Rusty Lake: Roots in IOS

Adventure

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Expert Score

98/100

Rusty Lake: Roots is an absolute masterpiece of the point-and-click genre. It manages to be macabre, surreal, and deeply touching all at once. The game follows the lineage of the Vanderboom family, starting with James Vanderboom planting a seed and following his descendants through decades of bizarre, interconnected events.

The puzzle design is ingenious—rarely feeling unfair, yet constantly challenging you to think in the strange logic of the Rusty Lake universe. The art style is iconic, and the way the story slowly unfolds across the family tree is brilliant. It’s dark, yes, but it’s also incredibly atmospheric and satisfying. If you're a fan of Twin Peaks or surrealist horror, this is mandatory playing. It’s one of the best examples of storytelling through gameplay on the App Store.

Dinsun reviewed on: Wed Sep 11 2024

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.2Wed Feb 13 2019

Thank you for playing Rusty Lake: Roots! We fixed a few bugs in this new version.


James Vanderboom's life drastically changes when he plants a special seed in the garden of the house he has inherited. Expand your bloodline by unlocking portraits in the tree of life.

Rusty Lake: Roots is the second premium point-and-click adventure by Rusty Lake, the creators of the Cube Escape series and Rusty Lake Hotel.

Features:

- Pick-up-and-play:

Easy to start but hard to put down.

- Unique storyline:

Experience the beginning and end of characters' lives and build your own family tree.

- More than 33 levels:

The biggest Rusty Lake game so far is filled with puzzles

- Full of suspense and atmosphere:

Switching from calm to very dark moments

- Immersive soundtrack:

Each level has its own theme song and variations

- Achievements:

The tree has more secrets to unravel

Tap on the arrows, drag or swipe to navigate around the environment. Some objects you can drag. Interact with people and objects by tapping. Select found items in your inventory and tap somewhere on screen to use them.

We will unfold the Rusty Lake story one step at a time. So check RustyLake.com every day for new content and follow us: @rustylakecom.


Requires iOS 8.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Experience the beginning and end of characters' lives and build your own family tree in the point-and-click adventure Rusty Lake: Roots!

James Vanderboom's life drastically changes when he plants a special seed in the garden of the house he has inherited. Expand your bloodline by unlocking portraits in the tree of life.

Rusty Lake: Roots is the second premium point-and-click adventure by Rusty Lake, the creators of the Cube Escape series and Rusty Lake Hotel.

Features:

- Pick-up-and-play:

Easy to start but hard to put down.

- Unique storyline:

Experience the beginning and end of characters' lives and build your own family tree.

- More than 33 levels:

The biggest Rusty Lake game so far is filled with puzzles

- Full of suspense and atmosphere:

Switching from calm to very dark moments

- Immersive soundtrack:

Each level has its own theme song and variations

- Achievements:

The tree has more secrets to unravel

Tap on the arrows, drag or swipe to navigate around the environment. Some objects you can drag. Interact with people and objects by tapping. Select found items in your inventory and tap somewhere on screen to use them.

We will unfold the Rusty Lake story one step at a time. So check RustyLake.com every day for new content and follow us: @rustylakecom.


Ratings & Reviews

4.8 out of 5 with 1093 Counts
Age Rating 13+

Screenshots

Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 1Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 2Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 3Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 4Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 5Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 6Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 7Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 8Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 9Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 10Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 11Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 12Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 13Rusty Lake: Roots screenshot 14

Rusty Lake: Roots is the second premium point-and-click adventure by the creators of the Cube Escape series. Help James Vanderboom start a family by planting a special seed and expanding your bloodline. Unlock portraits in the tree of life and experience the beginning and end of several characters' lives. Build your own family tree and uncover the mysteries surrounding the Vanderboom legacy in this atmospheric, surreal puzzle journey.

