Rusty Lake: Roots

Rusty Lake: Roots is a 2D point-and-click puzzle game from the makers of the Cube Escape series. James Vanderboom plants a strange seed in the garden of his inherited house, and you follow his family across generations, unlocking portraits on a tree of life one level at a time. With over 33 levels it is one of the studio's largest games, and it suits solo players who like their puzzles macabre and surreal.

Around 95% of more than 2,000 Steam reviews are positive. Players single out the family-tree structure, the alchemy elements and the dark, eerie lore that spans several decades. Several reviewers call its puzzles the most coherent in the series, with a good mix of easy and harder ones; a first-time player still needed the walkthrough a few times.

The written reviews show few complaints. The story is deliberately strange and leaves many questions open, and some gory moments may put off sensitive players. Expect four to six hours, plus more for achievements. At a very low price it is an easy recommendation, and a good entry point into the Rusty Lake universe.