Owned on Steam. Rusty Lake, and it's companion series Cube Escape, is series of surreal adventure and room escape games out of Scandinavia that wear it's Lynchian influances on it's dapper, well pressed sleaves. At it's lowest, Rusty Lake falls back on jump scares and gross outs (more the latter than the former in Hotel, especially in, well, spoilers). But at it's best, Rusty Lake relies on sly humor, creative situations, and an almost unbearable sense of dread. This is one of those games where the horror comes from telling the player to do questionable things with uncertain outcomes for unclear reasons. I don't think the point is to make some kind of commentary on video games as a whole or anything, but to leave you with a sort of horrified helplessness as you go through the increasingly omious steps. Not knowing what you're working toward, but knowing it can't be good. Rusty Lake Hotel was my introduction to the series, and I think it may be the best. All the Rusty Lake games have a strong sense of place and character. But Hotel also let's you in of the dark twist early, setting the ironic primness of an exclusive hotel/retreat against it's dark secrets. Plus it's two bucks full price. One of the best deals in gaming if you ask me.
