Classic Postmortem: The Making Of Myst

The best-selling PC game of the 1990s, Myst is also often attributed as the game that sold CD-ROM drives. Since its release in 1993, it has been remade and ported to over 10 platforms, including most recently the Nintendo 3DS and iOS. In his GDC 2013 talk, Robyn Miller, the original co-creator and sound composer, discusses how he and his brother Rand created a game that remains relevant and commercially desirable over 20 years late
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[ravenouscadaver]

the 5 second hard pause after "can you explain the design philosophy behind the bathysphere" threw me into absolute hysterics. the stutter in the video makes it look like Rob is just like 'How fucking dare you ask me that question in front of a room full of people' and I love it, its so well timed.

[bluesnakeOVER]

I remember the first time my dad talked to me about Myst he said that it had taken him a week to solve the final puzzle. He loves the game and we played through much of Riven together. The first game I completed on my own was Exile which will always have a special place in my heart. There is nothing that has whisked me away to another world in the same manner as the Cyan Worlds' worlds and seeing this talk was hugely inspiring.

[simonRTJ]

Thumbnail is 'Riven' not Myst. I would however like to see a Riven Postmortem very much.

[GilmanGuitar]

"I had friends that finished it in one sitting."

Screw you it took me a month.

[rogerwilco]

The stunning images at the time, the music and sound effects. It made it one of the best games ever.

[isychia]

I owe how I see the world to the Miller brothers ❤ Myst was one of the first things I remember as a kiddo. My dad randomly bought us a collection of CD roms for our new computer and Myst was one of them. It molded my mind and I can’t thank the creators and my dad enough.

[StephanS]

Myst had an incredible impact on me: My taste of music, my sense for that mechanical puzzles and atmosphere and everything. I'd say that Myst is one of the most important games to me

[Welther]

First time I hear Robyn talking about MYst. Usually it's just Rand.

[eastlynburkholder]

This is a likable guy and a class act.

[DemonMage]

My father and I were stuck on going up in channelwood. It took us a week to figure out to close the door... we felt stupid, really really stupid.

[mainHERO]

Myst still stands as my favorite game and favorite game series. Its probably not the one that I play the most, but without a doubt, it's the one that I respect the most. I will forever love the world that these guys created.

[Siaynoq]

I'm geeking the fuck out right now.

The first time I saw anything of Myst was in a PC magazine and it had seriously two screenshots of the game plus a review. My dad said he was going to order it and for weeks while we waited for our copy it was all I could think about. All from those two screenshots was I so captivated and eager to play that game.

[hxy]

Such a nice talk. Loved it that both Phil Fish and Jack Wall were in the audience, two heroes of mine.

[jasielcalixto]

I bought this game on a PC magazine and I still have the original cd. I got incredibly happy to be able to finish Myst without being traped in the books. I tried desperately to run it on my win 7 PC through virtualmachines without success. Right now while I am writing this comment I'm buying my version for MAC . Can't wait to see if I'll finish it again as I did more than twenty years ago.

[jeanjacqueslundi]

Myst is great, but what I really would like to see is a postmortem on Riven. Now THAT is a feat in game development that rarely gets talked about.

The spiritual sucessor to Riven, with the same level of production and detail (maybe not adhereing strictly to the exact point n click mechanic of old) had yet to be made. I remember back in 1998 thinking "this is a revolutionary game world; I can't wait to see what this inspires in people". Unfortunately it didn't seem to change much in the industry at all.

Still, we NEED a Riven postmortem with Robyn and/or Rand and Richard Vander Wende (also responsible for the look and feel of Disney's Aladdin!).

[JZHerrenberg]

Love it. And what a great guy. Myst is one of the great aesthetic experiences of my life.

[Booksds]

Phil Fish! That explains the appearance of the Myst Library in Fez

[matttdb]

Thanks for uploading this and thank you Robyn for presenting this history. Love it all!

[Lurker]

That is how we played the game. With two people or more. Myst became a family affair that Christmas we got the game when I was a kid. Very cool video.

[Siaynoq]

Oh my god, Jack Wall?

That guy's soundtracks are amazing. I love what he did in Myst and Mass Effect.