An adventure game in the style of Myst (static rendered backgrounds that switch as you take each 'step'), Riddle of the Sphinx places you in the role of a close friend of Sir Gil Blythe Geoffreys, an archaeologist who as recently uncovered some remarkable finds about the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx. His discoveries have doomed him with a curse, however, and its your duty to right the wrongs he has uncovered. Taking place in the near future (after the Egyptian Antiquities Organization apparently closed off the sites to the public), you will uncover secrets that have been buried for ten millennia. 

Rendered in 3D, the game tries to reasonably copy the sites and monuments surrounding the Sphinx and the Pyramids of the Giza Plateau, allowing you to explore the area without ever leaving your chair, much less sweat out the heat of the desert. Gameplay consists of moving the cursor around, taking note of the highlights that can be selected, which include walking in directions and picking up or using items. Occasionally, you'll be treated a Quicktime VR panoramic scene that will allow you to freely turn and look around, but the majority of the game is static views that allow you to take 'steps' of varying sizes in different directions. The game tends to emphasize exploration of ancient Egyptian structures and their passageways, both real and fabricated.