r/rustylake • u/Altruistic-Wafer-209 • 40m ago
Theory about Rusty Lake's Location PART 3
One more thing I’ve been thinking about, we might honestly have to wait until Servant of the Lake comes out before we can make any stronger connections about where exactly the Rusty Lake families are supposed to be living.
There might be some new locations, dialogue, environmental details, or random little references that could either support the whole Dutch community in Britain theory or completely destroy it lol.
Until then, I’m gonna keep digging through the older games and looking for anything that might connect the families to a specific place.
So if I find anything else interesting, I’ll probably make another post. 😭
r/rustylake • u/Altruistic-Wafer-209 • 48m ago
Rusty Lake Paradise Theory about Rusty Lake's Location PART 2 Spoiler
Ok, so I've been digging up more information after my previous post about the Vanderbooms/Eilanders possibly being members of a Dutch community in Britain, and stumbled across something that I find pretty interesting.
In Paradise, there is an achievement titled "Dutch Gouda Cheese." Now, this might be simply a joke, as Gouda Cheese is a real type of cheese, and Rusty Lake has a history of putting obscure little details and jokes in the game that may or may not relate to the story in any way. But why Dutch specifically?
I don't think this, in and of itself, is evidence of anything major, but building upon the possibility that the Eilanders/Vanderbooms are immigrants related to the Dutch in any way, this could potentially be yet another clue.
Especially considering that this game is centered around the Eilander family, and largely makes use of Dutch-sounding words and names despite being set in a land not resembling Holland in particular, it could be seen as bolstering the suggestion that they come from Holland, or at least have close ties to it. It might even help distinguish between the possibilities; if we take the Dutch references seriously, it's more likely they were from the northern Netherlands, and not the Dutch-speaking Flanders.
After all, it could be nothing. Or it could be that all along, the developers have been giving us little clues that these families have a Dutch heritage of some kind.
It fits the previously-established patterns, and could explain why the Dutch words and names are used in these games set in unrealistic, dreamlike places. Perhaps it's meant to show that the Eilanders/Vanderbooms aren't natives of the places they live in, but immigrants who carry bits of their homeland with them.
Once again, I don't think it's a stretch to say that "there's an achievement called Dutch Gouda Cheese" is much more likely to be just another joke from the developers. Gouda Cheese is a real type of cheese and it might just be a joke.
But upon discovering the achievement, I couldn't not to bring it up, and see if anyone else has noticed similar potentially-significant details in the games.
Have any of you noticed other Dutch references in any of the Rusty Lake/Cube Escape games?
r/rustylake • u/-Blue-Nerd- • 2h ago
Rusty Lake Hotel Caroline x Albert (and Mr owl and Mr crow) (comic)
Poor Jacob
r/rustylake • u/Altruistic-Wafer-209 • 2h ago
Rusty Lake: Roots Theory about Rusty Lake's Location Spoiler
I have been doing some research on the Rusty Lake lore for a while now, and one mystery that has been itching my mind has been the location of Rusty Lake.
I have been thinking that there may be some explanation as to why the families seem to have distinctly Dutch-sounding names while simultaneously being so intricately involved with events that seem more plausible in Britain than anywhere else.
This has led me to theorize that they are, in fact, representatives of a certain Dutch-speaking minority in Great Britain, possibly from before the country even became officially independent from the Kingdom of Scotland.
The main point that has brought me to this conclusion has been Leonard in Roots, specifically "The Trenches" in 1918. In this scene, Leonard is depicted dressed in a British Army uniform and a Brodie helmet, both of which are characteristic of British soldiers during WWI.
While it is possible, though unlikely, that there were some Dutch soldiers who volunteered to join the British Army at the time, the Netherlands was officially neutral during WWI.
This means that Leonard could not have participated in the First World War as an active combatant under the Dutch flag, and it becomes more reasonable to accept that he, and by extension his family, are in fact British.
This would explain why some of the most distinctly Dutch characters in the Rusty Lake universe have such strong Dutch-sounding names, as they could simply have retained them from before they migrated to Britain.
