this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2024
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

What Remains of Edith Finch, and The Unfinished Swan

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

I'm not sure if it quite fits but the first game that came to mind was Minami Lane

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (4 children)

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.

[–] Paradigm_shift 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Have you enjoyed any of the recommendations OP? I like your original list/taste and am wondering what else fit the aesthetic

[–] Paradigm_shift 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just saw your message. I ended up replaying the old spyro games in the remastered version and loved the nostalgia trip.

Tried to get into Outer Wilds again, stopped almost instantly because I just can't figure out the movement.

Then I saw that Oxenfree 2 had released at some point, played that but wouldn't recommend ( if you played the first game you already know the big "mystery" and the new smaller mystery isn't that interesting)

I played chants of sennaar, loved it, fit the vibe perfectly. Would absolutely recommend!

I played planet of lana, it was somewhere between okay and good. Visually perfect gameplay a bit boring. Even for a short game it felt too long at the end.

Then I made the mistake of opening rimworld again and this became my (gaming) life again.

I don't know if I played it before my post or after but Talos Principle 2 was perfect just like the first one.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Thanks for the breakdown!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Paradigm_shift 2 points 4 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

"What Remains of Edith Finch" could work. And "Man eater." What's more summer than a a shark?

[–] thelsim 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

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 :)

[–] Paradigm_shift 2 points 4 months ago

Never heard of it, looks amazing, I'll check it out, thanks

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

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. :)

[–] Paradigm_shift 2 points 4 months ago

Ryza could be perfect!

[–] sugar_in_your_tea 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

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
[–] Paradigm_shift 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'll check them out, thanks. I've heard positive things about manifold garden already. Mystery stuff might be perfect for fall

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Castle Crashers

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

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.

[–] stringere 1 points 4 months ago

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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Try Stranded Sails. It's a tight little adventure game.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] Paradigm_shift 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The big con looks promising

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[–] mindbleach 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Paradigm_shift 1 points 4 months ago

Looks super cute

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

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

[–] Paradigm_shift 1 points 4 months ago

I'll 100% play the looker

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