There have been multiple accounts created with the sole purpose of posting advertisement posts or replies containing unsolicited advertising.

Accounts which solely post advertisements, or persistently post them may be terminated.

Looking for games that feel like a summer adventure

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:

  • Low-stakes/chill gameplay. I’m already sweating, I don’t need sweaty gameplay right now
  • a warm aesthetic/color palette and/or setting. My outside experience shouldn’t feel too different to the games inside experience aesthetic-wise.
  • It feels like a road trip, adventure or vacation. I want to get a summery memory out of this.
  • 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.

anguo ,

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

It’s perhaps a bit child-oriented, but is pretty fun, chill, and you can’t do more “summer vacation” than that.

Kolanaki ,
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

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.

Vaginal_blood_fart ,

My summer car is hilarious. Its basically a finnish mechanic with alcoholism simulator for me

SolOrion ,

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.

Phoenix3875 ,

What Remains of Edith Finch, and The Unfinished Swan

SolOrion ,

Well, they’re gonna make you feel things if nothing else.

magic_lobster_party ,

I haven’t played it myself, but Boku no Natsuyasumi is a game that recently entered my radar, which fits your description quite well. It’s a game I want to play sometime, but I have had other priorities. It’s for PSX.

It’s about a boy in a summer vacation with his family.

Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any official English versions of the game, but hopefully you might find a solution if you think the game looks interesting enough to play it.

SolOrion ,

It’s for PSP/PS1. I’m not sure which you mean by PSX, because the only thing I’ve ever heard called a PSX is the weird Japanese only DVR/PS2 hybrid thing.

The sequel apparently has an english patch, but I can’t find one for the original.

magic_lobster_party ,

PSX was a common abbreviation for the original PlayStation at the time. It has just stuck with me.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

Sadly no Playstation

SolOrion ,

You have a Steam Deck- You can emulate a PS1. I have no idea how difficult to set up that would be, as I’ve never cared to play PS1 games myself. For the record, I’d be surprised if you couldn’t emulate a PS3, and RPCS3 is actually the easiest thing imaginable to get set up and working. In my experience the PS2 emulator, PCSX2 is very heavy hardware wise compared to RPCS3 so that might not actually run on a Steam Deck.

Lollerskater ,
@Lollerskater@feddit.nl avatar

There have been some (spiritual) sequels which have been or soon will be localized. Perhaps those can be an entry for anyone to see if the genre floats your boat!

…steampowered.com/…/Shin_chan_Me_and_the_Professo……steampowered.com/…/NatsuMon_20th_Century_Summer_…

Donut ,

Tchia just oozes summer vibes, and is inspired by the culture of New Caledonia. No failing, tons of extra accessibility options, skip gameplay segments if you feel like it, autoplay QTA’s, and so on.

Personally I like a little bit of a challenge even in my cozy games, but Tchia has so much character that I didn’t mind.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

I’ll take a closer look at Tchia. I don’t necessarily search only for no-pressure-at-all cozy games. I just don’t want a game that barely let’s you breathe and/or requires extreme precision. Like, I don’t want to be playing elden ring (right now and for the next few weeks).

The most important thing is the warm atmosphere and some moments that create lasting impressions

Donut ,

Yeah I got that vibe but I wanted to include all the accessibility stuff because 1) it’s awesome and 2) it can be used as a custom difficulty slider, which fits into the “I don’t want to work hard on this” on a very personalised level. Either enable something, everything, or nothing at all. Your choice!

2ugly2live ,
@2ugly2live@lemmy.world avatar

“What Remains of Edith Finch” could work. And “Man eater.” What’s more summer than a a shark?

stringere ,

Bulwark, The Falconeer Chronicles. You can’t get much more chill and low stakes than this steampunk airship city building game.

SleepyWheel ,

Dave the diver!

jballs ,
@jballs@sh.itjust.works avatar

That was my first thought as well! It is a perfect summer game to play over a week or two. Feels like it has a good, tight story.

monsdar ,

Was looking through the replies for this. This is my favorite vacation game so far!

fckreddit ,

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.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

Looks great! The Alps is where I spend a lot of my vacation days, why not add some nights as well haha

Duke_Nukem_1990 ,

Thanks, this looks great!

NaibofTabr , (edited )

Far: Lone Sails and Far: Changing Tides

Hyperbolica

Spiritfarer

Jazzpunk

Dreamfall Chapters

Manifold Garden

Fract OSC

Outer Wilds

The Oregon Trail or the recent remake or Organ Trail

Thassodar , (edited )

Definitely Spiritfarer, ultra chill.

ggtdbz , (edited )

Manifold Garden is a game I felt like I have always wanted, even before it was made when I was a child fucking around online and discovering the concept of fractals online. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the concept of such an infinite-feeling infinity the way I have in this game. The idea is kind of timeless, and I think a lot of people who don’t really play games can at least enjoy watching someone play it.

I finished the main game and can really recommend it, although there’s more to the game than just the main levels apparently. There’s a whole bunch of achievements I didn’t get. Should probably go back in and try to get them sometime, traversal and problem solving in that game were so cool.

dwindling7373 ,

“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)

miseducator ,

Came to say A Short Hike. First thing that springs to mind when I think summer adventure.

dwindling7373 ,

The first thing that came to my mind was “Before the Storm”, but it was already listed…

MarcomachtKuchen ,

What’s a downside I. The Stanley parable deluxe edition? Isn’t it just the original game but with additional content?

dwindling7373 ,

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.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

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

A_Very_Big_Fan ,

I suggest you do not take the “Deluxe” version and sitck to the original one

Why?

dwindling7373 ,

As I mentioned below, I feel like the expansion is less inspired and makes for an overall decline in quality.

drasglaf ,
@drasglaf@sh.itjust.works avatar

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.

PlasticExistence ,

The Uncharted series? It’s okay to play on an easy difficulty level, and they’re not too hard anyway.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

Oh I didn’t realize it got released on PC!

ryo ,

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.

Paradigm_shift OP ,

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.

timo_timboo_ ,

Maybe the Yo-Kai Watch games? They are RPGs probably inspired by Pokemon, but better in basically every way.

You play as a kid befriending Yo-Kai (creatures taken from japanese folklore), while exploring a pretty cool city. Has a nice soundtrack as well. The story of the first game is kinda meh, but I think it still has that summer vibe.

The second game is a lot better, with an actual story, more stuff to do and more to explore. Definitely the better game, but playing it first might make the first one less enjoyable afterwards.

Both of these games have that childhood summer adventure vibe, even though I myself didn’t spent my childhood befriending Yo-Kai.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • random
  • [email protected]
  • lifeLocal
  • goranko
  • All magazines
    •