Riven News

Features

• (Mac only) Re-enabled SM5 RHI to help with performance on lower-memory Macs.
  
• (Windows only) Updated DLSS to 4.0.2.
  

Major

• Removed cloth simulation on Gehn as it caused instability and crashes on some platforms.
  
• Made the initial rotating room button on Temple Island more clickable at a distance, with better clarity on when it is interactable to begin with.
  
• Fixed some maglev tracks not being visible from certain viewpoints.
  
• (SPOILER) Fixed an autosave issue that could occur during the Tay ambush/boat sequence.
  
• (SPOILER) Fixed an issue where the player could be unable to progress under certain conditions after watching (or missing) the Gehn cinematic in the temple on Temple Island.
  
• Fixed a possible race condition where the woodcart may appear on the other end of the tracks but still think it’s in the proper location.
  
• Fixed an issue where the player could get tripped up on some collision during a certain sequence with Gehn in Age 233.
  

Minor

• Corrections made to certain dates in Gehn’s Age 233 journal to be chronologically correct.
  

Major

• Fixed a soft-lock that could occur when using the satchel and hitting the pause button at the same time.
  

Minor

• Improved the way some overlap interactions work with objects where it may have been unclear when interactions would be allowed when your hand intersects with other objects in the environment.
  

Riven is featured in the 2025 Cerebral Puzzle Showcase, running from May 29th to June 5th! To celebrate, we’re offering a big discount on our from-the-ground-up 3D remake filled with new lore, new puzzles and new environments to explore.

Hey all,

This patch introduces support for ray-traced reflections into Riven, among various quality of life fixes and improvements. Please note that Ray Tracing support in Riven is only available on RTX and above GPUs for Windows, and M3+ chips for Mac.


[h2]Features[/h2]

• Added Ray Tracing support for Windows and M3+ Macs.
  
• Macs now run the game in the Metal 3 RHI, simplifying the graphics pipeline for all supported Macs.
  
• Auto detect now supports auto-setting appropriate supersampling settings based on your scalability settings and platform type.
  
• (Windows and Mac only) Added cloth simulation to Gehn’s clothing.
  
• Added support for Intel XeSS and TSR supersampling.
  
• (Windows only) DLSS updated to version 4.0.
  
• Added engagement windows to the oven in the village on Jungle Island, and to the throne in Age 233.
  
• Added a confirmation window when deleting a photo in your Notebook.
  
• Improved the lighting setup around the Survey Island elevator to bring it visually closer to the way it looked in the original Riven.
  
• Added support for the player to look back behind them a bit further when on the boat in Tay.
  

[h2]Major[/h2]

• Fixed a random crash that could occur when DLSS is enabled and you exit the game normally.
  
• Fixed a random crash that could occur when moving very quickly between two areas with different music playing.
  
• Fixed a pesky cursor disappearing issue that could randomly occur for some users.
  
• (Mac only) Implemented a workaround for auto detect not behaving well on Mac and sometimes setting too high of settings for what your Mac can handle. Auto detect will now use a specific set of rules based on the number of cores available on your Mac.
  
• Fixed the player being unable to climb out of a particular water hole in the village basin.
  
• Fixed double-clicking on ladders while fast travel on ladders is enabled causing the player to not actually travel anywhere at all.
  
• Fixed levels loading visibly when loading save games made in certain areas of Riven.
  
• Fixed book pages flipping back and forth when spamming page turns.
  
• Improvements made to one of Gehn’s ending animations.
  

[h2]Minor[/h2]

• Improved the glass shader on the tube terminals in the Temple Island subdome.
  
• Fixed a reflections pop that could occur on the maglev when moving around Survey Island.
  
• Improved the visuals used to display the camera feeds while in the viewer room on Temple Island.
  
• Miscellaneous lighting fixes made.
  
• Improved some shaders used during the end-game sequence on Temple Island.
  
• Fixed some shadows popping when exiting the Temple Maglev dock.
  
• Improved the look of the spiky rocks on Survey Island.
  
• Fixed a visual issue with the elevator on Prison Island clipping through the floor.
  

[h2]Major[/h2]

• Fixed a random crash that could occur while in VR and using the Submarine without Hide Vehicle Transitions enabled.
  
• Fixed being able to grab the submarine lever while it is already returning to an endpoint.
  
• Fixed ladders feeling “sticky” in terms of how the player position is reset when you grab and then ungrab them.
  
• Fixed an incorrect tutorial prompt for the inventory when playing Riven in VR with a Valve Index.
  
• Integrated some engine changes to relieve left vs. right eye depth conflict issues with shadows on certain quality settings.
  

Thank you for your support of Riven and the team here at Cyan.

The fan-favorite Age of Rime has been added as a free update to our latest remake of Myst, which Riven is a sequel to. Just like this remake of Riven, this version of Rime includes all-new narrative beats, new lore, and new sights to behold. Rime helps bridge the stories of Myst and Riven. Myst (2021) is now the definitive and complete way to experience the story and worlds of Myst.



Following the completion of the main story in Myst, or upon loading a completed game, a new journey awaits you somewhere on Myst Island.

The Age of Rime introduces players to the snowy, mountainous seascape that Atrus and his family would visit in years past, before the events of Myst and Riven upended their lives. Sweeping vistas, beautiful ice structures, and fantastical natural phenomena await new visitors. This breathtaking new Age also houses a detailed laboratory space where bold experiments were made, delving into the mysterious nature of Linking Books themselves.



You can find Myst here. Myst is also a part of multiple bundles that will provide a discount based on the purchase of other games in them:

• Myst & Riven: The Definitive Collection - a bundle with the latest remakes of both Myst (2021) and Riven (2024).
  
• Myst 30th Anniversary Collection - a bundle of all currently available Myst games released on or before 2023, the 30th anniversary of Myst.
  
• Myst: Through the Ages - a bundle that contains Myst: Masterpiece Edition, realMyst: Masterpiece Edition, and the latest remake of Myst.
  

Thank you for your support of our games!

Bah, it's never fun writing one of these, but unfortunately Myst and Riven developer Cyan Worlds have laid off 12 of its staff members this week, supposedly cutting the studio by about half. Cyan shared the news on their social media accounts yesterday, noting that "industry conditions" have "forced" the studio to "weigh the future health of our studio against the month-to-month realities of game development in 2025."

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