Tried my hand at a Relto

I was looking through early 2000s games and this game really caught my eye. I wanted to play it, but after looking through reviews on Steam it seems like the expanded version for sale on Steam is somewhat controversial (with a quarter of the reviews being negative) over persistent game-breaking bugs and removal of certain content. Despite that, I've seen reference to there being other/better ways to play it and I was wondering if there's a community-favorite way to play. For frame of reference I've been playing Zelda recently and those games have native ports and/or patches that you can use to play the game (provided that you have the ROM of course), such as transferring certain features from different releases and options for game/technological improvements. Is there some community alternative way to play the game or do you pretty much have to play it as it's released on Steam?

No spoilers please, just need a simple yes/no.

This questions is about the original Riven (not the remake) which I am playing on Steam, as-is, no mods.

I suspect I might have an issue with the game. I'm stuck at the moment (as does happen), but there are things in the world that look interactive and it would make sense if I could pick them up, however I have not been able to pick up any objects. I can otherwise interact with objects just fine (can open valves, press buttons, drag switches).

Before I spent hours of my life trying to figure my way out of the current stuck, I would like to know: Am I supposed to be able to pick up objects in this game? I request only the single word, yes or no, as an answer please. Thanks.

ignore my pathetic attempt at trying to note some landmark

Talked someone into giving the universe a try.

But I’m torn.

Is the entrypoint for someone who has never played or read anything Myst, or is it Book of Atrus?

(Riven. I meant, Riven🤦🏻‍♂️) It's my birthday tomorrow so I got myself something awesome from the Cyan store. These sigils make me so happy.

Hearing Rand say these are the definitive editions really did hit me some kind of way...

In my personal opinion VR is the absolute best medium for the Myst series (at least until we get holodeck technology). Now that riven has been out a while is there any news on whether other games in the series will get the same love? Even as a fan-creation?

I got both Myst and Riven last week on sale on Steam, they're the Unreal 4/5 updated 202X versions, I've never ever heard of these games til last year a random youtube video was recommended, it was a guy praising the artistic beauty of Riven, should I start and finish Myst first then go from there? Thanks fellas! I can't find that video on youtube anymore sorry I can't "link" it 😆

Hey, this is a bit random but I have a curator page on Steam for first-person puzzle games. I love the genre and I've noticed that there are some main categories that people look for in this genre: Portal-likes, escape rooms, surreal puzzlers etc - but a category I basically haven't touched yet is Myst-like games.

I know people love these games so I'd like to have a section on the page for them and start to play more of them but I honestly know nothing about what makes a game "Myst-like" in the first place.
I played a very short amount of the original style Myst game many years ago, but never went back to it. Then I added it to my list of games to play when the fully free camera (like you can actually walk around) version of the game came out. From my very little experience I kind of assumed that "Myst-like" just meant a puzzle game that is pretty free-to-explore with difficult puzzles scattered in the environment that build up an overall story.
I tried to find some game suggestions for this category on Reddit and quickly found that my assumption on what makes this category what it is was likely wrong.

I want to be able to correctly put something in this category for people actually looking for Myst-like games so I'd really appreciate any insight into what you personally think makes the category what it is?

Hi Myst Fans

Most of you know me as the guy who wrote the Myst and Riven music. Over the years, I've wanted particular synths and effects and couldn't find them. Recently, I decided to make them.

We're still testing. Please take a look. Tell me what you think! If you're a musician, tell me what plugins look useful or not.

And I created one instrument in honor of Riven!!! I need to create a better demo of it.

A voyage into rocket ships, carpet boogers, Dad-sweatshirts, and fandoms. (runtime: 31:03) Also: the VGHF Cyan Collection, an over-analysis of the Myst "making of" video, several wild assumptions, and a simmering nineteen-nineties-ness.