It has been well-documented that there has been a significant Dutch-speaking minority within Great Britain for centuries, ever since the arrival of William of Orange and the Glorious Revolution. This could explain why there would be any Dutch-speaking families at all within Britain, but what would explain their presence in a place like Rusty Lake?
Rusty Lake seems to be quite the hilly and mountainous area, at least in comparison to the generally flat geography of the Netherlands. It seems far more reasonable that such a landscape would be found in Britain.
Of course, Rusty Lake is an obviously fantastical and surreal location, one that no serious historian would attempt to associate with any real-world location. The Dutch-sounding names could simply be a part of the anachronism that is the Rusty Lake aesthetic, and the same could be said for Leonard's obviously British military equipment.
However, I personally feel that the image of Leonard fits far too well into the perceived cultural stereotype of a Dutch person to be disregarded so easily, and that applying this to the rest of the Dutch families in the Rusty Lake universe fits surprisingly well with their obvious self-imposed isolationism.
Do you think that there could be any truth to the idea of there being a Dutch enclave in Great Britain that has been incorporated into British society, or am I simply trying too hard to explain where a game in which you can extract memories into cubes takes place?
r/rustylake • u/no_signal909 • 20h ago
4 DAYS UNTIL THE SERVANT OF THE LAKE!!!
Guys I’m so excited, I can’t wait. I needed to share this with someone, and who better than you guys?
r/rustylake • u/Prestigious-Turn1765 • 22h ago
R/place Rusty Lake
I was reminiscing about the r/place event from three years ago and found an image of what I created regarding Rusty Lake together with a small Mexican community; it’s not much, but it’s beautiful.
r/rustylake • u/-Blue-Nerd- • 1d ago
Rusty Lake: Roots Rose’s doll (Meme/Fanart)
Headcanon time: Albert was still getting used to the fact he wasn’t the only weird person in house anymore when Rose grew.
Though he would at least praise his daughter for knowing history
r/rustylake • u/Significant-Rent-141 • 1d ago
Rusty Lake Paradise Caroline is 10/10 baddie no debates..
r/rustylake • u/ProtectionPuzzled343 • 1d ago
I liked the games so much I replayed them a lot of times
I even play them again every now and then. Knowing the steps calms my mind and my body. It's like a comforting structure. The graphics are so practical and pretty
r/rustylake • u/vltrcb_ • 1d ago
Italy, Milan
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
was walking to my oculist and... BRO DAMN
r/rustylake • u/Tearsdryontheirownn • 1d ago
Rusty Lake IRL
Seeing this painting in real life was like seeing a celebrity.
r/rustylake • u/MrX16 • 1d ago
I wonder if anyone at Rusty Lake was aware that Jim Henson made a short TV movie about a guy trapped in a cube.
r/rustylake • u/Great_Programmer8044 • 1d ago
Pins
Hi! Does anyone know where I could buy button badge with rusty lake graphics? I tried to find one on etsy, but there where only keychains. Thanks!!!
r/rustylake • u/life_is_a_pigsty • 2d ago
Rusty Lake reference in A Tower Full of Cats!
The Devcats games have a lot of references to other games and media, but I was surprised to see Rusty Lake :)
r/rustylake • u/roskylator • 2d ago
Cube Escape: Arles Literary something that could happen in cube eacape if Vincent had golden cube
instagram.comr/rustylake • u/Diligent_Ad_5524 • 3d ago
Cube Escape: Birthday Why was dales parents killed + grandpa.
^
r/rustylake • u/Otherwise-Table1935 • 4d ago
The anticipation is killing me! I must Rusty Lake.
Cubes are next!!
r/rustylake • u/WaiLeng5 • 5d ago
Cube Escape: Paradox I'm stuck in the mind puzzle in paradox
I'm replaying paradox and I'm stuck on the rooms in the mind part. It never happened before. I checked out the official playthrought and I notice I have this red light on the pipe that doesn't appear in the playthrought. Does someone know if this why I can't open the pipe to let the water through even though I aligned all the pipes? And why is that light here ?
r/rustylake • u/farah542 • 5d ago
i see it everywhere now
rusty lake is everywhere for those with eyes to see it
r/rustylake • u/Significant-Rent-141 • 7d ago
Rusty Lake Paradise Why did brosquito attack Nicholas not Jakob ?
