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{{Short description|1993 video game}}
{{About|the original video game|the media franchise|Myst (series){{!}}''Myst'' (series)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Myst
| caption = Box art, showing an [[aerial view]] of the island of Myst, one of the key settings of the game
| image = MystCover.png
| developer = [[Cyan Worlds|Cyan]]{{efn|Saturn version developed by [[Sunsoft]]; PlayStation version developed by [[Alfa System]]; 3DO version developed by [[Microcabin]]; PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS versions developed by Hoplite Research.}}
| publisher = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|[[Broderbund]]}}|
'''Mac OS'''<br />Broderbund<br />'''Saturn'''<br />{{vgrelease|JP/EU|Sunsoft|NA|[[Acclaim Entertainment]]}}'''PlayStation'''<br />{{vgrelease|JP|[[SoftBank Creative|SoftBank]]|NA/EU|[[Psygnosis]]}}'''3DO'''<br />{{vgrelease|JP|Micro Cabin|NA|Sunsoft}}'''Windows'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|Broderbund|EU|[[Red Orb Entertainment]]}}'''Jaguar CD'''<br />[[Atari Corporation]]<br />'''CD-i'''<br />{{vgrelease|EU|[[Philips Media]]}}'''AmigaOS'''<br />{{vgrelease|EU|PXL Computers}}'''PlayStation Portable'''<br />{{vgrelease|JP|[[Sega]]|WW|[[Midway Games|Midway]]}}'''Nintendo DS'''<br />{{vgrelease|EU|Midway|NA|[[Empire Interactive]] <small>(original)</small>|NA|Storm City Games <small>(updated)</small>}}'''iOS'''<br />[[Cyan Worlds|Cyan]]<br />'''Nintendo 3DS'''<br />{{vgrelease|NA|[[Maximum Family Games]]|AU/EU|Funbox Media}}'''Android'''<br />Noodlecake Games}}
| director = [[Rand Miller]]<br />[[Robyn Miller]]
| designer = Rand Miller<br />Robyn Miller
| artist = Robyn Miller<br />[[Chuck Carter]]
| producer = Laurie Strand
| composer = Robyn Miller
| series = ''[[Myst (series)|Myst]]''
| platforms = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|[[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]]}}|[[Windows]], [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]], [[Sega Saturn]], [[Atari Jaguar CD]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[CD-i]], [[AmigaOS]], [[Pocket PC]], [[PlayStation Portable]], [[Nintendo DS]], [[iOS]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]]}}
| released = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|September 24, 1993}}|'''Mac OS'''{{vgrelease|NA|September 24, 1993}} '''Windows'''{{vgrelease|NA|March 1994}} '''3DO''' {{vgrelease|NA|March 17, 1995}} '''Saturn'''{{vgrelease|NA/PAL|September 1995}} '''Jaguar CD'''{{vgrelease|NA|December 15, 1995|PAL|1995}} '''PlayStation'''{{vgrelease|NA|October 15, 1996<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 16, 1996 |title=Psygnosis Wire Vol 1. No 14 |url=http://www.psygnosis.com/news/Wire%2314.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970428182729/http://www.psygnosis.com/news/Wire%2314.pdf |archive-date=April 28, 1997 |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=[[Psygnosis]]}}</ref>|PAL|November 15, 1996}} '''PlayStation Portable'''{{vgrelease|JP|March 30, 2006<ref name="ign_2009-08-13"/>|NA|July 16, 2009<ref name="ign_2009-08-13"/>}} '''Nintendo DS'''{{vgrelease|EU|December 7, 2007<ref name="nwr">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Zachary |title=Myst Review |url=http://nintendoworldreport.com/review/22752/myst-nintendo-ds |website=Nintendo World Report |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213190055/http://nintendoworldreport.com/review/22752/myst-nintendo-ds |archive-date=December 13, 2014 |date=March 12, 2010}}</ref>|NA|May 13, 2008<ref name="nwr"/>}} '''iOS'''{{vgrelease|WW|May 2, 2009}} '''Nintendo 3DS'''{{vgrelease|NA|October 26, 2012<ref name="nintendolife_2012"/>|EU|September 5, 2013<ref name="nintendolife_2012"/>}} '''Android'''{{vgrelease|WW|January 26, 2017}}
}}
| genre = [[Adventure game|Adventure]]
| modes = [[Single-player]]
}}

'''''Myst''''' is a 1993 [[adventure video game]] developed by [[Cyan Worlds|Cyan]] and published by [[Broderbund]] for [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]]. In the game, the player travels via a special book to a mysterious island called Myst. The player interacts with objects and traverses the environment by clicking on [[Pre-rendered|pre-rendered imagery]]. Solving puzzles allows the player to travel to other worlds ("Ages"), which reveal the backstory of the game's characters and help the player make the choice of whom to aid.

Designers [[Rand Miller|Rand]] and [[Robyn Miller]] had started in game development creating black-and-white, largely plotless works aimed at children. They wanted ''Myst'' to be a graphically impressive game with a nonlinear story and mystery elements aimed at adults. The game's design was limited by the small memory footprint of [[video game console]]s and by the slow speed of [[CD-ROM drive]]s. The game was created on Apple Macintosh computers and ran on the [[HyperCard]] software stack, though [[Video game port|ports]] to other platforms subsequently required the creation of a new engine.

''Myst'' was a critical and commercial success. Critics lauded the ability of the game to immerse players in its fictional worlds. It has been called one of the most influential and [[List of video games considered the best|best video games ever made]]. Selling more than six million copies, ''Myst'' was the [[List of best-selling PC games|best-selling PC game]] for nearly a decade. The game helped drive adoption of the [[CD-ROM]] drive, spawned a [[Myst (series)|multimedia franchise]], and inspired clones, parodies, and new video game genres, as well as spin-off novels and other media. The game has been ported to multiple platforms and [[Video game remake|remade]] multiple times.

==Gameplay==
[[Image:Myst-library and ship.jpg|thumb|left|Screenshot of the eponymous Myst Island. Solving a puzzle raises the ship in the foreground and allows the player to reach the Stoneship Age. The library in the background contains books that describe the different Ages the player can link to.|alt=View of a marble fountain, with a small ship inside it. A white marble building with columns sits behind it.|259x259px]]
''Myst''{{'}}s gameplay consists of a [[first-person (video games)|first-person]] journey through an interactive world. Players can interact with specific objects on some screens by [[Point-and-click|clicking]] or dragging them.<ref name="myst win manual">{{cite book|title=Myst User Manual|publisher=Broderbund|year=1993|edition=[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] version}}</ref>{{rp|5–6}} The player moves by clicking on locations shown on the screen; the scene then crossfades into another frame, and the player can explore the new area. ''Myst'' has an optional "Zip" feature to assist in rapidly crossing areas already explored; when a lightning bolt cursor appears, players can click and skip several frames to another location. While this provides a rapid method of travel, it can also cause players to miss important items and clues.<ref name="myst win manual"/>{{rp|9}} Some items can be carried by the player and read, including journal pages which provide [[Back-story|backstory]]. Players can only carry a single page at a time, and pages return to their original locations when dropped.<ref name="myst win manual"/>{{rp|13}}

To complete the game, the player must fully explore the island of Myst.<ref name="guerillas">{{cite magazine|author=Carroll, John|date=August 1994|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.08/myst_pr.html|title=Guerrillas in the Myst|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|volume=2|issue=8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209043813/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.08/myst_pr.html|archive-date=February 9, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> There, the player discovers and follows clues to be transported via "linking books" to several "Ages", each of which is a self-contained mini-world. Each of the Ages—named Selenitic, Stoneship, Mechanical, and Channelwood—requires the user to solve a series of logical, interrelated puzzles to complete its exploration. Each Age must be explored to solve the game's primary puzzle on Myst.

Apart from its predominantly nonverbal storytelling,<ref name="mysty"/> ''Myst''{{'}}s gameplay was unusual among adventure games in several ways. The player is provided with very little backstory at the beginning of the game, and no obvious goals or objectives are laid out. There are no obvious enemies, [[nonviolent video game|no physical violence]], no time limit to complete the game, and no threat of dying at any point.<ref name="guerillas"/> The game unfolds at its own pace and is solved through a combination of patience, observation, and logical thinking.<ref name="mysty"/>

==Plot==
Players assume the role of an unnamed person who stumbles across an unusual book titled "Myst". The player reads the book and discovers a detailed description of an island world. Placing their hand on the last page, the player is transported to the world described and is left with no choice but to explore the island.<ref name="myst win manual"/>{{rp|2}}<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26"/> In the island's library, two books can be found, colored red and blue. These books are traps that hold [[Sirrus and Achenar]], the sons of [[Atrus]], who once lived on Myst island with his wife Catherine. Atrus writes special linking books that transport people to the Ages that the books describe. From the panels of their books, Sirrus and Achenar tell the player that Atrus is dead; each brother blames the other for the death of their family, as well as the destruction of much of Atrus' library. Both plead for help to escape. The books are missing several pages, rendering the sons' messages unclear and riddled with static.

