Riven

About

"Riven" is a single-player adventure game known for its intriguing story, stellar mechanics, and stunning graphics/soundtrack. The game offers a highly emotional and atmospheric journey through a beautiful yet deceptive world filled with secrets and hidden truths. As the player, you must delve deep into this immersive environment to discover the truth and save a world torn asunder by timeless conflicts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,043 reviews

story244 positive mentions

stability56 negative mentions

Riven features stunning graphics and immersive world-building that still captivates players today.
The puzzles are cleverly designed, requiring critical thinking and attention to detail, making the sense of accomplishment rewarding.
The game offers a rich narrative experience, expanding on the lore established in Myst and providing a compelling story.

The game can be frustratingly difficult, with some puzzles being overly obscure and requiring extensive backtracking.
Technical issues, such as crashes and save file corruption, can hinder the gameplay experience on modern systems.
The pre-rendered graphics and point-and-click mechanics may feel dated and less engaging for modern gamers.

story
499 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The story of "Riven" is widely praised for its depth and engagement, serving as a compelling sequel to "Myst" that expands on its lore and characters. Players appreciate the intricate world-building and the way the narrative unfolds through exploration and environmental storytelling, although some find certain plot elements convoluted or difficult to decipher. Overall, the game is celebrated for its masterful integration of story, puzzles, and atmosphere, making it a standout in the adventure genre.
- “Its immersive world-building, complex puzzles, and captivating storytelling make it a true masterpiece that will be remembered for generations to come.”
- “The game's narrative is expertly crafted, and players will find themselves fully invested in the story from start to finish.”
- “The story, visuals, and sound design all play great together to really immerse you into this world.”
- “The story focuses on trying to trap one of the characters in a book and report back to the man who sent you to the strange archipelago called Riven.”
- “Unlike Myst, the storyline for Riven is gated behind vague bits in obscure places and is difficult to decipher, so one is less invested in the characters and plot, and Riven becomes tedious, almost boring, to play.”
- “After that, when I played the game, I found the background story/lore included in-game (via Atrus' journal) to be sorely lacking, abridged to the point of being a near-total misrepresentation.”
graphics
385 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The graphics of Riven, while rooted in the late 90s, are often praised for their stunning pre-rendered visuals and artistic detail, which still hold up surprisingly well today despite some graininess and low resolution. Many players appreciate the game's unique aesthetic and immersive atmosphere, noting that it surpasses its predecessor, Myst, in visual quality. However, some critiques highlight the dated nature of the graphics and the challenges posed by pixel-perfect interactions, suggesting that while the visuals are beautiful, they may not meet the expectations of modern gamers seeking high-definition clarity.
- “Riven has to be one of the most beautiful games ever made; hands down, the visuals and ambiance are just wonderful, even now years after its release.”
- “The graphics are amazing, such attention to detail.”
- “The pre-rendered graphics are gorgeous; no two places look the same, and accordingly, each place has its own mystery to observe.”
- “However, this game has controls, graphics, and video quality from 1998.”
- “But this is a really old game with old graphics and I just don't think the moves they made worked with the presentation.”
- “There are no graphical enhancements with this version, and stretched to fit a modern monitor it manages to look worse than it would have 20 years ago.”
atmosphere
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
29%
2%
The atmosphere of Riven is widely praised as one of its standout features, characterized by immersive world-building, haunting soundscapes, and stunning visuals that create a deeply engaging experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of wonder and solitude, with its atmospheric soundtrack complementing the intricate puzzle design. Overall, Riven is celebrated for its unparalleled atmosphere, making it a must-play for fans of atmospheric adventure games.
- “The atmosphere, world building, and puzzle design are immensely satisfying and capture your sense of wonder in ways few other games can.”
- “From the ambient sounds of the islands to the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, Riven's audio elements play a pivotal role in creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps players engrossed throughout their journey.”
- “One of the most atmospheric PC adventure titles ever created, Riven will test your powers of observation, tease your brain, and immerse you in a landscape filled with wonders.”