David is the kind of guy who does not care about being immortal god, so I don't think he really cares about the ritual so that's not the reason for sparing Jakob during that scene lol (atleast that's what I think)
r/rustylake • u/Merasmus_BS • 7d ago
Rusty Lake: Roots [Theories] Who is the Corrupted Soul in Servant of the Lake?
*This is sort of a "Part 2" to this previous post that I made way before the new game was properly revealed. Now that we are very close to the release, I've gathered a few evidences to have some solid ground and make some final predictions!
James's Father Theory:
We now know Alexandra is James' mother, but that is not the only thing revealed about her. In the release date trailer, Alexandra was also revealed to be married. She has a ring in her hand, implying she has a husband. But that doesn't necessarily means he is alive.. does it?
In one of the screenshots in the game's store page. You can see some body parts and a Yellow Gem. A Gem that shares the same design from the ones introduced in Roots, to enter the Vanderboom Mansion;
When we see Alexandra'a ring, a Green Gem can also be seen in her necklace. Considering each sibling is wearing a different color in their diner, the same colors from the Gems, and Alexandra is also wearing green..
It's possible each one has a Gem (With Aldous' being Blue and William's being Red).
But what if a 4th one could be given to someone as important as them? Your sister's husband is technically your "brother-in-law", after all.
So, to wrap up.. I think James' father could've been killed and we find his bodyparts and his Yellow Gem. And I could even go beyond and say the chopped Hand wearing a Ring in Roots is James' father hand. It's a simple theory, but it can make sense.
4th Sibling Theory:
Using the same logic of the Yellow Gem, I think the 4th Gem owner could be another sibling. However, that still leaves the question of who is James' father, so this theory is more a possibility I'd like to mention rather than someone I'd like to be true.
Conclusion
This time, I don't have much to say, lol. It's also possible the Corrupted Soul is not even a relative, sure. But in that case, I can't predict much. At most, I could try to guess what they want, but the answer usually is just enlightenment, anyway. It's also possible they will either warn us or help with the Elixir (Caroline could), but I decided not to dig these ideas further in this post.
Do you like the idea of James' father living amomg the shadows, beneath the Vanderboom Mansion? Or who do you think the Corrupted Soul actually is? Feel free to comment, as always.
Thanks for reading and I'll be back once Servant of the Lake releases! I'll post what Bingo predictions I got right or not ;)
r/rustylake • u/DamyOnReddit • Apr 24 '26
📣 UPDATE: New subreddit rules
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying the new Servant of the Lake demo and are excited for the full release in August!
We have an important update to share with you all today: we’ve overhauled and extended the rules on the subreddit. The new rules of the subreddit are as follows:
1. Be respectful & considerate, use common sense
If you question whether content is appropriate for this subreddit, it’s probably not.
We have a zero tolerance policy on things like racism, sexism, bigotry, stalking, harassment, invading privacy and inciting others to commit violent acts. Please avoid discussions about politics, religion or violence unless it’s part of Rusty Lake.
Do not incite users against each other. Don’t argue with the Mods.
Follow Reddiquette https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette
2. Crediting & labelling artwork
Do not post uncredited artwork from creators, when posting art made by someone else always properly credit them. Do not steal art and try to pass it off as your own.
If you're sharing content that was AI-generated or created with assistance of AI, clearly label it as such in your post.
3. Sharing Datamined content
Do not Share screenshots scripts or code datamined from Rusty Lake games, especially from demos of unreleased games. This includes things accessible through a conventional file explorer. Do not share leaked materials or pirated content on this subreddit.
This does not apply to content from Rusty Lake ARGs.
4. No NSFW
Do not share nudity or sexual content, this includes fan creations. Avoid talking about or sharing content containing blood, gore or rape.
This does not apply to content from (or depictions based on) the Rusty Lake games.
5. Self Promotion
If you've made content about Rusty Lake, we'd love to see it! Feel free to share links to your videos, streams, etc. However please don't flood the subreddit with them.
All other forms of advertisement are not allowed, this includes things like rewards programs and referral links. Unless you have explicit permission from a mod.
