Myst III: Exile is an adventure game which is a game in the Myst franchise. The game follows the "Stranger" as he goes back home to his homeland only to find out that it was destroyed by Atrus' sons. Atrus is the scientist who was able to master the ancient practice of creating links to various worlds (which are called "Ages" in the game). The player's mission is to find the enemy by going to different worlds in order for disaster to be prevented.
In Myst III: Exile, players have a full 360-degree view of the environment. This is because of the game's free-look system. The player explores the game's environment by mouse clicks or the spacebar. There is an option to explore terrains quickly. This is through the "zip mode" which enables skipping of several notes. Players can also interact with in-game items. They can manipulate and even pick up items. It is done by a single mouse click. Additionally, the game also features a number of puzzle-themed environments. The player can only progress in the game by manipulating objects in the environment, thus solving the puzzles. Items from the player's personal inventory can also be accessed. This is done in "cursor mode". The items can be accessed at the bottom of the screen.