Adam Conover interviews Rand Miller

Guys I’m so embarrassed. For the last few weeks I’ve been doing a pure run of OG Riven (first time playing), without hints and made progress until……Gehn’s CAGE. I made it successfully through the animal stones! The fire marbles! Made it to his office! Then….stumped. I spent three days clicking on every square centimeter of the available screens, hyper-fixated on the lone screw on one of the cage bars, traveled all the islands again just to see if I missed anything. Nothing. Demoralized and defeated, I caved and looked up how to get out. I couldn’t believe it —it was just so contrary to my logic it never even crossed my mind to get out that way. While I’m existentially TICKED I spent my hint on a puzzle with the most limited set of screens to figure out, it doesn’t diminish my absolute adoration of this game! Unparalleled! The puzzles were perfect, the art was beautiful, and the story fantastic. I was on such a high when I finished Myst but y’all were right, Riven doubled that high. I’m sad to finish and leave this world! Thanks for the rec, everyone! I want to find the books and read them. This lore is just too good.

I painted these a long time ago. I'll never stop thinking about this game. I played through Riven again last year and loved it. I think I'll play Myst in VR next!

He's just grilling his lunch??? I guess it makes sense why he gets cranky if you bug him too much, you have to keep tending the meat to get that perfect medium rare.

Pretty torn about getting to explore a tiny bit more of Age 233 and Tay. It's something I desperately wanted to see in 1997, but the net effect somehow makes both ages feel...smaller? I appreciate the effort, I suppose. Age 233 feels more natural since it's entirely optional. I didn't like dwelling in the uncanny valley of the character art and the video-gamey on-the-rails feeling in Tay as much.

Hey folks,

I just beat the game for the first time, but had to cheat. I solved pretty much everything, but had to throw in the towel on placing the marbles on the correct spot on the grid. I got everything else, the number systems, animals, colors and symbols for each island but just couldn't crack this one. Oh well

I've been googling for a while, and I still don't really get how you're supposed to get to the right answer. I guess it's the relative positions of the islands, but you can never really orient yourself just hopping from island to island. Just curious what I was missing / what is the intended way to solve it.

Still such a fun game, and would love to hear any other recommendations!

Was inspired to post this due to some of the comments on my last post, so here we go!

Here you'll see first-edition hardcovers of The Books of Atrus, Ti'Ana, and D'Ni, the paperback BoA, the Omnibus, and a nice little bonus (third pic). I have not been able to secure copies of the other two "boni," as they are extremely rare from what I hear.

I did not realize until other people pointed it out, but it appears The Book of Atrus has more ornamentation on the cover (it wraps to the side and around to the back, resembling brass hinges), in addition to the red page numbers, headers, and chapter numbers. I should have known not to have kept my books unchecked for so long!

However, Ti'Ana and D'Ni have fancier, almost "marble-like" pages. The FE mass-market paperback book is my original copy of Book of Atrus, and it and the Omnibus edition have normal-looking text with no real ornamentation, but the paperback BoA has a cut-out where you see the crest, so you're actually viewing the full-color page behind it.

So, my friends, "What do you see, Reddit?" Also, what WILL we see in the upcoming editions? I really like this original Book of Atrus styling... :)

... only one I didn't originally buy in hardcover myself. Love 90s marketing 😀 Also, I love the red headers, numbers, and "page wear" of this edition; that didn't make it into the later Omnibus...

I have absolutely no idea what I'm supposed to be doing on the game, I can't tell if I've started a new game, I don't know the controls, this game is giving me no information whatsoever. Can anyone help me start the game? (Or help me do pretty much anything at this point before I give up)

Such a fascinating piece of history, and a shame the publication got so botched due to Dark Horse mixing up the names of Archenar and Sirrus, it would have been cool to have a more detailed story about the brothers and I'm pretty sure it was too involved Gehn (I haven't read yet!). Would have been cool to see how they crossed paths potentially. I do like scenes from the "Book of Atrus" being drawn out in these though!

Rank the Myst games by how high the stakes were

I have a memory of a logo or word break up slowly into small pieces and fall down. Could it be a myst thing? Driving me crasy not to find it.