To say RHEM I SE: The Mysterious Land is dated is like saying Mozart and Rembrandt are dated. This is an extremely well crafted set of puzzles and searches built around a story of sorts, but that's not what's important. What is important is that you are given, apparently, no directions on what to do next. The story tells you that you are looking for something, and as soon as you start you are apparently trapped in this mysterious world of machines, passages, elevators, trams, trapdoors, pumps, levers, possibly significant artworks and some books. At first everything seems irrelevant, but every time I've played the original I've filled a half inch of 3x5 cards with notes.

I bought this game when it first came out long, long ago, back when graphics were primitive, and I've played it at least five times - each time learning something new about how to tackle a certain puzzle. You can't solve them by trial and error. You have to look elsewhere for clues and (if you recognize them as such) outright answers. The usual workflow is: What does that machine do? It doesn't work. Wait a minute; it needs to be powered on. Where did I see some electrical cables strung around? If I look outside, will I be able to follow the cable back to where it gets power? How does this system of pipes and valves get me some power? Damn! How do I get back to where I needed the power? There's a book full of symbols; better take some notes. That's nonsense - no - wait a minute; I saw something like that way back over there. Trust me, you'll never remember it all without your notes. I always threw out my notes after I'd finished, though.

If you have an urge to find a walkthrough, you are missing the whole point of this type of game. As you work into a new game, be cognizant of your thought processes as you solve the puzzles and mysteries. None of these puzzles are solved by copying an answer from some clue; you have to actually think, and studying how your multi-step thought processes work is an education in itself.

As a physics teacher, I am confronted by students who want to know which formula to use. I never tell them. I make them understand what little they can and then start again on the problem. I've purchased used copies of the RHEM series over the years and given them to certain students whom I identified as not performing up to their problem solving potential. In every case (and I played the game along with them at times) that student felt so empowered after solving a tough RHEM puzzle that tackling physics problems became a game rather than a dead end. Now this game is available through Steam, so I am able to gift it directly. School starts in three weeks! RHEM IV: The Golden Fragments is also available through Steam. I'm hoping for a RHEM V!

This game is the work on one man, Knut Muller, who created the visual world of RHEM with Bryce, the free 3D authoring tool, and put it all together with (then) Macromedia Director. Some complain that it's a long way from one place to another, especially if you just found out you really needed that crazy symbol sheet. I disagree: it's a pleasure building a representation of the RHEM world in your mind. Every once in a while he gives you a map, but even the map is cryptic. In this SE version he has added a new place. The puzzle to get you there is devilishly complex but suddenly doable after several levels of thinking. It's a pleasure to replay the whole series (I through IV) every few years. It gives me a perspective on just how simple and senseless most other computer games are. Knut Muller is a genius - just like Mozart or Rembrandt.

RHEM I SE: The Mysterious Land is the first game of the RHEM franchise; a point & click game where you have to solve puzzles to escape from the town called "RHEM"

The graphics are a bit outdated, but i don`t think of that as very important. The most important part about this game are the puzzles. The graphic design is a bit outdated, but it has its own charme. The puzzles are great though. I think it fits to compare this game to the Myst Games. The puzzles in Rhem are - in my opinion - a bit more technical than in Myst; really, most of the time you are working with machines.
The puzzles can be solved with logic. I haven`t seen any puzzle in there that must be solved by try & error. Some of the puzzles are really difficult though. And by that I mean... incredibly difficult.

The only thing i dislike about this game (but well, it`s typical for many point & click games) is the walking distance the player has to travel: 'Ouh - i have forgotten something in another part of Rhem, let`s walk like 3 minutes by spamming the mouse button'. It`s kinda nice that the developer added a Skip Mode where you can skip some long passages of walking, so it`s not that exasperating anymore. That helped me keep my sanity there... thank you for that ^^

Definitely a game i would reccommend for expert puzzle fans. Really, just try it. It`s great ;)

The RHEM series is underappreciated.

Really, really underappreciated.

There's only really one style of puzzle in RHEM -- the kind where you have to make some machine work by finding some symbols in the gameworld and finding a corresponding symbol-decoder clue elsewhere in the gameworld, allowing you to push some buttons on some control panel in the right order. And some of these symbols are probably written on one side of a door that's only visible by traversing the gameworld in a loop for 2 minutes. And maybe you need to rotate some thingamabobs or trace the path of a bunch of tangled wires/pipes along the way. And when you finally get the machine to work, it gives you access to a new part of the game world which means more symbols to write down, more wires to trace, and so on.

If this sounds tedious (and, to be fair, RHEM has lots of negative reviews on the internet precisely because lots of folks think so), then this isn't the game for you. It doesn't have good art or sound or plot. That's not what the game is about. This game is one thing only: an absolute masterclass on the specific style of puzzle you see above. And for people like me who love careful notetaking, mapping, and observation, it's a real joy to play.

Looking forward to seeing what puzzles Knut adds to the SE version of Rhem 2!

I played the first edition of the Rhem games years ago, but I don’t remember much of it. This new edition has some extra puzzles and areas, so it was a sufficient reason for me to buy it.

