Riven

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Enduring Love for Riven, Myst, and the Books

  • Many recall Riven and Myst as formative experiences, often played with family and accompanied by note-taking and map-drawing.
  • Several comment that Riven’s atmosphere, worldbuilding, and “every pixel matters” visuals still hold up.
  • Multiple people recommend the Myst novels (especially The Book of Atrus and the first two books overall) for matching the games’ tone and deepening the lore; paperbacks and hardcovers are praised as artifacts, though they may be out of print.

Remakes, VR, and How to Replay

  • The upcoming 3D Riven remake (with VR support, including on Quest) is repeatedly linked and anticipated.
  • Prior Myst remakes are described as confusingly numerous; the 2020 version is often recommended.
  • For an “original experience,” people suggest:
    • Steam versions of “Myst: Masterpiece Edition” and Riven (ScummVM-based),
    • Running the original CDs via ScummVM,
    • Or using classic Mac emulation sites.
  • Some report technical issues with the newest Myst remake (poor performance, audio glitches).

Puzzle Design, Difficulty, and the Internet Age

  • Riven is widely viewed as significantly harder than Myst; many admit resorting to guides or hotlines in the 90s.
  • There’s debate over its navigation/UI: some think more aids (like a compass) would help; others argue the fixed views and friction are integral to its character and puzzle design.
  • Comparisons are drawn to modern “Riven-tier” puzzle games such as The Witness, Outer Wilds, The Talos Principle (1 & 2), Obduction, Firmament, Quern, Animal Well, Tunic, and others.
  • Several argue modern games make “concessions” to the internet era by:
    • Localizing difficulty to smaller spaces,
    • Reducing obscure interactions and “pixel hunting,”
    • Or making puzzles more clearly scoped.
  • Others insist these newer titles can still be deeply savored if players avoid wikis and walkthroughs.

Cyan’s Role and Legacy

  • Opinions diverge on Cyan’s current relevance:
    • Some see a small studio living off endless Myst/Riven remakes and nostalgia.
    • Others defend their newer works (especially Obduction, with mixed views on Firmament) and say the market, not their quality, has changed.
  • Analogies are made to aging bands re-recording or remixing old hits; some view this as beating a dead horse, others as serving a devoted niche audience.