I have this loosely defined made-up genre I call “Summer Games”.
It started a long time ago subconsciously. At some point I realized that during the hottest time of the year I gravitate to certain games that I mostly play on a small device (laptop/switch/steamdeck), laying in bed, late at night, when I have trouble sleeping because it’s too hot. A friend of mine once said that the reason she loves super high temperatures so much, is that what you experience leaves more vivid, burned in, memories. I think she has a point.
The criteria aren’t super rigid but I hope you get the “vibe” and might know some games that fit:
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Low-stakes/chill gameplay. I’m already sweating, I don’t need sweaty gameplay right now
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a warm aesthetic/color palette and/or setting. My outside experience shouldn’t feel too different to the games inside experience aesthetic-wise.
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It feels like a road trip, adventure or vacation. I want to get a summery memory out of this.
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the game leaves some kind of impact.
Games I played in the past that evoked that vibe perfectly:
- Kentucky road zero
- oxenfree
- road 96
- firewatch
- sable
- rime
- steins: gate
- life is strange
Games that have fit okay-ish
- tunic
- journey
- citizen sleeper
- nightcall
- no umbrellas allowed
- the talos principle
- the solus project
- the witness
- the vanishing of Ethan Carter
If anyone has a recommendation, I’d be thankful. This year I have started to play chants of Sennaar and it seems to fit the criteria so far.
If you don’t mind emulation (or maybe own a 3DS already), I think Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale for 3DS fits your criteria quite well.
Funny that you mention Life of Strange because it’s actually set in Autumn, but it does kinda have the vibes you describe. What does have way more summer vibes though is the prequel, Before the Storm, totally worth it if you’ve haven’t played it.
My opinion of life is strange is kinda complicated I liked it as a “Summer Game” because it had the right vibes while I played it but after I was done I was disappointed. The game hypes it’s “your action have consequences” system up constantly but it’s usually just a different dialogue or short scene which doesn’t affect the story in a major way. Which is fine for a game in general but not when it pretends it’s different.
The Long Drive and My Summer Car are literally everything you describe wanting in two distinct flavors.
I also was immediately thinking “The Quarry,” which is essentially a playable horror movie set at a summer camp. I don’t usually like these types of games, but this one is extremely good if you like horror movies.
Even if you don’t like horror movies, imo The Quarry is worth a try.
I don’t like horror movies, personally, and I really enjoyed The Quarry quite a lot. I like most of Supermassive’s games, but The Quarry is probably the best one, barring the newest Dark Pictures and Until Dawn as I’ve played neither.
Stanley parable ultra deluxe there was a bit in the desert so it fits.
The looker as you played the witness I really recommend this parody
E: +1 to a short hike
The first thing that comes to my mind is Summer in Mara. It’s a chill, relatively shallow farming sim with fetch quests and exploration.
Some more based on other games you liked:
- Arida - short-ish adventure game with a bigger emotional impact
- Nuts - probably most similar to Firewatch; core gameplay loop is taking pictures of squirrels, but there’s some plot development
- A Juggler’s Tale - side scroller adventure with some feels
- Deponia - funny point and click adventure series; if you like the genre, try The Darkside Detective (less “summer adventure” more “weird mysteries”)
- Manifold Garden - more chill than The Talos Principle or The Witness, with less feels than the first; decent, trippy puzzle game
I’ll check them out, thanks. I’ve heard positive things about manifold garden already. Mystery stuff might be perfect for fall
Psychonauts (the original, not the sequel, though the sequel is also good) is a Summer Camp themed 3D platformer. It doesn’t quite meet your “low stakes/chill gameplay” criteria as it does have combat and mildly challenging boss fights and platforming, but it nails the rest. It’s easier than Tunic. Maybe worth checking out.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons strictly meets all the criteria listed, but it’s ultimately a tragic story. If “some kind of impact” includes leaving you in tears, check it out.
Okami is a Zelda style adventure set in feudal Japan with immaculate vibes. You play as the sun goddess Amaterasu in the form of a wolf bringing light and life to a land ravaged by demons. The world is cold and dark at first, but you bring spring and summer on your heels.
