Riven (1997) similar games & best alternatives

Riven (1997)

PlayStation, Mac, Sega Saturn, PC (Microsoft Windows), Windows Mobile • 2010

Should you play it?

Released in 1997 as the original sequel to Myst, one of the best-selling puzzle adventure games of all time. Prepare to enter a world "torn asunder" by timeless, unresolved conflicts -- a world of incomparable beauty, intrigue, and betrayal.

What works
  • Immersive and detailed worldbuilding
  • Challenging and rewarding puzzles
  • Strong narrative and atmosphere
  • Classic and influential adventure game
  • Runs on modern systems with patches
Things to keep in mind
  • Low resolution and dated graphics
  • Some puzzles can be obscure or frustrating
  • Slow pacing and backtracking
  • Technical issues on some systems
  • Lack of modern conveniences like autosave

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Myst: Masterpiece Edition

  • Riven

  • Children of Silentown

  • Myst III: Exile

  • New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition

  • Lucy Dreaming

  • Obduction

  • Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood

  • True Fear: Forsaken Souls Part 1
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • New York Mysteries: Secrets of the Mafia Collector's Edition

  • Lucy Dreaming

  • Foolish Mortals
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Competence

    Hexcells Plus
  • Exploration

    Rain World
  • Fantasy

    Solar Ash

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Riven (1997): Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Fellowship, Violence, Survival, Cooperation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Survival, Violence, Expression.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players freely explore a large open world with minimal guidance and choose their own path and puzzle approach."

    Capsule for FRACT OSC FRACT OSC

    "Players freely explore a large open world and solve puzzles at their own pace with minimal guidance."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    5

    "The game challenges players with complex puzzles requiring skillful logical deduction and problem solving."

    Capsule for Hexcells Plus Hexcells Plus

    "The game challenges players with complex, multi-layered puzzles requiring observation, note-taking, and logical thinking."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -5

    "Single-player experience focused on personal puzzle solving without competitive elements."

    Capsule for The Room The Room

    "Single-player experience focused on personal puzzle solving without competitive elements."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    3

    "Many players invest long hours, returning repeatedly despite grind and occasional frustration."

    Capsule for Red Dead Online Red Dead Online

    "Players invest many hours and often return repeatedly due to the game's depth and challenge."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    -5

    "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or multiplayer features."

    Capsule for Quantum Break Quantum Break

    "Entirely single-player with no cooperative or multiplayer features."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players create their own mental maps, take notes, and piece clues together, engaging creative problem solving."

    Capsule for Enigma of Fear Enigma of Fear

    "Players create notes, maps, and interpretations to solve puzzles, engaging in creative problem solving."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -5

    "No social or power dynamics; purely individual experience."

    Capsule for The Last Door - Collector's Edition The Last Door - Collector's Edition

    "No social or power dynamics; purely individual experience."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Immersive fantasy world and exploration provide strong escape from reality."

    Capsule for The Elder Scrolls: Arena The Elder Scrolls: Arena

    "Immersive fantasy world offers strong escape from reality through exploration and mystery."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily driven by curiosity and intrinsic interest rather than obligation."

    Capsule for Shenmue I & II Shenmue I & II

    "Players engage voluntarily driven by curiosity and intrinsic motivation rather than obligation."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    4

    "Encourages exploration and experimentation with environment to solve puzzles."

    Capsule for Samorost 2 Samorost 2

    "Encourages exploration and experimentation with environmental clues and puzzle elements."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    5

    "Large interconnected world encourages discovery of new areas and secrets."

    Capsule for Rain World Rain World

    "Large interconnected world with many secrets and areas to discover."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    -3

    "Limited character or environment customization; focus is on narrative and puzzle interaction rather than self-expression."

    Capsule for There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension

    "Limited character or environment customization; focus is on puzzle interaction rather than self-expression."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    5

    "Set in a surreal sci-fi world with imaginative environments, characters, and narrative themes."

    Capsule for Solar Ash Solar Ash

    "Set in a surreal, fictional universe with imaginative lore and storytelling."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    -5

    "No social or community features; solitary gameplay."

    Capsule for Alan Wake Alan Wake

    "No social or community features; solitary gameplay."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    5

    "Players develop problem-solving skills and learn new mechanics progressively throughout the game."

    Capsule for Stephen's Sausage Roll Stephen's Sausage Roll

    "Players develop problem-solving skills and understanding of the game world through learning and discovery."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    Capsule for World of Tanks Blitz World of Tanks Blitz

    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -4

    "Requires focused attention and active problem solving; not suited for casual or background play."

    Capsule for FEZ FEZ

    "Requires focused attention and active problem solving; not suited for casual or background play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    -5

    "No social interaction or relationship building."

    Capsule for Masterplan Tycoon Masterplan Tycoon

    "No social interaction or relationship building."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    -5

    "No leadership or group management roles."

    Capsule for Coin Flipper Coin Flipper

    "No leadership or group management roles."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    4

    "Progression through story advancement and puzzle completion with item collection."

    Capsule for Black Mirror I Black Mirror I

    "Progression through puzzle completion and story advancement; no item collection but steady forward movement."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    2

    "Atmospheric and immersive but some puzzles cause frustration and tension."

    Capsule for Still Life Still Life

    "Atmospheric and immersive but can be tense or frustrating due to puzzle difficulty."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Enjoyable visual and auditory atmosphere with immersive sound design and detailed graphics."

    Capsule for The Room Two The Room Two

    "Enjoyable visual and auditory atmosphere with detailed environments and sound design."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -5

    "No social recognition or status systems."

    Capsule for Alan Wake Alan Wake

    "No social recognition or status systems."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Narrative-driven experience with strong emphasis on story immersion and environmental storytelling."

    Capsule for Sagebrush Sagebrush

    "Strong narrative immersion through environmental storytelling and player discovery."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    5

    "Puzzles require logical reasoning, planning, and analytical thinking to solve."

    Capsule for Filament Filament

    "Requires analytical thinking, planning, and logical deduction to solve puzzles."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    1

    "Some suspenseful and mysterious moments, but overall a calm and contemplative experience."

    Capsule for Call of the Sea Call of the Sea

    "Some suspense and mystery but generally a calm, contemplative experience."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    4

    "Highly regarded classic with lasting entertainment value and replayability."

    Capsule for CHRONO TRIGGER® CHRONO TRIGGER®

    "Highly regarded classic with lasting appeal and replay value for puzzle and adventure fans."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    -5

    "No violence; focus on exploration and puzzle solving."

    Capsule for Syberia Syberia

    "No violence; focus on exploration and puzzle solving."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    -5

    "No survival mechanics or threats; stable and safe environment."

    Capsule for Sable Sable

    "No survival mechanics or threats; stable and safe environment."

Come talk about it on Discord!

Last update: 01/06/2026