Myst
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Myst (2006 on PSP, 2007 on Nintendo DS, 2012 on Nintendo 3DS)
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Myst (2020 on Quest, 2021 on Windows, Macintosh...)
Description official descriptions
You have just stumbled upon a most intriguing book, a book titled Myst. You have no idea where it came from, who wrote it, or how old it is. Reading through its pages provides you with only a description of an island world. But it's just a book, isn't it? As you reach the end of the book, you lay your hand on a page. Suddenly your own world dissolves into blackness, replaced with the island world the pages described. Now you're here, wherever here is, with no option but to explore.
Myst is a first-person point-and-click adventure where the player controls a character known as The Stranger. Magically transported into the world described in the book, he needs to explore Myst Island and solve its mysteries. The game is presented as a series of static scenes where the player acts with the environment by clicking and manipulating objects. There are no enemies and it is not possible to die. Through Myst Island, the game is further divided into mini-worlds set in different ages accessed through different books.
The game's interface is reduced to a single cursor for navigation and interaction. Rather than collecting items and using them to solve puzzles, the player must gather subtly placed clues and manipulate complex mechanical devices in order to advance in the game. The world of Myst is mostly uninhabited, and the game has very few live-action scenes with characters and dialogue.
Spellings
- ミスト - Japanese spelling
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Credits (Macintosh version)
28 People (10 developers, 18 thanks) · View all
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[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 78% (based on 66 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.3 out of 5 (based on 327 ratings with 12 reviews)
Pretty To Look At, But Maybe Not So Much Fun To Play
The Good
Myst is a revolutionary adventure game, which wowed 1990s, audiences with its amazing graphics, tough puzzles, complicated mystery and a lack of the sort of graphic violence and gore that was popular in the industry. The Atari Jaguar CD edition is pretty much flawless when it comes to recreating the original Myst game.
The Bad
Myst in its original format, is a game that has not aged particularly well. The pretty pictures may not pretty may not wow a 2021 audience and the pretty pictures do not come with much animation or music. Except for a few Full Motion Video clips, you do not really interact with anyone on the island and
the puzzles are some of the hardest ever put into a video game. All of these faults are found in the Atari Jaguar CD edition of the game because it is an exact copy of the original Myst game.
The Bottom Line
Myst is a video game that revolutionized the industry when it was first released in 1993. Modern gamers may not be especially impressed with the game's technical achievements and world building. If you have played the original version of the game, then their is nothing new or improved on the Atari Jaguar edition to justify a purchase.
Jaguar · by ETJB (431) · 2021
The Good
"Myst" (1993) is often compared to, "The 7th Guest" in that both are first person perspective, puzzle games featured amazing graphics, music and sound effects but are often seen as being boring in terms of the storyline and too difficult in terms of gameplay. Personally, I would disagree with these critics. These type of games are certainly not for everyone because they have little, if any, arcade action and have a different sort of puzzles then are the norm in point n' click graphic adventure games. Yet, if want to crack some really difficult, abstract and even mind boggling puzzles, then "Myst" is for you.
The Bad
The storyline in "Myst" never bored me, but it was never really told as best as it could have been. The first generation of Full Motion Video looked goofy and after beating the game, I felt somewhat cheated with the lack luster ending that did more to plug the sequel then actually reward me for me my efforts.
The Bottom Line
"Myst" (1993) is a puzzle game that features ground breaking music, sound effects and graphics. The magical world that you are trapped in is beautiful while also being amazingly isolating. There are no enemies to defeat and the puzzles tend to be difficult to successfully complete without cheating. If you want to play a little bit of video game history or face up against some of the hardest, most abstract puzzles in a game, then give this one a try.
Windows 3.x · by ETJB (431) · 2010
Truely one of the best adventures of all time
The Good
The thing about Myst, is that it can't really be called a game. Myst is a work of art... It is a story told through immersive, beautiful graphics and an intriguing storyline. Many people don't like this, since it has very little action... But it takes a certain amount of intelligence to really see the wonderful detail and design put into this game. The graphics are fantastic, and the environments are beautifully surrealistic and dreamlike. The musical score is probably the best of any game I've ever played (buy the soundtrack!!), and sets the mode for the settings masterfully.
The Bad
There's nothing. That's right... I'm sure this will make a lot of people (mostly the less intelligent kind) mad, but there is absolutely nothing bad about Myst. It was the first of its kind, and there will never be another adventure like it.
The Bottom Line
It's as simple as this: If you like brainless, gory, first person shoot-em-up games, Myst isn't for you. If you enjoy exploring beautiful, dreamlike detailed worlds, and solving ingenious puzzles, then you should go out and buy this "game" right now.
As I said before, Myst is really not a game, and should probably not be treated as one. It can only be called a work of art, and it will be the most beautiful masterpiece ever to grace your CD-ROM drive. :)
Windows 3.x · by Null McNull (25) · 2000
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Myst appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Development
Myst was rendered entirely on stock color Macintoshes using only Stratavision Software. Until the success of Myst, The Miller brothers ran Cyan from their basement.
Easter egg
A mosaic on the floor in the D'ni Age shows the face of developer Chuck Carter.
