Gamious and Whitethorn Games have stuck with the tried and tested lifestyle that works for the residents of Providence Oaks – so why shouldn’t it work for us? – and released Lake DLC, Season’s Greetings – a charming slice of life of a postie.
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We’ve been here before with Meredith the enchantress, but this time, we take on the role of her father, Thomas. In the postal service for the past 40 years, he’s a perfect role model for someone who loves their job, and you will too, as this has the same cosiness as the base game.
DLC tends to be extra levels, gear, or an epilogue, but Lake: Season’s Greetings is another life sim with fewer paths than Meredith’s journey. While Meredith has options of love, career and Mo’s, Thomas is happily married, and his ambitions are significantly less. He’s already got it all!
Lake: Season’s Greetings DLC Review [Steam]
What we have here is a slow-burner – a rinse-and-repeat approach as before. Thomas completes his deliveries, making small talk, unleashing a plethora of puns into the wild, and simply appreciating life. How he looks up to the sky each time he gets out of the van is beautiful.
And that’s all there is to this. If you played Lake, you will know what to expect here. Lake: Season’s Greetings DLC respects the little things – the nuances in life that make it worthwhile when you get your priorities right. While Meredith, who has a cameo, is slaving at work (this is a prequel), Thomas is more focused on reading sports trivia books and making small talk with the locals.
About a third into the tale, some ‘outsiders’ arrive in the form of a local news crew. The charming anchor (with a ‘w’) makes snide comments about small-town communities, looking down his nose at the folk in P.O. Irrespective of how you select your answers in the dialogue, Thomas is unfazed. He’s happy and doesn’t need to appease strangers.
But Nothing Happens?!
Lake: Season’s Greetings is virtually a life sim, where instead of buying decor for your home or exchanging items at the local Nook store, you’re living the life of a normal person. There are no health points, no items to collect, and no real agenda other than keeping date night free to spend with the missus.
This won’t be for everyone – I get that- but from my perspective, I love it. There’s not one thing about it that is frustrating. Even when driving from one side of town to the other, I was happy for the van to go at its steady pace. It’s impossible to run people over or get into Burnout-like crashes (I tried); everything is… serene. It’s as if this is a digital spa day.
Thomas, as a character, is lovely, but cringe if you don’t like small talk, genuine people who mean what they say, or those who make puns as a way of life. You may even reach for the sick bucket in Lake: Season’s Greetings a handful of times, but here’s that gaming buzzword again: it’s wholesome.
Mistlethomas And Wine
Lake: Season’s Greetings is another complete game with fewer events but the same cosy schedule. In the build-up to Christmas, P.O. is snow-covered and, once again, picturesque. There’s no skidding on the asphalt or any other changes to the driving mechanics other than the sound effects of the tyres crunching through the snow.
While the music wasn’t my cup of tea, I was pleased there were more songs than the last outing. Hearing the same song repeatedly, regardless of whether it was upbeat, was a mild irritant. In the DLC, it’s much of the same, though with Christmas themes like tree PTSD(!?), and though it wouldn’t make it to my Spotify playlist, it completes the game’s vibe.
Lake is one of my favourite game experiences, so when Lake: Season’s Greetings adopts the same themes, it makes sense that I love it. With that in mind, this is a great expansion, as it’s doubling up on the base game. Seeing things from Thomas’ perspective adds depth, and the number of Easter eggs in the game is brilliant.
It’s a no-brainer: if you have the base game and enjoyed it, get Lake: Season’s Greetings DLC. If you still need to play it, feel free to read the review (there’s even a cheeky guide, too).
