I have repeatedly listened to Myst creator Rand Miller share the incredible story of how he and his brother Robyn managed to fit their groundbreaking 3D puzzle game onto a modest CD-ROM back in 1993, and it never fails to astonish me. If you’ve ever felt the excitement of exploring the Mechanical Age and retrieving pages for Achenar, Miller’s stories about creating the game using the basic HyperCard application on a Mac are just as captivating.
For fellow Myst enthusiasts, the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) has released an incredible treasure: extensive behind-the-scenes interviews, B-roll footage, and other video materials from Miller’s archive at Cyan Worlds.
The VGHF, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the history of video games and their associated media, initiated a project to digitize Cyan Worlds’ archive after discovering a plethora of Beta and VHS tapes documenting the company’s game development history in a trailer for an upcoming Myst documentary. VGHF library director Phil Salvador took on the task of preserving this valuable content, resulting in a comprehensive collection that captures the entire journey of the Myst series, including extensive footage from Riven, Uru, and related sequels and remakes.
Cyan meticulously documented every media appearance and mention throughout its history; you can enjoy every blue-screen performance of Atrus (portrayed by Rand Miller) as he implores you about the pages, and don’t miss a sizzle reel from Spokane underscoring Cyan Worlds’ significance to the state’s economy. The Cyan collection is a valuable addition to the VGHF database, which encompasses everything from vintage gaming magazines to game-development documents, all available for free. As with all non-profits, contributions are welcome to help support their efforts.
