grab it--you won't be disappointed.