The original Myst games were, somewhat appropriately, lost in time. First released in 1993, Myst debuted just as the point-and-click adventure game genre was dying out in favor of full 3D RPGs and shooters now enabled by more advanced personal computers with CD-ROM drives. Myst tried to bridge the gap: it used the same focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and narrative that games from Lucasarts and Sierra had relied upon, but added stunning prerendered graphics to make its island mystery more visually compelling. Sequels, spin-offs, and re-releases continued for about ten years, until the tastes of the market shifted once again.
[EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/Y-USPRb98QE
[/EMBED_YT]The latest revision of the original Myst is realMyst, remastered and real-time 3D version of the game released in 2000 and updated at several points after. RealMyst was originally developed by Myst owner Cyan, but ported to several platforms with the help of partners, including an iOS release almost eight years ago. Today the game is finally available on Android courtesy of Noodlecake, a prolific mobile publisher that can generally be relied upon for quality. The Play Store version is seven dollars with no in-app purchases, available for all phones and tablets running 4.2 or higher. The game will install on Android TV, but like many titles, it doesn't appear to be compatible with the launcher or controls.
Myst has a broad fantasy theme: players take control of "the Stranger," a mysterious character who travels to the titular island to unravel the secrets hidden in its ancient and forgotten relics. Solving sometimes-obtuse puzzles and traveling to different worlds (or "Ages" in the game's lore) will gradually reveal the history of the island and its long-gone inhabitants. Myst is a huge game, both in terms of data (over 700MB for the Android version) and length. The full 3D graphics, upgraded from the original pre-rendered backgrounds and animations, might tax low-end phones and tablets.
Reception for realMyst on Steam is decidedly mixed, with many players experiencing poor performance and crashes. But that isn't really relevant, since some parts of the game are running on code that's more than 15 years old - the iOS version has a 4 out of 5 star rating on the iTunes Store after seven years of reviews. And again, Noodlecake is generally a very reliable publisher in terms of technical proficiency. If you're a Myst fan on the fence for the Android version, then wait until you can find a good Wi-Fi network for the big download, and remember that you have two hours to try it out and uninstall it for a refund.
[EMBED_APP]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noodlecake.realmyst[/EMBED_APP]