Following Freeware – February 2016 releases

Myst Jam

Since Cyan’s seminal adventure came out in 1993, the Myst series has inspired strong feelings in the adventure gaming community. The franchise has undoubtedly proved influential over the years, inspiring both homages like RoonSehv and parodies like Pyst. The recent Myst Jam showed that, even over 20 years after the first instalment, Myst still holds great fascination for many developers. The only requirement was to create a game “inspired by Myst“, and some entries eschew the traditional form, such as a tower defense challenge and one where you control a falling character to avoid collecting too many red and blue pages. Others offer only visual tours without puzzle elements. The complete list of downloadable entries, many available on multiple platforms, can be found at the Myst Jam website. Along with Myha, other highlights were as follows:

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Canveus

A world book has been robbed of nearly all its colour. Now you must venture inside and operate a vast machine to bring that colour back. The artwork of DragonXVI’s Canveus is depicted in detailed pencil sketches. The contraption you must repair appears as a series of walkways, apparently suspended in thin air. Features such as mountains and hills break through the mist surrounding you, indicating land below. Whilst movement is node-based, there is full freedom of view in all directions, allowing you to examine your environment thoroughly. The machinery is initially still but becomes fluidly animated as you repair different sections. In keeping with the premise, there is also very little colour at the start, with more being added as you progress. The main sound backing your quest is the wind blowing through this remote location. Each area has its own ambient effects, including the sound of running water, and operating machinery can produce simple mechanical clicks, ring like a struck bell or even play a little tune. Where sounds are played continuously, the volume changes according to their proximity. The most satisfying sound of all is a triumphant fanfare played when a puzzle is solved.

Interaction is performed entirely through left mouse clicks. The cursor appears as a black circle normally, changing to a hand when you can interact and an arrow when you can move in a particular direction.  The game is split into seven mechanical islands, six of them with their own self-contained puzzle to solve. Whilst each can be solved alone, other islands often contain clues to aid you. These range from a maze with switches that change its layout, a laser redirection challenge, and a puzzle to arrange four musical blocks. Completing all the islands opens up the path to a final puzzle that fully recolours the landscape. Whilst usually easy to understand, the puzzles are by no means simple to solve, providing a satisfying challenge to fans of the original Myst.

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