FAQ

Contact Us

How do I contact the Mysterium Committee?

You can contact us at our Contact Page. We will reply to you as soon as possible.

Events

Do I have to attend the official events?

Nope! Event attendance is in no way mandatory. In fact, many people find attractions in the city and go to them in their free time or in lieu of an official event. Additionally, many Myst fans split into their own groups and do what they wish. However, we would hope that everyone attends at least one event, because we’d like to see everyone together! The official events are in place so that everyone has a chance to see everyone.

How do I sign up for a presentation spot? What are the rules?

If you are interested in signing up for a presentation slot, please fill out the sign-up form. The Events lead will be in touch with you as soon as possible about your request!

What types of events are planned for this year’s Mysterium?

Since 2008, a few activities have proven popular enough to merit permanent event status, such as the What Would Atrus Build design contest, the Marker Mission puzzles, Ahyoheek Tournament, and Costume Contest. As always, fan presentations are a vital part of Mysterium. If you’re interested in presenting, please see our events page for more information on what our typical event formats look like, and how to get yourself listed on the schedule. Attendees are also more than welcome to do their own thing as well – each year’s host city is always chock full of places to go and things to see!

Will there be presentations this year?

Yes! Fans are invited to sign up for a presentation spot and present whatever they’d like to Mysterium attendees. Presentations will be spread out throughout the weekend, and can take on a variety of formats. For more information, or to sign up for a presentation slot, please see the presentation guidelines and form on the Events page.

General

Are any Cyan employees going to be attending Mysterium this year?

Due to Cyan’s current operational status, it is unknown at this time to what extent Cyan will participate in Mysterium in any given year unless it is being hosted in Spokane, WA at their request. We will provide more information about their official involvement in a given year as it becomes available.

What is Mysterium?

Mysterium is a yearly gathering of fans of Cyan Worlds’ games, including the Myst series and Obduction. There has been a Mysterium every year since 2000, the largest one being in 2000 with 200 attendees. Mysterium generally attracts between 30-130 attendees, depending on location. Mysterium is financially supported by donations, merchandise proceeds and registration fees, and is entirely run by volunteers.

When is Mysterium being held?

Mysterium is always held in the first full weekend of August. For 2014, it was the 1st through the 3rd; for 2015, the 7th through the 9th, etc.

Where is Mysterium held?

Beginning in 2016, Mysterium host cities are selected based on a bidding system. Every spring, we put out a call for bids for the following year. The winning bid is announced at the end of the current year’s convention in August.

If you are interested in submitting a bid, please get in touch with us!

Who is welcome at Mysterium? Is it okay to bring my children?

Everyone is welcome! We are a very family-friendly get-together, and it is not uncommon to have couples bring their children. We do ask however that you supervise your children, as the Mysterium committee does not accept liability for your ward. Please see our Policies page for more information.

Who runs Mysterium?

Mysterium is planned and organized by a group of volunteers known as the Mysterium Planning Committee. The members of the Committee have volunteered to participate for one reason or another, but their positions are not paid. If you would like to help us out as a volunteer at Mysterium itself, or you’d like to talk to us about joining the Committee, please contact us.

Hotel

I tried to make hotel reservations, and the reservation system wasn’t working. Who do I contact?

Please contact the hotel over the phone to make your reservations if this happens.

I tried to make hotel reservations, and there were no rooms available. Help!

Don’t despair! You can try and find someone who needs a roommate by asking around on social media. If you need your own hotel room, then it is possible to stay at another hotel nearby and walk to Mysterium from there. If you are unable to book a room at the official hotel, please contact the Committee. A list of available alternative hotels will also be published on the website in the event that the official hotel runs out of rooms.

I’d like to share a room with someone to cut costs, but I don’t know who. Is there any easy way to find someone to share a room with?

Yes. Attendees often post room sharing requests on community forums (like our Facebook page), so check around, you’re sure to find someone! Please be aware that the committee cannot guarantee any arrangements made with other attendees.

Is there an official hotel?

Yep, there’s an official hotel! Having an official hotel makes it easier to congregate, hang out, have presentations, etc. The official Mysterium hotel will always have a conference room which we can reserve for the weekend.

What is the official hotel?

Information about this year’s hotel can be found on the Location page.

Location

How do I get around this year’s location?

Details regarding transportation are available on our Location page. Previous Mysteria have featured car pooling efforts on the part of the attendees, organized by the on-site Mysterium staff, to transport large groups of people to specific events.

Registration

How do I register for this year’s Mysterium?

When registration is open, you can pre-register for Mysterium on our registration page. Registration will close about a month before the convention date. If you are unable to register online or you miss the deadline, you may register at the door when you arrive. Please note that if you do not register online, we cannot guarantee that you will receive a swag bag or convention book, as our orders for these materials are based on pre-registration numbers.

What does my registration fee go towards?

Registration fees go towards the cost of renting the hotel space for the weekend, any equipment rentals that may be necessary for presentations or activities, supplies for events like What Would Atrus Do, and materials for the swag bags and prizes. The Mysterium Planning Committee does not draw compensation from the registration funds, and any surplus is put towards paying for future conventions.

What exactly do I get for registering?

Registration includes a name badge and the current year’s lanyard. We may also include some bonus swag such as a patch or pin.

Please note that t-shirts are not included in the cost of registration. You may pre-order a t-shirt along with your registration for an additional fee. We strongly recommend that you pre-order a t-shirt, as we do not print large quantities of extra shirts, and cannot guarantee that we will have one in your size should you choose to wait.

Website

I see an error on your website, who do I contact?

Please contact our Web Team at web@mysterium.net.