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The Past Within

The Past Within

The Past Within is the new co-op experience from Rusty Lake! Play together with someone you deem trustworthy: one in The Past, the other in The Future. Observe and communicate what you see around you. Solve the puzzles and uncover Albert Vanderboom’s plan.

95%
Overwhelmingly Positive
DeveloperRusty Lake
PublisherRusty Lake
Release DateNov 2, 2022
$5.99
Peak Players11.5K
PlatformsWindows · macOS
Adventure
Indie
AI Review Summary

The Past Within is a short, cooperative escape-room puzzle game that successfully translates the surreal Rusty Lake aesthetic into a two-player experience. It is highly recommended for couples and friends looking for a 2-3 hour communicative challenge, though it is notably simpler and shorter than some of the developer's previous titles.

Pros

  • Excellent cooperative gameplay that fosters strong communication between partners or friends.95%
  • Maintains the distinct, atmospheric, and slightly creepy Rusty Lake art style and mystery.90%
  • Accessible difficulty level that makes it enjoyable for players of all skill levels.85%
  • Great value for the price, frequently cited as worth the $5-6 investment.80%
  • Unique asymmetric mechanics where players interact with the past and future simultaneously.75%

Cons

  • Very short playtime, with most players finishing the experience in under 3 hours.90%
  • Puzzles can feel overly simplistic or like menial tasks compared to other entries in the series.70%
  • Occasional pacing issues where one player is left waiting for the other to complete a sequence.60%
  • Technical bugs such as game freezes can interrupt the experience near the end.40%

Notable Mentions

  • This is the first strictly cooperative entry in the Rusty Lake franchise.
  • The game requires two players to communicate their screens to one another, as they see different perspectives.
Confidence: 56%
Based on the 116 most relevant reviewsGenerated on Sep 26, 2026
Game Vitals

Live snapshot

Player Activity

Current peak
177
Peak · last 90 days
444
All-time peak
11.5K

Price

Current price
$5.99
Lowest tracked
$2.03since Feb 18, 2026

Review Sentiment

Last 30 days
91%
All-time positive
95%
Review Statistics
Total Reviews16.9K
Positive: 16.0K (95%)Negative: 912 (5%)

1%

Reviews from Steam Deck

0%

Dev Response Rate

3h

Avg Playtime at Review

99%

Credible Reviews