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Classic puzzle game 'Myst' is being turned into a VR mini golf course
An expansion for 'Walkabout Mini Golf' will arrive later this year.
'Myst' Oculus remake hits PC and Mac this year, no VR headset required
Ready to buy yet another copy of Myst?
The Game Archaeologist: Myst Online: Uru Live
The impact of Myst in 1993 was akin to an atomic bomb going off in the PC gaming world. The leap forward in graphical fidelity (aided by the large storage capacity of a CD-ROM and all of the full-motion video and gorgeous images tucked into it) captured gamers' imaginations and made this adventure title the best-selling PC game of all time, at least for several years. Brothers Robyn and Rand Miller's story about a stranger who had to solve puzzles through a good-looking (if deserted) landscape was devilishly difficult, yet that challenge kept players coming back for months and even years. The Myst franchise surged forward at that point, with several sequels, remakes, and ports selling like hotcakes through the final game's release in 2005. Yet something interesting happened along the way when an offshoot of the series -- Uru: Ages Beyond Myst -- evolved into an MMO. With a focus on multiplayer exploration and puzzle-solving instead of non-stop combat, it may be one of the very few MMOs out there that eschews fighting for brainpower. It's an oddity, no doubt, and despite it being an incredibly niche title, it has fascinated me enough to pull me into a research rabbit hole. So let's take a look at Myst Online: Uru Live!
Myst, Riven studio reveals new PC adventure game Obduction
Cyan Inc, the studio behind the landmark multimedia adventure game Myst, announced that it is working on a new first-person adventure game for Windows and Mac. The team has turned to Kickstarter to fund the project, and seeks $1.1 million in pledges. Obduction promises the same sort of exploration-driven gameplay that defined Myst and its sequels, dropping players into an unfamiliar world filled with environmental puzzles. Contrasting the pre-rendered, path-based approach adopted by Riven, Obduction's varied landscapes will be presented via Unreal Engine 4, aiding player immersion. Obduction is set for release in mid-to-late 2015. If you yearn for the first-person puzzle-solving days of old, it might be worth kicking a few bucks toward Cyan, assuming that you haven't yet had your fill of '90s revivals after backing the new Boogerman game.
Myst linking book replica goes on sale with full PC inside, won't quite take us to other worlds (video)
Most of us who remember Myst are content to relive the halcyon days of click-and-watch puzzle games by loading up the iPhone port. Mike Ando is slightly more... dedicated. He just spent the past six years building a replica of the Cyan game's signature, Age-traveling link books that includes a full Windows XP PC with a 1.6GHz Atom, a 2-hour battery, a 5-inch touchscreen and every playable game from the Myst series stored on a CF card. And while we've seen books hiding devices before, Ando's attention to detail might just raise the eyebrows of hardcore custom PC and gaming fans alike: he went so far as to gut and emboss a 135-year-old copy of Harper's New Monthly Magazine to match Cyan's reference tome as closely as possible. It's tempting for anyone who cut their teeth on CD-based gameplay through Myst, but perfect devotion to one of the better-known fictional worlds will cost an accordingly steep $15,625. We wouldn't have minded seeing some real intra-world travel for the cash outlay.
Myst gets Real on iPad
There is now yet another way for you to buy Myst. You may already have Myst on your iPhone or iPad, but now you can get an iPad version of RealMyst, the 2000 remake of the adventure game that presents the world in realtime 3D.The new mobile version uses a new interface designed for the platform. "Instead of trying to awkwardly shoehorn a computer mouse interface or game console controller into the new touch environment - we were driven to design a simple touch interface that anyone could use." said producer Karl Johnson in the announcement. "The resulting interface allows the player to explore a 3D world with the ease of 'exploring' a 2D document on the iPad."RealMyst is on the App Store now for iPad 2 and 3, at a promotional price of $6.99. At an unspecified future date, it'll go up to a permanent $9.99 price point.
Save on enough Myst games for a full lifestyle change
Maybe you didn't want cheap Myst games in August, but have since then matured into a person who is all about that. Celebrate the beginning of your "Myst person" phase by picking up Myst: Masterpiece Edition, Riven, RealMyst, and Manhole: Masterpiece Edition for $2.99 each, or Uru Complete Chronicles for $4.99.You have until March 5 at 11:59 am EST to facilitate the birth of the New You as a person with a righteous collection of Cyan Worlds games.
Myst Online goes open source (again)
If a dictionary entry for the phrase "long, strange road" existed, it likely would feature an image from Myst Online. The fantasy MMORPG began its checkered life as the multiplayer component of 2003's Uru: Ages Beyond Mist before being scrapped and subsequently revived by GameTap in 2007. Cyan Worlds then acquired the title and released it as a free-to-play MMO, a strange move considering that the company also open-sourced Myst Online assets in 2008 but continued to support a commercial-grade centralized shard. This morning, Rock, Paper Shotgun tipped us to the fact that Cyan is once again fanning the flames of open source by announcing that the game's MOULA client engine and associated development tools (as well as a MOULA server replacement called MOSS) will be made available and hosted on OpenUru.org. "The goal of the open source CyanWorlds.com Engine and the MOSS server is to provide a playground where new writers can learn their craft, and new maintainers can inspect it, and new cartographers can map it. The Cyan Worlds MOULA servers will continue to provide a (relatively) safe environment for the D'ni faithful to mingle and share," explains Cyan's Rand Miller.
