Riven: The Sequel to Myst (1997)

Developer: Cyan Worlds
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment, Enix, Tec Toy, Red Orb Entertainment, SUNSOFT, Mean Hamster Software, Sega Enterprises, Inc., Cyan Worlds, Ubi Soft Entertainment
Platforms: Windows Mobile, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, Sega Saturn, PlayStation
Genres: Point-and-click, Puzzle, Adventure
Rating: 4.2 of 5, 89 player ratings
Completionist: about 6.0 hours
Where to get it: PlayStation Store

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A quiet, absorbing journey through a beautifully decaying world where every detail demands careful observation and patience rewards deeper understanding.

atmosphericcontemplativemysteriousslow-pacedimmersivechallengingisolatingmethodical

About

Riven: The Sequel to Myst is a graphic adventure puzzle game developed by Cyan and released in 1997. It continues the story of Myst, following the player’s journey to rescue Atrus’s wife, Catherine, from a decaying world. The game features pre-rendered environments with complex, interconnected puzzles and minimal direct guidance. Its visuals, sound design, and world-building were praised for their depth and realism. Riven expanded on Myst’s narrative and gameplay scale, becoming one of the most acclaimed adventure games of its time.

What players say

Praised as a deeply immersive, beautiful, and lonely puzzle adventure whose notoriously hard, interconnected puzzles demand patience and note-taking. It feels meditative and otherworldly, rewarding players who surrender to its atmosphere, though many remember getting stuck for ages.

Screenshots

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This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.