Too cheap to rummage through an escape room? Look no further. From the brilliant minds that introduced us to the eerie world of Rusty Lake comes their most peculiar creation yet, Samsara Room.

You wake up in a room surrounded by obscure objects and puzzles. You need to find a way out. Welcome to the Samsara Room, where you explore curiously the calming confines of a transformational room and solve each of the puzzles using resources you discover along the way.

GRAPHICS 10/10

The developers of Samsara Room really know how to please their players with tiny aesthetic elements within the depths of this 2D game.

At the start of this game, I was really impressed with the clean and effortlessly reactive solid lines of the play button as I hovered my mouse over it. I knew I was going to enjoy this game even though I knew nothing about it yet. I was tickled by the tiny ripple every time I clicked the mouse. I loved the solid lines around each of all the items that I interacted with. The clean lines made this game slick and clear, a nice contrast to its mysterious puzzles. These subtle yet impactful nuances created an immersive siren song. I couldn’t help wanting to see what would happen next.

SOUND QUALITY 9/10

I was delighted with the crispiness and impeccable timing of each click and action in this game. When you open up objects or solve puzzles, there are delightfully peculiar sounds and background music that inform you that you’ve moved on to the next clue. The sounds add dynamic and color to the story and an extra layer of context to each mysterious twist and turn. The low hum sound creates a sense of solemn solitude in the midst of figuring out how to solve each puzzle.

GAMEPLAY 8/10

Samsara Room is a point and click adventure game. There’s a familiar aspect of frustration in the quest to figuring each puzzle out, reminiscent of an escape room if you’ve ever experienced one. Luckily for the player, there’s no time limit. The player can take their time mindlessly exploring the game as they search for every item. However, if you’d like a challenge and a little more excitement, you can race against yourself to get the quickest run-through!

I had a great time playing through this game.

It took me approximately three and a half hours to play all the way through. What can I say? I like to take my time.

CHARACTERS 7/10

There are no playable characters in this game. There is, however, the main character who’s kind of just there for the ride. For the most part, it’s merely the player and the room. As the game progresses, the room changes its disposition from a simple four-walled room to an underwater room, an upside-down room, and much more. In a way, each of the puzzles and items could be considered characters that are, for the most part, interactable. So in that sense, each “character” has the function of helping the player discover more about the room while providing a growing sense of the game’s overarching message. Each puzzle helps the player exercise patience amidst learning more and more about this peculiar world.

STORY 9/10

The player starts off waking up in a room with green and pink floral wallpaper that peels in some parts. There are tiny creatures and obscure items that, when interacted with, help the player figure out each mystery in the strange room. As the player progresses from room to room, there’s a shadow with hollow eyes in a mirror who recites small commentary about the self. Each mirrored shadow has a little clue that requires long-term memory to inform the player along the way. Each puzzle pulls the player deeper and deeper into the world until its heart is finally reached. The puzzles seem increasingly dynamic and fun as the game progresses, giving the player a growing sense of pride and opening up the heart of the game’s message. I don’t plan on spoiling the fun any further — go play and see for yourself!

Samsara Room was the perfect escape. 

This game created a world that exercised my mind and gave me room to wonder as I wandered. In Sanskrit, the word “samsāra” means “world” or “wandering” regarding cyclical change. 

Indeed, Samsara Room is a reminder of how change is inevitable. No matter how much escaping we do, we’re encouraged to explore each mystery the world around us has to offer.

OVERALL 8.6/10

I had a blast playing through Samsara Room, from the obscure items to the twists and turns that duped me at nearly every corner. I highly recommend the levels of depth this game offers. Samsara Room is just one of over 15 games created by Rusty Lake, an indie game studio founded by Robin Ras & Maarten Looise in Amsterdam. I am so grateful for this beautiful game and how it expands our world. I’m certainly looking forward to more!