Something strange is brewing at the Vanderboom estate—and you’re its new caretaker. In the delightfully eerie adventure Servant of the Lake, do chores for the Vanderboom siblings—though not all of their dirty laundry is the kind you can wash. There are spooky paintings to dust, gruesome oddities to sort (are those fingers?), and arcane alchemy to help with. Your toughest task? Surviving the weekend!

What we love: The deliciously macabre puzzles. Trying to fix Alexandra’s shattered teacup? Poke the cat till it coughs up a hairball to use as glue. Plant needs watering? William is hungover and drooling in his sleep—gross, but it could work…

Quick tip: Deciphering the glyphs needed to help Aldous brew a magic elixir is one of the game’s coolest—and most intricate—puzzles. Start with the easy symbols, like “water” (on the painting of the river), “left,” and “three” (on the soldier figurine that leans left three times). Once you’ve worked out the glyphs for “Aldous” and “acid,” check Aldous’ breast pocket for an important clue.

Meet the creator: Dutch indie developer Rusty Lake has made more than 20 puzzle-based games that share the same surreal universe, including the Cube Escape series, Rusty Lake Hotel, and The Past Within. Servant of the Lake is set in 1839, falling between Rusty Lake Paradise and Rusty Lake: Roots in the series’ timeline.