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Rusty Lake: Roots

Rusty Lake: Roots Game Cover
96%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
replayability, grinding
96% User Score Based on 1,457 reviews

Platforms

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Rusty Lake: Roots Game Cover

About

Rusty Lake: Roots is a single player puzzle game with a horror theme. It was developed by Rusty Lake and was released on October 20, 2016. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Rusty Lake: Roots" is a atmospheric point-and-click adventure game that follows James Vanderboom's life as it changes dramatically after planting a special seed in his inherited garden. The game features a unique storyline where you expand your family tree by unlocking portraits in the tree of life across more than 33 levels. With a immersive soundtrack, suspenseful moments and achievements to unravel, this game will keep you engaged and intrigued.

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Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot
+15
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,457 reviews
story245 positive mentions
grinding4 negative mentions
  • Engaging and intricate storyline that explores the Vanderboom family's dark history.
  • Creative and varied puzzles that challenge players without being overly frustrating.
  • Beautiful art style and atmospheric music that enhance the eerie experience.
  • Some puzzles can be confusing or lack clear logic, leading to frustration.
  • The game does not support fullscreen mode, which can detract from immersion.
  • A few achievements are easily missable, requiring a full replay to obtain.
  • story
    609 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Rusty Lake: Roots" is a complex and engaging exploration of the Vanderboom family across generations, intertwining themes of gothic horror, mystery, and surrealism. Players navigate through a series of interconnected puzzles that reveal a dark and twisted narrative, often described as both intriguing and disturbing, with minimal dialogue enhancing the eerie atmosphere. Overall, the storytelling is praised for its depth and ability to captivate players, making it a standout entry in the Rusty Lake series.

    • “The story the game manages to tell by exploring an entire family tree over several generations is actually quite interesting with arcs such as the albert and frank rivalry.”
    • “Roots’ gothic fiction setting is a highly enjoyable one to explore given its ambient soundtrack, engaging puzzles, and an enjoyable story, so make sure to check it out if that’s your thing.”
    • “The story is still a very weird and surreal one, but you can definitely pick up more on the events that happen and some of it is genuinely really disturbing and I really loved the way the story was set up, as each story progression is its own condensed level, which makes the experience that more intriguing.”
    • “The story is convoluted and the puzzles only get into moon logic a couple of times.”
    • “The story is quite confusing and found some scenes disturbing (one man asks for water and you make the dog urinate and give him that???? what the hell????).”
    • “The game is ok but the story makes no sense, some of the puzzles make no sense, the coordination seemed to be off, and honestly I just found it kinda boring.”
  • graphics
    106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are consistently praised for their unique and stylized art style, which effectively complements the eerie atmosphere and narrative. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful, surreal visuals and the seamless integration of graphics with gameplay, although some note that certain scenes can be graphic and disturbing. Overall, the aesthetic is described as captivating and fitting for the game's dark themes, making it a standout feature for fans of the genre.

    • “I love everything about this game: the aesthetic, the story, the puzzles were not frustratingly complicated.”
    • “The artwork is beautiful, great sound design, and best of all is the story, which took a dark turn that I was not expecting.”
    • “Challenging, unsettling puzzles with beautiful painted graphics and a creepy soundtrack.”
    • “Fair warning, though: true to the occult horror imagery of the rest of the games, this one’s themes and graphics are also dark and disturbing.”
    • “It's amazing how unsettling a game with such silly looking graphics can be.”
    • “Also, the graphics are a bit boring in the sense that there are very few animations so there's not much going on.”
  • atmosphere
    91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is consistently described as eerie, creepy, and richly immersive, drawing comparisons to the works of David Lynch and Lovecraft. Players appreciate the unique art style, haunting music, and the unsettling narrative that enhances the overall experience, although some note that certain puzzles can detract from the immersion. Overall, the game successfully maintains the signature twisted and atmospheric charm characteristic of the Rusty Lake series.