But first of all, Rhem is not a game for everyone. Its graphics are dated and ugly-looking. Limited to a maximum display, the world is mostly bare of life without any trees or flowers, there is no background music, just some environment sounds (water, wind, door opening…), and there is no real storyline to follow.

But we don’t play Rhem for whatever it looks like, no, we play Rhem for the puzzles, and what puzzles! The Rhem games might contain some of the best thought puzzles ever made. Trying to solve them becomes so captivating, that we forget that graphics are not that great, we don’t even notice that there is no music, which would for a fact be too distracting…

I definitely recommend this game to any puzzles lovers!

RHEM is a game about the ugliest environment ever rendered in a video game and the beautiful, intricate puzzles that fill its decrepit halls. Truth be told it sort of drives me nuts how bare and ugly the design of the game is, but not just for aesthetic reasons: every detail, every piece of decoration, every adornment found in the game, is a clue. Nothing is there just to look kind of nice as you walk by it. If it's got a pattern on it, it's a clue. If its design is anything more than the bare-bones functionality you'd expect in an industrial environment, it's a clue. It turns you into a tinfoil-hat wearing conspiracy theorist after a while. It doesn't help that the reward for solving a puzzle is nearly always more clues that don't look like clues. But the puzzles, man... they're so good. When you solve the radar outpost puzzle or the pumping station all on your own, you'll be riding that high all day. I feel like I deserve a PhD in Rhemonomics after beating this game.

I strongly recommend this game for any fans of the original Myst or just fans of open-world puzzle solving in general. RHEM provides you with a huge, sprawling complex to explore, and while the plot is pretty much non-existant until the very end of the game, the puzzles and the satisfaction from understanding the game world and its intricate paths is more than enough to keep you going.

One issue, and really the only big issue for me, is that the game will often require you to loop back or retrace your steps through some areas, which can be a pain in the butt because of the intricate and gated nature of the different areas. Be prepared to click through the same screens a lot. A lot.

If you can look past the above, then do yourself a favor and pick up this game. If you do, here is a clarification that may keep you from misunderstanding a certain puzzle and being lost for like 4 hours: Some buttons can be held down.

This is a great game ! Absolute one of my favorite games ever.

I've played this game many times, over the years, but I've never been able to finish it. Until this time !
And it only took me 64 hours ... 😉
I did need 3 small clues of the type "have you tried looking behind door X ?" though. I haven't looked up anything else. I feel so proud. 😁

I would only recommend this game to people that love observation type puzzles and that love making maps. Nothing beats the feeling of solving a puzzle and getting ready to explore a newly exposed area.

And now ... on to game number 2 ! (which I have also tried many times to finish 😊)

The RHEM series is a masterpiece, but is not for everyone, and early frustrations may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Here is my advice for getting the most out of the series:

• Explore carefully, curiously, and patiently. Look and listen everywhere: left, right, up down. Don't neglect checking behind doors, underneath objects, or in unexpected corners. And remember that most of the time, when you encounter a puzzle, you don't have the information needed to solve it yet.
  
• Keep a notebook by your computer - it's basically a requirement. Write down anything that you think may be relevant to a puzzle, because most puzzles have clues spread out around the world. By game completion, expect to fill up multiple pages of notes and diagrams. RHEM 2 in particular may require several pages. RHEM 3 and RHEM 4 do have some in-game note-taking functions, but you'll still need to write down a lot.
  
• Do not expect to complete a RHEM game in one sitting. These are games where you should expect to get stumped, close it, and return to it the next day. Do not play this game if you don't enjoy getting stumped.
  
• Use a walkthrough if you must (I'll admit to consulting them), but I encourage you to use them as little as possible. Often, just one hint can get you what you need to progress further on your own.
  
• Look past the technical issues: The low resolution, crappy graphics, and occasional crash. Yes these are unacceptable in modern games, but this is the type of game where they really don't matter. Just be sure to manually save occasionally.
  
• If you are new to the RHEM series, know that playing the series out of order is fine - what little story there is doesn't matter. I personally recommend starting with RHEM 3 - while it's by no means easy, the starting areas are a bit less frustrating IMO, and I think it has some of the best puzzles. RHEM 2 is also excellent, and its starting area isn't too bad, but some later areas are mind-bogglingly difficult. RHEM 4 is solid with medium difficulty for the series. IMO, RHEM 1 is the easiest (still hard!) but has the weakest puzzles and is a bit confusing to navigate.

very good game - Knut Mueller is a genius when it comes to puzzles, and even his oldest game here clearly shows it. although it is very dated, it is well worth the price and I look forward to playing the special editions of the final two RHEM games as they are released.

I always thought RHEM was kind of accessible, one of the most accessible Myst like games around, as the puzzles are fairly clear and the sense of direction is a bit stronger than usual. What others do not mention, and is what I actually don't like about this subgenre, is how easy is to disorient oneself, not knowing which hotspot can you use for moving, missing some parts that tell you that you can also explore right, and well, if I may say, the always present elitism of Myst like lovers who consider beating these games as a satisfactory showoff of their intellect.

This game is not about being intellectual, but about going around taking notes, not missing any hotspot, pulling a lever or pushing a button that changes something far away in the game, and backtracking, backtracking quite a lot until you have all the pieces. I give it a yes recommendation but you better know what you are getting.