Players can interact with specific objects on some screens by clicking or dragging them. Myst 's gameplay consists of a first-person journey through an interactive world. The library, visible in the background, contains books that describe each of the different ages the player can link to. Solving a puzzle raises the ship in the foreground and allows the player to reach the Stoneship Age. Screenshot of the eponymous Myst Island, the central hub of the game. The game has been rereleased and remade using real-time 3D graphics. Myst helped drive adoption of the CD-ROM drive, spawned a multimedia franchise, and inspired clones, parodies, and new video game genres, as well as spin-off novels and other media. Selling more than six million copies, Myst became the best-selling PC game until The Sims exceeded its sales in 2002. Critics lauded the ability of the game to immerse players in its fictional world it has since been considered one of the best video games ever made. The game was a critical and commercial success. The game was created on Macintosh computers and ran on the HyperCard software stack, though ports to other platforms subsequently required the creation of a new engine. The game's design was limited by the small memory footprint of consoles (the original intended platform for the game) and by the slow speed of CD-ROM drives. They wanted to create a graphically-impressive game with a nonlinear story and mystery elements. Myst marked a segue for the Miller brothers from the kid's games market to adult-targeted games. The player interacts with objects and walks to different locations by clicking on pre-rendered imagery. From there, 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. In the game, the player travels via a special book to a mysterious island called Myst. It was developed by Cyan, Inc., published by Broderbund, and initially released in 1993 for the Macintosh. In particular, I'm thrilled by Ando's perfectionist attention to detail.Myst is a graphic adventure designed by the Miller brothers, Robyn and Rand. I applaud his enormous effort, even if it resulted in the death (or transformation) of an antiquarian book. He loaded the computer with Myst and its various sequels.Īnd voila! A real-life linking book was created:Īndo has this truly rare book for sale on his website for $15,625. He then completely destroyed its interior, replacing it with a custom-built desktop computer and a 5-inch touch-screen. Ando had the book repaired and custom embossed with the word MYST on both the front cover and spine in 24 carat gold. (In his research, Ando uncovered at least 14 variant bindings for this book, which makes sense, of course, as many of the Harper runs would have been custom-bound by period collectors). So Ando found a copy of the same Harper's, bound in a similar fashion. Ando found out that particular book was a bound copy of Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume LIV, Issue 312, December 1876 - May 1877. It's an amazing achievement:Īndo first had to source a copy of the book used by Cyan (the software company behind Myst) as a "texture reference" when developing the game. Over the course of six years, he transformed an antiquarian book into a functioning computer which lets you play Myst on an embedded touch screen. As you explore the island you uncover other books, called "linking books," which in turn transport you to other worlds.Ī superfan of the series in Australia, Mike Ando, decided to build a real-life linking book. In the game, you play a mysterious stranger who opens a book and is teleported to the eerie, deserted island of Myst. The New York Times hailed Myst as evidence that video games could be elevated into art. Myst's immersive first-person gameplay was a seminal achievement in the history of video games. If you came of age in the 90s, you probably played the video game Myst.
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