Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 68 | 40 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 87% | 81 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 81 | 2007 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Nov 30, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 2007 total reviews in window · weighted 163.6 up / 28 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (49)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 85
“Lake is an incredibly soothing play with well-written characters, dialogue, and even better dubbing. The characters do occasionally open their mouths and miss the dub, but along with the not-so-widespread repertoire of local radio, this can be considered a minor detail that doesn't explicitly interfere with the experience of the play. The small town of Providence Oaks is just the perfect setting for an interesting story with three endings. The job of a postman suddenly seems like a dream job, though then again not for everyone.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Lake is certainly not for everyone. It’s a very specific experience that tries as hard as possible to take as much ‘game’ out of the game and leave you only with the relaxing story element. And on balance, I’d say I enjoyed my time with Lake; I breezed around that leafy town not knowing if what I was doing mattered or if I really cared about that or not. It’s like having a day off work without any plans, the world is your oyster and there’s absolutely no pressure.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“Lake sells itself well on its peaceful atmosphere, which makes it easy to pick up and play, although several design decisions prevent the game from shining.”
read full review ↗ - 53
“While it absolutely offers up a very deliberately-paced experience that’s calm and has wholesome appeal, the technical issues and some blandness make it tough to get excited about on Switch”
read full review ↗ - 50
“An interesting idea marred by a subpar execution, [i]Lake[i] is more tedious than it is relaxing and immersive. The atmosphere is neat, and the whole process of taking it easy and just enjoying the simple act of delivering the mail is surprisingly cathartic, but it's not enough to keep you here for more than an hour. There is some talking to be done with a number of characters as well, but this is sadly the least exciting thing here. The townsfolk are so boring that driving the empty roads and simply delivering the mail is more preferable.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“A generally enjoyable narrative game with strong characters and writing, Lake is a pleasant way to pass the time when its technical faults aren't making things difficult.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Lake is the perfect pallet cleanser after a heavier title. It's refreshing to not have to worry about an end of the world prophecy, or an out of control god hell-bent on destruction. However, it's also that simplistic nature that holds it back from a first-class stamp.”
read full review ↗ - 59
“Lake's curious proposal is surprisingly entertaining, although it ends up becoming repetitive. The worst thing is the numerous bugs that affect the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Lake can be an entertaining game, but only if you’re looking to burn some free time and don’t mind being railroaded.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In the end, Lake delivers on producing a "slice of life" experience but with some issues that keep it from being excellent. The characters are interesting to talk to, even if only a few of them break out from being one-dimensional. The vocal performances are good, but the stiff facial and body animations and rushed story don't give it a chance to connect with players. If you can forgive these shortcomings and don't find the mail delivery mechanic to be tedious, Lake is relaxing and different enough from other offerings to warrant a glance.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Lake is a narrative-driven postal simulator quite unlike any other. With a rich story, wonderful characters a beautiful town to explore, if you’re looking for something to ease your mind, you can’t go wrong.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A gentle adventure, imbued with a sense of place and purpose.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
VGamingNews
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
PC Invasion
Push Square
SomosXbox
Killa Penguin
Worth Playing
FingerGuns
Eurogamer…and 37 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Endless Mode Patch 2May 23, 2024
- Endless Mode Patch 1May 7, 2024
- Season's Greetings Patch 5Dec 12, 2023
- Season's Greetings Patch 4Nov 30, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Season's Greetings hotfix 3Nov 21, 2023
- Season's Greetings Hotfix 2Nov 17, 2023
- Season's Greetings Hotfix 1Nov 16, 2023
- [Update 1.0.10.1] Stuck in transitFeb 14, 2023
- [Update 1.0.10] International postAug 25, 2022
- [Update 1.0.9] Aye, aye skipper!Oct 28, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.8] Mechanic On CallOct 13, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.7] Ace PilotSep 29, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.6] Picture perfectSep 20, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.5.1]Sep 10, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.5] Return to post officeSep 8, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.4] Special delivery pt. IISep 3, 2021
- [Hotfix 1.0.3] Special delivery!Sep 2, 2021