Games like Riven
If Riven is your kind of game, the closest matches are Myst, Firmament and The Vaults Below Durn: A Field Study — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its beautifully detailed environments, intriguing and challenging puzzles and nostalgia for original fans. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Get personalized picks →Riven is a first-person puzzle adventure developed and published by Cyan Worlds, Inc., released in 2024 at $34.99. Players explore a richly realized 3D environment as they work through intricate puzzles, with no assistance provided. The game supports solo-only play and is verified for Steam Deck handheld play. Reviewers note the atmosphere and immersive quality, while players describe the environments as beautifully detailed and the puzzles as intriguing and challenging. Those familiar with the 1997 original bring a sense of nostalgia to the experience. The game earned a Metacritic score of 86 and holds a 94% positive rating from over 2,100 Steam reviews. With medium-length content designed for seated sessions, the experience leans into environmental exploration and narrative discovery.
About Riven: Uncover a story of intrigue, betrayal, and a civilization teetering on the brink of collapse as you solve intricate puzzles to unlock the secrets of Riven. Built from the ground-up and expanded from the award-winning original game released in 1997.
Players who liked Riven also play
Steam players who put hours into Riven also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
Myst
WHY THIS
Shares environmental exploration, puzzle solving and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Top pick for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.
Firmament
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Second-strongest match for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Firmament is a new puzzle-adventure game by the legendary game studio behind the best-selling games Myst and Riven. Featuring deep storytelling and world-building, discover the story of this seemingly abandoned world as you explore and unlock the mysteries of 3 unique Realms… and beyond!
The Vaults Below Durn: A Field Study
WHY THIS
Third-strongest match for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Three Doors. One Safe Path. Observe the signs, learn the patterns, and uncover the fate of the explorer who ventured before you.
Obduction
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Ranked #4 for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
A new sci-fi adventure from Cyan, the creators of Myst. Abducted far across the universe, you find yourself on a broken alien landscape with odd pieces of Earth. Explore, uncover, solve, and find a way to make it home.
Unable to Exit 8
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Ranked #5 for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
You receive an invitation on a "special" dating app, get excited and then get involved in an endless cycle of couples' hotels. You have to watch carefully for any unusual information. Can you solve these puzzles?
Escape First 2
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Ranked #6 for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
"Escape First 2" is the second installment of a multiplayer escape room puzzle game for virtual reality or desktop PC! It includes 3 different escape rooms to choose from and can be played competitively, co-op or solo.
The End of the Sun
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Ranked #7 for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
You are the Ashter – a Slavic fire mage and tracker of mythical beings. Following a legendary creature, you reach a village caught in a time rift. Embark on a magical investigation – travel through time, explore the ancient land, and bond with fire to shape villagers’ fate and uncover the mystery.
What Happened to Lily?
WHY THIS
Ranked #8 for Riven fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
What Happened to Lily? Is a real-time first-person horror game. Discover the secrets and spooky truths behind the mysterious event at Miller Farm.
Reviewers mention these as similar to Riven
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Myst
WHY THIS
Shares environmental exploration, puzzle solving and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.
Outer Wilds
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Adventure with Riven.
Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
The Talos Principle
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. Made by Croteam and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything).
The Eyes of Ara
WHY THIS
Shares environmental exploration and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Explore a vast, mysterious castle riddled with secret rooms and challenging puzzles in this award-winning puzzle adventure.
Quern - Undying Thoughts
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Adventure with Riven.
Discover the truth about Quern’s past, unfold the mysteries of its present, and be the explorer who shapes its future. Quern introduces reusable puzzle mechanics to the classic genre, making the player think about the game as a whole, and not just as a series of individual challenges.
Obduction
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
A new sci-fi adventure from Cyan, the creators of Myst. Abducted far across the universe, you find yourself on a broken alien landscape with odd pieces of Earth. Explore, uncover, solve, and find a way to make it home.
MYSTIC VR
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Adventure with Riven.
MYSTIC VR is a puzzle adventure that finds you in a magical world which is trapped in eternal night. Find the clues and solve the puzzles to open the doors and activate the crystal spheres to bring back the dawn in this calming, family-friendly experience.
Neyyah
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Reviewers of Riven cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Neyyah is a first-person point-and-click adventure game from Defy Reality Entertainment. You are thrown into a strange secretive world called Neyyah. Use careful observation and logic to uncover the mysteries entwined within Neyyah's peculiar landscapes and bizarre cultures.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Riven at current Steam store prices.
Garry's Mod
WHY THIS
Priced ~86% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Casual with Riven.