- “This is killing a lot of atmosphere in general, but as it's so easy to do, you simply just do it.”
- “That's part of the atmosphere, but you may find it feeling empty at times.”
- “Even though the graphics don't really hold up in some ways, the atmosphere and general world aesthetic are still as unforgettable as they were when I first played, back when this game was new.”
gameplay
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The gameplay of Riven is characterized by its intricate puzzles and immersive world, though it is often described as esoteric and challenging, particularly for modern gamers unfamiliar with its mechanics. While the point-and-click interface and pre-rendered visuals may feel dated, many players appreciate the depth of the story and the integration of gameplay elements, despite some technical issues like freezing and bugs. Overall, Riven offers a rich, albeit demanding, gameplay experience that rewards exploration and puzzle-solving, making it a unique entry in the adventure genre.
- “Riven offers a substantial gameplay experience that can span from 15 to 30 hours, depending on your puzzle-solving skills and exploration.”
- “Riven is a masterpiece of combining the environment, story, and gameplay into one world, making you feel like you are there despite the point-and-click nature of the game.”
- “Cyan really outdid themselves with Riven, building a dark layered world filled with interlocking aspects of gameplay, story, art direction, and lore, not to mention the dark gothic-tinged ambient music composed by Robyn Miller.”
- “As gameplay-wise, Riven felt like a huge step backwards compared to Myst, and the fact the enhanced graphics often only serve to detriment the game with either the FMV sequences becoming a chore or the graphics simply not being up to allowing you to spot things without trial and error, I have to give this a negative review.”
- “I also felt like I had to spend far too much time clicking all over creation just to see what I could interact with, and a lot of the game mechanics just weren't all that intuitive (having to go back and forth across the islands way too much).”
- “First of all, there is little in the way of 'gameplay': it is a point-and-click adventure game, with no reward given to reflexes or hand-eye coordination.”
music
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The music in Riven is widely praised for its haunting beauty and atmospheric quality, significantly enhancing the game's immersive experience. Players appreciate the intricate sound design, which includes both a compelling soundtrack and ambient sounds that contribute to the eerie and captivating atmosphere. Many have found the music so impactful that they purchased the soundtrack, highlighting its role in creating a memorable and engaging adventure.
- “From the ambient sounds of the islands to the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, Riven's audio elements play a pivotal role in creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps players engrossed throughout their journey.”
- “The music and ambient sounds perfectly accompany the tone of the adventure, adding to the haunting atmosphere.”
- “Cyan really outdid themselves with Riven, building a dark layered world filled with interlocking aspects of gameplay, story, art direction and lore, not to mention the dark gothic-tinged ambient music composed by Robyn Miller.”
- “No music or magic and the video cuts are annoying.”
- “I don't know if it's the music, the atmosphere or the visuals but nothing seems to quite hit the same spot as Riven.”
- “It's rather like vinyl as opposed to downloaded music.”
stability
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and save file corruption, particularly on modern systems. While some players have managed to achieve a smoother experience through specific workarounds or updates, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by significant bugs that detract from gameplay. Many users recommend avoiding the game until these issues are resolved, especially on certain operating systems.
- “With the new port, I had a perfect playthrough experience with no glitches or crashes at all.”
- “Finally, I have a version that runs great on a Windows 10 PC thanks to the new update.”
- “With the new port, I had a perfect playthrough experience with no glitches or crashes at all.”
- “An amazing game in itself with beautiful artwork and complex puzzles; unfortunately, this version is completely unplayable. It crashes every few minutes, doesn't allow for saves, is buggy and temperamental at best, the menu bar doesn't work, and my computer needs a full restart often to even exit the game screen.”
- “The game freezes constantly and is already not fun.”
- “So what we have here is a buggy mess that can barely play, and when it works, it still doesn't deliver the slow, atmospheric experience that it gave us over a decade ago.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of "Riven" to be quite tedious, often involving excessive backtracking and trial-and-error gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. While some puzzles are challenging, many feel that the reliance on persistence rather than logic makes progress feel more like a chore. The lengthy transport sequences and repetitive interactions further contribute to a sense of monotony, leading to frustration rather than engagement with the game's story and characters.
