Aside from their contextual appropriateness, another great thing about the puzzles in the Nancy Drew games is that they generally teach us something. Waverly Academy's puzzles take advantage of the academic setting by having Nancy do things like piecing together a wooden map of the United States (an activity that forces some of us to realize how poorly we know the geography of our own country). And while Nancy helps her colleagues with their homework, we also learn a little something about music, Victorian table etiquette and the writings of Edgar Allan Poe.

Nancy Drew may have been “born” nearly 80 years ago but that doesn't mean the old girl isn't up with the times. In Waverly Academy, Nancy's never without her trusty cell phone which can be customized with different ring and alarm tones, colors and backgrounds taken from past Nancy Drew adventures. The cell phone also comes in handy for taking digital pictures and keeping up with the school's relentless text message gossip. Nancy's tech savvy doesn't stop there and throughout the game she'll be using the library computer to look for information, upload photos and work on web pages.

Puzzles and gadgets are great for games but the Nancy Drew Adventures would be nothing without their colorful casts of characters. The girls at Waverly range from the introverted to the overbearing and represent every possible type: the jock, the goth, the class president, the math nerd and the outcast. A big part of the entertainment is talking to these girls and following all the usual teenage-girl intrigue. The characters are animated and voice-acted well and for the most part, they look really good. I say mostly because on occasion they appear somewhat blurry. The environment art though, has no such problems and is exceptional, evoking the ambience of the Harry Potter films with its cozy interiors and snow-covered grounds.

Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy is a challenging, quality adventure game. With its amusing characters, compelling story, atmospheric setting and creative puzzles, it's an adventure everyone—not just women and girls—would enjoy.