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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.

ID411 ,

The game you are looking for is called Everyone’s Gone to The Rapture.

Malix ,
@Malix@sopuli.xyz avatar

A Short Hike. Essentially a short, cute animal-characters “collectathon” walking-sim/3d-platformer with some low-stakes “arcade” bits here and there. The low-res pixel-effect can be turned off.

AER: Memories of old. Quite a bit in same vein as Rime/Sable, travel between floating islands and participate in low-stakes puzzles/platforming. Pretty charming, imo… and short. Can be finished under 2 hours.

simple ,

Lil Gator Game sounds right up your alley.

sorrybookbroke ,

Likely in the ok-ish section but Celeste has that vibe going for it

OmegaMouse ,
@OmegaMouse@pawb.social avatar

Amazing game, but I’m not sure I’d describe the gameplay as chill!

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

OmegaMouse ,
@OmegaMouse@pawb.social avatar

I’m not sure if this is the best recommendation looking at your criteria, but Slime Rancher (1 and 2) are chilled games that have beautiful and colourful visuals. To me it feels like a summer vacation - one where you’re staying at a farm and catching adorable slimes.

Another recommendation I’d have is Tearaway unfolded. It’s a super charming adventure in a papercraft work. It really stuck with me and felt like an adventure. It’s only on PS4/5 as far as I’m aware though, but if you happen to have one of those I guess you could cast it to your Steam Deck using Chiaki. Or on the off-chance that you have a PS Vita, the original version of the game was on there.

Maestro ,

I'd recommend:

  • The Outer Wilds
  • Graveyard Keeper
  • Subnautica
cron ,

Firewatch. A summer-themed walking simulator with an interesting story.

MarcomachtKuchen ,

Firewatch is great, but OP said he already played it

cron ,

Ah, I missed that, thank you.

Navigator ,
@Navigator@jlai.lu avatar

The Wreck

CancerMancer ,

I think you might like Superliminal or Hardspace Shipbreaker.

I’m less sure about the following but still wanted to suggest them:

  • Dinkum (it’s like Animal Crossing but in Australia)
  • Astroneer (pretty chill exploration and mining game)
  • Roots of Pacha (a more story-focused Harvest Moon like game)
MarcomachtKuchen ,

What an incredible description of Dinkum

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.

brrk ,

My summer car

Shah_of_Iran ,

My Summer Car is pretty cool. I’ve been playing Dredge this summer and it’s been pretty chill and low-stakes.

MarcomachtKuchen ,

Dredge is definitely not a chill game

xavier666 ,

Stardew Valley but you have to keep your inner micro-manager under check

celeste ,
@celeste@kbin.earth avatar

"Alba: A Wildlife Adventure" jumped to mind. I don't remember it being long or difficult, but I had a nice time.

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