Riven: The Sequel to Myst now available for iPhone
Riven, the sequel to Cyan Worlds' bestselling game Myst, is now available on the App Store. The original version of Riven came out in 1997 for multiple systems and was widely acclaimed; 13 years later, Riven has an opportunity to reach an entirely new audience of gamers. In August of 2008, Cyan announced that they'd port Myst to the iPhone, and it became available in July of 2009. Following the success of the original Myst on iOS, we heard back in February that Riven would be coming to the iPhone "by early summer at the latest." In Cyan Worlds' defense, they didn't say which hemisphere's summer they were talking about... Riven is available for US$5.99 and is a huge download -- it's over a gigabyte, and due to iOS installation quirkiness, the game requires 2GB of free space before it will install on your iOS device of choice. Riven also has Game Center integration, but there doesn't appear to be an iPad-specific version of the app available. I never played the original version of Riven, but for six bucks I might give it a look... assuming I can find room for it in my monthly download cap, that is.
TUAW's Daily App: Stoneship: The Curse of a Thousand Islands
Stoneship was released earlier this year exclusively on the App Store, and it's got quite a pedigree. It was created by Cyan Worlds, the creators behind the classic game Myst, one of the most-loved PC games of all time. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your gaming tastes), Stoneship is a completely different game. While there are some elements of exploration and puzzles to solve, Stoneship is much more of an arcade title than straight adventure. In Stoneship, you are the captain of a British frigate, and it's your job to not only explore a series of Caribbean Islands but also set up and defend them against the invading pirate hordes. When you start a map, you get a set number of turns to split among exploration, creating and transferring defenses around, and fighting various findings on the map. After those turns end, you have to defend against a set of pirates; if you haven't moved your troops to the right places and cleaned up the map enough, you might lose all of the great towns you've built up. It's an interesting game, but it's kind of lame that things are mostly out of your hands (you do press some buttons to actually run the battles, but mostly you'll make or break them early on). It's also a little frustrating to always have that turn limit knocking at the door, but the game is well-produced and good fun. It just recently got a clean-up update, and the next update is supposed to bring Game Center integration and a few more goodies. If you're willing to put a little thought into the way you play, check out Stoneship on the App Store right now for US$2.99.
Mysterium calls the Myst Online faithful
Shorah, Myst faithful! It's time once again to make your plans to attend this year's Mysterium, the gathering for devoted D'ni scholars and fans of Cyan Worlds' Myst -- including, of course, Myst Online: URU Live. This year's event will be held August 5th through the 8th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with tickets currently going for the low price of $20. As with previous years, the team behind Mysterium are soliciting designs for a convention logo as well as submissions of stories and other original works based on the worlds of Myst for inclusion in the convention book. (Mind you, all submissions must fit Cyan Worlds' guidelines for fan-created content.) The events are still in the early stages of planning, but they currently show live quests, puzzle challenges, and we'd bet there will be some bevin meetups for Myst Online: URU Live cavern-dwellers in the mix. Considering CAVCON (or "cavern condition" for those unfamiliar) is currently standing at 4 (read: good) in regards to the current funding for Myst Online: URU Live, perhaps we'll see some official representatives from Cyan sign up to host a panel or two this year as well. Either way, it should be fun for all the D'ni devotees!
Myst Online roars back to life with a Welcome Back block party
This is the Myst that doesn't end, yes it goes on and on my friends... All jokes about the amazing resilience of Myst Online: URU Live aside, it appears that things are going well since Cyan Worlds brought the game back online. In a post on the official forums, it appears that the CAVCON (or Cavern Condition) is standing at 4, which -- unlike DEFCON -- is a good thing. CAVCON 4 indicates that they've gotten enough donations to cover the current operating expenses and are able to put a little to the side for the future. There have also been 13,997 accounts created, and 46,881 logins during the week ending Feb. 24th -- very good news! To celebrate the resurrection of MO:UL, the Guild of Messengers is reporting that there is going to be an enormous "Return to URU Block Party" held this upcoming weekend: March 5-7. The party is being thrown by the Guild of Maintainers, and is open for everyone to attend -- from the old-school cavern-crawling D'ni scholars to brand new seekers fresh from the desert! If you've ever wanted to try out Myst Online: URU Live but didn't know anyone in the game, this is a great way to meet some new friends and fellow adventurers. So check out Sera's great new player guide, strap on your Ki, and we'll see you in the caverns!
