Riven: The Sequel to Myst
Riven: The Sequel to Myst was designed by Robyn Miller and Richard Vander Wende, developed by Cyan, and published 1997 by Red Orb Entertainment. The original release for Mac and Windows was spread across five compact discs. An updated version was released in 1998 on a single DVD-ROM, with some minor enhancements, and it was ported to many different systems over the years. In 2024, Cyan released a remake will full 3D movement for Mac, Windows, and Meta Quest VR. This version is quite a bit different, with redesigned puzzles and new areas to explore.
Riven begins exactly where Myst ends, with the player standing before Atrus in D’ni. Atrus enlists your help to rescue his wife Catherine from the dying Riven age, and imprison his father Gehn, who is holding her hostage. The world of Riven includes multiple islands to explore, a new language to learn, and significantly less guidance than Myst.
Riven is one of my favorite games, and it was a delight to play it again after so many years. The remake is also beautifully done and offers a very different experience that was just as enjoyable. Alongside Riven I sampled the games of Playdate Season 2, including Blippo+.
1998, Part 1
I own several copies of Riven and I haven’t played it in 27 years! Let’s play the 1998 DVD-ROM release for Mac OS 8.1.