    • “The atmosphere is amazing.”
    • “Very clever puzzles, a striking art direction and sombre music all help create a tense atmosphere - something Rusty Lake delivers consistently and with distinction.”
    • “The game delivers the classic twisted atmosphere of the original Cube Escape games with its usual charm and style.”
    • “The game has a twisted atmosphere; it's like everyone just accepts all the strangeness that is going on.”
    • “The puzzles in the first levels seemed overly simple, and there wasn't really a surreal atmosphere like in the other Rusty Lake games.”
    • “It tried to match the atmosphere of Rusty Lake Hotel but failed by not giving the characters any emotion at all, always deadpan (and though that might have been creepy, I think you'll get what I'm talking about if you play it).”
  • gameplay
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Rusty Lake: Roots is characterized by its point-and-click mechanics, which are simple yet engaging, allowing players to solve interconnected puzzles that span the game's narrative. While some players appreciate the challenging and original puzzles, others note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and occasionally lacks clear instructions, leading to reliance on walkthroughs. Overall, the game successfully combines intriguing storytelling with solid mechanics, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “The gameplay is pretty much identical to the previous Cube Escape games, down to the UI; however, like the previous game Rusty Lake Hotel, this game has its own unique twist to how the game progresses.”
    • “Gameplay is probably my favorite of all the Rusty Lake games; the puzzles are challenging and a lot of them span across the entire game instead of just being contained to their own section, but most of the time they make sense and are satisfying to solve.”
    • “The gameplay is somewhat linear, but the individual puzzles can certainly be challenging.”
    • “I guess they focused more on the narrative and sacrificed gameplay as a result.”
    • “The gameplay is embarrassingly easy as the game for the most part goes out of its way to telegraph the next step, but there are a few puzzles that will take a few minutes to figure out.”
    • “The gameplay does get a bit repetitive after a while, as it is the same function of searching for items and figuring out what to do next, though this is the classic gaming style of the Rusty Lake series.”
  • music
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric and haunting qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience with a mix of calm and sinister tones. While some users found it solid and fitting, others noted that it may not reach the heights of soundtracks from other titles in the genre. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's immersive storytelling and eerie ambiance.

    • “Roots' gothic fiction setting is a highly enjoyable one to explore given its ambient soundtrack, engaging puzzles, and an enjoyable story, so make sure to check it out if that's your thing.”
    • “The music, the art, and the story give you a feeling like no other game.”
    • “Rusty Lake: Roots is a marvelous piece of craft, the art is very simple yet intriguing, the gameplay is also very simple since it can be played with only the mouse, and the music made by Victor Butzelaar is fantastic; it's got one of the best game soundtracks out there.”
    • “The whole point of the game is to feel gross, disturbing and twisted; however, I did find the music annoying after a while and some of the puzzles are just a pain to do.”
    • “There's hardly any music anywhere either.”
    • “Only thing that lets the game down are the soundtracks; they could have done a better job with them.”
  • humor
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of dark, morbid, and quirky elements, often intertwining with its horror themes, which many players find charming and engaging. While some appreciate the absurdity and cleverness of the humor, others criticize certain juvenile and crude jokes that detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with its puzzling and eerie narrative, appealing to fans of dark comedy and surreal experiences.

    • “So interesting and many hilarious surprises haha”
    • “It has a lot of charm, and the quirky sense of humor and horror the game balances is by far the highlight.”
    • “This game is dark, macabre, funny, challenging, and downright silly all wrapped up into one.”
  • replayability
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate a mixed perception of replayability, with some players finding it infinitely replayable due to the ability to explore different stories and secrets, while others feel it lacks substantial replay value beyond completing achievements. Many noted that after finishing the game, there are additional tasks to undertake, but overall, the consensus leans towards limited replayability, particularly for those not focused on achievements.

