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The Past Within: a white metal puzzle box with grilles, dials and switches on a wooden floor, a drawing of a fly on papers beside it

Horror puzzleCo-op and multiplayer horrorShort horrorPsychological horror

The Past Within

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Two players, two times, one strange family secret from Rusty Lake.

Platforms
PC, Mac, Switch, iPhone, Android
Price
Paid
Rated
Very Positive on Steam (95% of 16,902 reviews); 4.9 on the App Store (7,295 ratings) and 4.8 on Google Play
Length
about 2 hours on average, per its makers
Players
2 (co-op only, each with their own copy)
Made by
Rusty Lake
Released
2022
Get it on Steam Nintendo eShopApp StoreGoogle PlayRusty Lake

What frightens A quiet, surreal dread rather than jump scares: two players in different times piece together the strange plan of the dead Albert Vanderboom through boxes, portraits, a coffin and the macabre imagery of the Rusty Lake world.

Content: macabre and disturbing imagery, needs a second player and a way to talk to them.

The Past Within is a co-op-only point-and-click puzzle game from Rusty Lake. One player is in the past and the other in the future, and you solve puzzles by describing to each other what you see, to uncover the plan of Albert Vanderboom.

About The Past Within

The Past Within is a puzzle adventure by the studio Rusty Lake, released in November 2022, and the first co-op-only game in its surreal Rusty Lake series. Both players need their own copy and a way to talk, and they can be on different platforms: PC, Mac, iOS, Android and Switch.

One of you plays in the past and the other in the future. You each see a different side of the same puzzles, and you also see them differently: one player explores flat, hand-drawn rooms in 2D, the other turns strange boxes in 3D. A symbol on one side is the code for a lock on the other, so the game is mostly talking: describing what is in front of you and listening carefully to what your partner says. Together you help Rose set her father Albert Vanderboom's plan in motion.

It is not a game of chases or jump scares. Its unease comes from the series' world: sombre portraits, a coffin laid out in a parlour, odd machines and a family whose plans go into dark places. Players who know Rusty Lake will recognise its mix of calm puzzles and macabre turns.

The game has two chapters and an average play time of about two hours. Its makers recommend replaying from the other perspective, and a replay option gives new solutions to the puzzles. Free Lite versions are also listed on the App Store and Google Play.

How to play The Past Within

  1. Find a partner; each of you needs your own copy and a way to talk, such as voice chat or sitting together.
  2. Agree who plays The Past and who plays The Future, and connect with each other in the game.
  3. Explore your rooms or boxes and describe everything you see, including symbols, numbers and colours.
  4. Combine what both of you see to solve each puzzle and open the next part of the story.
  5. After finishing, play again from the other perspective to see the other half of the game.

Screenshots

The Past Within: a hand-drawn room with flowered wallpaper, an old stove, a table and chair and framed pictures on the wall
The Past Within: an ornate wooden puzzle box with brass panels in a dim room lit by candles
The Past Within: a gold-framed portrait of a stern woman with red hair on flowered wallpaper
The Past Within: a coffin draped in white between a flower urn and a candelabra, under a portrait of a man

Tips

  • Describe things plainly and completely; a small detail on your side is often the code on your partner's.
  • Keep pen and paper close for symbols and sequences.
  • Do not show each other your screens if you want the full experience; talking it through is the point.
  • Use the replay option for new puzzle solutions on a second run.

Questions

Can you play The Past Within alone?

No. It is co-op only; both players need a copy of the game and a way to communicate.

Can players on different platforms play together?

Yes. Its makers say it is cross-platform between PC, Mac, iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch.

How long is The Past Within?

Two chapters, with an average play time of about two hours according to Rusty Lake.

Is The Past Within scary?

It is unsettling rather than frightening: surreal, macabre imagery and a dark family mystery, without monsters or chases.

  • point and click
  • co-op only
  • asymmetric
  • 2d and 3d
  • surreal
  • rusty lake
  • cross-platform
  • hand drawn

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Guides with The Past Within

The Past Within is played on store.steampowered.com and its makers' stores; this page links to them and is not part of it. Pictures are from the game's own pages and remain its owner's. Terms and pictures.

Sources: store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, nintendo.com, apps.apple.com, play.google.com