Rusty Lake Hotel Reviews

by Hulpy

I loved the Rusty Lake Roots, so I bought this one without reading reviews - big mistake. Like others have said, it’s not worth the money...for the same reasons others have said.
Problem 1: You cannot reset a level/room, only the entire game. Why is that a big deal? Well, let me introduce you to Problem 2: If you don’t complete the puzzles in the precisely correct order, the game won’t let you beat the level/room. So, basically, the thing that makes these puzzle games fun is the trial and error of working the puzzle until you figure it out - but in this game, if you don’t do it right the first time, you can’t ever solve it and you have to reset the entire game. So, that leads to Problem 3: in the first level/room of Mr. Deer, if you don’t figure out catching the moth the first time...you have to reset. In the second level/room of Mr. Rabbit, if you don’t figure out the cup puzzle, you have to rest the whole game which means you have to redo the intro, Mr Deer, AND everything you already did in Mr. Rabbit’s room. Then, there is Problem 4: there is a bug in Mr Rabbits room - the cup puzzle will not give me the eyes - and I’ve reset 4 times!!!! Oh, and you won’t know you’ve done a puzzle wrong until you watch the walk through...stupid.

by Mike In Rome

I am a big fan of the Rusty Lake puzzles, but Hotel is the first "premium" game I tried / paid for, and unfortunately the first with a significant bug. I solved the first room, Mr Deer, without any trouble, but I missed the rosemary and didn't realize that it would affect the number of stars earned. (Suggestion: instead of calling ingredients "optional" maybe let players know that it's desirable by adding a star on the menu page.) I reset the game so I could go back and get the rosemary - the game restarted but then will not progress beyond the opening sequence and The Lobby. I tried resetting several times, even deleted and reinstalled RustyLakeHotel , but the same problem every time - the game is stuck in the opening Lobby. I deliver the local delicacy to the guests, and then - nothing. The phone doesn't ring and the game will not progress. And no way to get help from the developer, unless I leave a negative review like this. I regret buying this game.

by Zingo Curmudgeon

I’ve played all the free games so finally tried this paid game. While I think the game is worth the small cost, it’s somewhat disappointing.

The logic puzzles in “hotel” seem simpler and more straightforward than in the free games. What’s frustrating is how much the ordering of events is relevant to getting a top score. The result is that beating the game involves a lot of rote repetition to order your actions optimally. This makes the game last longer but at a cost of tedium, particularly because the ordering is arbitrary and not clued in any way. In particular there’s at least one instance (2nd guest meal if done in correct order) where an item is required twice in order to get a perfect score - but one of the two actions makes the item unusable. So those two actions have to be done twice, for no reason other than arbitrary choice. (If the item remaine available to be picked up again, ordering wouldn’t matter.)

by Pevensen

If you miss a clue and do the rooms out of order it seemed there is no way to recover and get all the stars unless you restart from the beginning, but you added the ability to replay a room.

It’s confusing, however, when you get an "optional" ingredient and it says “it’s too late”. It seems like it ignores the ingredient but it actually adds it to the recipe and appears if you redo that room. You should change that message and flow to show that it is saved and you can use it to redo the room.

by Ragedeleted

In some levels, like the second, items are required twice but can only be used once. For example, in the second level, if you use the knife on the hand to get the ring without first getting the white beans, because it’s not obvious at first sight, then you have to reset the entire game. Part of the fun of the other games is the trial and error. It becomes tedious to have to replay entire levels for the sake of perfect scores.

by Cuzitsthere

I appreciate the weird atmosphere of this game but also don't like it to an extent. I don't play these games to go around murdering "people" (or animals) just for the heck of it. That whole concept bugs me. I like the horror genre, in general, but prefer to be the one solving the crimes/catching the killer and not the one committing them. The game is interesting and challenging though I agree with one reviewer who said they prefer logical puzzles and a good number of these aren't at all logical. So, in essence, it's a pretty good game but not one I can recommend due to its skewed perspective.

by SiouxsieQue42

I love the Rusty Lake games, but now I see the frustration expressed in another comment. The optional stars require things done in a certain order; otherwise you must reset. The developer responded with this was inaccurate, but I’m not sure it is entirely inaccurate. (Spoiler alert) If I went from carrot to Room 1, I wouldn’t be able to get 3 stars, if in Mr. Rabbit I used the knife on the hand not Mr Owl’s forehead, I miss an item. I hope I phrased that in a way that it doesn’t ruin the experience for someone else.

I love the games but it is annoying having to reset the entire game, rather than just resetting the specific day. I’ll keep trying and hopefully I’m wrong.

by Summersun651

Welcome to Rusty Lake Hotel. Five dinners will be served to our guests and you're in charge of making sure each meal is worth dying for. You're sent to help gather the ingredients for each meal and notice the meat required happens to correspond with one of the 5 guests each night. Solve puzzles, riddles and search for clues in order to gain the proper tools to "gather fresh meat" from the guests.
I heard about this game on the CoOptional Podcast. When Dodger described the premise, I immediately knew I needed to play it. This game did not disappoint. It is well worth the money and I'm intrigued to find out its part of a series of games which are free to play.
If you like slightly creepy, macabre things and enjoy puzzles, pick up this game and give it a go. You won't regret it.

