The Past Within - FAQ

[Rusty Lake]

Hi everyone! Thank you for checking out The Past Within! Our co-op game released November 2nd and you might have some questions about what you can expect from it! In this post we will be addressing some frequently asked questions. If your question remains unanswered, please don’t hesitate to share it below.

1. Is there a single-player mode?
   No, The Past Within is designed to be a co-op experience: everything from the puzzles to the story aims to create a sense of accomplishment through working together. The challenging design process of The Past Within lead to creating a two-player game and unfortunately simply adding a singleplayer function would not work as we’ve explained more elaborately in the Devlogs on our blog[blog.rustylake.com] and on Steam. Don't worry though, we are working on more single-player games at the moment: you might have seen a teaser with a metro...
   
   
2. Can I play by myself on 2 different devices?
   As you can see in our demo, the entire game was designed as a co-op experience and playing the game by yourself on two devices will greatly diminish the enjoyment. We strongly recommend playing with a friend or joining our Discord[www.discord.gg] to pair with another Rusty Lake fan for maximum enjoyment.
   
   
3. Can I try the game anywhere to see how this works?
   Yes! We’ve released a demo version on Steam, iOS[apps.apple.com] and Android[play.google.com]. Just like the full game, you can play on any device and no internet required! It’s important to note that the demo does not represent the final quality and content of the full game, the demo is just intended to demonstrate the co-op experience. If you want to know how the full game will look, we recommend you check the trailer and screenshots!
   
   
4. Will both players need a copy of the game?
   Yes, you need two copies of the game in order to play. Both players can choose their preferred device and platform, as long as you each have a copy. There will be a launch discount during the first week after release!
   
   
5. Do we both need to own the game on the same platform?
   No, you can play together on any device. The Past Within is a cross-platform co-op game which means that, for example, it doesn’t matter if you play on Steam and the other player is on a mobile device. It will be available on Steam, itch.io, iOS, and Android. We will also do our best to make it compatible with the Steam Deck and will also be the first Rusty Lake title to release on Nintendo Switch next year!
   
   
6. Do I need an internet connection to play?
   No, like the rest of our Rusty Lake games this one also does not need an internet connection. But players need to be able to communicate with each other at all times. If your game partner is not in the same room as you, we recommend using a video or chat app such as Discord, Whatsapp, Skype, Zoom, Google Meet!
   
   
7. I don’t have a partner to play this game with, what now?
   As we don’t recommend playing The Past Within on 2 devices by yourself, we rather advise you to wait until you can play it with someone else. To facilitate finding kindred spirits, we have set up a special channel on our Discord channel[www.discord.gg] where fans can easily find a partner to play!
   
   
8. I see many Rusty Lake games, what is the recommended order to play?
   If you're interested in delving deeper into the mysteries of the Lake, you can find the suggested order to play the whole series here! Although the stories are intertwined and all our games take place in the same universe, you will be able to complete all the puzzles even if you play them in a different order.

As always, we'll do our best to keep you updated on the progress of The Past Within. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thank you all for your patience and continued support!

[Mr. Lambert]

Crap, well this is 'ignore' list for me. Love all your other games, but I don't play and have no interest in playing coop or multiplayer games.

[Skycutedawn]

Can this game be enjoyed/understood by people that know nothing about the Rusty lake series?

I have a few friends I could play this with, but none of them played the previous games before.

[车车]

How long will it take to play the full version of the game

[Rusty Lake]

@Mr Lambert sorry to hear this! We understand this co-op experience won't be for everyone. However we hope you will stay tuned for our singleplayer project(s) in the future :)

@Skycutedawn good guestion! The game can be played without any knowledge of previous Rusty Lake games, although it helps. We test played the game with a lot different people (fans / non fans / non gamers) to be sure everyone will enjoy it.

@车车 In our test sessions of the full version we saw an average playtime of around 2 hours, some players are a bit slower and some faster. The game will have features that offer replayability but we will share more about this later!

[Kheshig8631#]

How to choose other language?

[Rusty Lake]

@Volodymyr。Unfortunately the demo doesn't have translations, but the full version will have all the languages we normally provide!

[garden.gnome93]

I'm just really sad that this game doesn't have a single player mode. Love, love, love all your other games.

[jack_was]

Will there be a new list with chronological and/or story sequence in which your games should be played for the best experience once The Past Within is released? And let us not forget mysterious new train on its way...

[Rusty Lake]

Originally posted by jack_was:

Will there be a new list with chronological and/or story sequence in which your games should be played for the best experience once The Past Within is released? And let us not forget mysterious new train on its way...

Hi jack! We've just updated our FAQ with some new questions and improved answers. Among other things, it now has this same link that explains the sequence in which you should play the Rusty Lake games if you want to follow the story in the right order 🙂

[SKGO]

Is there a tentative month for release on the Nintendo Switch?

[Pomelowe]

Originally posted by SKGO:

Is there a tentative month for release on the Nintendo Switch?

There's no firm estimate yet :) I can tell you that it will be next year, and we're doing our best to have it ready in Spring 2023. No promises!

[Rix]

Hi RL Team!
Just a question: I bought this game on my android phone before realizing it is also on Steam. I would actually prefer Steam version. I am guessing the only way to do this is to buy it again? Happy to do it to support you guys, just wanted to make sure first. Thanks!

[Rusty Lake]

Hi @Rix, please send us an email at [e-mail] and we will help you :) and thanks for your support in any case!

[⫷R̳E̳T̳R̳O̳B̳O̳Y̳⫸/ᶜᵐᵈ]

Ahahaha. Will both players need a copy of the game? Yes, you need two copies of the game. Yes, you are a master of marketing.
Let's make a game for 10 characters and each of them will have to buy a separate copy. Nice

[Carnage]

Just wanted to say that maybe it would be better, if instead of making a discount on release you would just gave people 2 copies to play together. If you're afraid that someone will abuse the gift system, then there are several workarounds. Check Operation: Tango or Eronoctosis for example.