As the player continues to explore the island, books linking to more Ages are discovered hidden behind complex mechanisms and puzzles. The player must visit each Age, find the red and blue pages hidden there, and return to Myst Island. These pages can then be placed in the corresponding books. As the player adds more pages to these books, the brothers can be seen and heard more clearly. After collecting four pages, the brothers tell the player where the fifth and final missing page for their book is hidden; if the player can complete either book, that brother will be set free. The player is left with a choice to help Sirrus, Achenar, or neither.<ref name="myst-game guide">{{cite web|author=Poole, Stephen|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/myst_gg/index.html|title=Myst Game Guide|website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000313005946/http://www.gamespot.com/features/myst_gg/index.html|archive-date=March 13, 2000|access-date=February 8, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sirrus and Achenar beg the player not to touch the green book located by their final pages, claiming it to be another trap book like their own. In truth, it leads to D'ni, where Atrus is imprisoned. When the book is opened, Atrus asks the player to bring him a final page that is hidden on Myst Island. The game has several endings, depending on the player's actions. Giving either Sirrus or Achenar the final page of their book causes the player to switch places with the son, leaving the player trapped inside the prison book as the son rips the pages out. Linking to D'ni without the page Atrus asks for leaves the player and Atrus trapped in D'ni. Bringing Atrus the page allows him to complete his Myst book and return to the island. Upon his return, Atrus returns to his writing and allows the player to explore Myst and its Ages at their leisure, while also asking them to be on hand to help in the future, as he was contending with a greater foe than his sons (setting the stage for ''[[Riven]]'').<ref name="myst-game guide"/> Upon returning to the library, the player finds the red and blue books gone, and burn marks on the shelves where they used to be.

==Development==
===Background===
In the late 1980s, brothers Rand and Robyn Miller were living apart in the United States. Robyn was taking a year off from university in Washington state, writing and trying to establish residency, while Rand worked in Texas as a computer programmer for a bank.<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26">{{cite web |author=Yoshida, Emily |date=September 26, 2013 |url=https://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-game-myst-20th-anniversary |title=Lost to the Ages |website=[[Grantland]]|access-date=September 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926162310/http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-game-myst-20th-anniversary |archive-date=September 26, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Rand approached his brother with the idea of making an interactive storybook using [[HyperCard]].<ref name="gdc-post-1m00s"/> The brothers were not big video game players themselves, although they were familiar with ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', and had played ''[[Zork]]''.<ref name="gdc-post-8m45s"/> In his parents' basement—Robyn did not own a computer himself—Robyn began drawing pictures and creating a nonlinear story that would eventually become their first game, ''[[The Manhole]]''.<ref name="gdc-post-1m00s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem |title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst |work=Game Developers Conference Vault |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem |archive-date=April 9, 2015 |access-date=February 22, 2016 |time=1'00"–3'30" }}—Mirrored on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cULHgP8tmo YouTube.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311035201/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cULHgP8tmo |date=March 11, 2017 }}</ref> ''The Manhole'' and the games that followed—''[[Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel|Cosmic Osmo]]'' and ''[[Spelunx]]''—were specifically aimed at children and shared the same aesthetics: black-and-white graphics, point-and-click gameplay, a first-person point of view, and explorable worlds.<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26"/><ref name="gdc-post-1m00s"/> Robyn recalled that the games were more about exploration than narrative: "In the projects we did for children, we didn't really tell stories ... They were just these worlds that you would explore."<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26"/>

Around 1990,<ref name="gdc-post-4m30s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013|url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=4'30"–5'35"}}</ref> the brothers decided to create a game that would appeal to adults. Among their goals were believable characters, a non-linear story, and for the player as protagonist to make ethical choices. The Millers pitched the game to [[Activision]] under the title ''The Gray Summons''; Robyn recalled that Activision told them to stick to children's games.<ref name="gdc-post-4m30s"/> At the time of the rejection, they were not doing well financially—"we were eating rice and beans and [[government cheese]] and that [was] our diet."<ref name="gdc-post-5m40s"/> Facing the end of their game-producing career, Japanese developer [[Sunsoft]] approached the Millers to create an adult-oriented game. Like with ''The Gray Summons'', the Millers wanted their game to have a non-linear story with believable characters and an ethical choice. They also wanted to produce a game with far more impressive graphics than their previous efforts, at one point considering an entirely hand-drawn game. They also knew their story would be a mystery.<ref name="gdc-post-5m40s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=5'40"–8'43"}}</ref><ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28"/>

Development of ''Myst'' began in 1991.<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26"/> The game's creative team consisted of brothers Rand and Robyn, with help from sound designer Chris Brandkamp, 3D artist and animator Chuck Carter, Richard Watson, Bonnie McDowall and Ryan Miller, who together made up [[Cyan Worlds|Cyan, Inc.]] ''Myst'' was the largest and most time-consuming collaboration Cyan had attempted at that point.<ref name="Cyan, Inc. 1993 15">{{cite book|title=Myst User Manual|publisher=Broderbund|author=Cyan, Inc.|year=1993|edition=[[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] version|page=15|series=About the Authors|author-link=Cyan Worlds}}</ref> Cyan took inspiration from games like ''Zork'', ''[[Star Wars]]''{{'}} mythic universe, portals to other worlds like in [[C. S. Lewis]]' ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', and the mysterious islands of old literature like the works of [[Jules Verne]].<ref name="gdc-post-8m45s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=8'45"–12'07"}}</ref> The game's name, as well as the overall solitary and mysterious atmosphere of the island, was inspired by the book ''[[The Mysterious Island]]'' by Verne.<ref name="guerillas"/>

Sunsoft was not interested in the PC market and was focused on the video game console market instead. At the time, consoles had no hard drives and small memory buffers, meaning the game had to be designed around these technical constraints. To solve this issue, they compartmentalized parts of the game's environments into the different Ages.<ref name="gdc-post-12m15s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=12'15"–14'00"}}</ref> The Millers decided that most people did not like puzzles. Thus, a good puzzle would feel familiar and part of the world—not like a puzzle, but something for players to figure out like a circuit breaker in their house, using observation and common sense.<ref name="gdc-post-14m25s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=14'35"–16'30"}}</ref> Cyan did not have fans to please, and did not know exactly who the game would appeal to; Robyn felt like they did not have to second-guess their choices and could "explore the world as we were designing" and build a game for themselves.<ref name="gdc-post-16m35s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=16'35"–17'30"}}</ref> Rand stated that they strived to design the puzzles in ''Myst'' and their subsequent games by trying to balance three aspects: the puzzles themselves, the environment, and the story.<ref name="avclub sept2016 interview">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/myst-creator-rand-miller-his-favorite-puzzle-every-242061 |title=Myst creator Rand Miller on his favorite puzzle that everybody hates |first=William |last=Hughes |date=September 10, 2016 |access-date=September 13, 2016 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913014628/http://www.avclub.com/article/myst-creator-rand-miller-his-favorite-puzzle-every-242061 |archive-date=September 13, 2016 }}</ref> They wanted to make sure that clues to the solutions to puzzles were apparent and presented to the player in a manner for these connections to be made: "once the player finds the solution, if they blame us, then we haven't done a good job. But if they blame themselves, then we have."<ref name="avclub sept2016 interview"/>

The Millers prepared a seven-page game proposal for Sunsoft from their ideas, mostly consisting of maps of the islands they had envisioned.<ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28">{{cite web|author=Hutchinson, Lee|date=January 28, 2020|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/video-how-mysts-designers-stuffed-an-entire-universe-onto-a-single-cd-rom/|title=Video: How Myst's designers stuffed an entire universe onto a single CD-ROM|website=[[Ars Technica]]|access-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129100457/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/video-how-mysts-designers-stuffed-an-entire-universe-onto-a-single-cd-rom/|archive-date=January 29, 2020}}</ref> Cyan proposed ''Myst'' to Sunsoft for $265,000—more than double what they thought it would cost to develop the game, but ultimately less than the game's final cost.<ref name="gdc-post-qa">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=Q&A Session}}</ref>{{efn|In a 1995 interview, the Millers said the game cost $600,000, half of which came from Sunsoft;<ref>{{cite book|last=DeMaria|first=Rusel|editor=Ward, Kip|date=1995|section=An Interview with Rand and Robyn Miller, Creators of Myst|title=Prima's Official Strategy Guide: Myst|publisher=Prima Games|isbn=0-7615-0102-9|page=166}}</ref> The ''[[New York Daily News]]'' gave the game's budget as $700,000 in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|first=George|last=Mannes|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107059334/daily-news/|title=All powered up for Riven|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|page=322|date=October 19, 1997|accessdate=August 6, 2022}}</ref>}} Sunsoft had asked the brothers if their game would be as good as the upcoming ''[[The 7th Guest]]'', another [[CD-ROM]] video game that had been shown in public preview demonstrations; the Millers assured them it would.<ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28"/> After getting the go-ahead, Cyan play-tested the entire game in a role-played ''Dungeons and Dragons'' form to identify any large issues before entering full production.<ref name="gdc-post-18m00s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=18'00"–19'20"}}</ref>