    • “Plenty of replayability with trying to find the extra little secrets (and let's be honest, I messed around on the alchemy table for hours).”
    • “Because various stories intersect, there's arguably replay value in the form of following different people's specific stories through the game on different playthroughs.”
    • “If you finish once, there is another mission to complete, so you definitely have replay value here - if you aim to get all the achievements.”
    • “Each level was replayable on its own, so getting the achievements was easy if that makes a difference to you, but all the achievements that weren't story-related felt super weird - things I would never have figured out without a guide.”
    • “Poorly, there’s no real replayability, but after the game is finished for the first time, it gives the player another bunch of tasks leading to a playthrough of some of the levels for a second time.”
    • “Aside from looks, the only other thing that I think might turn people away from this game is the length; it'll vary depending on one's problem-solving skills, of course, but expect it to be short, with the only 'replayability' once you solve the final puzzle being the new achievements.”
  • emotional
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of creepiness and poignancy, with players experiencing a rollercoaster of feelings as they navigate the eerie yet touching narrative. The music enhances this emotional depth, while the story evokes sympathy for characters despite their often dimwitted actions and grim fates. Overall, players report a strong emotional investment in the storyline and characters, marking it as a standout entry in the series.

    • “It is in a game full of creepy elements that you find the glamour of humanity particularly precious and touching, whether it is the love of Emma or the lie of Albert.”
    • “Emotionally touching and horrific story, amazingly done by the creators.”
    • “I had an emotional investment in the storyline, and that’s a sign of an excellent point-and-click adventure game (or any video game, rather).”
  • grinding
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game can be tedious, particularly due to the need to reset progress to find missing items and the back-and-forth required for solving puzzles. While some players appreciate the challenge of the puzzles, others find them overly simplistic or distasteful, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall engagement level.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Having to reset the entire tree to find one or two things I was missing was tedious; otherwise, this game was engaging and horrifying.”
    • “There's plenty of puzzles where you have to match weird symbols with other objects or locations, and so even when you know how the hint fits into the puzzle box, it is tedious to go back and forth between the location of the hint and the location of the puzzle box.”
    • “Where the original game was amusing and twisted, this game presents a series of tedious puzzles, most too simple to be interesting and many disgusting beyond good taste.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers appreciate the distinct character designs and original characters, highlighting the artist's talent in creating visually appealing and unique character development.

    • “I really appreciate the distinct character designs.”
    • “The original characters and their development are impressive.”
    • “The artist is wonderful, and the character design is amazing!”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
    • “I was hoping for more growth and complexity in the characters.”
    • “The characters seem one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its excellent optimization, featuring user-friendly controls, intuitive gameplay, and impressive graphics, all contributing to a strong price-performance ratio. Reviewers highlight that it exemplifies peak performance in casual story-based games, making it highly recommendable.

    • “- price-performance ratio”
    • “the game itself (considering gameplay and controls) is user-friendly, intuitive and easy, the graphics are fancy, the price-performance ratio couldn't be better”
    • “You may not like it, but this is what peak performance of casual story-based games looks like.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game experiences some minor bugs and glitches that the developer has not addressed, but these issues do not significantly impact overall gameplay stability.

    • “The game suffers from several weird bugs and glitches that the developer seems to have overlooked, which can be quite frustrating.”
    • “There are frequent crashes that disrupt gameplay, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “I encountered numerous stability issues that detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
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6h Median play time
6h Average play time
4h Main story
5h Completionist
4-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Rusty Lake: Roots is a puzzle game with horror theme.

Rusty Lake: Roots is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

The main story can be completed in around 4 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 5 hours to finish. On average players spend around 6 hours playing Rusty Lake: Roots.

Rusty Lake: Roots was released on October 20, 2016.

Rusty Lake: Roots was developed by Rusty Lake.

Rusty Lake: Roots has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Rusty Lake: Roots is a single player game.

Similar games include Rusty Lake Paradise, Underground Blossom, Cube Escape: Paradox, Cube Escape Collection, The White Door and others.