Novels
Hyperion published three novels set in the Myst universe:1. The Book of Atrus (1995), by Rand Miller, Robyn Miller and David Wingrove; 2. The Book of Ti'ana (1996), by Rand Miller, Robyn Miller, and David Wingrove; and 3. The Book of D'ni (1997), by Rand Miller and David Wingrove.
A fourth novel, The Book of Marrim, by Rand Miller and David Wingrove, was put on hold while the last Myst games were completed, and is now expected to be published at some point in 2006.
Additionally, Dark Horse Comics published two issues (Passages and the Joining) of an aborted Myst comic book miniseries, The Book of Black Ships.
Reception
Myst is the best-selling game of all time. Over the course of a few years, it stayed on PC Data's top ten list. The game's non-violence (the creators are both pious Christians), simplicity, and amazing graphics contributed to its success. Myst was also responsible for many people buying a CD-ROM drive for their computers.
References
While in D'ni, you may notice there is a mosaic of a face on the tile floor. Though it may look like one of the characters in the game, it is actually Chuck Carter, one of the graphics designers for the game.
References to the Game
In the 1995 episode "Treehouse Of Horror VI" of the TV series The Simpsons the last of three parodies named Homer³ is based on a Twilight Zone episode. Homer gets sucked into the 3rd dimension and enters a 3D animated world where some 3D objects exist on a grid. As he walks along, you can see a replica of Myst's library and a snippet of the Myst finale theme music can be heard.
Cancelled versions
Sunsoft announced releases for both the Sega CD and the LaserActive's Mega LD format, both of which were in an advanced state of completion before being cancelled.
Soundtrack
Myst soundtrack composed by Robyn Miller was released in 1998. This soundtrack is pretty much available everywhere, in almost every online music CD store.
The songs are parted to several Myst game ages:* Myst Island (1-6) * Mechanical Age (7-13) * Stoneship Age (14-17) * Selentic Age (18) * Channelwood Age (19-21) * Finale (22-23) * Bonus Tracks (24-26)
Tracklist: * Myst Theme * Treegate * Planetarium * Shipgate * The Tower * The Last Mesage (Forechamber Theme) * Fortress Ambience, Part I * Fortress Ambience, Part II * Mechanical Mystgate * Sirrus Cache * Sirrus Theme * Achenar's Cache * Achenar's Theme * Compass Rose * Above Stoneship * Sirrus Theme - Stoneship Age * Achenar's Theme - Stoneship Age * Selentic Mystgate * The Temple of Achenar * Sirrus Theme - Channelwood Age * Achenar's Theme - Chennelwood Age * Un-finale * Finale * Fireplace Theme * Early Selentic Mystgate * Original Un-finale
Awards
- Computer Gaming World
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #11 Most Innovative Computer Game
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #13 Hardest Computer Game
- November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #3 Least Rewarding Ending of All Time
- Electronic Entertainment
- March 1994 – Editors' Choice Awards: Breakthrough Game (Honorable Mention)
- FLUX
- Issue #4 - #14 in the "Top 100 Video Games of All-Time" list
- GameStar (Germany)
- Issue 12/1999 - #33 in the "100 Most Important PC Games of the Nineties" ranking
- MacUser
- 1993 - Best Game (Editors' Choice)
- PC Gamer
- April 2000 - #42 in the "All Time Top 50 Games" Readers' Poll
Information also contributed by Adam Baratz, Agent 5, Big John WV, Mu77etOfDeath, PCGamer77, Pseudo_Intellectual, Scaryfun and Scott Monster
Related Sites +
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Cyan's Myst Walkthrough
Full solution to Myst -
JTB's Myst Help
A webpage providing a hint book in three different formats, illustrated puzzle solutions, both spoiler-free and spoiler-laden tips, maps of the Channelwood Age, links to other sources of online help for the game, and a set of save games for the Macintosh version of the game. -
Myst UHS Hints
Online web hints for Myst, written by Jason Strautman. -
Myst.Com
Cyan's Official Myst Homepage. -
Play Myst For Me
An article by Scott Rosenberg, originally published in the SF Examiner Sunday Magazine, detailing his experiences attempting to get <em>Myst</em> running on his (dated) PC (1994 - Feb. 1995). -
The Myst Guidebook
The Myst subsection of the Guidebook fansite that provides information about the game and a brief background on the game's production and later remake in addition to game hints and a walkthrough. -
Wikipedia: Myst
article about the game in the open encyclopedia
Identifiers +
- MobyGames ID: 1223
- Wikipedia (en)
Contribute
Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history!
Contributors to this Entry
Game added by MAT.
PS Vita added by Fred VT. PlayStation 3 added by Lance Boyle. CD-i added by Corn Popper. Windows added by Trixter. iPhone, PSP added by Sciere. SEGA Saturn added by Kohler 86. Windows Mobile added by Kabushi. Macintosh added by Terok Nor. PlayStation added by Grant McLellan. Amiga added by Syed GJ. 3DO, Jaguar added by quizzley7.
Additional contributors: Jeanne, Guy Chapman, Sciere, Havoc Crow (formerly JudgeDeadd), Parf, Ms. Tea, Zeppin, Patrick Bregger, Plok, FatherJack.
Game added March 29th, 2000. Last modified August 31st, 2023.