by Dit-dah

If you like point-and-click puzzlers or room escape games, this is one of the best in RustyLakeHotel Store. There are some mild horror elements, but if you've played the free Cube Escape series from these developers you'll know the levels of violence that you can expect. (And if you haven't played them, you really should. They're all phenomenal.) As always the artwork is lovely, the soundtrack and voice acting are perfect and add to the experience rather than distracting from it. There are one or two puzzles that really take some logical leaps (the deer in the hat?) but there are countless free walkthroughs online if you really get stuck. If you don't catch everything the first time through you can replay it to get a better result, with a prize that can be used in another game. I can't recommend this game, and everything in this series, highly enough!

by Hurtley79982

I am addicted to these games! Never been so satisfied by something that cost this little. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played these games. I’ve played the hotel game at least 20 times! It’s so calming and relaxing to work these puzzles out. Most of all the music and voice actors they use just put you in a relaxed state that some time you forget you are playing a game. Absolutely love Rusty Lake and highly recommend you play their games. Amazing story tellers! I will be waiting anxiously for whatever comes next.

by SirenKnight

Finding those third ingredients are tricky, second run and I still missed one or two of them. I wished I could go back into the room when I realized I did the deed, but didn’t find everything I needed (no spoilers!) Still love the dark, sinister, random logics of all the Rusty Lake games. Keep them coming! Like I’ve mention e in previous reviews (all written today after my second play on a larger iPad); I wish there was a way to go back in for more achievements like in Roots. Thank you!

by Cctvccgugcfy Yxd

I don’t normally leave reviews on games, but I feel like this one deserved it. This game was amazing (hence the five stars). But, I was kind of horrified at the same time. I’d played the whole cube escape series (including the paid chapter of paradox) and I thought this would be no different. Little did I know, the entire thing was about murder. I don’t regret my play through, but I was pretty uncomfortable. I do understand that these games are of the horror genre, and will look into it further next time. Overall great game though.

by Paisleybug

I can’t even begin to describe the mind blowing wonderful joy of these games. I’ve played all of them, gifted them to friends and family, and they’ve seriously blown every single other game/app out of the water. The creativity of these designers is insane. My only complaint: there aren’t enough stories! My life feels incomplete now that I’ve done them all. Please please please keep making more of them!! I could rave for days, but this should get my point across. You will not regret purchasing these.

by SareyCanary

I’ve been playing these games online for years, and only recently ran into this game. It’s absolutely fantastic! I love that you can complete the game and go back and replay to find all the stuff you missed the first time! Not gonna lie, I need to look up walkthroughs every single time. I think that says a lot about how great these puzzles are. How you have to think outside the “cube.”

by Dubs1

And its so hard to rate each game separately, as they all feel as 'one' and are all brilliant in their own way...I love the weirdness, the horror, the creepiness, the characters, the creative puzzles, the story reveals, etc. etc.....this game/series is something very special and everyone should at least give it a try...their earlier games are FREE to try out and see if it's your cup of tea..but I'm betting most won't be able to put it down and want to keep discovering more about the mystery of rusty lake....that's exactly what happened to me and here I am having downloaded all their games which includes buying the premium new ones which are well worth the price with the longer stories. My only regret is I didn't get on board with this thing sooner! An absolute mind-bending masterpiece. David Lynch would be proud.

by Fxnels2

If you are a fan of escape the room type games, rusty lake literally sets the bar for them, they’re far and away the best of the genre, I have yet to find anything close to as good, they’re challenging yet you always feel like you’re moving forward, rather than just staring at the same screen for 20 min trying to tap on the same things in frustration. I would recommend these to anyone.

by Antennae Ant

At first I was hesitant to buy this game, I worried that it wouldn't be worth the money, but it proved to be an incredible game. I spent around four hours finishing it and it's definitely worth the money because it keeps you busy and it's so interesting. I was never bored, it's a fantastic game and keeps your mind working. I've played every single Rusty Lake game, and they've never disappointed me once. I love the little elements of horror sprinkled in. What perfection. The voices, the graphics, the soundtrack, the characters, the storyline. All your games are so artfully crafted. The mystery of rusty lake is an incredibly interesting one and this game was just another great addition to the collection. I want to say keep up the good work to all the people working on these games because they're just amazing and probably the best thing I've ever played, so good job on that. I love you guys!💓💞💕

by Bottomlesslake

I’ve played all of these games in chronological order. The free ones are short, the chapters you have to pay for are much longer. They’re worth purchasing. Do yourself a favor if you like creepy, interesting puzzle games. Buy and download all of the chapters, Google the chronological order of these games, and play them in order. I can’t wait for more chapters to be released!

by Lexiei

I bought this after I finished all the free games, and let me just say that at the end of the game, I truly had a jaw dropping moment. This game definitely kept me entertained and wanting more. The only piece of criticism I have is that I wish it was longer. I finished the game in less than a day and found it to be at about the same level as Case 23. But, if I had to choose a game to pay for, it would've been this one.

by Lowflyer93

A little less involved than the equally magnificent Rusty Lake Roots, but every bit as well done and engaging.

Perhaps I should say "engrossing", because there's plenty of gross to be found in the game. The twisted, ghastly imagery and devilish puzzles transport the player into a dark series of nightmarish vignettes. The puzzles range from relatively straightforward, to bizarre yet somehow logical. You'll have to think way, way outside the box here, and it helps to keep a sharp eye for details along the way.

I've completed every one of the related Cube Escape games, Rusty Lake Roots, the hotel and the mill. Looking forward to the next game, well worth every cent.