===Production===
[[File:Macintosh Quadra 700.png|thumb|right|upright|Macintosh computers such as the [[Quadra 700]] were used to develop ''Myst''. Slow single-speed [[CD-ROM drive]]s and game console memory limitations proved to be constraints.]]
''Myst'' was not only the largest project Cyan had attempted, but also took the longest to develop.<ref name="Cyan, Inc. 1993 15"/> The brothers spent months designing the look and puzzles of the Ages,<ref name="making of myst">{{cite video|people=Miller, Rand and Robyn; Cyan|date=1993|title=The Making of Myst| publisher=Cyan/Broderbund|medium=CD-ROM}}</ref> which were influenced by earlier whimsical worlds made for children.<ref name="through the myst">{{cite web|author=Stern, Gloria|date=August 23, 1994|url=http://www2.worldvillage.com/wv/gamezone/html/reviews/myst.htm|title=Through the Myst|website=WorldVillage|access-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217214159/http://www2.worldvillage.com/wv/gamezone/html/reviews/myst.htm|archive-date=February 17, 2009}}</ref> Much of the early development time was spent devising puzzles and the Ages, and the story was secondary. "We were place designers [...] and the maps kind of fueled the story," Rand said. The plot evolved in tandem with the changing environment, developing new story details with each new building in the world.<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26"/> They realized that the setting would require developing more story and history than the players would actually see.<ref name="through the myst"/> The climactic ending with Atrus was a later development in the game's story, after Cyan realized they wanted to create a more complicated ending. In retrospect, Robyn felt that ''Myst'' did not quite provoke the emotional reaction and ethical quandary they set out to create.<ref name="gdc-post-25m00s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=25'00"–28'25"}}</ref>

The game was created on [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] computers, principally the [[Macintosh Quadra 700]], using the [[HyperCard]] software.<ref name="making of myst"/> Cyan discovered using [[3D rendering]] software was faster than the hand-drawn figures that they had used on their previous titles, and allowed the addition of color. The terrain for the Ages were created starting with grayscale [[heightmap]]s that were extruded to create changes in elevation. From this basic terrain, textures were painted onto a colormap that was wrapped around the landscapes. Objects such as trees were added to complete the design.<ref name="making of myst"/> Rand noted that attention to detail allowed ''Myst'' to deal with the limitations of CD-ROM drives and graphics, stating: "A lot can be done with texture ... Like finding an interesting texture you can map into the tapestry on the wall, spending a little extra time to actually put the bumps on the tapestry, putting screws in things. These are the things you don't necessarily notice, but if they weren't there, would flag to your subconscious that this is fake."<ref name="billboard_1994">{{cite magazine|author=Gillen, Marilyn|title=Interactive Gamers Try to Follow Enveloping 'Myst'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=1|date=July 9, 1994|page=100}}</ref> The environments were rendered in [[StrataVision 3D]], with some additional modeling in [[Macromedia]] MacroModel,<ref name="making of myst"/> while Rand would place those images into HyperCard to link them up and test the puzzle aspects.<ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28"/> Overall, ''Myst'' contains 2,500&nbsp;frames, one for each possible area the player can explore.<ref name="making of myst"/> Some frames took hours to render, while others took days.<!-- need ref --> The final images for the game were edited and enhanced using [[Adobe Photoshop|Photoshop]]&nbsp;1.0.<ref name="making of myst"/>

When Cyan began development, developing believable characters was a major hurdle. The brothers were limited to one-way communication with the player, and at any point, a player could choose to walk away and "break the spell" of the game. Displaying video in the game was initially infeasible. Designing around the limits, the designers created the trap books, which were location-specific, one-way communication devices. The release of [[QuickTime]] halfway through development of the game solved the video issue.<ref name="gdc-post-22m00s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=22'00"–25'00"}}</ref>

The original HyperCard Macintosh version of ''Myst'' had each Age as a unique HyperCard stack. Navigation was handled by the internal button system and [[HyperTalk]] scripts, with image and QuickTime movie display passed off to various plugins; essentially, ''Myst'' functions as a series of separate multimedia slides linked together by commands.<ref name="1up"/> The main technical constraint that impacted ''Myst'' was slow CD-ROM drive read speeds—few consumers had anything faster than single-speed drives, limiting the speed of streaming data off the disc.<ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28"/> Cyan had to go to great lengths to make sure all the game elements loaded as quickly as possible.<ref name="through the myst"/> Images were stored as 8-bit [[PICT]] resources with custom color palettes and QuickTime still image compression. Animated elements such as movies and object animations were encoded as QuickTime movies with [[Cinepak]] compression; in total, there were more than 66&nbsp;minutes of Quicktime animation.<ref name="making of myst"/> This careful processing made the finished graphics look like [[24-bit color|truecolor]] images despite their low bit depth; the stills were reduced in size from 500&nbsp;[[kilobyte|kB]] to around 80&nbsp;kB.<ref name="making of myst"/> The Millers tried to place related scenes and files close together on the disc's spiral track to reduce the seek time and in-game delay as the player transitions from scene to scene.<ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28"/>

Cyan play-tested the game with two people sitting in front of the game, finding that they would converse with each other and vocalize their likes and dislikes compared to one person silently playing. Rand and Robyn sat behind the testers taking notes, and could make on-the-fly changes and fixes. Cyan wanted the interface of the game to be invisible, and to craft a game that a wide audience would enjoy.<ref name="gdc-post-31m35s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=31'35"–33'40"}}</ref> Early on they had decided that there would be no inventory, enemies, or ways to die; eventually, they included a [[saved game|save system]] as a concession to the fact that it would take most players months to complete the game.<ref name="grantland_2013-09-26"/> Among the problems testers discovered with the story was that ''Myst'' had no [[inciting incident]]. In response, Cyan added a note that clued players in to a chamber that played a message explaining the game's objectives.<ref name="gdc-post-33m41s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst|work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem|archive-date=April 9, 2015|access-date=February 22, 2016|time=33'41"–36'00"}}</ref>

===Audio===
Chris Brandkamp served as sound engineer on ''Myst''; he also doubled as Cyan's chief financial officer.<ref name="spokesmanreview_1995-06-04">{{cite news|last=Murphey|first=Michael|date=June 4, 1995|title=In Search of Virtual Growth Myst Game Creators Scramble to Extend Their Initial Success|work=[[Spokesman Review]]|page=D1}}</ref> Brandkamp produced most of the [[Ambient noise level|ambient]] and incidental sounds in the game. To make sure the sounds fit, Brandkamp had to wait until the game's visuals were placed in context.<ref name="making of myst"/> Sound effects were drawn from unlikely sources; the noise of a fire in a boiler was created by driving slowly over stones in a driveway because recordings of actual fire did not sound like fire burning.<ref name="guerillas"/> The chimes of a large clock tower were simulated using a wrench, then transposed to a lower pitch. Audio of bubbles, which he recalled as "the most hateful sound", was created by blowing bubbles into differently-sized tubes in a toilet.<ref name="making of myst"/>

At first, ''Myst'' had no music, because the Millers did not want music to interfere with the gameplay.<ref name="making of myst"/> After a few tests, they realized that the background music did not adversely affect the game and heightened the mood of certain areas.<ref name="making of myst"/> Robyn Miller ended up composing 40 minutes of [[Synthesizer|synthesized]] music that was used in the game and later published as ''Myst: The Soundtrack''.<ref name="making of myst"/> Mixing and effects were done on an [[E-mu Systems|E-mu]] [[E-mu Proteus|Proteus MPS]] synthesizer. The soundtrack was recorded over the course of two weeks' evenings.<ref name="gdc-post-30m09s">{{cite AV media|last=Miller|first=Robyn|date=March 2013 |url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem |title=Classic Game Postmortem: Myst |work=Game Developers Conference Vault|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409074445/http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1018048/Classic-Game-Postmortem |archive-date=April 9, 2015 |access-date=February 22, 2016 |time=30'09"–31'32" }}—Also mirrored on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cULHgP8tmo YouTube.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311035201/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cULHgP8tmo |date=March 11, 2017 }}</ref> Initially, Cyan released the soundtrack via a mail-order service, but before the release of ''Myst''{{'}}s sequel, ''[[Riven]]'', [[Virgin Records]] acquired the rights to release the soundtrack,<ref name="denver post-sound">{{cite news|author=Thomas, David|date=May 8, 1998|title=Mastermind of Myst, Riven also has a talent for music|newspaper=[[The Denver Post]]}}</ref> and the CD was re-released on April 21, 1998.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|last=Sheridan|first=Tim|title=Myst: The Sequel to Myst|website=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r347826|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=January 13, 2010}}</ref> A limited-edition 2-LP vinyl release was released in April 2021. The release includes two [[Unusual types of gramophone records#Colored records|colored LPs]] (pink and blue) with a vinyl-exclusive never-before-released track, "AUDIO TRIAL 31—AGE FOUR", as well as never-before-seen documents, photographs, maps, and artifacts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MYST Vinyl Soundtrack |url=https://www.fangamer.com/products/myst-vinyl-ost |access-date=September 27, 2024 |website=www.fangamer.com |language=en |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908025518/https://www.fangamer.com/products/myst-vinyl-ost |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Release==
''Myst'' was released for Macintosh computers on September 30, 1993, marketed with the tagline "The Surrealistic Adventure That Will Become Your World".<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 23, 1993 |title=''Myst'' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/817627732 |access-date=July 9, 2024 |work=[[The Columbian]] |pages=13 |quote=[''Myst''], to be released Sept. 30 for Macintosh and next winter for IBM PCs, calls itself "The Surrealist Adventure That Will Become Your World." |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709052932/https://www.newspapers.com/image/817627732 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 4, 1993 |title=Fractal Geometry Takes Player to New 'Realms': Entertainment |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/782486210 |access-date=July 9, 2024 |work=Press Journal |pages=19 |quote=One of the most beautiful games I've ever seen has just been released th[r]ough Broderbund. It's ''Myst'', another CD, this time for the color Macintosh. |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709052932/https://www.newspapers.com/image/782486210 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sample discs featuring a demo of the game's Myst Island portion were made available as previews.<ref name="washpost_1993-08-30">{{cite news|last=Potts|first=Mark|date=August 30, 1993|title=A Mystical Adventure Let the Games Begin|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=F17}}</ref> The game was [[port (video gaming)|port]]ed to Windows in March 1994.<ref name="wolf_2011"/>{{rp|3}} Publicity for the game relied on [[word of mouth]], especially over the internet.<ref name="guerillas"/>

