Let's make some memories
This page is devoted to Rusty Lake, a long-running series of games that I started following back in the days of Flash games on Newgrounds. Point-and-click adventure games were some of the first video games I seriously got into (aside from Pokemon, of course), and Rusty Lake has some of the best ones out there. Eventually I'll give this site more advanced polish. But for now, make yourself a cup of coffee, settle down on the couch, and enjoy your stay.
What is Rusty Lake?
Rusty Lake/Cube Escape is a series of surreal point-and-click horror games by the dev studio of the same name. It tells the story of a mental health retreat in the Netherlands, and the mysterious connection it shares with the death of a woman named Laura Vanderboom. As detective Dale Vandermeer investigates the circumstances of her death, he discovers that there's far more to this mystery than just an unfortunate lady. It also involves her family history, his own past, and even the Lake itself.
The Rusty Lake saga is a mind-bending rabbit hole full of family drama, occult strangeness, and murder most foul.
Where Do I Start?
Because of the non-linear nature of this series's storyline and lore, getting into it can be a bit... complicated. You'll have to remember that the Rusty Lake games began their lifespan as the Cube Escape series, which were room escape Flash games hosted on Newgrounds and the like. (Okay, technically the first one was Samsara Room, but shush.)
Alongside the free in-browser games, a series of paid "premium" Rusty Lake games began releasing, which were also point-and-click but more expansive and sophisticated, and didn't have the Cube Escape label. Releases of Cube Escape games were sometimes staggered with premium games, too, so you'd often see references between these two sets for the benefit of those who were keeping up with the lore.
Still with me? Good.
Mika's Recommended Play Order
Titles marked with an asterisk are OG Cube Escape titles from before Flash got nuked. They can be found on Steam bundled with the Cube Escape Collection, or for free on archives like Flashpoint. All this is in release order; some titles are omitted due to irrelevancy. (You can still play them if you want, though. I'm not your dad.)
Behold your newest rabbit hole:
- Seasons*
- Case 23*
- The Mill*
- Hotel
- Birthday*
- Roots
- Theatre*
- Paradise
- The Cave*
- Paradox
- The White Door
- The Past Within
- Underground Blossom
A Note On The Past Within
As one of the later releases, this is a pretty important game lore-wise, but it's also one of the hardest to play. Not because the puzzles are especially hard; it just requires you to play it alongside someone else who has another copy of the game. I included it in the play order list, but I won't fault you if you decide to skip it.
So Why Do I Like It?
Ages ago, back when Flash was still alive and I was still a depressed high schooler, I decided to stop watching unfunny YouTubers play trashy video games, and instead try playing some of those trashy video games myself. Newgrounds was my venue of choice, naturally, since my laptop at the time was too much of a shitbox to run anything more advanced than Portal 1. It was through Newgrounds that I discovered point-and-click adventure games: Scriptwelder's work, The Last Door, and of course the Cube Escape series. I was instantly hooked.
These games kind of molded me into the person I am today. I discovered that I actually love weird surreal horror, I have a knack for puzzles, and I'm not ashamed to look up a walkthrough when things get confusing. They've heavily influenced my art and writing as well as my tastes. The fact that they involve anthropomorphic animals also accounts for maybe 30% of the reason I grew up to be a furry.
Maybe this rambling hasn't convinced you to play these games. But I hope you now understand why I think you should.
Rusty Lake Goodies
I know my fellow Lakeheads are out here in the indie web scene. And for those of you who are, I offer you these goodies to slap on your site. (More coming soon!)
