For some, hot sunny days evoke a feeling of nostalgia for snow and colds. Others can’t get enough of summer. If you are the latter type, summer-themed games may be your digital extension of the sunny season.
1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing transforms with the seasons. Summer, for instance, offers a pretty dynamic experience that includes swimming and island exploration. The latter tests your luck no worse than Stake originals. One day, you find amazing treasures; the other day — it’s nothing special. But the gameplay is never tough on you. You don’t have to achieve. Just have fun, catch summer shells on the beach, and partake in various summer events.
Cool things you’ll be doing here:
- Seasonal crafting: The beach is full of summer shells. If you collect them, you’ll be able to create unique seasonal items (e.g., tropical vista).
- Diving and swimming: If you are lucky, you may find something interesting (e.g., unusual sea creatures). Anyway, you’ll surely enjoy the cool waters.
- Participating in summer events: Summer events are the best, aren’t they? In Animal Crossing, you can join the Fireworks Show and the Bug-Off. Both are incredibly atmospheric.
2. Stardew Valley
In Stardew Valley, summer is the best season. Of course, it’s a matter of taste but it is in summer that you can fully engage in farming and community events. If you’ve ever dreamt of growing melons or tomatoes, it’s your chance! If you succeed, you can even win in the local contest with your crops.
Cool things you’ll be doing here:
- Farming summer crops: Certain crops (e.g., blueberries or starfruit) only grow in summer. Plant and harvest them because you’ll need these crops to complete quests.
- Attending seasonal festivals: The Luau and the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies are perhaps the cutest summer events the gambling industry knows.
- Fishing and foraging: Farming isn’t for everyone. Alternatively, you could catch summer fish and forage for seasonal goods to create recipes (or sell for profit!).
3. Super Mario Sunshine
The game is set on the tropical Isle Delfino, which is a perfect setting for a summer adventure. Mario uses his water pump to clean up the island and save it from pollution. As he’s doing so, you’re enjoying the island’s sunny beaches and expansive ocean views. Lovely!
Of course, the gameplay is less diverse than in the aforementioned two games, but it’s Mario! If you are into it, you’ll love it. If not, just skip it and move to A Short Hike.
Cool things you’ll be doing here:
- Cleaning up pollution: Hmm… can this be exciting? Yep! You’ll use your FLUDD device to clean up sludge and fight pollution-based enemies. It will be exciting because your actions will restore the island’s beauty.
- Exploring various Islands: Each island has new challenges and puzzles. So traveling won’t be monotonous (if that’s what you’ve thought).
4. A Short Hike
This is a super-talented indie game. Whether for the sake of summer vibes or not, it’s really worth trying. In it, you’ll complete a summer trek through the sunny trails of Hawk Peak Provincial Park. If that sounds like something challenging, no worries. The game lets you explore it all at YOUR pace. If you aren’t in the mood to move at all, just sit down, fish, and enjoy the serene environment.
5. The Sims 4: Island Living
Let’s be honest: most Sims editions are associated with summer. And this expansion is particularly sunny and leisurely. It lets your Sims enjoy a laid-back lifestyle on the sunny shores of Sulani. The island life is naturally full of tropical wonders. If you thought there weren’t enough activities in Sims 4, here you can swim, snorkel, and dive. What more could you want?
6. Raft
Raft is phenomenal. On the one hand, it’s a typical survival game. And, at first, it’s all very challenging, indeed. On the other hand, the environment doesn’t look exactly hostile. Yes, you start on a small raft with nothing, but you’ve got a plastic hook, and with its help, you can gather debris, scavenge reefs, and build your floating home.
Because the game has a more or less strong plot, the gameplay doesn’t get boring. It is repetitive, but since you are focused on discovering new information, you are okay with doing all those routine activities.
7. GTA: Vice City
And finally, how about a portion of 80s summer vibes? GTA: Vice City is full of those. Neon-lit streets, sun-soaked beaches, music, and action. This summer is in no way leisurely. It’s vibrant and teeming with action.
Final Thoughts
If summer is your season, these seven games are your choice. What’s curious is that some of them are dramatically different in terms of the vibes they translate. Stardew Valley has little to do with GTA, while Sims 4 isn’t resemblant of Raft. And yet, each of them brings a unique interpretation of the summer theme — vivid, original, and memorable!
