The Past Within releases a "lite" demo version onto mobile for players to try out ahead of the nearby launch
After being revealed late last year, the new unsettling horror point-and-click The Past Within, from the developers of the acclaimed Rusty Lake, has released a “Lite” version. Think of this as a demo or trial - a way to dip your toes into the game to see if you dig what it has to offer before it launches in November.
If you aren’t familiar, Rusty Lake was a 2D surreal and vaguely horrifying experience. There are quite a few games in its catalogue now, from Rusty Lake: Roots to Rusty Lake: Paradise and even the Cube Escape Collection. All of these have something to do with the lore of the eerie puzzle game’s setting, and are all connected in one way or another.
It’s tough to explain exactly what within these games is so unsettling, aside from the fact that most of the characters are humanoids with animal heads, but it’s got David Lynch written all over it. There are quiet scenes where numerous characters will gather around and simply stare directly at the player, or weirdly gruesome bits that are somewhat glossed over. It’s not exactly scary so much as it is just plain unnerving.
And now, to add to the expanding collection of games from these developers and the world that is Rusty Lake, we’ve got The Past Within. This one is another point-and-click puzzler, but there’s a unique mechanic being introduced - co-op gameplay. In The Past Within, one player will be from the future, and the other from the past. Each will have to communicate exactly what they’re seeing on their screen to the other to successfully solve each puzzle.
Co-op puzzle games are pretty darn rare, especially on mobile, so it’s lovely to see the Rusty Lake series tackle this idea. And as of right now, you can currently download a demo version to try it out yourself and see if the vibes of these strange little indie darlings click with you.
If you’d like to do so, check out either of the links below! In the meantime, you can also check out the official website for more information on all of these games!
Looking for more brain-teasers to solve with nothing but your wits? Check out our Top 25 best puzzle games for iOS!