''Myst'' became a massive commercial success. Prior to release, Rand Miller believed selling 100,000 copies would be "mind-blowing";<ref name="arstechnica_2020-01-28"/> it sold double that amount in seven months.<ref name="wolf_2011"/>{{rp|4}} The game quickly became Broderbund's most successful title,<ref name="guerillas"/> selling more than 500,000 copies by the end of 1994,<ref name="nytimes_1994-12-04">{{Cite news|last=Rothstein|first=Edward|date=December 4, 1994|title=A New Art Form May Arise From the 'Myst'|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/04/arts/a-new-art-form-may-arise-from-the-myst.html|access-date=December 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331|url-access=limited}}</ref> and more than one million copies by March 1995.<ref name="spokesmanreview_1995-06-04"/> It was the best-selling computer game in the United States for 52 months.<ref name=1993-1998>{{cite magazine | author=Staff | title=Player Stats: Top 10 Best-Selling Games, 1993 – Present | date=September 1998 | issue=170 | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | page=52 }}</ref><ref name="npd-2001-06-19sales">{{cite web|url=http://www.intelectmt.com:80/corp/intelectmt/press/press-it/press_010619.htm|title=NPD Intelect: Myst Franchise Continues Success with Myst III: Exile|work=IntelectMT|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021215144137/http://www.intelectmt.com/corp/intelectmt/press/press-it/press_010619.htm|archive-date=December 15, 2002|access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref> By 1997, ''Myst'' had sold 3.5 million copies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Huffstutter |first=P.J |date=29 December 1997 |title=Computer game industry scores in 1997 |url=https://dailyherald.newspaperarchive.com/arlington-heights-daily-herald-suburban-chicago/1997-12-29/page-268/ |work=Arlington Heights Daily Herald |pages=268}}</ref> It sold more than 6.3 million units worldwide by 2000, including more than 4.3 million in the United States;<ref name=mostinfluential>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050525124359/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/most_influential/p14.html | url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/features/pc/most_influential/p14.html | title=The 15 Most Influential Games of All Time; ''Myst'' | author=Staff | date=November 7, 2000 | work=[[GameSpot]] | archive-date=May 25, 2005 | page=14 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> and was the [[List of best-selling PC games|bestselling PC game]] throughout the 1990s until ''[[The Sims (video game)|The Sims]]'' exceeded its sales in 2002.<ref name="best-selling">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-sims-overtakes-myst/1100-2857556/|title=The Sims overtakes Myst |access-date=April 27, 2014 |author=Walker, Trey |date=March 22, 2002 |website=[[GameSpot]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108083121/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-sims-overtakes-myst/1100-2857556/|archive-date=January 8, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/04/science/personal-computers-riven-picks-up-where-best-selling-myst-left-off.html |title=Personal Computers; ''Riven'' Picks Up Where Best-Selling ''Myst'' Left Off |last=Manes |first=Stephen |date=November 4, 1997 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-access=limited |archive-date=April 11, 2020 |access-date=September 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411101315/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/04/science/personal-computers-riven-picks-up-where-best-selling-myst-left-off.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://money.cnn.com/2002/03/27/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/ |title=Goodbye ''Myst''. Hello ''Sims'' |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=March 28, 2002 |website=[[CNN]] |access-date=January 9, 2024 |language=en |archive-date=December 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206185244/https://money.cnn.com/2002/03/27/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Along with ''The 7th Guest'', ''Myst'' was a [[killer application]] that accelerated the sales of CD-ROM drives.<ref name="1up"/><ref name="ign_2000-08-01">{{cite web|date=August 1, 2000|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/082/082913p1.html|title=PC Retroview: Myst|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=April 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120054557/http://pc.ign.com/articles/082/082913p1.html|archive-date=January 20, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="fastcompany_2018-09-24">{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Benj|date=September 24, 2018|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90240345/myst-at-25-how-it-changed-gaming-created-addicts-and-made-enemies|title=Myst at 25: How it changed gaming, created addicts, and made enemies|website=[[Fast Company]]|access-date=January 7, 2024|archive-date=October 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001011957/https://www.fastcompany.com/90240345/myst-at-25-how-it-changed-gaming-created-addicts-and-made-enemies|url-status=live}}</ref> The game was the first CD-ROM title to sell more than two million units.<ref name="Guinness">{{cite book |author=Carrier, Rhonda |title=The Guinness Book of Records 1999 |date=September 10, 1998 |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |isbn=978-0-9652383-9-7 |page=170 |url=https://archive.org/details/guinness1999book00slgu/page/170 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

==Remakes and ports==
{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| align             = right
| header            = ''Myst'' has been remade for PC multiple times since its release.
| image1            = Myst opening.png
| caption1          = The dock from the starting position on Myst Island as a pre-rendered still in the original game (1993)
| image2            = Realmyst screen.png
| caption2          = The same scene rendered in [[Real-time computer graphics|real-time 3D]] in ''realMyst'' (2000)
| image3            = RealMyst Masterpiece Edition dock.png
| caption3          = The same scene remade using the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity engine]] in ''realMyst: Masterpiece Edition'' 2.0 (2015)
| image4            = Myst_2023,_dock_scene.jpg
| caption4          = The same scene remade using [[Unreal Engine]] in the VR remake (2021)
| width             = 200
}}
''Myst''{{'}}s success led to the game being ported to multiple platforms. Versions for the [[Sega Saturn]], [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]], [[Atari Jaguar CD]], [[AmigaOS]], [[CD-i]] and [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]] consoles were released. A version for the [[Sega CD]] was developed and previewed by Sunsoft, but ultimately did not ship.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AEGM2_US_02.pdf&page=59|title=Next Wave - Sega CD - Myst (Sunsoft)|magazine=[[EGM2|EGM<sup>2</sup>]]|issue=2|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=August 1994|page=59|access-date=September 24, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804045849/https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AEGM2_US_02.pdf&page=59|url-status=live}}</ref> A remaster, ''Myst: Masterpiece Edition'', was released in May 2000. It features several improvements over the original game: the images are re-rendered in 24-bit [[24-bit color|truecolor]] instead of the original ''Myst''{{'}}s 256 colors (8-bit); the score was remastered, and sound effects were enhanced.<ref name="masterpiece">{{cite web|url=http://www.ubi.com/US/Games/Info.aspx?pId=196|year=2000|publisher=[[Ubisoft]]|title=Myst: Masterpiece Edition|access-date=May 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317044812/http://www.ubi.com/US/Games/Info.aspx?pId=196|archive-date=March 17, 2008}}</ref> A 2023 fan effort "[[demake|demade]]" the game for the [[Atari 2600]].<ref name="arstechnica_2023-06-09">{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Benj|date=June 9, 2023|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/06/30-years-later-myst-demake-for-atari-2600-reminds-us-how-far-weve-come/|title=30 years later, Myst demake for Atari 2600 reminds us how far we've come|website=[[Ars Technica]]|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-date=February 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227090728/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/06/30-years-later-myst-demake-for-atari-2600-reminds-us-how-far-weve-come/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A complete remake of ''Myst'', ''RealMyst: Interactive 3D Edition'', was developed by Cyan and Sunsoft and published by [[Ubisoft]] in November 2000 for Windows PCs, and in January 2002 for Mac. Unlike the original game, the gameplay of ''realMyst'' features free-roaming, [[Realtime 3D graphics|real-time 3D graphics]].<ref name="realMystGS">{{Cite web | last=Walker | first=Trey | date=October 20, 2000 | url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/realmyst/news.html?sid=2643165&mode=recent | title=Real Myst Shipping in Early November | website=[[GameSpot]] | access-date=May 7, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525163227/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/realmyst/news.html?sid=2643165&mode=recent | archive-date=May 25, 2011 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Weather effects and a day/night cycle were added to the Ages alongside minor additions to keep the game's story in sync with later entries. The game also added a new Age called Rime, which is featured in an extended ending.<ref name="realMystGS" /> While the new interactivity of the game was praised, ''realMyst'' ran poorly on most computers of the time.<ref>{{cite web|date=November 13, 2000|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/165/165612p1.html|title=RealMyst Review|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=April 29, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308193646/http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/14/realmyst|archive-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="NG">{{cite magazine|last=Harker|first=Carla|title=Finals|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|volume=4|issue=2|publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]]|date=February 2001|page=84}}</ref> At release, Cyan described the remake as the game they would have originally made, had it not been for previous technology constraints.<ref name="realMystGS" /> Robyn Miller later expressed frustration with ''realMyst'' and its marketing, saying that it was not how they had originally envisioned ''Myst''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McFerran |first=Damien |title=The Making of Myst |magazine=Retro Gamer |date=January 2009 |publisher=Imagine Publishing |url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20059 |pages=92–95 |issue=59}}</ref>

