The Past Within Critic Reviews

We’ve been wanting to see more co-op puzzle titles and The Past Within is a fantastic entry to the genre. Smart pacing and an interesting premise and set-up make for an evening well spent with a friend.

A short, sharp cooperative puzzler with a fun time-spanning twist. The Past Within sees Rusty Lake go all out to make the purest kind of cooperative experience possible, and ends up doing a fine job.

The Past Within surrounds us with its dark fantasy to create this cooperative puzzle game.

If you and a friend or partner are into this cosy niche corner of gaming and are happy to spend an afternoon burning your brains together, The Past Within is a must play. Mostly because it’s good, but also sort of because there aren’t many other options that you likely haven’t already exhausted. If I could get my way, I’d be playing new games just like this weekly. But the sad truth is they’re a rarity, and we should cherish them when they’re here. So make sure to get comfortable, grab a relaxing drink, and hang out with your ally on a discord chat or over the phone. There’s no rush, no time limits or anything. Just enjoy what makes these types of teamwork-focused games so special by spending time with someone you care about and you’re sure to have a great time.

The Past Within offers a nice co-op idea of two players trying to solve a big mystery in a time loop. It has a great technical state, atmosphere, and original puzzles. However, it still falls down flat due to the pure fact that I saw a game like this before. Just in a little different but better and cheaper form.

Rusty Lake is smart enough to keep things brief.

Though Rusty Lake: The Past Within has many of the same themes of a horror video game, it's not an outright scary title. Its cartoony graphics make sure that nothing ever gets too disturbing, and some moments meant to be spooky actually look quite silly, but the game's soundtrack does a good job of setting a generally eerie tone throughout. The Past Within is quite short, with its two chapters clocking in at about two hours total, although there is some replayability to be had via the ability to choose between "Butterfly" or "Bee" mode, which changes the answers to the puzzles. Overall, at the price of only a few dollars, Rusty Lake: The Past Within will likely be a worthwhile enough experience for long-time fans of the series, but players not familiar with the story or those seeking a challenge should look elsewhere.

An imaginative co-op experience that demands communication and teamwork, and conjures something memorable and unique as a result.