Rama

Don't have the patience for Riven, Myst, The Longest Journey, Loom, Starship Titanic, and many other wandering-searching puzzle games? This could be both your speed AND your level of difficulty!

Even if you go a long, long time without progressing, you may find yourself coming back to the game for enjoyment. This game relies less on realism than the Myst series but still offers breathtaking frames. Moreover, the music is phenomenal! Every last tune gives me admiration for the composer(s).

Furthermore, if you have any interest in visualized extraterrestrials and their cultures, you may want a look at the bizarre superintelligent Octospiders and the lovable Avians. They have as well set up quite some buildings, be they info centers, game rooms, labs, or mere dwellings. Marvel at the Octospiders' engineering, including several types of biots (semi-organic cyborgs, many mildly reminiscent of Earth creatures).

Know that there is also a somewhat intense component. Unlike in most games of this genre, you and other key characters can die (although getting fired hinders your game more). The game is rated K-A, but I advise no one under ten to play. For the rest, I hope the suspense delights you as much as it did me.

Put these factors together and you have a winner!

As wonderwoman-12 and others mentioned, a great play and the music is outstanding. And yes, it can still be played with current windows system. You simply need to grab scummvm, which is free software, install it, and load from there...

This is without a doubt my favorite Myst-y puzzle game: dazzling, inspired, fairly well-paces, and not lonely like some others in the genre.

I will admit, however, to certain corn factors. The game mixes real human footage with somewhat cartoony alien backgrounds. The B-movie-type characters talk to you, but it feels awkward that you can't talk back. (One character ironically says, "Here we are inside an extraterrestrial spaceship carrying on a normal conversation.") Also, despite a sincere effort away from the "little green men" of cheap scifi, various things about the Rama natives seem too terrestrial.

Luckily, these factors shouldn't ruin your fun. The game showcases (without overly flaunting) some superb ideas for the technology of 2200 A.D., most notably a wrist computer with "vidmail" capabilities. Raman art and architecture make for captivating scenery. Couple this with the unbeatable musics and you've got enough reason to keep playing for years even if you're completely stuck. And yes, the logic you have to follow to succeed works out very smoothly in its intricate (but not agonizingly difficult) fashion.

My compliments to Clarke, Gentry Lee and the other people who made it all possible.