5 Games for Fans of Rusty Lake
Be careful where you point and click
There’s nothing magical about poking at things, the need to know and often, stick your pointer in places it doesn’t belong. The Rusty Lake series understands this temptation better than anyone else. A click at the window, a knock on an unsuspecting door, or checking underneath that shadowy end table could uncover any sort of macabre delight.
When Lucy picked the newest title from the developers, I was ecstatic knowing that anyone looking for surreal logic puzzles as well as a ghoulish narrative would be delighted at clicking their way through this narrative story. Rusty Lake is a series and a dev team I’ve been following since their first foray at flash. The series blends humor, the surreal, and horror in equal parts to keep players fumbling through keys and searching the darkest corners for answers.
There are other games out there who have taken more than a few pointers from the series as well as classics you may have missed in the days of java being more than what’s in your cup.
Here are some games for people who enjoy being noisy, getting lost in the bazaar, and don’t mind walking on the darker path of life to find the answers they seek.
Botanicula
Amanita Design stands as one of the pillars of PAPO design (Poke Around, Ph-ind Out). Samorost hit the scene back in 2003 before spawning two more in the series. All of the games in Amanita’s portfolio contain that seed of whimsy and discovery made popular in their very first title. Botanicula stands out as a good entry because of its strong narrative – a band of misfits working together to save their tree from an encroaching evil looking to kill it.
Submachine: Legacy
Submachine is a hand-drawn puzzle adventure game. You find yourself in a vast network of desolate locations containing puzzles, secrets, notes and items to collect to help you along the way. Follow the story of a banished lighthouse keeper to discover his descent into ruins.
The Submachine series resides as another one of those pillars that has driven the puzzle side of adventure games. Solve puzzles, open doors to more puzzles, and then get the hell out of there. Every interactable piece holds a meaning and often multiple meanings to get you to your goal. Legacy remasters all of the games of the series and the best way to replay a true legacy of the genre.
Endacopia
It’s a game where the best way through the house is out of a toilet, don’t forget to feed the flesh wall, and remember that you can’t fight time. Endacopia is a game better experienced than explained since so much of the humor and delight comes from poking things and not knowing what will happen next. Lucky for you, there’s a demo you can try out now.
There’s No Game
The game that is not a game is very much a game about a game trying not to be a game. Are you game?
There’s No Game starts off with a simple premise and runs with it as you follow a glitch through a series of different adventures. Each of the chapters feel distinct and allow the game to leave behind a series of jokes or mechanics to get you ready for the next set of goodies. Where in one chapter you may be moving around the set of a play to find what you need only to tinker with the computer during the next chapter. There’s No Game proves that titles can be deceiving and looking for fun is its own reward.
Jazzpunk
Jazzpunk is a comedy adventure set in an alternate reality Cold War World, plagued with corporate espionage, CyberCrime, and sentient martinis. Gameplay is inspired by spoof comedy films and cartoons of yesteryear, with a focus on weird gadgets, exotic locales, and open-world style exploration.
Think of this as the Airplane of games. Play as a detective on the case of – something. Honestly, I don’t remember half the time since most of the fun comes from the discovery of every “one liner” or non sequitur to arise from even the most mundane object in the environment. You will either be greatly amused or annoyed by all of the jokes stuffed into every pixel of this title. Probably, both.
Little Misfortune
If you’re looking for more story than puzzle, Little Misfortune will whisk you away to a land where nothing can possibly hurt you. There’s a button just to toss glitter. However, that’s not to say that everything around you won’t try its best to try to murder, maim, and drag you down to hell. After learning that today is the day she will die – as told to her by the narrator – Misfortune goes on a quest to reach the end of the game and find eternal happiness. Macabre, funny, and with some of the best writing out there, this is one walk in the park you won’t want to miss.
If you like this list of games, be sure to check out my list of the overlooked titles from 2026 and hit me up on BlueSky.