Rusty Lake, in order
Nineteen games between 2015 and 2026, one story told out of sequence. Play them in release order — the list below is the whole series, shortest way in first, and where the newest game actually sits in the timeline.
Start here — the first three
You do not have to begin at game one. These three tell you within an hour whether the series is for you.
- Step 1
Cube Escape: Seasons
2015
The first game. Everything later refers back to it.
- Step 2
Cube Escape: The Lake
2015
Picks up immediately from Seasons.
- Step 3
Rusty Lake Hotel
2015
The first premium entry — and your decision point.
Release years confirmed against the official site and Wikipedia. Unresolved details are marked as unresolved rather than guessed.
How many games?
19, plus the Cube Escape Collection, which bundles the first nine.
What order?
Release order. Story order spoils its own payoffs on a first run.
Which is best?
Of the four with a Metacritic score, The White Door at 77. Fifteen have none.
Where does the new one go?
Servant of the Lake is 19th to release and first in the story. Play it last.
All 19 in order
The full release list- ·Ten Cube Escape entries, nine standalone
- ·The two lines interleave by year
- ·Why release order beats story order
The timeline
Only what is confirmed- ·Servant of the Lake: spring 1839
- ·Roots, Hotel, Paradise: earlier history
- ·The rest is still being sourced
Which one is best
Four scored, fifteen not- ·The White Door 77 · Roots 75
- ·The Past Within 68 · Hotel 65
- ·Why a full ranking is not published yet
The complete catalogue
2015 to 2026- ·Every entry with year and protagonist
- ·Platforms per game
- ·What the Collection actually contains
Servant of the Lake
The newest entry- ·Out 13 Aug 2026 · Steam, iOS, Android
- ·49 achievements · 4–5 hours
- ·Prices, specs and free versions
Walkthroughs
On the sister site- ·Servant of the Lake puzzle solutions
- ·Every code and secret
- ·The 49-achievement guide
Common questions
+How many Rusty Lake games are there?
Nineteen. Ten in the Cube Escape line and nine standalone releases, from Cube Escape: Seasons in 2015 to Servant of the Lake in 2026. The Cube Escape Collection is a compilation of the first nine and is not counted as a twentieth game — lists that say twenty are usually counting it.
+What order should I play the Rusty Lake games in?
Release order. The series withholds its answers on purpose, and later entries are written as payoffs to earlier ones. Played in story order, several payoffs arrive before the thing they pay off. Story order is worth it on a second run, once you know the shape of it.
+Do I have to start at the first game?
No. Cube Escape: Seasons, Cube Escape: The Lake and Rusty Lake Hotel are the usual way in — the first two are short and free, and Hotel is where you find out whether the premium entries are for you. If those three do not land, the rest will not change your mind.
+Which Rusty Lake game is the best?
Only four have a Metacritic score: The White Door (77), Rusty Lake: Roots (75), The Past Within (68) and Rusty Lake Hotel (65). That leaves fifteen unscored, including the entire Cube Escape line, so those four numbers rank press coverage rather than quality. A full ranking goes up here once there is per-entry data to rank on.
+Where does Servant of the Lake fit?
It is the nineteenth and newest release, out 13 August 2026, but it is set in spring 1839 — before Rusty Lake: Roots, and the earliest confirmed point in the series. Newest to release, first in the story. Play it last.
+Are the Cube Escape games free?
The Cube Escape entries are the short, free side of the series and the standalone releases are paid. Exact current pricing per entry is still being checked store by store and is not published here until it is.
Stuck on a puzzle rather than on what to play next? Walkthroughs, puzzle solutions, every code and the 49-achievement guide for Servant of the Lake are on servantofthelake.org. This site stays on the series: order, timeline, catalogue.