Varney Lake Review: A Quiet Summer Transforms Into Something Sinister
Besides video games, I’m devoted to reading all kinds of books. It’s a habit that started young and thankfully never diminished. Back in the day, I had a particular fondness for the creepiness of Goosebumps, which were scary without being terrifying. In particular, I enjoyed the “choose your own adventure” style books by R.L. Stine. It was fun having some agency where the story went, taking anxious breaths before turning each page, which brings us to the latest Pixel Pulps adventure published by Chorus Worldwide, titled Varney Lake. I actually had the opportunity to demo it back at PAX West and was instantly reminded of my love for the visual novel genre. This is a tale of the Only Childs Club and how their lives changed forever one lazy summer day.
Summer Days of Joy
When I demoed Varney Lake, I got to essentially read the introductory chapter of the game. It introduces the Only Childs Club, composed of Jimmy, Doug, and Christine. They’re an odd little group of outcasts, and like most children, they have a lot of in-fighting, drama, and jokes. It’s clear Jimmy is head over heels for Christine, but she already has a boyfriend; Doug has golden dreams of the future and loves coming up with absurd games for his friends to play; and cousin Christine is the eldest and most mature, but still isn’t sure what she wants from her life. Then all of that gets amplified by the three getting chased by a bully named Brandon, and finding refuge in a little decrepit cabin. Inside they find a decayed old man complaining about the sun. And as you might guess, he turns out to be an immortal vampire.
Interview With a Vampire
Instead of draining the children dry, the vampire Liszt instead befriends them. We get little glimpses of this unfolding history in alternating chapters. The game switches between the Summer of 1954 and then shifts to the present of 1981. Though I didn’t play the first Pixel Pulps game, Mothmen 1966, I understand there’s one recurring character in each of the games named Lou Hill. Here, he’s unearthing the truth of what happened to the Only Childs Club, and he has a little help. There’s a mysterious character named Xantos who can see all possible realities at once—a nifty talent to aid a supernatural investigator like Lou.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Most of the game involves reading and occasionally making choices to progress the narration. These may seem unimportant, but your choices will determine where the story goes and which ending you get. My story ended with a startling revelation, a painful death, and a shocking transformation. But there are at least three other endings, according to the game. There’s actually a good deal of unlockable content, and most of it requires very specific things done to acquire it all.
Messy Mini-Games
Unfortunately for me, a lot of the image gallery can only be unlocked by doing sufficiently well in the various mini-games Varney Lake features. There’s an unusual form of Solitaire, fishing, hopscotch, and the like. My problem is that I was uniquely horrible at each of the games. It probably didn’t help that the instructions, such as they were, are verbose and unnecessarily complicated in my mind. Still, since these games are just a way to pad out the otherwise pretty short experience, I don’t mind their inclusion, especially since the storytelling itself is very well done.
Sinister Storytelling
Not only does Varney Lake feature tight writing by Nico Saraintaris, but it tells a weird tale that will devour you. While the entire story can be finished in a couple of hours, you’ll want to play it more than once to get the other endings. It’s fascinating watching how such an idyllic tale becomes drenched in blood and shadows, and not just because of the vampire. Weirdly enough, Liszt is a strangely protective friend to the children, and even goes out of his way to keep them safe, with varying degrees of success. It’s also really fun seeing how the children grow up. Jimmy goes from a smiling kid to a war-addled vet, while Christine goes from a sweet yet dangerous young woman to a well-heeled adult. As for what happens to Doug, well, I’ll just let you discover that for yourself.
Dire Twists and Turns
Visually, I was really captivated by Varney Lake. The pixelated artwork by artist Fernando Martinez Ruppel is just amazing. Not only is it evocative of classic video games, but each image is shockingly detailed as well. Combined with mysterious and moody music that’s reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, this is a really attractive package.
Turn the Page and Keep on Reading
Ultimately, I had a great time with Varney Lake. The story is well told and features a surprising amount of replay value. While I personally didn’t love the mini-games, they don’t do much to detract from the experience. If you’re a fan of tales of woe and love reading good stories, give this one a shot. It’s incredibly affordable and very enjoyable.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One; Publisher: Chorus Worldwide Games; Developer: LCB Game Studio; Players: 1; Released: April 28, 2023; ESRB: T for Teen – Blood, Violence, Language; MSRP: $9.99
Editor’s note: The publisher provided a review copy to Hey Poor Player.
