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.
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.
If you haven’t played outer wilds yet, do it. Go in blind, read/watch nothing unless you are absolutely stuck. It truly is one of the best video games ever made, and it’s definitely a cozy adventure (for the most part).
Also it very much as a summer camping vibe, what with the banjos and marshmallows and rickety wooden cabin-spaceships
I just can’t get into outer wilds, the ship controls drive me insane.
I’m in the same camp, didn’t like it.
Surprised TOEM isn’t on your list, given the premise is pretty much exactly what you describe. Last I checked it comes up on the first page or something if you sort steam by highest rated.
Lunacid might also be a good game. I think it fits your criteria for me, but that might just be for me.
I don’t remember coming across TOEM, maybe I immediately ruled it out for being black and white. Lunacid looks a bit to dark and cold for me, judging by the screenshots. But I’ll take a closer look at both, short previews might not transport the vibes perfectly
“A Short Hike” for sure, “What Remains of Edith Finch” could fit and nobody mentioned it.
Superflight is great and quite different from most of the suggestions you are getting.
(The Stanley Parable I don’t think fits but if you want to try it out I suggest you do not take the “Deluxe” version and sitck to the original one)
I suggest you do not take the “Deluxe” version and sitck to the original one
Why?
I’ll definitely put short hike on the list. Superflight looks amazing as well! I already played the Stanley parable and the other famous game from that developer. Totally forgot about that. I also played Edith Finch but didn’t like it
What’s a downside I. The Stanley parable deluxe edition? Isn’t it just the original game but with additional content?
I don’t want to spoil anything but I feel like it makes the experience less dense and focused. I loved the original one, read great things about the expansion and found it leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
But in a way I guess you can’t get the cat back in the box or something… Still a great game overall, I feel it just goes from a 10 to an 8.5.
Came to say A Short Hike. First thing that springs to mind when I think summer adventure.
Psychonauts 1/2. The first game literally takes place at a summer camp. Second one has basically the same vibe.
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.
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.
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.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is peak summer game. It’s basically set in a setting inspired by the Australian outback.
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
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!
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
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.
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
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!
“What Remains of Edith Finch” could work. And “Man eater.” What’s more summer than a a shark?
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
