Rusty Lake

press kit

• Factsheet
• Description
• Projects
• Videos
• Images
• Logo & Icon
• Awards & Recognition
• Selected Articles
• Additional Links
• About Rusty Lake
• Team
• Contact

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Videos

Trailer YouTube

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Images

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Logo & Icon

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Awards & Recognition

• "Rusty Lake Hotel, Nominated Best Narrative and Best Mobile Game Award @ Casual Connect Amsterdam" indieprize.org, February, 2016

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Reviews

• " The puzzles are clever, but not overly taxing; the real appeal here comes not from being stymied but from the marvelously macabre atmosphere. Rusty Lake is positively gleeful about its creepiness; it’s not trying to terrify you so much as make you squirm in a pleasant way, which it achieves with ease. The Edward Gorey-esque art, the liquid tones of your employer’s voice, the actual methods of murder - they’re all joyously dark. Oh, and speaking of dark... make sure you linger in the lobby one evening. Trust me. Rusty Lake will only take you an hour or two to finish - more, perhaps, if you’re intent on getting three stars for every meal. Do book yourself a room… just make sure you keep your door locked at night. Bon appetit."
  - Susan Arendt, GamesRadar
• "And the (Good) Weird Trailer of the Year Award Goes to Upcoming 'Rusty Lake Hotel' Each room has its own theme song and each dinner is, well, worth dying for. Now, while the atmosphere is spot on and the feel of it fantastic, I do hope the puzzles don't feel like an afterthought rather than a part of the story. I've had disappointments in the past with games that hit the art direction nail on the head only to give me bland puzzles to go along with it. Hopefully, Rusty Lake Hotel will manage to marry the sense of dread and wonder with its puzzle elements. Either way, I'll be giving this one a try when it comes out next week. It will cost $1.99, and will hopefully be a spooky treat. "
  - Tasos Lazarides, TouchArcade
• "The fact that the victims are anthropomorphized animals makes the violence somehow less horrible. It makes the atmosphere no less eerie, however. On the contrary, it heightens the weirdness of Rusty Lake (the place). Rusty Lake (the developer) are adept at crafting not only ingenious puzzles, but a uniquely strange world. It’s both deeply unsettling and darkly funny. I can’t wait for my next foray into it, and I heartily recommend this one. "
  - Paul Hack, Fireside
• "This game is weird. The creators are weird. We're weird for playing it. With every installment in their series, Rusty Lake has managed to intrigue and creep us out, and while Rusty Lake Hotel is no different, there's something especially sadistic and unsettling about the premise this time around. You murder your guests in some fairly horrible ways, all of which take place right before your eyes, so it's a little different than simply seeing the aftermath of violence or the abstract gore from the previous titles. The creators have always had a great eye for presentation and the surreal, and Rusty Lake Hotel goes all out in this regard. Every frame seems to drip with tension and menace, and the soundtrack keeps you constantly on edge. The storytelling in Rusty Lake Hotel feels a lot more vague than in previous titles, though it's still there if you know where to look. It's not an obvious direct continuation of the events in the previous games, though it's obviously related in significant ways, and most of your time is going to be spent supremely creeped out with a big series of question marks over your head as you play. Which isn't really all that different from how I function in day to day life anyway, so I personally felt right at home. "
  - Dora, JayIsGames.com
• "Not only is the art beautiful in Rusty Lake Hotel, but it’s used to accurately depict the theme, and establish the animal characters in human form. There are a lot of subtle details, and even hidden optional extras to find as you go. The game also delivers a surreal atmosphere, and the mystery trends towards the crazy side of things to make it that much more engrossing. The gameplay isn’t brand new, but the design package coupled with the storyline creates an experience that goes beyond the simple classification of “game”. It’s a fascinating journey that you will remember after it’s done, which is a rarity on iOS. "
  - Trevor Sheridan, AppleNApps
• "Rusty Lake Hotel does look quite glorious though. The hand drawn style is very appealing, almost like you’re dealing with an adult picture book. Backed up by a varied soundtrack that changes frequently to accommodate for each diner, it’s clear a lot of work has been put into Rusty Lake Hotel. That’s kind of what keeps you going with it. It’s an intriguing concept that’s reasonably original compared to so many other adventure games, even if it doesn’t always quite hit the spot. You’ll need a dark sense of humor to fully appreciate it, but it’s certainly memorable. Just expect to be frustrated at times by that picky attitude to where you tap. You’ll get used to it, but that doesn’t mean that you should accept it entirely readily."
  - Jennifer Allen, GameZebo
• " Kom je echt niet uit een puzzel, dan biedt de game vanuit de app een link naar YouTube, waar in filmpjes uit de doeken wordt gedaan wat de bedoeling is. De kracht van Rusty Lake Hotel is echter het zelf ontdekken van het mysterieuze gebouw en wat er zich afspeelt. Daarvoor moet je je hersenen af en toe laten kraken, maar het oplossen van een puzzel geeft een goed gevoel. Ook als de puzzel een keer niet zo logisch is en je gewoon maar wat op het scherm tikt. "
  - Rutger Otto, iPhoned
• "Die Zeit ist im Rusty Lake Hotel nur so verflogen, okay vielleicht waren es auch nur zwei Stunden. Das Essen war sah lecker aus, auch wenn es sehr speziell war – über die Thematik kann man sich streiten. Wichtig für ein Spiel dieser Art sind aber die Rätsel und die sind hier recht gut gelungen. Meist kommt man mit Logik und einem wachsamen Auge weiter, teilweise hat sich mir aber ein Sinn mancher Elemente nicht erschlossen und schien aus der Luft gegriffen. Die Entwickler von Rusty Lake haben es aber mit der kleinen Geschichte geschafft, die fünf Rätsel-Kapitel gut miteinander zu verbinden. Und sie haben mich neugierig auf den demnächst erscheinenden nächsten Teil gemacht. Ein solides Rätselspiel mit toller Atmosphäre, die einem Kammerspiel gleicht. "
  - Tobi, AppGemeinde

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Additional Links

Victor Butzelaar
Victor designed the atmospheric and suspense soundtrack for the rooms .

Bob Rafferty
Awesome voice-over for Mr. Owl .

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About Rusty Lake

Boilerplate
Rusty Lake is both the name of our indie game studio and the eerie and surrealistic world we have created. We are the creators of the praised Cube Escape series and the premium point-and-click adventures Rusty Lake Hotel, Rusty Lake: Roots and Rusty Lake Paradise!

More information
More information on Rusty Lake, our logo & relevant media are available here.

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presskit() by Rami Ismail (Vlambeer) - also thanks to these fine folks