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play.
Stardew Valley
WHY THIS
Priced ~57% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie with Riven.
You've inherited your grandfather's old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home?
Phasmophobia
WHY THIS
Priced ~43% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie with Riven.
Phasmophobia is a 4 player online co-op psychological horror. Paranormal activity is on the rise and it’s up to you and your team to use all the ghost-hunting equipment at your disposal in order to gather as much evidence as you can.
Lethal Company
WHY THIS
Priced ~71% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
A co-op horror about scavenging at abandoned moons to sell scrap to the Company.
Schedule I
WHY THIS
Priced ~43% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie with Riven.
From small-time dope pusher to kingpin - manufacture and distribute a range of drugs throughout the grungy city of Hyland Point. Expand your empire with properties, businesses, employees and more.
Hollow Knight
WHY THIS
Priced ~57% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.
The Forest
WHY THIS
Priced ~43% under Riven on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
As the lone survivor of a passenger jet crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest battling to stay alive against a society of cannibalistic mutants. Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first person survival horror simulator.
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Casual with Riven.
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Life is Strange - Episode 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Adventure with Riven.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Ultimate Custom Night
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Riven.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Casual with Riven.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
The Looker
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Riven.
You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
More from Cyan Worlds, Inc.
Other recommendable Steam games by Cyan Worlds, Inc., ranked by review count so the studio's hits land first.
Myst
WHY THIS
Shares environmental exploration, puzzle solving and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.
realMyst: Masterpiece Edition
WHY THIS
Shares puzzle solving and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Released in 2014, experience one of the first 3D adaptations of the renowned puzzle-adventure game Myst! Each discovery you make, every puzzle you solve, will bring you closer to reversing a wrong that has gone unchecked for ages.
Riven (1997)
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Adventure and Casual with Riven.
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.
Myst: Masterpiece Edition
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Adventure and Casual with Riven.
The classic Myst experience with point and click controls, released as a remaster to the original in 2000. Enter a world where nothing is as it seems... and adventure knows no bounds!
Firmament
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Firmament is a new puzzle-adventure game by the legendary game studio behind the best-selling games Myst and Riven. Featuring deep storytelling and world-building, discover the story of this seemingly abandoned world as you explore and unlock the mysteries of 3 unique Realms… and beyond!
Myst III: Exile
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Adventure and Casual with Riven.
The story of Myst continues in this third entry of the series, originally released in 2001. Return to this strange and wondrous universe, where books become portals into worlds, and where the lessons of the past may yet hold meaning for today...
Myst V: End of Ages
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Adventure and Casual with Riven.
The Grand Finale of the greatest adventure! Decide the fate of a civilization in this triumphant final chapter to the Myst saga. Embark on an epic journey into the heart of a shattered empire as the only explorer who can still save it— or destroy it with the wrong choices.
URU: Complete Chronicles
WHY THIS
Shares puzzle solving and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Another title from Cyan Worlds, Inc., the studio behind Riven. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
The critically acclaimed adventure of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst returns with this special collection that contains more Uru than ever before. Already the deepest Myst adventure to date, Uru is significantly expanded with the addition of To D'ni™ and The Path of the Shell, expansion packs that will take Uru beyond your imagination.
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
Myst
WHY THIS
Shares environmental exploration, puzzle solving and an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Welcome to Myst: a starkly beautiful island, eerily tinged with mystery and shrouded in intrigue. Built from the ground up to play in 2D & VR, explore Myst in a whole new dimension! Journey to the Ages, unravel puzzles, and be a part of the surrealistic adventure that will become your own.
Firmament
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
Firmament is a new puzzle-adventure game by the legendary game studio behind the best-selling games Myst and Riven. Featuring deep storytelling and world-building, discover the story of this seemingly abandoned world as you explore and unlock the mysteries of 3 unique Realms… and beyond!
The End of the Sun
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with Riven.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with Riven.
You are the Ashter – a Slavic fire mage and tracker of mythical beings. Following a legendary creature, you reach a village caught in a time rift. Embark on a magical investigation – travel through time, explore the ancient land, and bond with fire to shape villagers’ fate and uncover the mystery.
Frequently asked about Riven
- Is Riven verified for Steam Deck?
- Yes — Riven is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
- How much does Riven cost?
- Riven is listed on Steam at 34.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to Riven?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Riven are Myst, Firmament, The Vaults Below Durn: A Field Study.
- Who developed Riven?
- Riven was developed by Cyan Worlds, Inc..
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on Riven.
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