Servant of the Lake Walkthrough: Complete Day 1 Guide for the Vanderboom Estate

Master your first day as a servant in this Rusty Lake premium game. Our Servant of the Lake walkthrough covers every puzzle, item, and step.

If you've just downloaded the latest Rusty Lake premium title and found yourself staring at a carriage with no idea what to do next, you're in the right place. This Servant of the Lake walkthrough will guide you through every puzzle, hidden item, and bizarre task you'll encounter during your first day working at the Vanderboom estate. Whether you're stuck on the tin can arrangement or can't figure out how to wake Aldous Vanderboom, we've got you covered with a step-by-step breakdown that keeps the spoilers manageable while ensuring you never hit a dead end.

What Is Servant of the Lake?

Servant of the Lake is the nineteenth game from the Rusty Lake studio and their eighth premium release. Set in the early 18th century, the game puts you in the shoes of a newly hired servant tasked with helping the Vanderboom family during their annual weekend feast at the estate. The game offers players their first full look inside the Vanderboom house, and it's also the first title in the series built using Unity, which allowed the developers to create unique minigames that weren't possible in previous entries.

The soundtrack was composed by Dutch composer Victor Butzelaar, though it isn't available for purchase yet. According to community reports, the demo was the 14th most played game during Steam's Next Fest event, showing just how eager fans were to dive into this chapter of the Rusty Lake universe.

Key Characters You'll Encounter

Character	Role	Importance
Aldous Vanderboom	Family patriarch	Main quest target for Day 1
Alexandra Vanderboom	Family member	Present at the estate
Rustie the Cat	Family pet	Must be fed during breakfast prep
Unnamed carriage driver	Transport	Holds the key to entering the house
Unnamed servant	Fellow worker	Provides your employment contract

Getting Started: Carriage and Front Yard

Your journey begins in a carriage approaching the Vanderboom estate. The opening sequence is straightforward but sets the tone for the meticulous attention to detail required throughout the game.

Carriage Steps

First, open the curtains to get your first look at the estate. Wait for the carriage to come to a complete stop, then click on the house to exit. You'll find yourself in the front yard with several interactive elements to explore.

Front Yard Item Collection

The front yard contains several items you'll need to progress. Here's everything you need to grab and what each item does:

Item	Location	Purpose
Tin can #1	Near carriage door	Part of window puzzle
Tin can #2	Left window (drag up to open)	Part of window puzzle
Carrot	Garden bed	Feed to horse
Coin	Right window puzzle reward	Pay carriage driver
Metal pole	Left by carriage driver	Pry wooden board
Key	Under wooden board in garden bed	Unlock front door

The trickiest part of the front yard is the tin can puzzle at the right window. You need to place both cans and arrange them from 1 to 5 based on how many lines each can has. Once arranged correctly, you'll receive a coin as a reward.

After collecting the coin, feed the carrot to the horse, then give the coin to the carriage driver. He'll ride off and leave behind a metal pole. Use that pole to snap the wooden board in the garden bed, revealing the key to the front door.

Entering the Vanderboom House

With the key in hand, unlock the front door and step inside. The front hallway introduces you to the game's signature blend of mundane tasks and unsettling atmosphere.

Signing Your Employment Contract

Step	Action	Result
1	Talk to the servant	Receive feather
2	Dip feather in ink on table	Get inked feather
3	Sign contract (write anything)	Complete employment
4	Talk to servant again	Receive notebook

The contract signing is a nice touch — you can write anything you want, and it won't affect gameplay. After signing, don't forget to talk to the servant one more time to grab your notebook, which contains important information for upcoming tasks.

Preparing Breakfast for the Family

Now comes one of the most involved sequences in this Servant of the Lake walkthrough: preparing Mr. Aldous' favorite breakfast. You'll need to gather ingredients, feed the family cat, and cook porridge.

Gathering Ingredients

Enter the side room to find wood and oatmeal on the table. Read the paper on the table for the breakfast recipe:

Put pot on stove
Add milk and oat to pot
Heat the porridge

There's also a reminder: don't forget to feed Rustie the cat.