Finally, two favorites from my childhood are the Spyro series and the Ty the Tasmanian Tiger series. These are 3D Platformer collectathons and neither of these series are even close to any of the examples you provided, but they are bright and colorful and in my heart they have feelings of Summer Vacation and staying home all day to play video games.
Oh spyro brings back very distant memories of my childhood. I think I played all the Playstation and Gameboy games. I will always remember the sound of collecting gems.
I’ll check out the other games you mentioned, thanks a lot. The sad one will probably go on my list for depression season haha
I specifically mentioned both Spyro and Ty because both series have remasters available on Steam. The Spyro: Reignited Trilogy in particular is phenomenal. They did a really good job making the updated graphics look just like my nostalgic memories of the game.
This post is months old now, but I fucking love Psychonauts. It shaped me into the person I am today. I’ve replayed it so many times I’ve lost count, and I can tell you at what point in the game each song of the soundtrack plays. Also the sequel takes place only days after the first, so it could still technically be called a summer game. Also the sequel is honestly a damn masterpiece imo.
Also, Ty is absolutely fantastic. Any of the water levels are absolute summer vibes imo. And the soundtrack is fantastic as well. I 100% the first three on steam.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is peak summer game. It’s basically set in a setting inspired by the Australian outback.
Try Eastshade, should check all the boxes IMO. https://store.steampowered.com/app/715560/Eastshade/
Any game from Amanita Design might fit the bill too (Machinarium, Botanicula, etc.).
If you don’t mind reading a lot, there’s Roadwarden https://store.steampowered.com/app/1155970/Roadwarden/
Wow eastshade looks amazing! The Amanita Design games might suit my Fall-mood better. Roadwardwen looks interesting too. I’ll look at the preview slides on my steamdeck and see if it’s still readable
You could check Full Throttle from Lucas art. It’s old but it feel like hot weather 🌡️
It looks vaguely familiar. I think I watched one of the kids in my neighborhood play it
I remember playing Full Throttle as a kid, but never beat it. Kind of tempted to go back through and see if I can figure it out as an adult.
The big con looks promising
Dungeons of Hinterburg might fit the bill. Just released. Looks and plays well. It is an action rpg with social sim elements set in the Alps.
Looks great! The Alps is where I spend a lot of my vacation days, why not add some nights as well haha
Thanks, this looks great!
The gameplay might be a little more tense than you’re looking for at times, but Kena: Bridge of Spirits gives me summertime vibes.
For something with chiller gameplay, maybe Yakuza Like a Dragon? (I haven’t played Infinite Wealth yet, but the setting also seems promising.)
I think yakuza might fit. I have to check if the steamdeck can handle it. If not it’ll go on my list for when I am okay with my pc heating up my living room
I recommend a play through either way! The story is a rollercoaster that balances its silliness with heart pretty well.
Here Comes Niko, “the cozy 3D platformer for tired people.” You play an adorable sprite leaping around a tropical island chain. I don’t think it has failure modes, in general.
Maybe the Atelier games would fit the bill? The recent entries, mostly the Ryza trilogy (“Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout”, yeah, the title is a bit clunky) don’t have the time limit that used to be a staple of the series. Instead, it is incredibly chill, a JRPG in a relaxed, colorful environment with an actually really fun, puzzle-like crafting system (called synthesis, their take on alchemy), which feeds masterfully into combat and resource collecting. It is very fun, and the game feels like going on a summer holiday with friends as a kid. :)
Ryza could be perfect!
A lot of nice suggestions already, I’d like to add the Sorcery! games if you don’t mind reading and enjoy exploring.
I personally really loved the world it portrayed and the tried so many different ways to finish the story.
Also, it has great maps, and I love maps :)Never heard of it, looks amazing, I’ll check it out, thanks
I’d say Night in the Woods, but that may be a very late summer / fall kinda vibe.
It won’t be long till fall so it can go on the list. Might be perfect for summer-is-almost-over-sadness
