Meet Robin and Maarten, co-founders of Rusty Lake

In the world of puzzle games, Rusty Lake stands out for all the right reasons: it’s clever, dark, and just the right amount of unsettling. In this eerie universe, nothing is what it seems – clocks conceal objects, birds hide secrets, and the line between dreams and reality becomes ever so blurred.

It’s apt, then, that the studio behind the series also shares its name and truly embodies its surrealist, playful attitude. We had the opportunity to chat with Rusty Lake’s co-founders, Robin Ras and Maarten Looise, to discuss the franchise’s beginnings, inspirations, and passionate community.

Robin Ras: Long before Rusty Lake was founded, we spent our free time creating and publishing flash games as a hobby. We enjoyed making them, and eventually got the idea to create a universe filled with surreal adventures.

We started with the Cube Escape titles, a free-to-play series that helped us establish the universe and community. From there, we made our first premium titles, Rusty Lake: Hotel, Roots, and Paradise, which became our launchpad to expand the universe and build a sustainable studio.

Ten years later, we’ve proudly released 18 games, with our 19th having just been announced. Our latest game, The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show, recently launched – and each new title is contributing to the ever-growing universe of Rusty Lake.

Maarten Looise: We’ve learned a lot since we first started. Initially, we didn't prioritise UI and UX design as much as we should have – now we’re way more intentional about crafting a thoughtful and engaging player experience.

Another big shift is the importance we now place on playtesting. Early on, we didn’t conduct many playtests before release. Nowadays we have a dedicated group of nearly 50 playtesters who provide invaluable feedback to help us refine the game design.

We’ve also put much more effort into balancing the progression of puzzle difficulty. If you compare Underground Blossom or any of our newer titles to the original Cube Escape series, you’ll notice a much smoother challenge progression, making the game more engaging and satisfying.

Looise: When we started, David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” was definitely an inspiration of ours. Rusty Lake has a similar dark and surrealistic vibe. But in the last ten years, we’ve been inspired by other movies, books, games, daily life, and even religion. Rusty Lake has become a universe of its own, with its own rules based on themes like memories, trauma, and reincarnation.

Looise: The atmosphere in our games is quite important to us. We try to make players feel a bit uncomfortable, without giving them a full-on horror experience. We like it when there is quite a slow build-up – where the situation doesn’t look that exciting at first, but then things slowly start to get weird.

When the game ends, we hope people are a bit confused, surprised, or even emotionally moved. The visuals, dialogue, sound, and especially the music – composed by Victor Butzelaar – all help to build up the atmosphere and those emotions.