Item Locations for Breakfast

Item	Location	Notes
Wood	Side room	For fireplace
Oatmeal	Side room table	Ingredient
Milk	Crate in hallway	Grab and defocus
Pot	Cabinet in right room	Essential for cooking
Rat	Same cabinet	Feed to Rustie
Matches	Main room (after feeding cat)	For lighting fire

The cooking sequence has some flexibility. According to player experience shared in the Rusty Lake community, it doesn't matter what order you put the ingredients into the pot — Aldous will accept it as long as everything is included. Just make sure you've fed Rustie the rat first, or you won't get the matches needed to light the fireplace.

Return to the kitchen, put wood in the fireplace, light it with matches, place the pot on the stove, add milk and oats, then take the finished pot of porridge.

Waking Up Aldous Vanderboom

With breakfast ready, head to Mr. Aldous' bedroom. Read the paper on his table to learn his morning routine:

Open curtains
Wake up at 7 o'clock
Shave
Breakfast
Exercise
Dress up

Important note: he doesn't like cold feet!

Aldous Morning Routine Steps

Order	Task	Items Needed
1	Open bed curtains	None
2	Set clock to 7:00	Clock hand from toy
3	Solve puzzle box	Match cubes to slots
4	Shave stubble	Razor from puzzle box
5	Feed bird	Severed ear lobe
6	Get key from bird	Use on dresser
7	Collect items	Blueberries, spoon, slipper
8	Find cloth	Move pants on rack
9	Put on slippers	Warm his feet
10	Clean blood	Use cloth
11	Serve porridge	Bowl + porridge + spoon + blueberries
12	Squash ant	Longest path across bowl
13	Exercise	Copy toy movements
14	Dress up	Final step

The puzzle box on the floor requires matching all cubes to their respective slots. Once solved, grab the razor and shave Aldous. The severed ear lobe you collect goes to the bird in the window — feed it and grab the key that appears.

Use the key on the top dresser drawer to get blueberries. The other two drawers contain a spoon and a slipper. Move the pants on the clothes rack to find a cloth.

The Porridge Mini-Game

When serving breakfast, there's an ant crawling in the porridge. Make the ant run the longest possible distance across the bowl before squashing it. This is one of the unique mini-games that Unity enabled the developers to create.

Exercise Sequence

For the exercise portion, watch the toy's movements carefully, then copy them with Aldous. The sequence is: Left, Right, Down, Right, Right, Down. Once you've completed all steps and dressed Aldous, defocus and watch the guests arrive through the window.

Tips and Tricks for Day 1

Based on community reports and player experience, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

Always defocus after grabbing items — this seems obvious but it's easy to forget when you're focused on a specific area
The order of ingredients doesn't matter for the porridge, so don't stress about getting it "right"
Watch the toy twice before attempting the exercise sequence — the movements can be easy to miss
Check every drawer and cabinet — items are often hidden in unexpected places

Common Stuck Points

Problem	Solution
Can't enter house	Make sure you've collected the key from under the wooden board
No matches	You need to feed Rustie the rat first
Can't shave Aldous	Solve the puzzle box to get the razor
Bird won't give key	Feed it the severed ear lobe from shaving

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Servant of the Lake?

The demo covers Day 1 of the weekend, and the full release will continue the story. Based on this Servant of the Lake walkthrough, Day 1 alone offers a substantial amount of content with multiple locations and puzzles to solve.

Can I play Servant of the Lake for free?

The game is a premium title from Rusty Lake, meaning you'll need to purchase it. However, there was a demo available during Steam's Next Fest that gave players a taste of the full experience.

What order should I add porridge ingredients?

According to community reports, it doesn't matter what order you put the milk and oats into the pot. Aldous will accept the porridge as long as all ingredients are included.

Is Servant of the Lake connected to other Rusty Lake games?

Yes, the game is set in the Vanderboom estate and features characters connected to the broader Rusty Lake timeline. It's the first game to show the full interior of the Vanderboom house, making it essential for fans who want to understand the family's history.

For more information about the game, you can check out the official Rusty Lake website or the Steam store page for purchase options and system requirements.