There are so many questions about this game which remain unanswered, and instead of being solved they seem to build up more and more after each new RHEM. I thought we might ponder the vast philosophical mysteries that the universe of RHEM holds captive, in hope that we may reach some conclusions and attain some clarity to tide us over until the next installment of the series arrives.

What is RHEM? An abandoned city? A testing ground for initiates into a religious sect based around worship of masochistically difficult puzzles? Or a hallucination that exists only in our minds?

Who is the mysterious woman in red? Is she an enemy or friend? What is her purpose and why is she speaking that strange language? More importantly, is she single?

Zetais and Kales - Is there some sinister purpose behind their requests? Will we ever discover the role of these artifacts or will our trips to RHEM be a series of unending voyages at the behest of these two characters who seem to have the power to give us orders which we, in slavelike fashion carry out willingly?

Where do we go after we "leave" RHEM? Where do we come from upon entering it? Does it matter? Is the unknown 'outside' of RHEM and entry and exit by rail merely symbolic of the void we come from upon booting up our computers and running a game, an entry into a world which has no continuity with what existed before?

Is the game actually, in a way, a parody/critique of 'story' in games? I could certainly understand that view - the voices seem intentionally done badly especially in 2, and everything 'story'-related is treated with total apathy. Maybe it's a subtle commentary on how putting a story in a game is futile since every story is the same (encounter a problem, overcome obstacles and win the game) and a game is, in itself, its own story, because it's you at your computer that has faced the obstacles and overcome them, and you that is the main concern and hero of the game.

What are your thoughts?

There seems to be some sort of alien technology involved. I suspect that either Zetais and Kales or the lady in red are humanoid but alien.

I think the player is proving his/her ability in some way, though I don't know why.

I think everyone in the RHEM games is some sort of explorer, though they're not all from the same place and may even come from different worlds. RHEM is an installation on an otherwise deserted world. The different people in the game are trying to figure out what it's for. Your character seems to be allied with the brothers Zetais and Kales. Maybe you were sent to help them. The Lady in Red works for someone else, and though she has nothing against you, she can't officially be seen working with you or the two brothers. There are other people exploring RHEM who you haven't met yet. It's not clear if they are simply exploring or whether they are looking for something specific. They could be looking for a lot of things -- a weapon, a power source, a technology, valuable metals or ore, or simply trying to unravel the purpose of RHEM. There is a reason why RHEM is so mazelike and full of puzzles, but is it simply a test of intellegence and reasoning power or is there more to it?

Hm, interesting thoughts! There are so many different theories you can have about the game. To me, each game seems to add something and gives you a better feel of the world where RHEM is located, but doesn't really answer any questions. That's part of what makes it so appealing.

I'd love for there to be 'more to it'. Having a long series of games (let's hope for 10 ;)) and finishing answering all the questions neatly fitting all the parts together would be amazing. I'm not sure that's the intent of the series though - like you said, sometimes a puzzle is just a puzzle. But who knows, maybe eventually we'll get to travel outside of RHEM, and see what it's all about.

I agree with Jenny100. I think Rhem is a world set up to test our ability to deal with isolation, to observe and solve puzzles, and to explore our way thru a strange environment and back to civilization.

I could never really relate to Rhem's story, I was always in it for the puzzle

I doubt though, that the bad voice acting can be explained with self irony
I guess there's only one guy who knows the answer though...

I forgot to ask: which RHEM game is your favourite?

Mine is 3, although I'm not sure I know why. It was just the most enjoyable for me and very devious. I made sure I didn't use a walkthrough and I think that was part of the reason I had so much fun with it.

My favorite is RHEM 2. I ALMOST didn't need a walkthrough. Much.

Mine is RHEM 2 too.

My favorite is the 4th. I loved the way the buildings were connected with the ladders and hatches. It was like being inside a big 3D slider.

I'm playing it now. I think it's my least favorite of the four. The 'random door' tunnel is the worst, I can't say I like pressing the button 20 times to get the right door randomly flash up. I think he wanted to make most of the map accessible early on and he did well with that, and the puzzles are clever as always.

I have all 4 (so far) games and have only managed to complete the first one. Have started #2 several times and get side tracked by other stuff -then need to start all over. Very hard for me...BUT ...Love the game anyway. I really enjoy the exploration of the areas(even though get lost a lot)-that is my fave thing. Quite a few of the puzzles are way to hard for me so am very thankful for walkthroughs!! My fave so far is #1..if I ever get thru #2 then it will probably be my fave, ditto #3, then #4. Hope there will be another soon! They're Twisty! Very, very, very Twisty!! I have no clue what that woman in red is up to! One thing i Do know, when you sit down to play a Rhem you need to settle in for a great and long game-which I like.

Only played the first two so far. Loved both and the second one is on my personal top 10 list. Knut Müller is a genius when it comes to puzzle and game world design imo. Not much story so far, but I really don't miss one. I prefer to just disconnect from every question of when/why/who/how and so forth and just get sucked in by the atmosphere and fantastic game design in all other areas. The experience has still felt "real" in a strange way.

And so far no walkthrough.:) It would really have ruined the experience for me and it didn't take long before I knew that every problem and puzzle I encountered, no matter how hard, would be fair. And they all have been so far. It has always paid to just go through the notes once more or take a trip through the game world again.

Again, pure genius! Must begin RHEM 3 soon...

My favorite is Rhem 1 because it was different from any of the other adventure games I had played at the time. It was the beginning of a unique series of adventures for me!

Personally I'd love a realtime version of RHEM 1. It was so twisty and I always got lost and missed a lot of paths. I think that's why all the games from RHEM 2 onward stuck with straight walkways and right angles, it's a lot easier to navigate.

It would be interesting to see a RHEM game with 360 degree scrolling or free exploration. The follow-the-pipes puzzles would be less annoying and it might make room for more genius puzzles. But I wouldn't want the games to be made any easier.