Myst: Mechanical Age, Explained

The Mechanical Age is one of the five ages in Myst. Unlocking the ages gives people a glimpse into why the island of Myst exists. There are ways to get an ending in Myst relatively quickly, but most players will want to beat the entire game to understand the complete story of the island and it’s secrets.

This guide will spoil a large part of the strategy in Myst. Players are encouraged to try the game organically first, as it is one of the most critically acclaimed titles of all time. That being said, it's easy to get stuck. Anyone struggling to complete the clock puzzle or get through the Mechanical Age will have all the answers they need in this guide.

Latches & First Puzzle

The first thing players will need to do is flip on each of the six latches on the island. All six are relatively easy to find, as Myst is a small island. Once those are turned on, go back to the dock and enter the passageway that leads under the island. There is a small red button on the left side of the entrance that opens the cave.

At the bottom of the stairs players will find some kind of display with a button. Look at the notepad near the doorway, where there will be three numbers. One by one, input the numbers and press the button on the display. From there, gamers will want to visit the tower or library at the center of the island. The library is the white stone building with columns.

Pages & Books

Players will want to click on the pages next to the red and blue books, which will trigger a message from two different men who appear to be trapped inside of the books. Next, turn the knob on the map to the Clocktower, which should turn red.

Each time it turns red, it will reveal a key or hint in one of the books on the bookshelf. Acquire the keys and write them down; they will be useful for the other ages.

Clocktower & Gears Puzzle

Next, solve the Myst clocktower puzzle to get across the water. Once that is solved, a gear combination will take the player to the Mechanical Age. The books provide the hints to both of these puzzles, so players who want to dig deep into the puzzle-solving should skip to the next section. For players who find themselves stuck, the instructions are included below:

The correct time for the clock is 8:10. Move the dials and press the button to cross the bridge.
Inside of the tower, the solution is 221 in descending order.
Pull the right lever twice.
Press and hold the left lever to rotate the middle gear and complete the puzzle.

Mechanical Age

After completing the puzzle, head over to the platform at the end of the dock. At the top of the stairs, there will be a book that appears on the left side of the large gear. Open it to enter the Mechanical Age.

Players need to do several things while they are in the Mechanical age, starting with the below:

Press the red button on the marble chair, grab the red page, and read the note behind the trap door.
In the other room, press the blue button. Grab the blue page and pull the lever on the wall.

The next steps involve getting the elevator to work and finding the code to get out of the Mechanical Age. Before entering the hallway leading down to the elevator, press the button on the doorway. Down the stairs there is a contraption that looks like a generator or water pump. Players should hold down the lever until the smaller symbol is facing the same direction as the larger one.

Finding The Clues

Next, ride the elevator up and follow the steps below:

Press the orange button
Press the center button in the elevator
Walk back out onto the platform

Two levers will appear. Push the left one up, and then hold the right one up to activate the gears. Next, lower the left lever and it will make a sound. Each sound denotes a different part of the structure that has been lifted from the water.

First, it will make an exhaust sound, which will reveal a new platform bearing two symbols. Press the orange button to use the elevator and inspect the new area, which will appear where the walkway leading to the ocean was. Go back to the elevator and perform the same steps to reveal another platform.

This time, the lever will make a “ding” sound. Go back down and inspect the platform for two more clues. If the player goes back up and activate the gears again, it will make a spin sound. Activate it once more and it will make a clunking sound. Once players hear that sound, they can return to where they spawned. On the gear shaped console, enter the symbols as they were revealed:

Platform 1 (C, triangle/rectangle/triangle)
Platform 2 (Three trees and the moon, semi-circle)

The player can then press the yellow button to open a secret entryway. There, they will find a book that leads back to Myst island. Players will then want to visit the library and return the additional pages to each book. Both of the mysterious men will have a few requests.

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