#reader rabbit

The Reading Development Library series is nominally about Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion reading children's stories out of a book, like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". This would normally render the Baby Bear appearance ineligible as in-universe fiction, but the games take the extra step of not only providing in-character narration, but also letting the player write letters to the fictional characters in question, who will respond with a narrated letter.

Reader Rabbit Preschool: One of the very first computer games I ever played, and blew my mind that it "knew" my name. It introduced me to point-and-click adventures and is so nostalgic to me, feels like a dream sometimes to be reminded it’s real.

Reader Rabbit 2nd grade: This introduced me to platformer levels, inspired me to write stories in one of the free-write levels, made me feel fear in a videogame for the first time, touched upon a fantasy mystery, and had FANTASTIC music. (I'm NOT kidding seriously go listen to the soundtrack the composer did not need to go this hard yet he did)

Cluefinders: The Mystery of Mathra: Mystery solving, wonderfully witty writing, ensemble cast, mythology/fantasy, this entire series was amazing. And awesome music again, & the first time I imagined adventures of game characters outside the game. Really wanted this to be a TV series. The characters are FILLED with heart and have such great chemistry!

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge: A raised-stakes mystery with a deeper story, excellent at teaching about the world through challenging puzzles and locations! It had more great characters & backstories, thrills, and more complex item use.

Tie between Nancy Drew: The Curse of Blackmoor Manor/Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy:  The Nancy Drew game series as a whole has been amazing all through my childhood and adult years, but Blackmoor and Malloy introduced me to the mysterious, heartfelt, serious and silly world of Her Interactive, and remain some of my favorites today. They have amazing puzzles that challenge you, and delve deep into British, Greek, and Irish lore and vibes. This began my true appreciation for the art behind creating video games and what games could be. And the SOUNDTRACKS, AAAA! GO LISTEN TO THEM!!! ^u^