The mystery adventure game Obduction got a big patch recently:

Patch 2 update Live!

Hey everyone!

The results from the public preview are looking pretty good, so today we're moving the newest version of the game from our Public Preview out to everyone.

Most players will see only good things with this patch. But we have noticed a rare occurance on some systems with integrated graphics - textures may get blurrier. This is the result of being safer about allocating texture memory, and the graphic system not reporting correctly. We’ll continue to investigate this.

Mac Kickstarter Backers on the Mac beta will see some changes - mostly good, some bad. Generally, the Mac performance has improved dramatically. Almost everyone should notice that. The bad news is that you may crash, or only see a black screen at startup. There are two steps to fix this. The first is to upgrade to MacOS Sierra which has fixes that Obduction requires. The second is to remove old shader cache files. Here are the steps to delete the old files:

• Go to the Finder (usually the first thing in your dock)
• Hold down shift + command + g
• Type (or copy and paste) this... ~/Library/Application Support/Epic/Obduction/Saved
• Click Go or push return
• Delete two files... ByteCodeCache.ushadercode and DrawCache.ushadercache

(If you don’t see those files then you did something wrong, or you don’t have Obduction installed.) If you require further help with this, please create a support ticket at: http://support.cyan.com/

The list of changes and fixes from the Public Preview have stayed the same, but, if you missed them the first time around, here they are:

Global

• Fix for game icon not appearing in windows task bar in some conditions
• Fix for unsupported OS languages causing failed loading and empty menus
• Fixed some missing Backer Rewards messages
• Photos now have a slideshow option
• Photos previously taken should sort correctly
• Photos will now appear for users with foreign or special characters in their Windows user account name
• Backer reward items popup is now disabled by default in-game. This can still be enabled through the options menu
• Updates to node navigation
• Fixes for minecart getting stuck in rocks under some conditions
• Fixes for misalignment in The Gauntlet
• Fix for Kaptar generator pistons losing correct state when loading
• Fix for player falling out of world on new game and load game in some cases
• Removed stacking of movement input. Sorry speed runners.
• Improvements to video memory usage
• Many updates to nodes in all worlds for point and click mode
• Updates for game pad controls
• Fixes for some dialogue playing back in incorrect areas
• Fix for an odd crash when loading
• Fixes for minecart persistence if lowered but not driven
• Raised blood pressure level of producer character "Ryan"
• CW's workshop door is no longer able to be closed after opening
• Removed debug commands bound to 'R' and 'Num9' keys

Localization

• Proper translation of 'Credits' across all languages
• Updated backer rewards popup under some languages
• Various settings UI language changes
• Various updates to all available languages

Art

• Lighting improvements across all worlds
• Tweaked imager parts
• Updates to Hunrath swing bridge
• Various large and small updates to art around Hunrath
• Various small collision fixes in Hunrath
• Optimization of art for the large Hunrath sphere
• Small art tweaks around Maray
• Collision and art fixes to some spheres in Kaptar
• Performance fixes for the Arai Hive
• Updates to shadows in generator room
• Updates to ending special effects
• Collision fixes in Maray
• Added a guide for the bleeder operation
• Updates to credits scene
• Fixes to books showing black bars at low resolutions
• Fix for falling off cliff near swing bridge in Kaptar
• Improvements for control panels in Maray

Sound

• Tweaks to sound in Maray
• Fixes for bird sounds in Maray

.....And too many more tweaks, updates, and fixes to list!

Mac Specific:

(Please remember, the Mac release of Obduction is currently in a beta state and is only available to Kickstarter backers as we work with everyone to improve performance and compatibility)

• Fixes for particle effects on AMD GPUs
• Media playback updates
• Small changes for Metal API shader model 5
• Fix for loading into a black screen under some conditions
• Fixes for lighting and loading effects
• Fixes for broken textures
• Performance tweaks

Known issues with the current Mac beta

• Some Macs may require an upgrade to MacOS Sierra
• Some Macs may see an odd black effect over the game's visuals when running Intel graphics
• Some players may see the minecart appear backwards from its correct position

Thanks (again) everyone!

Obduction, Cyan's spiritual successor to the legendary Myst series, is slated for release in July.

Cyan, the developer of Myst and Riven, has unveiled a new yet cryptic trailer for the upcoming exploration game Obduction, which releases this July.

We've heard little about this title since it raised over $1.3 million with its Kickstarter in November 2013, but now Cyan is revealing a bit more of what's in store and a look the areas you'll explore. A female voice narrating the trailer below says, "We all lost everything. Everything but our stories, and they shouldn't be forgotten."

Obduction begins with, you guessed it, an abduction, and you are then transported to surreal landscapes. After a few delays, Obduction has since been moved to July 26. It will be available for PC, Mac, and Oculus Rift. For more on this Myst spiritual successor, and why it's shrouded in mystery, read our interview with Cyan's Rand Miller.

Will Myst be getting an honest-to-goodness official sequel?  A trailer released by Cyan at the close of the year suggests that it might happen.

Thanks to Couch for tonight's news.  And thanks to Pibbur Who for new information!

More information.