In 2014, Cyan released a new visually enhanced revision of the game running on the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity engine]], ''realMyst: Masterpiece Edition''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-07-myst-gets-remade-again-in-realmyst-masterpiece-edition | title = Myst gets remade, again, in realMyst: Masterpiece Edition | first= Jeffrey | last= Matulef | date = February 7, 2014 | access-date = May 13, 2020 | work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref> The remake was updated to version 2.0 on January 28, 2015, receiving a significant graphical overhaul in which several bugs were fixed and the detail of many models and textures was upgraded.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/games/244430/announcements/detail/231142125568569395 |title=realMyst: Masterpiece Edition v2.0 released! |work=Steam Community |publisher=[[Cyan Worlds|Cyan, Inc]] |date=January 28, 2015 |access-date=October 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018203229/http://steamcommunity.com/games/244430/announcements/detail/231142125568569395 |archive-date=October 18, 2016 }}</ref>

Handheld and mobile ports include a remake of ''Myst'' for the [[PlayStation Portable]], first released in Japan in 2006. The remake included the Rime Age from ''realMyst'', and higher-resolution widescreen visuals.<ref name="ign_2009-08-13">{{cite web |last=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=August 13, 2009 |url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/101/1013801p1.html |title=Myst Set for PSP |website=[[IGN]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124202336/http://psp.ign.com/articles/101/1013801p1.html |archive-date=January 24, 2012 }}</ref> Similar versions for the [[Nintendo DS]] and [[Nintendo 3DS]] were released in 2007 and 2012, respectively.<ref name="myst ds">{{cite web |author=Purchese, Rob|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=77459 |title=Myst heads to DS |website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=June 7, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625064437/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=77459|archive-date=June 25, 2007}}</ref><ref name="nintendolife_2012">{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Martin|date=October 6, 2013|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds/myst|title=Myst Review (3DS); Mystifyingly bad|website=[[Nintendo Life]]|access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref> Cyan and [[Mean Hamster Software]] released ''Myst'' for the Microsoft [[Windows Mobile]] platform in 2005;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyanworlds.com/products/mystppc.php|title=Myst for PocketPC|access-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213032053/http://www.cyanworlds.com/products/mystppc.php|archive-date=December 13, 2012}}</ref> ''[[Riven]]'' was ported shortly after.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyanworlds.com/products/rivenppc.php|title=Riven for PocketPC|access-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030145352/http://www.cyanworlds.com/products/rivenppc.php|archive-date=October 30, 2012}}</ref> In August 2008, Cyan announced that the company was developing a version of ''Myst'' for Apple's [[iOS (Apple)|iOS]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Cohen, Peter|date=August 18, 2008|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/135131/2008/08/myst.html|title=Myst coming to iPhone|work=[[Macworld]]|access-date=August 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830212555/http://www.macworld.com/article/135131/2008/08/myst.html|archive-date=August 30, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> The game was made available to download from the iTunes [[App Store (iOS)|App Store]] on May 2, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 2, 2009|url=http://toucharcade.com/2009/05/02/cyans-myst-for-iphone-brings-back-memories/|title=Cyan's 'Myst' for iPhone Brings Back Memories|publisher=touchArcade|access-date=May 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418073307/http://toucharcade.com/2009/05/02/cyans-myst-for-iphone-brings-back-memories/|archive-date=April 18, 2011}}</ref> The original download size was 727&nbsp;MB, which was considered very large by iPhone standards.<ref>{{cite web|author=Williams, Bryn|date=May 4, 2009|url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/979/979141p1.html|title=Massive Myst Clogs Up iPhone|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|access-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203142832/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/979/979141p1.html|archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> An updated version of ''realMyst'' was released for [[iPad 2]] and above, with improved graphics over the original PC release, on June 14, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 14, 2012|url=http://www.cyanworlds.com/news/?p=48|title=realMyst for iPad - Now Available!|publisher=[[Cyan Worlds]]|access-date=August 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601143043/http://www.cyanworlds.com/news/?p=48 |archive-date=June 1, 2013 }}</ref> A version for [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices based on the ''realMyst'' version was released on January 26, 2017, produced and published by Noodlecake, and a similar port for ''Riven'' was released on April 26, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/26/14357340/myst-game-android-announced-mobile-release-date |title=Iconic adventure game Myst debuts on Android today |first=Andrew |last=Webster |date=January 26, 2017 |access-date=January 26, 2017 |work=[[The Verge]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126213352/http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/26/14357340/myst-game-android-announced-mobile-release-date |archive-date=January 26, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/26/classic-game-riven-follows-myst-onto-android-smartphones/ |title=Classic game Riven follows Myst onto Android smartphones |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |date=April 26, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2017 |work=[[VentureBeat]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427043229/https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/26/classic-game-riven-follows-myst-onto-android-smartphones/ |archive-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref>

''realMyst: Masterpiece Edition'' was released for the [[Nintendo Switch]] on May 21, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gematsu.com/2019/06/realmyst-masterpiece-edition-coming-to-switch |title=realMyst: Masterpiece Edition coming to Switch |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=June 10, 2019 |access-date=June 27, 2019 |work=Gematsu |archive-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627071018/https://gematsu.com/2019/06/realmyst-masterpiece-edition-coming-to-switch |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gematsu.com/2020/05/realmyst-masterpiece-edition-for-switch-launches-may-21 | title = realMyst: Masterpiece Edition for Switch launches May 21 | first = Sal | last = Romano | date = May 13, 2020 | access-date = May 13, 2020 | work = Gematsu }}</ref>

===3D remake for virtual reality and other platforms===
Cyan announced a new remake of ''Myst'' for high-definition screens and [[virtual reality]], with the game's worlds fully created in free-roam 3D environments, using [[Unreal Engine 4]], along with features like puzzle randomization, in September 2020.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/16/21436681/myst-trailer-cyan-worlds-remake-vr-oculus-quest-announcement | title = The original Myst is coming to VR | first = Adi | last =Robertson |date = September 16, 2020 | access-date= September 16, 2020 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gog.com/news/coming_soon_myst | title = Coming Soon: Myst| publisher = [[GOG.com]] | date = September 16, 2020 | access-date = September 16, 2020 }}</ref> ''Myst'' for the [[Oculus Quest]] and [[Oculus Quest 2]] was released on December 10, 2020;<ref>{{cite web | url = https://venturebeat.com/2020/12/09/cyans-original-myst-debuts-on-the-oculus-quest-2/ | title = Cyan's original Myst debuts on the Oculus Quest 2 | first = Dean | last = Takahashi | date = December 9, 2020 | access-date = December 9, 2020 | work = [[Venture Beat]] | archive-date = December 9, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201209130221/https://venturebeat.com/2020/12/09/cyans-original-myst-debuts-on-the-oculus-quest-2/ | url-status = live }}</ref> on August 26, 2021, for [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]] and [[Xbox One]];<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/22/22545252/myst-vr-pc-mac-cyan-worlds | title = The VR Myst remake is also coming to the Mac and PC this fall | first = Richard | last = Lawler | date = June 22, 2021 | access-date = June 22, 2021 | work = [[The Verge]] | archive-date = June 22, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210622165734/https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/22/22545252/myst-vr-pc-mac-cyan-worlds | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.gamespot.com/articles/myst-remake-coming-to-pc-and-xbox-game-pass-on-august-26/1100-6495234/ | title = Myst Remake Coming To PC And Xbox Game Pass On August 26 | first = George | last =Yang | date = August 17, 2021 | access-date = August 17, 2021 | work = [[GameSpot]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 17, 2021|title=Myst is Coming to Xbox for the First Time on August 26 with Xbox Game Pass|url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/08/17/myst-is-coming-august-26-with-xbox-game-pass/|access-date=September 2, 2021|website=Xbox Wire|language=en-US}}</ref> and on February 9, 2023, for [[iOS]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yarwood |first1=Jack |title=A New Mobile Version Of Myst Is Coming This Thursday For iOS |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/02/a-new-mobile-version-of-myst-is-coming-this-thursday-for-ios |website=Time Extension |publisher=Hookshot Media |access-date=February 7, 2023 |date=February 7, 2023 |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207190712/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/02/a-new-mobile-version-of-myst-is-coming-this-thursday-for-ios |url-status=live }}</ref> An update to include the world of Rime was added to this version of ''Myst'' in March 2025.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/news/543777/myst-2020-rime-update-free-patch | title = Babe, wake up, it's 2025 and Myst just patched in new content | first = Susana | last = Polo | date = March 20, 2025 | accessdate = March 22, 2025 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = March 22, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250322205505/https://www.polygon.com/news/543777/myst-2020-rime-update-free-patch | url-status = live }}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| GR = PC: 83%<ref name="Mystg">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/89467-myst/index.html |title=Myst for PC |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=December 11, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220045403/http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/89467.asp?q=Myst |archive-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref><br />DS: 45%<ref name="ds gr">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ds/939943-myst/index.html |title=Myst for DS |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=December 11, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220051501/http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/939943.asp?q=myst |archive-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref><br />iOS: 88%<ref name="ios gr">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/iphone/959964-myst/index.html |title=Myst for iOS (iPhone/iPad) |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=December 11, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209013045/https://www.gamerankings.com/iphone/959964-myst/index.html |archive-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref><br />PSP: 60%<ref name="psp gr">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/psp/930989-myst/index.html |title=Myst for PSP |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=February 26, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220044020/http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/930989.asp?q=myst |archive-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref>
| MC = DS: 43/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/myst/critic-reviews/?platform=ds |title=Myst for DS Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[Red Ventures]] |access-date=December 11, 2018}}</ref><br />PSP: 69/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/myst/critic-reviews/?platform=psp |title=Myst for PSP Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[Red Ventures]] |access-date=December 11, 2018 |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106025220/https://www.metacritic.com/game/myst/critic-reviews/?platform=psp |url-status=live }}</ref><br />3DS: 23/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/myst/critic-reviews/?platform=3ds |title=Myst for 3DS Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[Red Ventures]] |access-date=December 11, 2018 |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106012337/https://www.metacritic.com/game/myst/critic-reviews/?platform=3ds |url-status=live }}</ref>
| AdvGamers = 4/5<ref name="adv game"/>
| Edge = 6/10<ref name="Edge-Review(Mac)"/>
| EGM = 3DO: 5.75/10<ref name=EGM71>{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew: Myst|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=71|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=June 1995|page=40}}</ref>
| Fam = PS: 29/40<ref>{{cite journal|author=Staff|title=New Games Cross Review - MYST|journal=Weekly Famitsu|issue=323|date=February 24, 1995|page=37}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=PLAYSTATION CROSS REVIEW: MYST|journal=Weekly Famicom Tsūshin|issue=33|page=23|author=Staff|date=May 5, 1995}}</ref>
| GSpot = PC: 8.9/10<ref name="gamespot"/><br />PS: 6.3/10<ref name=GSPS>{{cite web|last=Dulin|first=Ron|title=Myst Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/myst-review/1900-2546017/|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=February 10, 2018|date=December 1, 1996}}</ref>
| NGen = 3DO/PS: 2/5<ref name=NGen6>{{cite magazine |title=Missed |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=6|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=June 1995|page=101}}</ref><ref name=NGen25>{{cite magazine |title=Myst |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=25|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=January 1997|page=58}}</ref><br />SAT: 3/5<ref name=NGen8>{{cite magazine|title=Myst |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=8|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=August 1995|page=69}}</ref>
| NLife = 3DS: 1/10<ref name=NLife3DS>{{cite web|last=Watts|first=Martin|title=Myst Review (3DS)|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds/myst|website=[[Nintendo Life]]|access-date=February 10, 2018|date=October 6, 2013|archive-date=February 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213123521/http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds/myst|url-status=live}}</ref>
| PG = 3DS: 3/10<ref name=PocketGrev>{{cite web|last=Highfield|first=Vaughn|title=A Myst Opportunity|url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/3DS/Myst/review.asp?c=54456|website=[[Pocket Gamer]]|access-date=February 10, 2018|date=October 15, 2013|archive-date=October 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027201611/http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/3DS/Myst/review.asp?c=54456|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''Maximum''
| rev1Score = SAT/PS: 2/5<ref name=MaxSat>{{cite magazine |title=Maximum Reviews: Myst|magazine=Maximum: The Video Game Magazine|issue=1|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=October 1995|page=146}}</ref><ref name=MaxPS>{{cite magazine |title=Maximum Reviews: Myst|magazine=Maximum: The Video Game Magazine|issue=4|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=1996|page=150}}</ref>
}}