Features

1

Huge family tree with 33 levels

2

Immersive and surreal atmosphere

3

Unique hand-drawn art style

4

Haunting original soundtrack

5

Interconnected narrative across generations

Tips

Promotion Videos

Rusty Lake: Roots Official Trailer - YouTube

Related Videos

Rusty Lake Roots | Full Game Walkthrough | No Commentary - YouTube

Rusty Lake: Roots | Full Playthrough - YouTube

Walkthrough Part 1 [Rusty Lake: Roots] - YouTube

THIS WAS NOT A NORMAL BIRTH... | Rusty Lake Roots Gameplay Playthrough Part 6

WERE THE SACRIFICES WORTH IT? | Rusty Lake Roots Gameplay Playthrough Part 9 (END) - YouTube

Rusty Lake: Roots [Full Walkthrough] - YouTube

THIS IS ONE MESSED UP FAMILY TREE | Rusty Lake Roots Gameplay Playthrough Part 1

THIS MAN IS NOT NORMAL... | Rusty Lake Roots Gameplay Playthrough Part 5 - YouTube

THESE FAMILY MEMBERS HATE EACH OTHER | Rusty Lake Roots Gameplay Playthrough Part 3 - YouTube

News on this game

Rusty Lake's 10th Anniversary Celebration Includes a New Free Game
Rusty Lake's 10th Anniversary Celebration Includes a New Free Game

Rusty Lake, purveyors of the morbidly enjoyable Rusty Lake series of games, has turned ten years old. To celebrate, they've released a short...

Jump Dash Roll Sun Jun 29 2025

Rusty Lake celebrates 10 years of strangeness with a free game, a new game announcement, a short film, and a big sale
Rusty Lake celebrates 10 years of strangeness with a free game, a new game announcement, a short film, and a big sale

Servant of the Lake will be "a classic single-player Rusty Lake point-and-click adventure."

PC Gamer Sun Jun 29 2025

Paradox: A Rusty Lake Film
Paradox: A Rusty Lake Film

Related videos for Paradox: A Rusty Lake Film. Cube Escape Paradox. Players of this game also enjoyed these adventure games...

Adventure Gamers Tue Jul 29 2025

Rusty Lake: Roots Review
Rusty Lake: Roots Review

Rusty Lake: Roots is not an especially long game, and I completed it in around four hours. I don't think I'd want any more, and for such a low...

GameGrin Sun Jan 29 2017

Rusty Lake: Roots Review
Rusty Lake: Roots Review

A dark and devastatingly creepy murder mystery adventure, but also their catalogue of remarkably unsettling and often brilliant free Cube Escape games.

Rock Paper Shotgun Thu Dec 29 2016

Rusty Lake Paradise review: Bizarre and brilliant
Rusty Lake Paradise review: Bizarre and brilliant

Rusty Lake Paradise's brand of Victorian Gothic weirdness is still unique enough to earn a wholehearted recommendation.

PCWorld Thu Mar 29 2018

Rusty Lake Paradise Is My Kind Of Creepy
Rusty Lake Paradise Is My Kind Of Creepy

I've never been more pleased to learn I've arrived late to an ongoing series than in the middle of my first playthrough of gleefully...

Kotaku Thu Mar 01 2018

Rusty Lake’s Cube Escape games still haunt me
Rusty Lake’s Cube Escape games still haunt me

Rusty Lake's iconic Cube Escape series deserves more attention, for its devotion to unique horror tropes, and its compelling, creepy story.

GamesHub Wed Nov 29 2023

Rusty Lake Paradise review
Rusty Lake Paradise review

The macabre, creepy Rusty Lake saga continues with Rusty Lake Paradise. Here's our review.

Rock Paper Shotgun Thu Mar 01 2018

Game review – Rusty Lake: Roots offers a lot of creepy fun while solving mysterious puzzles
Game review – Rusty Lake: Roots offers a lot of creepy fun while solving mysterious puzzles

It looks like a cult movie and even though underneath the weird exterior it's just a puzzle game, it's well worth getting lost in its Lynchian fabric.

South China Morning Post Thu Dec 29 2016

Gameplays

Q&A

While it's part of a larger universe, Roots works perfectly as a standalone experience.

More by Developer

You Might Also Like

All Categories

Puzzle Game

Action Game

Simulation Game

Casual Game

Card Game

Adventure Game

Roleplaying Game

Board Game

Sports Game

Strategy Game

Racing Game

Family Game

Casino Game

Music Game

Word Game

Trivia Game

Education Game

Games Game

Entertainment Game

Utilities Game

Social Networking Game

Books Game

Health & Fitness Game

Lifestyle Game