The trigger lists for Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion (2000) is based on in-game logic flags, or “triggers.” Fair warning: there may be spoilers on this page. To reveal a spoiler, highlight the space in the white section between brackets like this [this is a spoiler] to read it.
Character availability is based on in-game clock times. Here is the complete schedule:
- Louis – (available from noon to 5pm)
- Rose – (available from 6am to 10pm)
- Charlie – (available from 8am to 5pm)
- Abby – (available from 8am to 3pm, and 6pm to 10pm)
Charlie’s Hideout Confrontation
To trigger the opportunity to talk to Charlie about his living situation, the following must happen:
- Meet Charlie in the Basement
- Call Bess and George and talk about the resident handyman: “I met the resident handyman, Charlie…”
- Talk to Rose: “How did you find Charlie?”
- Talk to Louis: “Do you think Charlie is doing a good job?”
- Call Hannah Gruen: “I met Rose’s handyman. He seems nice.” and “Has Rose said anything about him and the accidents?”
- Talk to Abby: “What kind of person is Charlie?” and “Does Charlie live around here?”
- Explore the hideout – see the two-way mirror looking into the saloon, read the postcard, take the floppy disk, book on El Diablo, notice the Chinese takeout box and symbol for “king.“
- Review the diskette on Louis’s computer.
- Talk to Charlie about his hideaway: “Charlie, I know your secret…”
Abby’s Two Confrontations
To confront Abby about rigging the séance:
- Watch the séance scene.
- When the scene ends and you arrive in your room, immediately go to the basement and examine the table – open the trap door to see the projector and fog machine, take the cassette tape.
- Change the clock to talk to Abby. Tell her you know how she rigged the séance. “I found out how you rigged the séance table with the projector. That was a pretty good show you gave.”
To confront Abby about the rest of the hauntings:
- Open the upstairs vent grate with the screwdriver to find the speaker.
- Snoop Abby’s room and open the wardrobe to see the equipment. Notice the top shelf monitor, play the sound effects on the middle shelf, and play the cassette tape in the lower shelf.
- Talk to Abby: “I found out how you wired the house to make it ‘haunted’. The only ghost who walks these halls is you, Abby.
Séance Scene – To Watch It
- Meet Abby before 3pm. Abby excuses herself to prepare for the evening.
- Talk to Rose: “What is Abby planning for tonight?”
- Meet Charlie.
- Meet Louis.
- Return to Abby at/or after 6pm.
- The séance scene begins.
Séance Scene – to Skip it
- Meet Abby. Abby excuses herself to prepare for the evening.
- Talk to Rose: “What is Abby planning for tonight?”
- Meet Louis.
- Avoid Abby until the parlor fire scene is over.
- The séance will not take place for the remainder of the game.
Rose’s Renovation Tasks
- First task: wood tile inlay puzzle is triggered available when you first meet Rose
- Second task: paint scrape is triggered by completing the wood tile inlay and telling Rose it is all finished. The ladder is triggered available.
- Third task: Fix the dumbwaiter. This task is triggered available when you finish scraping the ceiling tiles and telling Rose “I’m all finished, but you should know what I found.”
The Hauntings
- “I see you!” whisper and blinking painting is triggered when you first climb the staircase from the foyer going to the second floor. (When on the lower level, look towards the stairs, it is the staircase to the left.)
- Ghostly “whoosh” in your bedroom is triggered upon meeting Rose and then the first re-entry of your bedroom.
- A ghostly moan in the upstairs halls is triggered when you walk towards your bedroom, after the séance and when you have acquired the ornate attic skeleton key.
- Woman crying upstairs in the halls is triggered when you met everyone, changed the clock at least once, and then leave your bedroom.
- A dark shadow moving in the upper halls (towards the back stairway) is triggered by the séance, then leaving your room.
- Ghost in the upstairs mirror near Abby’s room is seen when you step up to the mirror, right after talking to Abby about hearing someone crying in the halls.
- The garbled phone call is triggered by finding and entering the attic, then stepping into the parlor – you will hear a phone ringing. If you answer it, you’ll hear a garbled, creepy, deep voice.
- Window whoosh and curtain fluttering in the parlor is triggered upon the first close-up inspection of the area.
- Sitting chair cushion movement in the foyer is triggered upon the first inspection of the area.
- Phoenix head on the table in the parlor moves after you meet Abby, Rose, Charlie, Louis and then step up to it.
- Basement door slam (someone was spying on you!) is triggered the first time you explore the basement when Charlie is gone.
- Stained glass door shadow – When in the foyer, a figure crosses behind the stained glass door. Triggered by meeting everyone, then stepping up to it.
- Dining Room lights: the alcove with the magazine will flicker the above lights, triggered when Rose is gone, the first approach to them at night.
- Dining Room candles and whispers haunting (in the alcove with the magazine) is triggered by [the séance and first approach at night when Rose is gone. (Note: After the séance and at nighttime with Rose being gone, if this is the first time you approach the alcove with no hauntings, both alcove hauntings will play: flickering lights, then candles will light up and whispering is heard.)]
Misc Triggers
Meet Louis: you must meet Rose, Abby, and Charlie first, and then arrive in the library between noon and 5pm.
Removed Bedroom Tapestry: Triggered by [talking to Charlie, Louis, and Emily Foxworth about Gum Bo Fu].
The threatening note under the bedroom door is triggered by [spying through the peephole in the library secret room,] then returning to your room. When you step towards the exit, the note will be slipped under the door.
The fire in the parlor is triggered by receiving the threat note [under your bedroom door].
The upstairs argument between Rose and Abby can be heard when standing near the vent, upstairs, and is triggered by [putting out the fire, then returning to the burnt box to examine the two pieces of paper. Go upstairs and head towards your bedroom. Near the grate you will hear Rose and Abby arguing from a nearby room].
If any of the MHM trigger lists above are incorrect, needs revisions, or if I am missing something, please let me know in the comments below! My goal is to collect the most accurate and thorough information to better help all Nancy Drew game players!
Additional Credit and Thanks:
Huw Miller of Nancy Drew Walkthroughs on YouTube
The Nancy Drew Games Fans communities on Facebook and Reddit.
