Servant of the Lake review – A creepy point-and-click adventure

Fancy being a servant at the imposing Vanderboom estate? After a few hours of work, you might quickly change your mind. The mysterious house you find yourself working at in Servant of the Lake is far from ordinary, and with its creepy atmosphere and even creepier residents, you probably should have stayed away. Luckily for you, you’re not really there – and moving your character through this heavily puzzle-laden point-and-click is nothing but a joy.

You don’t need to have played anything else from Rusty Lake to enjoy Servant of the Lake, but if you are familiar with the franchise you might get a bit more out of it. As a standalone adventure, though, it’s wonderful – and within minutes, you’ll likely be hooked.

Servant of the Lake wastes no time in giving your brain a workout, with the first puzzles coming almost instantly and not letting up for the entirety of the game’s running time (roughly 3-5 hours, depending how well you do with its puzzles). There’s a fantastic variety on offer, with some more traditional point and click puzzles sitting aside sorting puzzles, sliding block puzzles, logic puzzles and more. That huge variation is what keeps you hooked; nothing is too difficult that you’ll hit a wall – and if you do need a helping hand, Rusty Lake has linked their own video walkthrough right from in the game’s menu. (We’ve got our own written Servant of the Lake walkthrough if you prefer text-based assistance.)

Secondary to the puzzles is Servant of the Lake’s fantastic story. This isn’t the type of game that’s laden with cutscenes or exposition, but there are enough short story scenes here to get you fully invested in the bizarre goings-on within the Vanderboom family. There’s full voice acting and excellent writing, both of which will help immerse you in the unusual and creepy world you find yourself in.

I love how Servant of the Lake is presented, with the action taking place over three days. Shorter ‘chapters’ are titled after the task you need to complete, with your work as a servant always forming the backbone of everything you do. You’ll need to prepare breakfast, help the Vanderbooms get dressed, clean up, and more. But no task is ever straightforward, and there’s always something surprising to keep you on your toes: helping Alexandra Vanderboom bathe might involve pulling a maggot out of her skin, for example. And feeding human flesh to the pet cat isn’t as out of the ordinary as it probably should be. Needless to say, this isn’t one for the overly squeamish.

Providing you don’t mind a bit of the macabre and you’re not afraid of some dark humour, there’s a lot to love about Servant of the Lake. Its puzzles remain the real jewel in the crown here, though, with enough variety and ingenuity to keep you glued from start to finish. Needless to say, if you’re a puzzle fan, ensure this one is on your radar. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I’ll be seeking out more games from Rusty Lake that I’ve missed. There really is nothing like a stellar puzzle game, after all.