''Myst'' was generally praised by critics. ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' assured its readers that the game was not like other CD-ROM games that were "high on glitz and low on substance ... ''Myst'' is everything it's touted to be and is, quite simply, the best [Macintosh] CD-ROM game." It praised the game's [[open-world]] nature, lack of player death, and "straightforward and simple" storyline. The magazine stated that the "mesmerizing" and "stunning" graphics and sound were "not the star of the show ... the substance of the game is every bit as good as its packaging", and concluded that ''Myst'' "is bound to set a new standard".<ref name="breen199312">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=113 |title=A Spectacle Not To Be Myst |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=December 1993 |access-date=March 29, 2016 |author=Breen, Christopher |pages=114, 116 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319021149/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=113 |archive-date=March 19, 2016 }}</ref> In April 1994, the magazine called it an "artistic masterwork".<ref name="cgw199404">{{Cite magazine|date=April 1994|title=Invasion Of The Data Stashers|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117|magazine=Computer Gaming World|pages=20–42|access-date=November 10, 2017|archive-date=November 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111041726/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=117|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jeff Koke]] reviewed ''Myst'' in ''[[Pyramid (magazine)|Pyramid]]'' #8 (July/August 1994), and stated: "It is the first adventure game in which I left feeling as though I had visited a real place."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=801 |magazine=Pyramid |title=MYST |first=Jeff |last=Koke |issue=8 |date=July 1994 |publisher=Steve Jackson Games |access-date=December 10, 2019 |archive-date=August 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804064630/http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=801 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'' and ''[[The New York Times]]'' were among the publications that pointed to ''Myst'' as evidence that video games could, in fact, [[Video games as an art form|evolve into an art form]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Rothstein, Edward|date=December 4, 1994|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E7DD1030F937A35751C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1|title=A New Art Form May Arise From the 'Myst'|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115195423/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/04/arts/a-new-art-form-may-arise-from-the-myst.html|archive-date=January 15, 2012|url-status=live |url-access=limited}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' reported that some players considered ''Myst''{{'}}s "virtual morality" a religious experience.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Daly, Steve |date=October 7, 1994 |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/10/07/land-myst-opportunity/ |title=The Land of 'Myst' Opportunity |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=May 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515080826/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C303937%2C00.html |archive-date=May 15, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Aarhus University]] professor Søren Pold pointed to ''Myst'' as an excellent example of how stories can be told using objects rather than people.<ref>{{cite web|author=Pold, Søren|url=http://imv.au.dk/~pold/publikat/writcode.htm|title=Writing With the Code - a Digital Poetics|publisher=[[Aarhus University]]|access-date=April 15, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618003824/http://imv.au.dk/~pold/publikat/writcode.htm|archive-date=June 18, 2008}}</ref> Laura Evenson, writing for the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', pointed to adult-oriented games like ''Myst'' as evidence the video game industry was emerging from its "adolescent" phase.<ref>{{cite news|author=Evenson, Laura|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|title=Interactive CD-ROMs come of age|date=December 22, 1994|page=DAT36}}</ref>

''[[GameSpot]]''{{'}}s Jeff Sengstack wrote that "''Myst'' is an immersive experience that draws you in and won't let you go."<ref name="gamespot">{{cite web|author=Sengstack, Jeff|date=May 1, 1996|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/myst-review/1900-2542724/|title=Myst for PC Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207082739/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/myst-review/1900-2542724/|archive-date=December 7, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing about ''Myst''{{'}}s reception, Greg M. Smith noted that ''Myst'' had become a hit and was regarded as incredibly immersive despite most closely resembling "the hoary technology of the [[slideshow]] (with accompanying music and effects)".<ref name="mysty">{{cite book|author=Smith, Greg|year=2002|title=Hop on Pop: The Pleasures and Politics of Popular Culture|series=Navigating Myst-y Landscapes: Killer Applications and Hybrid Criticism|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=0-8223-2737-6}}</ref> Smith concluded that "''Myst''{{'}}s primary brilliance lies in the way it provides narrative justification for the very things that are most annoying" about the technological constraints imposed on the game;<ref name="mysty"/> for instance, ''[[Macworld]]'' praised ''Myst''{{'}}s designers for overcoming the occasionally debilitating slowness of CD drives to deliver a consistent experience throughout the game.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Beekman, George and Ben|date=March 1994|title=Myst 1.0|magazine=[[Macworld]]|page=76 |url=https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9403_March_1994/page/n79/mode/2up |issue=3 |volume=11}}</ref> The publication went on to declare ''Myst'' the best game of 1994, stating that ''Myst'' removed the "most annoying parts of adventure games—vocabularies that [you] don't understand, people you can't talk to, wrong moves that get you killed and make you start over. You try to unravel the enigma of the island by exploring the island, but there's no time pressure to distract you, no arbitrary punishments put in your way".<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Levy, Steven|title=1994 Macintosh Game Hall of Fame|magazine=[[Macworld]]|date=January 1995|volume=12|issue=1|pages=100–106 |url=https://archive.org/details/MacWorld_9501_January_1995/page/n101/mode/2up}}</ref>

Some aspects of the game still received criticism. Several publications did not agree with the positive reception of the story. Jeremy Parish of ''[[1UP.com]]'' noted that while its lack of interaction and continual plot suited the game, ''Myst'' contributed to a decline in the adventure game genre.<ref name="1up">{{cite web|author=Parrish, Jeremy |url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-myst |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604014208/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-myst |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |title=When SCUMM Ruled the Earth |website=[[1UP.com]] |access-date=May 2, 2008}}</ref> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'' stated the main flaw with the game was that the game engine was nowhere near as sophisticated as the graphics.<ref name="Edge-Review(Mac)">{{cite magazine |title = Myst Review (Mac)|magazine = [[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher = [[Future plc]] |page = 66 |date = January 1994|issue=4}}</ref> Heidi Fournier of ''[[Adventure Gamers]]'' noted a few critics complained about the difficulty and lack of context of the puzzles, while others believed these elements added to the gameplay.<ref name="adv game">{{cite web|author=Fournier, Heidi|date=May 20, 2002|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17473|title=Myst: Review|publisher=[[Adventure Gamers]]|access-date=April 29, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213023453/http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17473|archive-date=December 13, 2014|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Similarly, critics were split on whether the lack of a plot the player could actually change was a good or bad element.<ref name="amiga">{{cite journal|author=Smith, Andy|date=March 1998|title=Amiga Reviews Myst|journal=Amiga Format|url=http://www.amigareviews.leveluphost.com/myst.htm|issue=108|pages=35–37|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004235336/http://www.amigareviews.leveluphost.com/myst.htm|archive-date=October 4, 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=April 4, 2012}}</ref> In 1996 ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' called ''Myst'' "gaming's bleakest hour", saying the static graphics and purely trial-and-error puzzles epitomized poor game design. The magazine said its commercial success, which they owed chiefly to its popularity among non-gamers as a CD-ROM showcase, had led to many other games emulating its negative aspects.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Crib Sheet|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=23 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=November 1996|page=19}}</ref> In a 2000 retrospective review, ''[[IGN]]'' declared that ''Myst'' had not aged well and that playing it "was like watching hit TV shows from the 70s. 'People watched that?,' you wonder in horror."<ref name="ign_2000-08-01"/>

