Rusty Lake celebrates 10 years with a free new game and more. Dive into the eerie world of Rusty Lake’s puzzlers.

There’s something special about that moment when you boot up a Rusty Lake game. That eerie piano melody starts playing, the hand-drawn art style pulls you in, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in some bizarre mystery involving talking animals, shifting memories, and probably a corpse or two.

This year marks 10 years since indie studio Rusty Lake first invited players into its surreal world with Cube Escape: Seasons—and they’re celebrating in true Rusty Lake fashion: with a free new game, some unexpected surprises, and probably a few more questions than answers.

How Did We Get Here? A Quick Trip Down Memory Lake

Back in 2015, two Dutch developers (known simply as Maarten and Robin) released Cube Escape: Seasons, a short, free puzzle game about a man in a cabin slowly losing his mind. It was weird, unsettling, and completely unforgettable. Then came Cube Escape: The Lake, Rusty Lake Hotel, and before long, an entire universe of interconnected stories filled with:

• Sentient animals (Why does that parrot know so much?)

• Time loops (Wait, is this the past or the future?)

• Disturbingly catchy music (You will hum that piano theme for days.)

Over the years, the studio expanded with paid titles like Rusty Lake: Roots (a family saga with more twists than a pretzel) and The White Door (a psychological experiment gone wrong). But through it all, they’ve kept their signature style: puzzles that make you feel like a genius when you solve them, and stories that make you go “What did I just play?” when you finish.

The Anniversary Gift: “The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show”

To thank fans, Rusty Lake just dropped a brand-new free game—The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show. And true to form, it’s equal parts charming and deeply unsettling.

You play as a magician (or maybe his victim?) in a vaudeville-style act where every trick seems to hide something darker. Cards transform, rabbits disappear, and—because this is Rusty Lake—there’s probably some deep lore buried in there if you look hard enough.

It’s a perfect little bite-sized experience: great for longtime fans who’ll spot the references, and a fun (if slightly confusing) intro for newcomers.

Wait, There’s More? (Of Course There Is.)

Rusty Lake isn’t just stopping at games. They’re expanding the universe in ways that’ll make fans (and horror puzzle lovers) very happy:

• Short Films – Because sometimes you need to see the horror, not just click through it.

• A Tabletop RPG – Now you can drag your friends into the madness with a pen-and-paper adventure.

• New Merch – Posters, shirts, and probably something involving that creepy white cube.

A Community Celebration

Rusty Lake’s fans are a special breed—the kind of people who make spreadsheets to track the lore and spend hours dissecting every tiny detail. So for the anniversary, the studio’s giving back with:

• Fan art contests (because the games inspire some amazing creativity)

• Developer Q&As (maybe they’ll finally explain… nah, who are we kidding?)

• Game bundles on sale (perfect for that one friend who needs to experience this madness)

What’s Next? (No One Knows, and That’s the Fun Part.)

Rusty Lake’s been hinting at new projects, and if the past decade is anything to go by, they’ll be just as mind-bending as ever. Maybe we’ll finally get answers to some lingering questions—or maybe we’ll just get more questions. Either way, we’re here for it.

And if you’re still hungry for more (because let’s be honest, Rusty Lake always leaves us wanting more), there might just be a few sneaky clues about what’s coming next hidden on their Steam page. As for The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show, you can download it right now on iOS, Android, itch.io, and Steam.

Oh, and while you’re browsing your favorite digital store (yes, that includes the Switch eShop too), you might want to check out the Rusty Lake anniversary sale. We’re talking discounts of up to 66% across the entire catalog. Seriously, you could grab every single game in the series for less than £8—that’s basically stealing, but in the best possible way.

So here’s to 10 years of Rusty Lake—thanks for the nightmares, the puzzles, and that one song we still can’t get out of our heads.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a magic show to attend… and we’re a little afraid of what we’ll find there.