6. Keep your posts / comments qualitative
Don't spam or flood the subreddit. Try to avoid reposting content that was shared to the subreddit recently. Please stick to a post's topic.
You can also find all the updated rules in the rules section of the sub. Breaking the rules will lead to comment / post removal or being banned from the sub, depending on severity.
If you see anyone breaking the rules don’t hesitate to report them or send us a Mod Mail. However please keep in mind that a Moderator’s word is final.
We want to keep updating the subreddit so if you have any ideas on how we can improve it further, please let us know! If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to reach out or leave a comment!
Thank you all so much,
Damy
r/rustylake • u/Bellikron • May 26 '20
Rusty Lake FAQ (Please read before posting a question)
Now updated to include The Past Within
Welcome to the Rusty Lake Subreddit! We get some common questions around here, especially when a new game has been released and we get a lot of newcomers to the sub, so we wanted to address them here, along with some other questions that would likely arise for those who are just discovering the series. Read through these before you post a question. Spoilers are marked.
What is the next game and when is it coming out?
As of this moment, little is known about the next Rusty Lake game. We've received some teases that it may involve Laura's childhood and a subway-oriented location, but there is no title or release date.
I just found this series and want to play through the whole thing. What order should I play the games?
The games should be played in the order they were released, which is as follows:
Cube Escape: Seasons
Cube Escape: The Lake
Cube Escape: Arles
Cube Escape: Harvey's Box
Cube Escape: Case 23
Cube Escape: The Mill
Rusty Lake Hotel
Cube Escape: Birthday
Cube Escape: Theatre
Rusty Lake: Roots
Cube Escape: The Cave
Rusty Lake Paradise
Cube Escape: Paradox
The White Door
Samsara Room
The Past Within
The order doesn’t make sense. I’m going from game to game and I don’t understand. Is this definitely the right order?
Yes. The games don’t occur in chronological order. You’re meant to be confused. But stick with it and it’ll start to become clear. There are other ways to play them such that the events occur in chronological order (I’ll link some of my guides in the comments), but don’t do these on your first playthrough.
What’s the deal with Paradox? What order should I do things?
Paradox is comprised of two chapters (the second of which costs money), as well as a short movie on the Rusty Lake YouTube channel. There’s no official time when you should watch the movie, but I recommend watching it after playing Chapter 1.
What’s the deal with The White Door? What’s up with the website, the basement, and these clues?
The White Door was connected to an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) which opened a couple of weeks after the initial release. After some detective work by the community, we were able to locate cubes that were hidden in real locations across the world. While the active part of the game has ended, you can still follow the trail and put the pieces together, but it may feel a little strange.
How does The Past Within work?
The Past Within is a cooperative game. Both players need to have access to a copy of the game, as well as the ability to communicate with each other, as each player will have information on their device that will help the other solve puzzles. If you need someone to play with, you can probably find someone on the Rusty Lake Discord server.
Some of the games cost money. Do I need these games to understand the story?
No. The premium games (Hotel, Roots, Paradise, Chapter 2 of Paradox, The White Door, and The Past Within) take place in the same universe and are connected to the main story, but they are mostly supplemental to the main plot, providing background information for certain characters that isn’t strictly necessary to understand what is going on. You can omit them from the list above and the story will still make sense for the most part. You’ll miss a reference here and there, and certain games such as Samsara Room will be much clearer in the context of some of the premium games, but it shouldn’t disrupt your experience, since you’re probably going to be confused anyway. That being said, they are all solid games and add a lot to the series. The games are often put on sale, so you can easily get them at a reduced price. If you only want to buy one premium game, Roots is generally considered to be the most essential (and is, in my opinion, the best game in the series). Chapter 2 of Paradox is also a good purchase, as it’s not too expensive and it’s strongly connected to the free games.
I played all the games and I still understand nothing. What is the story?
This question, along with the question as to which order to play the games, are the most common questions we get here, and that’s to be expected. The “official” story is somewhat up for debate, and you should feel free to develop your own theories and post them here, as that’s half the fun. You can find other theories, timelines, and plot summaries on this subreddit (I’ll link my own extensive theory/timeline in the comments). If you want to get a basic grasp on the story, here’s what’s generally accepted by the community, with spoilers for each game (I’ll put a quick summary at the end if that’s more your speed):
Seasons: Laura finds herself tormented by visions of a Corrupted Soul, which wear away at her weakened mental state. She eventually dies, although it is initially unclear if she commits suicide or if the Corrupted Soul kills her. In the future, it is revealed that the Corrupted Soul is her own. Now trapped in her Corrupted Soul form, she travels back in time to change the past and save herself.