''Myst'' was named Best Adventure/Fantasy Role-Playing Game at the 1994 [[Codie awards|Codie award]]s,<ref name="cgw199405">{{Cite magazine |date=May 1994 |title=Software Publishing Association Picks Codie Winners |department=Read.Me |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118 |magazine=Computer Gaming World |pages=12 |access-date=November 11, 2017 |archive-date=July 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703000430/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=118 |url-status=live }}</ref> and received an honorable mention in ''[[PC Entertainment|Electronic Entertainment]]''{{'}}s 1993 "Breakthrough Game" category, which ultimately went to ''[[The 7th Guest]]''. That magazine's editors wrote, "One of the best-looking, best-sounding games ever, the Macintosh version of ''Myst'' sets new standards for the effective use of CD-ROM."<ref name=e21993>{{cite journal | title=The First ''Electronic Entertainment'' Editors' Choice Awards | author=Staff | journal=[[PC Entertainment|Electronic Entertainment]] | date=March 1994 | volume=1 | number=3 | pages=61–65 }}</ref> ''Myst'' was also a runner-up for ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s 1993 "Adventure Game of the Year" award, but lost to ''[[Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers]]'' and ''[[Day of the Tentacle]]'' (tie).<ref name=cgw1993>{{cite magazine | author=Staff |title=Announcing the New Premier Awards |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |issue=119 |date=June 1994 |pages=51–54, 56–58 }}</ref> In 1996, the magazine ranked ''Myst'' 11th on its list of the most innovative computer games.<ref name="cgw199611mostinnovative">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 |title=The 15 Most Innovative Computer Games |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=November 1996 |access-date=March 25, 2016 |page=102 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408023915/http://cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1996&pub=2&id=148 |archive-date=April 8, 2016 }}</ref>

Reviews for the game's console ports generally reflected each critic's attitude towards the original game, as critics agreed that the ports for 3DO,<ref name=EGM71/><ref name=NGen6/><ref name=GP81>{{cite magazine|title=ProReview: Myst|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=81|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=June 1995|page=80}}</ref> Saturn,<ref name=MaxSat/><ref name=NGen8/><ref>{{cite magazine|title=ProReview: Myst|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=86|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=November 1995|page=64}}</ref> and PlayStation<ref name=MaxPS/><ref name=NGen25/><ref>{{cite magazine|title=ProReview: Myst|magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=92|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=May 1996|page=60}}</ref> are virtually identical to the PC original. For example, Sushi-X of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' gave the 3DO version a five out of ten, remarking: "The graphics and sounds are decent but the game never really appealed to me on the PC", while his co-reviewer Danyon Carpenter gave it a seven out of ten and assessed that "This game was all the rage when it debuted on the PC, and that excitement should follow through on the 3DO."<ref name=EGM71/> In one of the more enthusiastic reviews for ''Myst'', ''[[GamePro]]'' gave the 3DO version a perfect five out of five in all four categories (graphics, sound, control and fun factor), concluding: "Beautiful and enchanting, ''Myst'' will thrill you and make you think at the same time."<ref name=GP81/> The Jaguar CD version was largely ignored by reviewers, but ''GamePro'' commented that apart from the Jaguar CD's lack of a mouse peripheral and occasionally longer load times, this version too is identical to the PC original.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=ProReview: Myst|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=91 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=April 1996|page=85}}</ref>

However, the 3DS version received negative reviews even from critics who felt that ''Myst''{{'}}s popularity was merited, citing graphics and audio well below the 3DS's capabilities and the use of awkward circle pad controls in lieu of the 3DS's touchscreen.<ref name=NLife3DS/><ref name=PocketGrev/>

===Legacy===
''Myst''{{'}}s success was due to its wide audience appeal, high-fidelity imagery combined with low system requirements, and the number of platforms it appeared on. It showed that games focused on puzzles instead of action could be major hits.<ref name="wolf_2011"/>{{rp|4–6}} ''Myst''{{'}}s popularity baffled some, who wondered how a game that was seen as "little more than 'an interactive slide show'" turned out to be a hit.<ref>{{cite web|author=Miller, Laura|date=November 6, 1997|url=http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1997/11/cov_06riven.html|title=Riven Rapt|work=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|access-date=May 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402053903/http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1997/11/cov_06riven.html|archive-date=April 2, 2008}}</ref><ref name="fastcompany_2018-09-24"/> As early as December 1994, ''[[Newsweek]]'' compared ''Myst'' to "an [[art film]], destined to gather critical acclaim and then dust on the shelves".<ref name="fastcompany_2018-09-24"/> Others criticized ''Myst'' as the "ultimate anti-arcade game", as it was much more relaxed and casual than other games—the game required no special skills and there was no score or time limit.<ref name="fastcompany_2018-09-24"/> ''Myst'' was described by Stephen Kline and his coauthors as the "anti-''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]''"; where ''Doom'' was violent, Satanic and focused on shock value and speed, ''Myst'' was tranquil and created by Christian developers.<ref name="Kline et al-2003">{{cite book|last1=Kline|first1=Stephen|last2=Dyer-Witheford|first2=Nick|last3=de Peuter|first3=Greig|date=2003|title=Digital Play: The Interaction of Technology, Culture, and Marketing|section=''Myst''-ification|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|isbn=0-7735-2591-2|pages=147–148}}</ref>

In the wake of ''Myst''{{'}}s sales, other developers sought to capitalize on comparing their games to ''Myst'', or released "''Myst'' clones" that sought to replicate its success.<ref name="1up"/><ref name="Billboard_1994-07-09">{{cite magazine|last=Gillen|first=Marilyn|date=July 9, 1994|title=Interactive Gamers Try to Follow Enveloping 'Myst'|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=106|issue=28|page=1}}</ref> Some developers of adventure games concurrent to ''Myst''{{'}}s release were critical of the game due to the number of subsequent titles that copied ''Myst''{{'}}s style.<ref name="fastcompany_2018-09-24"/> As the adventure game genre faced a downturn, ''[[Gamecenter]]'' and others laid the blame squarely on ''Myst'':
<blockquote>People wanted eye candy, not real storytelling. Never mind the fact that ''Myst'' had the worst ending in gaming history; never mind the fact that ''Myst''{{'}}s idea of interactivity involved sparse clicks followed by hours of skull scratching. True adventure games came—''[[Grim Fandango]]'', ''[[Blade Runner (1997 video game)|Blade Runner]]'', ''[[Gabriel Knight 3]]''—and they failed to get sales.<ref name="gamecenter_2000">{{cite web|author=Staff|date=2000|url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Deadburied/ss01.html|title=Dead and Buried; Five Disappearing Genres|website=[[Gamecenter]]|page=1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001109203800/http://www.gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Deadburied/ss01.html|archive-date=November 9, 2000|access-date=January 27, 2024}}</ref></blockquote>

In comparison, game designer [[Josh Mandel (video game designer)|Josh Mandel]] said the responsibility belonged to game publishers, who now expected every adventure game to be a ''Myst''-caliber hit.<ref name="ign_2015-03-02">{{cite web|last=Andreadisi|first=Kosta|date=March 1, 2015|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/02/the-past-present-and-future-of-adventure-games|title=The Past, Present, and Future of Adventure Games|website=[[IGN]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150305100613/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/02/the-past-present-and-future-of-adventure-games|archive-date=March 5, 2015|pages=1–2|access-date=January 27, 2024}}</ref> ''Edge'', writing in 1998, declared the game's impact mixed, but one that ultimately did more good to the industry than harm, writing that it helped develop PC-based gaming.<ref name="edgeuk_66">{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=Christmas 1998|title=Food for Thought|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge UK]]|issue=66|page=79|issn=}}</ref>

''Myst'' helped create a new way of thinking about presentation in video games due to the nature of the CD-ROM: whereas most games before could be viewed as "games of emergence", in which game elements combined in novel and surprising ways to the player, ''Myst'' demonstrated one of the first "games of progression" where the player is guided through predefined sets of encounters. This helped to provide alternative experiences atypical of usual video games, and helped lay the foundations of more experimental [[indie video game]]s developed in the 2000s.<ref name="polygon handmade pixels">{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/15/20962788/indie-development-history-handmade-pixels | title = The indie explosion that's been going on for 30 years (give or take) | first = Jesper | last = Juul | date = November 15, 2019 | access-date = November 15, 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = November 15, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191115155230/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/15/20962788/indie-development-history-handmade-pixels | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="pcgamesn_2024-06-03">{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Ed|date=June 3, 2024|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/riven-remake/release-date|title=After 25 years, monumental PC classic gets a full remake, out soon|website=[[PCGamesN]]|access-date=June 3, 2024|archive-date=June 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603145735/https://www.pcgamesn.com/riven-remake/release-date|url-status=live}}</ref> The game served as a precursor to [[casual game]]s, which typically do not require players to act quickly, as well as an early predecessor to the [[walking simulator]]s that allow players to explore at their own pace.<ref name="fastcompany_2018-09-24"/> Cyan's sequels to ''Myst'' also indirectly served to popularize [[escape the room]] games, which provide similar puzzle-solving experiences but in a much more confined space.<ref name="vox">{{cite web | url = https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/10/26/13311456/escape-the-room-games-explained | title = The strange appeal of escape the room games, explained | first = Alex | last = Abad-Santos | date = October 26, 2016 | access-date = October 29, 2018 | work = [[Vox (website)|Vox]] | archive-date = October 27, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161027150612/https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/10/26/13311456/escape-the-room-games-explained | url-status = live }}</ref>

