The Haunted Carousel Game The Haunted Carousel Spoilers The Haunted Carousel Links and Cheats

The Haunted Carousel Walkthrough

Welcome to my The Haunted Carousel walk-through. (-: If you're new to my series of low-spoiler computer game walkthroughs, the idea is to point players towards things they might not have tried in each game rather than giving away puzzle solutions or offering step-by-step instructions.

Sponsored Links

These Nancy Drew games are structured a little differently than most graphic adventure games, though. In particular, you can solve most of the game's puzzles in any order you feel like, making a chronological walkthrough of little use. The physical area The Haunted Carousel is played in is much larger than most games in the Nancy Drew series, but even so, it makes more sense to use a CRPG-style area guide rather than breaking the game down into chronological chapters. I've included a checklist of important tasks at the beginning and one of optional tasks at the end. Note that I don't tell you how to solve any of the puzzles--just where they are. If you've found a puzzle but just can't seem to get it right no matter what you do, UHS is a good place to go for a single hint that won't spoil the rest of the game for you.

The Haunted Carousel: Key Tasks

If you find yourself getting stuck in the game, keep in mind that plot advancement is often arbitrary. If nothing is happening, you need to make sure that you have spoken to everyone until they have nothing more to say, looked around every area to see if there are any objects you haven't noticed, and used every object in your inventory. If all those things fail, take a look at this checklist of important tasks you will need to complete to solve the game (the order is somewhat up to you):

1) Talk to all the NPC's. Repeatedly. Having certain conversations with them is necessary for the plot to progress-- in fact, that and looking around their rooms is all you can do for the first part of the game. (Keep looking and talking until Elliott throws you out of his office and then lets you back in again.) Calling home and calling the Hardy Boys is completely optional in The Haunted Carousel; Bess and George will need to be called once for some information, but are otherwise optional.

2) The first puzzle you'll be able to solve is in the Midway, after talking to Harlan. There are two games you can play there (Squid Toss and Swimmer's Itch) and a third one, Barnacle Blast, that you will be able to play later, once you have talked to some more people and found a new inventory item.

3) You can also ride the carousel and try to grab the brass ring.

4) Fix the broken key access on the roller coaster. (Requires two inventory objects.)

5) Solve the timed challenge in the roller coaster building. (You can only do this once you've completed #3.)

6) Return to Joy's office and solve Miles' first riddle. (You can only do this once you've completed #4.)

7) Figure out how to read Miles' second riddle. (You can only do this once you've completed #5.)

8) Before you can solve Miles' second riddle, you will first need to find the eight notes you need. To do this you will need to call Tink, figure out how to make a new spindle, and either have a good musical ear or else use a couple of inventory items.

9) Solve Miles' second riddle. (You can only do this once you've completed #7 and #2.)

10) Figure out how to read the shorthand for the name of the horse on the bill of sale.

11) Figure out how to get the letter down from where it is stuck in the carousel roof, then investigate the secret panel it talks about.

12) Figure out how to break into Ingrid's office. (There is nothing in there you need, but she won't return to her office until after you've done this, and you need her to give you something before you can finish the game.)

13) Solve Miles' third riddle. (You can only do this once you've completed everything previous, and you'll need three inventory objects.)

14) Solve the final endgame challenge and that's it, you've won!

The Haunted Carousel Area Guide

There are really only ten room areas in this game. Things worth noticing in each area:

Nancy's Hotel Room

*Nancy's laptop is here. You will need to use this at a few points during the game.
*There's a brochure about the Captain's Cove Amusement Park in Nancy's suitcase, which you can read for some background information.
*The hotel telephone can be used to call room service, which you will need to do at one point.
*There is also an ironing board in the room, which you will need to use at one point.

Harlan's Office

*This is where you can find Harlan, one of the four main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to him many times in order for the plot to advance.
*The message board on the wall has useful information on it.
*The magazine by the cameras has useful information on it.
*After Harlan has left, in his locker you can find an important item and a phone number.

Joy's Office

*This is where you can find Joy, one of the four main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to her many times in order for the plot to advance.
*There's a useful item in here (beyond the ones Joy gives you.)
*The pictures on the wall have several pieces of useful information in them.
*There's a newspaper article on a box in here that has useful information in it.
*There's a robot called "Miles the Magnificent Memory Machine" in here. Talking to him and solving his riddles will be necessary to finishing the game.

Ingrid's Office

*This is where you can find Ingrid, one of the four main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to her many times in order for the plot to advance.
*After Ingrid has left, on her desk you can find an interesting object and three interesting documents.

Elliot's Office

*This is where you can find Elliot, one of the four main NPC's in the game. You'll need to return to talk to him many times in order for the plot to advance.
*There are two useful items in here (beyond the ones Elliot gives you.)
*Elliot has a lathe (woodcarving machine), which you will need to use at one point.
*After Elliot has left, you can find an interesting object, document, and a phone number in here.

The Carousel

*There are a useful item and a letter to be found in this area.
*You can ride the carousel and attempt to grab the brass ring (which you will eventually need to have done.)
*You can also access the calliope (carousel organ), but only once you have learned the passcode.

The Midway

*There are three carnival games to play here: Swimmer's Itch, Squid Toss, and Super Barnacle Blaster. You will have to fix the third one before you can play it.
*You can turn in the tokens you win from these games for carnival prizes. Two of the available prizes are useful to the gameplay, while the other two are just decorative.

The Roller Coaster

*The red tagged circuit box is a puzzle, and there will be another, timed puzzle to solve once you are done.

The Haunted House

*There's a useful object to be found in here.
*The green statue is a puzzle, though you won't be able to solve it till nearly the end of the game.

The Secret Workshop

*There are some important plot objects and documents to be found once you discover this area.
*The email printouts on the computer desk make interesting reading!

The Haunted Carousel: Optional Actions

Have you:

*Found all the evidence against Harlan (police report, surveillance video, parole officer) and followed through with the parole officer?
*Found all the evidence against Ingrid ("L.H." note, watch, and phone conversation with Lance), and confronted her?
*Found all the evidence against Elliot (receipt, horse tails, magazine, and phone conversation with Sukov), and confronted him?
*Told Paula what you found about Harlan, and had a subsequent bonus conversation with him?
*Talked to Elliott about Poppy Dada?
*Played the flag game on Nancy's computer? (I don't think there was any in-game point to this)
*Won a shark toy and a boat at the Midway? (I don't think there's any use for these)
*Read the black-market emails in the secret area?
*Tried to call 911 while Elliott is advancing on you? (This is a funny one!)