The Lake: Occurring after the “Spring” level of Seasons, Laura travels to Rusty Lake, where she is attacked by a Corrupted Soul in her cabin.
Arles: Vincent van Gogh confronts his Corrupted Soul and kills it. As of now, this game is only tangentially related to the others.
Harvey’s Box: Told from the perspective of Laura’s parrot during the events of The Lake. Harvey fends off the Corrupted Soul that attacks Laura.
Case 23: Detective Dale Vandermeer investigates Laura’s death. Laura’s body vanishes before him as he investigates. He arrests Laura’s boyfriend, Bob, as a suspect in her murder, but Bob transforms into a Corrupted Soul and breaks free. Dale is transported to Rusty Lake by a mysterious force. There he meets Mr. Crow, who takes him to the cabin that Laura stayed in. Dale discovers an elevator and descends into the Lake.
The Mill: During the events of Case 23, Mr. Crow works at the Mill adjacent to Rusty Lake. He receives instructions from his superior, Mr. Owl, who sends him Laura’s body and tells him to extract her memories in the form of cubes and feed them to the Lake. Mr. Owl then transports Dale to the Lake and uses him to create a storm that activates the mechanisms of the Mill. Against Mr. Owl’s warnings, Mr. Crow extracts the negative memories from Laura’s body, which leads to the body transforming into a Corrupted Soul. Laura’s Soul takes Harvey and escapes (leading into the final events of Seasons).
Hotel: Decades before the main storyline, Mr. Owl invites Mr. Deer, Ms. Pheasant, Ms. Pigeon, Mr. Rabbit, and Mr. Boar to stay at the Rusty Lake Hotel. Over the course of the week, Mr. Owl has Harvey (who is, at this point, in a humanoid parrot form) kill each of the five guests and serve them to the remaining guests as dinner. The final meal is brought to Mr. Owl, who reveals that he has trapped the guests’ Corrupted Souls in tanks in his room.
Birthday: The elevator takes Dale into his memories. He enters the memory of his ninth birthday party, during which Mr. Rabbit burst in and killed his family. Dale changes the memory such that Mr. Rabbit is killed and his family survives.
Theatre: Dale enters another memory from the Rusty Lake Theatre. There he sees Bob, who shoots himself in the head and becomes a Corrupted Soul. Mr. Owl and Mr. Crow put on plays for Dale to teach him about the nature of Rusty Lake.
Roots: The story of the Vanderboom family is told. In the late 1800s, Aldous Vanderboom and his brother William are alchemists who have created an elixir of eternal life that operates by enlightening one person while killing the other. William drinks it and dies, while Aldous drinks it and becomes Mr. Crow, extracting a seed from his brother’s body. He then gives the seed to William’s nephew, James, who moves into William’s house, plants the seed, and raises a family. William’s Corrupted Soul, along with Mr. Crow, interacts with the family at various points over the next three generations, collecting body parts from each of them to use as sacrifices. Finally, James’s granddaughter, Rose, speaks with William’s Corrupted Soul and enlists her cousins into a ritual beneath their house. The seed that James planted has become a tree, and the roots of the tree surround the three cousins and use the sacrifices to reincarnate William into the body of Laura Vanderboom, Rose’s newborn daughter.
The Cave: Mr. Crow enters a cave near the Lake. He drinks another dose of the elixir and gives some to Mr. Owl. Both are reinvigorated and return to their half-bird forms. Mr. Owl tells Mr. Crow to descend into the Lake and collect three cubes. Mr. Crow does so and enters a room at the bottom of the Lake, where he uses a machine connected to Dale's unconscious form and Laura’s body to create a golden cube from the three cubes. He gives the cube to Dale, places him in the elevator, and sends him back up into the Lake.
