}''
Rusty Lake Hotel In 2015 Rusty Lake released
Rusty Lake Hotel, a
puzzle video game. Players take the role of Harvey, an anthropomorphic parrot, at a hotel hosting five guests, each of whom is an anthropomorphic animal invited to experience gourmet meals. Each night the player will visit a guest's room, where they cannot leave until they have solved multiple puzzles and slaughtered the guest, who will then be cooked and served to the remaining guests the following day.
Rusty Lake Hotel received mixed reviews on
Metacritic. Common elements of praise centered upon the game's artwork and atmosphere, which
Rock Paper Shotgun reviewer cited as a highlight despite their personal dislike of puzzle games. Elements of criticism focused on the user interface for the mobile version;
Adventure Gamers also voiced concern over the game's puzzle logic and story, stating that the game might only appeal to fans of
Cube Escape.
Rusty Lake: Roots Rusty Lake: Roots is a puzzle game and marked the second standalone game released in the Rusty Lake series and shared universe. The game focuses on three generations of the Vanderboom family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Players are tasked with solving puzzles over 33 individual vignettes and ensure the continued growth of the Vanderboom family tree. Reviewers for
Rock Paper Shotgun and
PC World both praised the game for expanding upon the Rusty Lake universe; the reviewer for
Rock Paper Shotgun noted that the game was accessible to players new to
Rusty Lake while also expanding the lore for those familiar with the other entries. Both reviewers had critical notes;
PC World's reviewer criticized that the game was "clearly built for tablets, not PC" while
Rock Paper Shotgun commented that the game lacked the "intense creepiness that defines the Rusty Lake oeuvre".
Pocket Gamer gave the game a Silver Award in their review, calling it "A weird and dark adventure that's well worth exploring". The game has received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic.
Rusty Lake Paradise Rusty Lake Paradise is a puzzle game that was released on January 11, 2018. The game is set on a small, isolated island in Rusty Lake, where the island and its inhabitants have been cursed with plagues resembling the
ten plagues of Egypt. Gameplay takes place in 1796 and centers upon the return of Jakob Eilander, who has returned home after learning of his mother's death. Once there, Jakob is tasked by his mother's ghost to retrieve her memories and bring an end to the plagues. The reviewer for PC World praised the game while noting that the game needed better balance for the puzzle difficulty and that it had "quite a few filler puzzles".
The White Door The White Door is a puzzle video game that centers upon the character of Robert Hill, a character last seen in
Cube Escape: Theatre. In this game Hill awakens in a mental institution with
amnesia and the inability to see any colors other than shades of black and white, all of which the facility's staff promises they can restore. As the game progresses, players must follow instructions and solve puzzles in order to understand Hill's background and restore his memory. Initially intended for a 2019 release, the game's release was pushed to January 9, 2020, with the developers stating that the additional time was needed for their personal well-being and that it would be better for the game's quality. The developers also imparted that the game would feature changes to the gameplay and puzzle mechanics and would be "the most narrative based game we made so far". They also chose to release the game under a new label of theirs, Second Maze, due to the game's divergence from their usual style. Shortly after the game's release the developers began an
ARG based on
The White Door, where players could visit the mental health facility's website and social media accounts to reveal additional puzzles and secrets that would reveal codes that could be used to access an alternative third ending for the game. Hardcore Gaming 101 reported that fans of the series had begun playing the ARG before it was launched and accessing the final area prior to the developers adding necessary content, causing Rusty Lake to compliment the players and change elements of the ARG in order to keep it challenging upon launch. The reviewer for PC Gamer found the subject matter "much more challenging than the puzzles" and that the game is ultimately about "feeling as bad as it's possible to feel" while also "a game about feeling better, and enduring life's colour-drained, joyless passages, emerging from the other side, and finding beauty in the smallest, simplest things." A reviewer for
The Stanford Daily commented that they were disappointed by the game, as they were expecting it to be more similar to the prior games.
Samsara Room An early version of
Samsara Room was released in 2013, prior to the developers' publication of the first Cube Escape game. Gameplay is similar to others in the
Rusty Lake series; players must explore and escape a single-location. A remake of the game was released in 2020 to coincide with the fifth birthday of the Rusty Lake series. Changes made to the game include additions to tie the game more closely into the
Rusty Lake universe, as well as new puzzles, graphics, and soundtrack. The game does not require an internet connection. The game's story revolves around solving the mystery of Albert Vanderboom by communicating between the past and future, and fulfilling his legacy.
The Past Within received mixed reviews on Metacritic and was nominated for best innovation and best game design at the 2023 Dutch Game Awards. Common elements of praise centered upon the gameplay mechanics and storyline, while Will Quick of
Pocket Gamer questioned its
replay value.
Underground Blossom Underground Blossom is a 2023-point and click game. Released on September 27, 2023, the game focuses on several key moments in the life of Laura Vanderboom, which are being viewed by Harvey the parrot. Players must solve puzzles and make their way through an underground metro track where each station represents a key moment in Laura's life. Prior its release Rusty Lake released a 15-20 minute demo,
Underground Blossom Lite, that allowed players to explore the first two stations of the full game. A reviewer for
Pocket Gamer praised the entry's art, puzzles, and story, noting that newcomers could play the entry without needing to complete the prior
Rusty Lake games first.
The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show was released on April 30, 2025 to celebrate the developer’s 10th anniversary. It features Mr. Rabbit, a character first introduced in
Rusty Lake Hotel and subsequently seen in the
Cube Escape games
Birthday and
The Cave. Players are tasked with completing puzzles and assisting Mr. Rabbit with his magical acts.
Servant of the Lake Servant of the Lake is an upcoming point-and-click game in the Rusty Lake series and is projected to release in spring 2026 for mobile and PC. As with prior entries, players must solve puzzles while working as a servant in the Vanderboom estate and searching for their "dark alchemical secrets". The game is set prior to the events of
Rusty Lake: Roots in Spring, 1839.
Reception Critical reception for games in the
Rusty Lake series has been mixed to favorable. Review aggregate
Metacritic shows generally favorable reviews for
Rusty Lake: Roots and
The White Door, while
Rusty Lake Hotel and
The Past Within both have mixed or average reviews. Multiple outlets have commented upon the series' mythos, with some stating that players will need to experience all of the available games in order to better understand the larger storyline of the
Rusty Lake universe. Common elements of praise for the series centers upon its artwork and atmosphere, which has received praise from outlets such as
Rock Paper Shotgun, The developers have commented upon the series' fan following, stating that they have occasionally used the community's fandom pages to look up information about the
Rusty Lake series. They have also complimented the players on their puzzle savvy after the community discovered and began playing the
ARG based on
The White Door prior to its launch. == References ==