Lake - Trailer | PS4
0Trailer Index
00:00 - Channel Intro
00:12 - Reveal Trailer
01:18 - Nintendo Switch Release Date Announcement Trailer
02:08 - Season's Greetings DLC Reveal Trailer
03:23 - Season's Greetings Gameplay & Release Date Trailer
04:50 - Launch Trailer
06:29 - Developer Gameplay Trailer
Lake is a 2021 graphic adventure game developed by Gamious and published by Whitethorn Games. Set in 1986, the story follows Meredith Weiss, a software developer who spends two weeks in her hometown of Providence Oaks, Oregon, where she temporarily assumes the role of the town's mail carrier. The player interacts with residents while delivering mail to them. The game presents dialogue options which influence the events of the story and its ending.
The four-year development began in 2017 after director Dylan Nagel pitched the concept to Gamious. The setting was chosen for its aesthetics, while the time period was selected as it offered a nostalgic and relatable feeling. The world and characters were inspired by several American sitcoms and actors, and research was conducted into narrative-focused adventure games. The development team performed extensive research of Oregon for the game's setting.
Lake was first showcased in 2018. It was released for Windows, the Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in September 2021, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in April 2022, and for Stadia in June 2022; it is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch in February 2024. It received mixed reviews, with praise for its world, characters, and performances; critics were divided on the repetitive gameplay and soundtrack. A downloadable content prequel following Meredith's father at Christmas was released in November 2023.
Gameplay
Lake is a graphic adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls Meredith Weiss, who returns to her hometown of Providence Oaks, Oregon, to work as a mail delivery driver. The player traverses the world by foot or by driving the mail van. Each day begins at the post office, and the player may freely explore locations in Providence Oaks while completing a predetermined number of deliveries, including packages and letters of correspondence, before returning to the post office. A mini-map is used for navigation.
Letters are stored in Meredith's mail bag and delivered to a house's mailbox, while packages are stored in the van's tailgate and delivered to a house's front door, which may prompt a conversation with its non-player character occupants. In these interactions, the player can choose to complete additional tasks throughout the town and organize after-work or weekend activities with other townspeople, including romantic relationships.
Alternatively, the player can choose to complete additional work for Meredith's employer in the evenings or relax by reading or watching television or a movie. Branching dialogue choices are occasionally presented during conversations, which may influence the nature and tone of Meredith's relationships and ultimately impact the ending.
Reception
Lake received "mixed or average" reviews for most platforms according to review aggregator Metacritic, while the PlayStation 5 version received "generally favorable" reviews, and the game has a 40% approval rating on OpenCritic. The New Yorker's Simon Parkin listed it among the best games of 2021. It received two nominations at the Gaming Awards: Best LGBTQ Indie Game and Best LGBTQ Character for Meredith. In March 2022, Bouman said the game had been profitable.