Varney Lake

a yes

Varney Lake is a story-driven supernatural mystery that combines interactive fiction, retro horror, and coming-of-age drama within a deliberately compact adventure. Developed by LCB Game Studio and published by Chorus Worldwide Games, it is part of the Pixel Pulps series and carries forward the collection’s fascination with old paperback horror, strange phenomena, and vintage computer-game aesthetics. Rather than relying on complicated mechanics or constant scares, the game concentrates on atmosphere, character relationships, fragmented memories, and the unsettling uncertainty surrounding an encounter that refuses to remain buried in the past. The narrative moves between two distinct periods. During the summer of 1954, teenagers Jimmy, Doug, and Christine spend their days around Varney Lake, enjoying the sort of adventures and minor troubles associated with youthful summer freedom. Their concerns include friendships, attraction, bullies, games, and an effort to save a local drive-in. This initially innocent atmosphere is gradually disrupted after they encounter a mysterious figure they believe may be a vampire. What begins almost like a nostalgic childhood adventure subsequently t…

It's so freaking good, maybe even better than Mothmen 1966. I love this world they've created, the recurring characters, the feeling of warm summer days with friends combined with the bleak horror of getting old and finding out things you're better off not knowing. Unforgettable story and the art is so good too, I took so many screenshots. I don't know whether to read their next story or reread this one... honestly the only thing holding me back from continuing is knowing I'll run out of their stories to read, and then what else is left???

I really love the style of these games. It all just fits the mood of every scene perfectly!

LCB continues their story over from Mothmen 1966, and this story is stronger than the first one. You can tell the authors are finding their foothold in story telling. 3 friends meet a vampire in the summer of 1954. it requires a total of 4 playthroughs to get all of the secret endings. The minigames can be trying at times, in particular the matchstick puzzles and dice hopscotch. But I did enjoy the fishing minigame. I am intrigued by the secret ending #4 and hope to get the clarification in book #3.

Fun visual novella with great pixel art.