This September sees the release of End of Ages, the fifth in the Myst computer games series, after a year and half of development. The fantasy adventure games series has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide, and has been translated into 23 languages.

The latest episode in a saga, created by Rand and Robyn Miller, offers more landscapes to explore and puzzles to solve. It completes the story of Atrus's family, the last keepers of the Art of Writing. Available in both Mac and PC format, the game offers breathtakingly rendered scenery, with problem-solving tasks that require enough mental agility to keep even hardened gamers engaged.

One unexpected enthusiast is Tim Raylands, the recipient of a major award (from the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) for his imaginative use of Myst in classes at Chew Magna school, near Bristol. He has been using the game since 2000 when he was introduced to it by a friend’s daughter.

Mr Rylands believes that the games offer an interactive but passive environment that inspires pupils to develop their communication and descriptive writing skills. Because the main character, Artrus, creates the worlds in which players travel, by writing, children are better able to grasp the potential of the written word.

"I’d never say that what I do should replace normal school field trips - although mine require a great deal less insurance," said Mr Raylands, "but on a more conventional trip, there is always somebody who misses the frog. With a virtual landscape everybody sees the frog."

The game aims to offer something for everyone. The numerous female characters act as positive role models for the girls in his class and the boys become so deeply immersed that they forget the environment is not real. The overall results of Mr. Rylands virtual excursions have been reflected in dramatic improvement in his classes’ literacy assessments. The teacher now shares his findings with special needs teachers. "It brings alternative worlds to their pupils, who are in some way constrained within their own," he says.

Mr. Rylands has already started to see the learning potential in the new version of the game Myst V and is considering using it to help teach his pupils about body language and character analysis. "If you don’t have fun, then what are you going to learn," he says.

Myst V: End of Ages is released on September 23
Published by Ubisoft
Developed by CyanWorlds
Available in both PC and Mac format
Cost: £29.99 from www.amazon.co.uk

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