''Myst'' became a cultural touchstone of the day; the game was so popular the Miller brothers appeared in advertisements for [[Gap Inc.|The Gap]].<ref name="pcworld-deep dive">{{cite web|author=Dingman, Hayden|date=November 15, 2013|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2063396/deep-dive-with-myst-co-creator-rand-miller-the-full-interview.html?page=2|title=Deep dive with Myst co-creator Rand Miller: The full interview|website=[[PC World]]|access-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214015509/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2063396/deep-dive-with-myst-co-creator-rand-miller-the-full-interview.html?page=0|archive-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref> Actor [[Matt Damon]] wanted ''[[Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy|The Bourne Conspiracy]]'' video game to be a puzzle game like ''Myst'', refusing to lend his voice talent to the game when it was turned into a shooter instead.<ref>{{cite web|author=Klepek, Patrick|date=April 29, 2008|url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/04/29/matt-damon-never-spoke-with-bourne-developers-wanted-a-game-like-myst/|title=Update: Matt Damon Didn't Speak Directly To 'Bourne' Developers, Wanted A Game Like 'Myst'|work=[[MTV]]|access-date=May 2, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913031523/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/04/29/matt-damon-never-spoke-with-bourne-developers-wanted-a-game-like-myst/|archive-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> ''Myst'' has also been used for educational and scientific purposes; [[Becta]] recognized a primary school teacher, Tim Rylands, who had made literacy gains using ''Myst'' as a teaching tool,<ref>{{cite news|last=Twist|first=Jo|date=August 25, 2005|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4160466.stm|title=Pupils learn through Myst game|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=May 3, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305190433/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4160466.stm|archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> and researchers have used the game for studies examining the effect of video games on aggression.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Kirsh SJ|title= Seeing the world through Mortal Kombat-colored glasses: violent video games and the development of a short-term hostile attribution bias|journal= Childhood|year=1998|issue=2|pages=177–184|doi= 10.1177/0907568298005002005|volume= 5|s2cid= 143735522}}</ref> A parody computer game, ''[[Pyst]]'', was released in 1996; the game is a satirical free roam of Myst Island which had been apparently vandalized by frustrated visitors.<ref>{{cite news | title = Myst Gets Dissed on CD-ROM | work = [[BusinessWeek]] | author = Eng, Paul M | date = October 12, 1996}}</ref> ''Myst'' was added to [[List of video games in the Museum of Modern Art|the collection of video games]] of the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in 2013, where it is displayed as a video presentation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/arts/video-games/a-museums-games-are-not-on-pedestals.html?_r=0 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=A Museum's Games Are Not on Pedestals |last=Suellentrop |first=Chris |date=March 3, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106034126/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/arts/video-games/a-museums-games-are-not-on-pedestals.html?_r=0 |archive-date=November 6, 2015 |url-access=limited}}</ref><!-- mention smithsonian games as art bit -->

''Myst''{{'}}s success sparked a multimedia franchise. ''[[Riven]]'' was released in 1997 and continues ''Myst''{{'}}s storyline. [[Presto Studios]] and [[Ubisoft]] developed and published ''[[Myst III: Exile]]'' in 2001,<ref>{{cite web|date=April 5, 2001|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/093/093192p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020223074900/http://pc.ign.com/articles/093/093192p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 23, 2002|title=News Briefs: Halo rumors fly, Tribes 2 event on Saturday, and no TF2 at E3?|website=IGN|access-date=May 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=May 2, 2001|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/094/094134p1.html|title=New Myst III Trailer|website=IGN|access-date=April 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305235943/http://pc.ign.com/articles/094/094134p1.html|archive-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Myst IV: Revelation]]'' was developed and published entirely by Ubisoft and released in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|author=Castro, Juan|date=April 5, 2004|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/504/504216p1.html|title=Myst IV Announced|website=IGN|access-date=May 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516153647/http://pc.ign.com/articles/504/504216p1.html|archive-date=May 16, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The latest game in the franchise is ''[[Myst V: End of Ages]]'', developed by Cyan Worlds and released in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|author=Surrette, Tim|date=January 12, 2005|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/mystvendofages/news.html?sid=6116222&mode=all|title=Myst V landing on PCs this fall|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=May 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525163214/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/mystvendofages/news.html?sid=6116222&mode=all|archive-date=May 25, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to the main games, Cyan developed ''[[Uru: Ages Beyond Myst]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Calvert, Justin|date=November 14, 2003|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/uruonlineagesbeyondmyst/news.html?sid=6083553|title=Uru: Ages Beyond Myst ships|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=April 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309232431/http://www.gamespot.com/news/uru-ages-beyond-myst-ships-6083553|archive-date=March 9, 2013}}</ref> The multiplayer component of ''Uru'' was initially canceled, but [[GameTap]] eventually revived it as ''[[Myst Online: Uru Live]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Onyett, Charlie|date=February 4, 2008|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/849/849518p1.html|title=Myst Online: Uru Live is Discontinued|website=IGN|access-date=April 9, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026090949/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/02/05/myst-online-uru-live-is-discontinued|archive-date=October 26, 2012}}</ref> After ''Uru Live'' was cancelled, the game was released as an open source title.<ref>{{cite web |author=Chalk, Andy|date=April 7, 2011|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109075-Open-Source-Myst-Online-Finally-Happens|title=Open Source Myst Online Finally Happens|work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|publisher=Defy Media|access-date=March 11, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314214009/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109075-Open-Source-Myst-Online-Finally-Happens|archive-date=March 14, 2012}}</ref> The Miller brothers collaborated with [[David Wingrove]] to produce several novels based on the ''Myst'' universe, which were published by [[Hachette Books|Hyperion]]. The novels, entitled ''Myst: The Book of Atrus'', ''Myst: The Book of Ti'ana'' and ''Myst: The Book of D'ni'', fill in the games' backstory and were packaged together as ''[[The Myst Reader]]''. By 2003, the [[Myst (series)|''Myst'' franchise]] had sold over twelve&nbsp;million copies worldwide,<ref>{{cite press release|date=May 7, 2003|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-23203075_ITM|title=New and Expanded Features Revealed for Highly-Anticipated Uru: Ages Beyond 'Myst'|publisher=[[Business Wire]]|access-date=April 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302012258/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-23203075_ITM|archive-date=March 2, 2009}}</ref> with ''Myst'' representing more than six million copies in the figure.<ref name="spokesmanreview_2001-05-22">{{cite news|last=Guilofil|first=Michael |date=May 22, 2001 |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/pf.asp?date=052201&id=s966647 |title=Beyond the Myst |newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102215621/http://www.spokesmanreview.com/pf.asp?date=052201&id=s966647 |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Multiple attempts have been made to adapt the games and series into television series and feature films.<ref>{{cite web| author=Andreeva, Nellie | url = https://deadline.com/2015/05/myst-tv-series-video-game-hulu-legendary-matt-tolmach-1201421271/ | title = Hulu Lands 'Myst' Drama From Legendary TV & Matt Tolmach Based On Video Game | website = [[Deadline Hollywood]] | date =May 6, 2015 | access-date =May 6, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221062058/http://deadline.com/2015/05/myst-tv-series-video-game-hulu-legendary-matt-tolmach-1201421271 |archive-date=February 21, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/26/18760000/myst-game-tv-series-film-village-roadshow | title = The Myst TV series is dead; long live the Myst TV series | first = Sean | last = Hollister | date = June 26, 2019 | access-date = June 26, 2019 | work = [[The Verge]] | archive-date = June 26, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190626194030/https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/26/18760000/myst-game-tv-series-film-village-roadshow | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://deadline.com/2020/04/village-roadshow-ashley-edward-miller-myst-video-game-1202909392/ | title = Village Roadshow Taps 'X-Men: First Class' Writer Ashley Edward Miller To Adapt Video Game 'Myst' For Television | first = Peter | last = White | date = April 15, 2020 | access-date = April 15, 2020 | work = [[Deadline Hollywood]] | archive-date = April 15, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200415232838/https://deadline.com/2020/04/village-roadshow-ashley-edward-miller-myst-video-game-1202909392/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Choose Your Own Adventure|Choose-your-own-adventure]] and [[gamebook]]—Books that allow the reader to choose a narrative line

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
<references>
<ref name="wolf_2011">{{cite book|last=Wolf|first=Mark|year=2011|title=Myst and Riven: The World of the D'ni|publisher=University of Michigan Press|isbn=978-0-472-05149-6}}</ref>
</references>

==External links==
{{Sister project links |wikt=no |commons=Category:Myst |b=no |n=no |q=Myst |s=no |v=no |species=no|m=no|mw=no|display=''Myst''}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Myst.ogg|date=March 30, 2009}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{moby game|id=/myst}}
* {{IMDb title}}

{{Myst franchise}}
{{Portal bar|1990s|United States|Video games}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myst}}
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