- “Unlike Myst, the puzzles in this game seem to rely less on logic and discovery than on persistence, trial and error, spam clicking, or simply wasting your time. You often have to find the right thing to interact with to advance a puzzle, but that thing may be many screens away and even in a completely different zone. As you advance by trying to interact with everything conceivable, this can get extremely tedious, as there are so many screens you may or may not have to 'search', and the next advancement may be a very long way away.”
- “Adding to the sense of time wasting, the transport rides look great to start with but soon become tedious to use, as they just take up time to re-explore an area that may or may not have something you need to do or have missed. This is also the same for some of the FMV sequences where you may be learning how something works and have to endure multiple (sometimes long-winded) FMV sequences.”
- “It seemed like solving part of a riddle just meant being faced with another riddle, which required more tedious endless travel back and forth.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its randomized elements and depth, which encourage players to engage with it multiple times for varied experiences. However, some users noted a lack of replay value, suggesting that not all aspects of the game maintain player interest after initial playthroughs.
- “Great replay value, because, honestly, I forget how to solve the problems every time.”
- “There is little replay value.”
- “The absence of hand-holding and the game's depth ensure replayability, as each playthrough can provide a different experience and perspective.”
- “A particular high point was the genius move (at the time) to include 3 randomized code combinations, which prevented people from rushing through the entire game by memory, making them actually play it instead, and at the same time sent the replay value through the roof.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, recalling nostalgic experiences from childhood that evoke a sense of accomplishment and engagement. The game demands significant emotional and psychological investment, often leading to frustration but ultimately rewarding players with a profound sense of fulfillment. Many reviewers note that revisiting the game as adults rekindles the same feelings of wonder and challenge they experienced in their youth.
- “Riven is imaginative, and requires real emotional and psychological engagement on the part of the player, in addition to an understanding of the intellectual strategy of the game.”
- “Playing Riven as an adult made me feel the same way child me felt playing Myst.”
- “It's definitely harder than Myst, and it will give you much emotional pain, but still I liked playing it.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The optimization of the game is praised for its smooth performance and stability, particularly when run through ScummVM, which eliminates crashes. The integration of live-action character performances into the beautifully crafted world of Riven enhances the overall experience, making it both memorable and immersive.
- “But then this version arrived one day, and through the magic of ScummVM, this version actually runs smoothly and without crashes.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and not the primary focus, as it lacks the overt comedic elements typical of many adventure games. Instead, it features clever references, particularly for fans of the Myst series, and offers a unique charm that may resonate more with less experienced gamers who can appreciate its intricate puzzles and detailed world.
- “This is not one of those funny adventure games, full of crazy dialogue and weird inventory items (those are nice too...).”
- “Funny enough, the less of a gamer you are, the more likely I think it is that you might have the patience to put up with the clunky user interface.”
- “If you help Atrus, he tells you he may help in getting you back to where you came from (it's funny when you read the Myst books) so you journey on to Riven with no linking books, many puzzles ahead and a very detailed and interesting world awaits.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is notably enhanced in this game, particularly for Atrus and Catherine, offering a deeper exploration of their personalities compared to the original Myst. The convincing world and character design further enrich the narrative experience.
- “If you played Myst, this game offers more character development for Atrus and Catherine.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews do not provide specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, focusing instead on the anticipation and desire to play it. There is no mention of in-game purchases, pricing models, or any monetization strategies.

Buy Riven

24h Median play time

19h Average play time

7-30h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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About

Buy Riven

Riven: The Sequel to MYST EU Steam CD Key

Riven (1997)

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