Riven, the sequel to puzzle game Myst, will get a “modern” 3D remake

Developer Cyan Worlds announced Monday that it’s in production on a full remake of Myst-sequel Riven, taking the blockbuster 1997 adventure-puzzle game somewhere it’s never been before: 3D.

One of the greatest feats in puzzlemaking is through environmental storytelling. RivenMillions of people were unable to navigate the two-dimensional, lush world. And for the game’s 25th anniversary, Cyan, the occasionally wobbly indie studio that crafted it, will remake the game as a “fully traversable” space.

It was explained by the company why it took so much time to bring this product to market. Riven into three dimensions in an FAQ: “Riven is one of the most highly regarded games in Cyan’s history. We didn’t want to approach it lightly or frivolously. Cyan is small studio. We wanted to make sure we could take on such a difficult, costly and complicated endeavor – and do it well.”

Although the announcement might surprise most people, it is a significant one. Riven nerds — *glances around nervously* *coughs* — got a bit of a heads up a year ago, when Cyan announced its agreement with The Starry Expanse Project, saying that it was in touch with the Starry Expanse team, and had even hired from their members. Starry Expanse, a fan-built attempt to reproduce the 2D images which made up Starry Expanse, was created. Riven’s locations, scenes, and puzzles as equally impactful 3D environments.

“We spoke confidentially with the Starry Expanse team a couple of years ago,” Cyan said in a blog post last year, “about the exciting news that Cyan Final wordsWe had the funds to address remaking Riven. Our agreement allowed us both to use core elements of their work to help jump-start development. We officially stopped development of The Starry Expanse Project. Riven began.”

Cyan didn’t provide any details on the release date of the remake or the window, but he noted that it was the best way for him to keep up with developments. Riven news would be to subscribe to the company’s newsletter.