Myst Online: Uru Live gets a third shot at success
The online multiplayer portion of Cyan Worlds' Uru: Ages Beyond Myst has had about as troubled a past as video games can have. It never made it out of its beta stage when Uru first launched in 2004. Three years later, GameTap opened up servers for the game -- but a lack of subscribers led to them being shut down after just one year. Earlier today, the developer proved its persistence by re-launching the game once more; this time, as a totally free-to-play MMO. So, once more, with feeling -- you can download and sign up for Myst Online on the game's official site for zero dollars. After that, you and all your friends can start running around, touching glyphs and magic books to your heart's desire. [Via Big Download]
Myst Online is alive... again... for the, um, we lost count how many times it died
Myst fans, rejoice one more time. The game that gives Lazarus a run for his money, Myst Online: URU Live, is kicking once more. Cyan Worlds has gotten enough money together again to start up a brand new Myst server as the first phase of making Myst Online an open source project. The cavern that's online now is mostly the same cavern that GameTap had right as the game went offline. Best news of all? Myst Online is free. Yes, you heard us right -- free. Free as in no subscription, no paying for the client, no nothing. They're welcoming all cavern dwellers, new and old, back to the depths of D'ni. Their account creation page is getting hammered right now, as everyone wants to get back in ASAP, so if you can't create an account just give it some time. While the game is free, servers and running a business are not. Cyan has opened up a donation page on PayPal for anyone who wants to donate towards the game's bills, so if you're feeling generous then by all means show Uru some support. The game has been through hell and back, and some help would be much appreciated around the Cyan offices. They've even said they're working on a little present for those who donate... So, readers of Massively, can I get a shorah?
GoG weekend sale: Myst, Riven and The Manhole for $14
If you've been sitting around, staring at the ceiling and wondering what you're going to do this weekend, you may be interested in the GoG.com weekend deal. It's a bundle of three Cyan Worlds games, all for under $14 -- a 25-percent savings. You'll get Myst: Masterpiece Edition, Riven: The Sequel to Myst and The Manhole: Masterpiece Edition. All three games recently arrived on the DRM-free service, ready to show you just how out of shape your brain's logic center and not-getting-lost-in-Myst's-maze cortex are. The sale lasts until Monday, January 25 at 11:59PM ET.
Real Myst added to GoG.com lineup
Cyan Worlds' late-2000 remastered version of the classic adventure game, Myst, is now available for DRM-free purchase on Good Old Games. Real Myst takes the classic graphic adventure title and refines it with free-roaming and real-time 3D graphics, replacing the original's pre-rendered stills. According to GoG, this is the Myst designers Robyn and Rand Miller originally wanted to make. So, like George Lucas before it, Cyan Worlds reworks the original to take advantage of modern technology -- but with the added benefit of not ruining our childhoods in the process. The title is a steal at $5.99 and recommended for any adventure game junkie.
GOG.com gets Cyan Worlds' Myst games
If you consider the daily crossword puzzle a suitable mental exercise routine, then, buddy, you've got it all wrong. That's child's play for baby brains and yours needs a bit more stimulation than that. Thankfully, GoG.com is here to put a few wrinkles in all the right spots, as it's announced Cyan Worlds' beloved Myst series is coming to its library of DRM-free titles.You can actually check out Myst: Masterpiece Edition right now for $5.99, but you'll have to wait a bit for Riven: The Sequel to Myst and The Manhole: Masterpiece Edition -- the latter of which is admittedly not part of Myst canon, but comes from the Myst creators and should interest fans nonetheless. Both will also be priced at $5.99 and can be yours "soon."
Myst 'demo' free on iPhone
In lieu of an upgradeable demo (they're not allowed on the App Store) the original Myst's iPhone and iPod Touch incarnation now has a "free version." Myst FREE is a glorified demo that allows players to explore Myst Island, but entering any of the "Ages" will require a full download and $5 charge -- a $1 price drop from when the title was first announced. At 123MB, the demo's download is substantial. But that's nothing compared to the full game's 700MB footprint ... and it still beats having to hook up a CD-ROM drive to your iPhone. iTunes - Download Myst FREE at the iTunes App Store
Myst novel optioned for film
No, this isn't one of the huge stories of the day, but we thought you might like an update after our post from March of 2008 about Myst nuts Patrick A. McIntire and Adrian Vanderbosch trying to turn the game into a film. Sixteen months later, the duo has made some more headway, optioning the rights to Myst novel The Book of Ti'ana. "This option is a major victory," McIntire said. "Cyan has placed a lot of faith in us, and we have no intention of letting them down." Though we wish the guys all the best, we're still not sure we're ready for a full-length feature film about a guy staring silently at pretty, albeit confusing things ... especially since The DaVinci Code has already covered that ground so completely.
PSP version of Myst hitting PlayStation Network July 16
We know you've probably bought Myst eight or nine times by this point, but we thought you'd still like to know that a new iteration will soon be available -- this time, for the PSP. Hoplite Research, who collaborated with the adventure game's original developer Cyan Worlds to put the game on DS in December 2007, is dropping the game on the PlayStation Network next Thursday. Much like the DS version, the PSP port will contain all the Myst non-action you know and love, as well as the bonus Rime Age that appeared on Nintendo's handheld.What the press release that revealed all this information lacked, however, was a price. We've contacted Hoplite to try and discern this crucial piece of information. We'll let you know as soon as we find out.
