It is 1 September 1986, and you – Meredith Weiss – have returned to Providence Oaks, a town near a lake where you were born. You have taken a job as a mail carrier, replacing your father. Will you regret returning to your place of birth, or will it be worth it?

At first, as Frank, your father, a good friend and post worker as well, drives you to your parents house from an airport, he asks you to deliver your first mail, so he stops at a gas station and suddenly when you get out of a van, you notice that screen turns black and magically you are standing next to the van. It is a pity that the devs didn't create any animation for getting in and out of the truck, because you will be doing that a lot. If not full animation, at least fade in/out for the character without a black screen would be appreciated.

Not only is the in/out animation missing, but the brake lights do not work either, and there is no speedometer or tachometer. I know this isn't a driving simulator, but these are basic features that should be included in a game where driving is one of the main gameplay elements.

Frank drove you home, and now you can relax and get ready for your first day as a mail carrier tomorrow. The morning arrives quickly, and at 7:00 am, you’re standing at the postal office with a loaded delivery van. Today, you will meet old friends from your childhood and new residents as well. Providence Oaks is a small town where everybody knows everything about everyone, and no secret remains hidden for long.

As you drive around delivering mail and parcels, you will have the opportunity to chat with residents, some of whom may ask you for favours. Depending on how you respond during these conversations, you can either accept or refuse a quest. Some of your choices can also impact the story.

The surrounding nature is pleasant, and helps you to feel calm and relaxed. As you drive around, you'll notice that the streets and roads are almost empty and lacking in life. It is a rural area, but it would be better if there were more traffic and NPCs, and the way that people drive or walk is weird. It looks like there is a problem with pathfinding.

Your drive around the lake will be more pleasant with the regional radio station operated by Jack Reynolds, but you may find that the songs being played repeatedly will start to annoy you after a while. Don't get me wrong; the soundtrack is good, but it would be nice to have more songs. The lake map is good. Soon after you start playing, you'll be able to navigate it on your own, and I think the developers did a good job of capturing the atmosphere of a small American town, besides the cons I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Was it worth coming back to Providence Oaks? Yes, it wasn't perfect, but it had a good atmosphere, relaxing gameplay and a story with original characters. Also, I enjoyed the Seasonal Greetings DLC, which is a prequel to the main story, and the whole town is covered in snow, and you will meet new characters, hear new dialogues and experience more deliveries.

Thyra - Witchcraft:
You got me tiptoeing around you like you′re made of glass
Got an invisible fence letting everyone know not to trespass
But you're bound to break down, bound to lose
Bound to get get knocked right out of your boots
When I use my witchcraft (ooh)
When I use my witchcraft (ooh)

Finally I can live out my fantasy of being a mail carrier!! The narrative stuff is good so far but I really love driving around GTA style and slinging packages. This is the perfect cozy game for hiding from your family with your steam deck during the holiday season

Find more of my reviews on my curator page: Kasurot Recommends


A digital vacation from burnout that trades gameplay depth for 80s nostalgia and small-town gossip. It is charming, provided you can tolerate driving a vehicle with the physics of a shopping cart.

Players seeking a "Hallmark movie" experience where the stakes are low and the vibes are high.

Anyone who requires responsive driving mechanics or a walking speed faster than a casual stroll.

Play this when you need to decompress, not when you need to be challenged.

Lake is less a video game and more a prescription for relaxation. The premise is universally relatable; you play as Meredith, a software developer in 1986 who trades the grinding gears of the city for the rusty gears of a mail truck in her hometown of Providence Oaks. The narrative stakes are wonderfully nonexistent. There is no world to save, no murderer to catch, and no deadline to meet. The drama is entirely interpersonal, revolving around reconnecting with old friends, navigating awkward romances, and deciding whether the slow pace of rural life is a prison or a paradise.

The gameplay loop serves purely as a delivery system for the narrative. You drive the truck, walk to a door, deliver a parcel, and occasionally trigger a cutscene. It is repetitive by design, mirroring the meditative nature of manual labor. This repetition allows the player to sink into the atmosphere. The cel-shaded Oregon landscape is lovely to look at, and the absence of modern technology—no pings, no emails, no urgency—creates a genuine sense of digital detox that few games manage to capture.

However, the experience is marred by the reality that the "game" part is barely functional. The mail truck handles with the grace of a cinder block, often getting stuck on curbs or behaving erratically. Furthermore, Meredith’s walking speed is lethargic, turning a simple walk from the curb to a front door into a test of patience. The town, while pretty, is also static; it feels more like a film set than a living ecosystem, with NPCs often standing idly in place awaiting your arrival.

Despite the mechanical clunkiness, Lake succeeds because it commits fully to its tone. It asks you to slow down, and it enforces that slowness through its very design flaws. If you can forgive the stiff controls and the lack of mechanical depth, you are left with a sweet, earnest story about work-life balance that might just resonate with your own desire to escape the daily grind.