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.
Yup, Darkside Detective is fantastic for a non-spooky, but spooky-themed point and click adventure. If you like point and clicks, it’s a bit older, but I really like Grim Fandango, which is a bit more classic point and click with a Halloween theme.
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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:
I’ll check them out, thanks. I’ve heard positive things about manifold garden already. Mystery stuff might be perfect for fall
Yup, Darkside Detective is fantastic for a non-spooky, but spooky-themed point and click adventure. If you like point and clicks, it’s a bit older, but I really like Grim Fandango, which is a bit more classic point and click with a Halloween theme.