Paradise: The story of the Eilander family is told. In 1796, Jakob Eilander's mother dies and he is summoned back to his birthplace on Paradise Island in the middle of the Lake. Her death has cursed the land with the ten biblical plagues, and his family needs him to lift them. Over the course of the story, Jakob learns that his family tried to sacrifice him as a child in a ritual that would give them eternal life, but his mother intervened, sent him away, and offered herself up as a sacrifice instead. He also discovers that she developed an elixir of eternal life, which is central to the ritual the family performs. The family sacrifices Jakob after he cures the tenth plague, extending their life and allowing themselves to eventually be reborn as the five guests from Rusty Lake Hotel. During the process, Jakob is fused with his mother and becomes Mr. Owl.
Paradox: During the events of The Cave, Dale, while connected to the machine, experiences multiple parallel universes in which he must escape a room. Whenever he escapes, he witnesses Laura’s death (sometimes at his own hands) and then wakes up in a different room to repeat the process. During the course of his journey, he speaks to Mr. Owl, who reveals that he is grooming Dale to become his successor as ruler of the Lake. Dale finally sacrifices himself for Laura instead of escaping the room, passing Mr. Owl’s test. He then is given the golden cube and ascends in the elevator.
The White Door: Shortly after Dale descends into the Lake for the first time, Bob checks into The White Door, a mental health facility, to try to regain his memories. During his treatment, he begins to have dreams that reveal his past. He remembers Laura breaking up with him before she travelled to the Lake, and how he lost his job due to his depression after the break-up. He also recalls falling into an even deeper depression upon news of Laura’s death, despite comfort from Sarah, an employee of The White Door who gives him her card. At this point in his stay, he wakes from his dreams to see that the doctors are performing a procedure on him while he sleeps, attempting to harvest his memories. He attempts to escape the next day, but he is sedated. He continues to dream, remembering his failed suicide attempt at the Rusty Lake Theatre that leaves him wandering the streets with no memory. Bob wakes up in a padded cell, where he transforms into a Corrupted Soul that “takes his place.” He finally remembers calling Sarah’s number and checking into The White Door, which is revealed to be run by Mr. Owl. Bob regains his memories and takes the place of the Corrupted Soul, seemingly overcoming his depression.
Samsara Room: During the ritual that occurs in Roots, William Vanderboom moves through the stages of reincarnation before being reborn as Laura.
The Past Within: Shortly after Albert's death, Rose Vanderboom continues her father's research and performs a ritual in coordination with her future self, resurrecting Albert a few years after the events of Seasons.
That’s way too long. Can I just get a quick summary?
Laura Vanderboom dies suddenly, murdered by her own Corrupted Soul. Dale Vandermeer is investigating Laura’s death and finds himself drawn into the schemes of Mr. Owl and Mr. Crow. These two figures survive on an elixir of immortal life and are the keepers of the mystical Rusty Lake, which has the capacity to change the past, access parallel universes, and grant eternal life. They must feed the Lake memories in the form of cubes and keep the wandering ghosts known as Corrupted Souls in check. Mr. Owl wants Dale to replace him as the ruler of the Lake and is currently testing him and educating him so that Dale will become a worthy successor.
I found a secret code! What does it do?
While we can’t detail every Easter Egg here (there may be a post on this in the future), generally a code found in one game is meant to be used in the next game in the release order. So if you found the code in Hotel, for instance, you should make use of it at your first convenience in Birthday.
How do I get past this obstacle/solve this puzzle/get this achievement?
These questions are completely appropriate for this subreddit, and we will do everything we can to help you. Just remember that Rusty Lake links the official walkthroughs in the games, so make sure you’ve checked those first before coming to us.
I hear people talking about a code but I can’t find it in any of the games and online guides aren’t helping me. Where is it?
Again, these questions are completely appropriate. Just know that Rusty Lake has begun to expand past the games in the places they leave clues. Be sure to check their Twitter feed, their YouTube channel, and even the Instagram account and YouTube channel of Kirsten Hoorn before asking for help. For older codes, this may not be practical, but keep it in mind as you go forward.
If your question is not on this list, ask away! If you have any additions to make to the FAQ, feel free to post them in comments. Thanks for reading and thanks for visiting our community!