The game is loosely based on two books: False Impressions (1990) and The Clues Challenge (2000). There are two levels of gameplay, Junior and Senior detective modes, each offering a different difficulty level of puzzles and hints, however neither of these changes affects the actual plot of the game. Players take on the first-person view of fictional amateur sleuth Nancy Drew and must solve the mystery through interrogation of suspects, solving puzzles, and discovering clues.
It has an ESRB rating of E for moments of mild violence and peril. The game is available for play on Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X platforms.
Alibi in Ashes is the 25th installment in the Nancy Drew point-and-click adventure game series by Her Interactive.