If you want to get into a summer mood, there’s a great way to do that: through video games! If you’re looking for titles with major summer vibes, here’s a bunch of our picks that you might want to check out.
What were our criteria? These games were to be awesome, that’s the primary prerequisite for our choices. However, aside from a top-notch quality and excellent gameplay, they needed to convey that wonderful summer feeling. Not every title does that.
Anyway, here are our picks:
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
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 | Subnautica | 2018-01-23 | Adventure | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch) (EU) | 2020-03-20 | Social simulation | Nintendo EPD |
 | Forza Horizon 5 | 2021-11-09 | Racing | Playground Games |
 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch) (US) | 2020-03-20 | Social simulation | Nintendo EPD |
 | Dead Island 2 | 2024-04-22 | Action | Deep Silver Dambuster Studios |
 | My Time At Portia | 2018-01-23 | Indie | Pathea Games |
 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | 2002-10-29 | Adventure | Rockstar North |
 | Dead Island Definitive Edition | 2016-05-31 | Action & Shooter | Techland |
 | The Sims 4: Island Living | 2019-06-21 | Life simulation | Maxis |
 | Firewatch | 2016-02-10 | Indie | Campo Santo |
 | Stardew Valley | 2016-02-26 | Adventure | ConcernedApe |
 | Raft | 2018-05-23 | Adventure | Redbeet Interactive |
 | Sunset Overdrive | 2014-10-28 | Action & Shooter | Insomniac Games |
Stardew Valley
| Release date: | 2016-02-26 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | ConcernedApe |
Step back, relax, and lose yourself in the bucolic charm of Stardew Valley! When it comes to farming simulations, nothing captures the essence of rural life quite like this indie gem.
Stardew Valley invites you to take on the role of a farmer, inheriting your grandfather’s old plot of land in the quaint Pelican Town. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Whether you’re tending to crops, raising animals, mining for resources, or building relationships with the townsfolk, this game offers endless opportunities for exploration and creativity.
The game’s pixel art and soothing soundtrack evoke a sense of nostalgia, making it a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of modern life. If you’re looking for a relaxing and rewarding simulation game, Stardew Valley is your perfect retreat.
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Dead Island 2
| Release date: | 2024-04-22 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Deep Silver Volition |
Get ready to fight for your life in Dead Island, where paradise soon becomes a setting for undead terror. When it comes to zombie survival, this game delivers an adrenaline-pumping experience set against a stunning tropical backdrop.
Dead Island throws you into the chaos of a zombie outbreak on the island of Banoi. Playing as one of the few immune survivors, you must navigate the treacherous island, scavenge for supplies, and fend off hordes of the undead. The game’s visceral combat and RPG elements allow you to customize your character and weapons, ensuring every encounter is unique and thrilling.
With its open-world exploration and co-op multiplayer mode, Dead Island offers a gripping experience for fans of survival horror. If you’re looking for a heart-pounding adventure that mixes tropical beauty with undead terror, Dead Island will be your jam.
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Raft
| Release date: | 2018-05-23 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Redbeet Interactive |
Set sail and survive in the vast ocean of Raft! This unique survival game challenges you to stay afloat, literally, as you build your raft from scratch and explore the endless sea.
Raft starts you off on a small wooden raft, armed with only a hook to gather debris from the water. As you collect resources, you can expand and customize your raft, turning it into a floating fortress. You’ll need to manage your hunger and thirst, fend off sharks, and discover new islands and secrets as you journey through the ocean.
The game’s cooperative multiplayer mode adds an extra layer of fun, allowing you to team up with friends to tackle the challenges of the open sea together. If you’re looking for a creative and immersive survival game, Raft will keep you hooked.
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Forza Horizon 5
| Release date: | 2021-11-09 |
| Genre: | Racing |
| Developer: | Playground Games |
Hit the road and explore the vibrant landscapes of Forza Horizon 5! This ultimate racing game combines stunning visuals with exhilarating gameplay, capturing the spirit of adventure and competition.
Forza Horizon 5 transports you to the diverse and beautiful country of Mexico, where you’ll participate in the Horizon Festival. With hundreds of the world’s greatest cars at your disposal, you can race through lush jungles, arid deserts, historic cities, and more. The game’s dynamic weather system and seasonal changes ensure that every race feels fresh and exciting.
Whether you’re a racing enthusiast or a casual gamer, Forza Horizon 5 offers something for everyone with its open-world exploration, rich customization options, and thrilling events. If you’re looking for the ultimate driving experience, Forza Horizon 5 is your ticket to adventure.
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My Time at Portia
| Release date: | 2018-01-23 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Pathea Games |
Step into the enchanting world of My Time at Portia, where creativity and adventure await! This charming life simulation game invites you to restore your father’s neglected workshop and uncover the secrets of a post-apocalyptic world.
My Time at Portia places you in the shoes of a young builder, tasked with reviving the family workshop in the bustling town of Portia. You’ll craft items, grow crops, raise animals, and build relationships with the quirky townsfolk. The game’s vibrant art style and engaging storylines provide a delightful escape from reality.
With its blend of farming, crafting, and exploration, My Time at Portia offers a rich and rewarding experience. If you’re looking for a game that combines creativity, adventure, and heartwarming interactions, My Time at Portia is a perfect choice.
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons
| Release date: | 2020-03-20 |
| Genre: | Social sim |
| Developer: | Nintendo EPD, Monolith Soft |
Landing on a deserted island sounds like a great idea for a summertime scenario, doesn’t it?
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you end up on one thanks to Tom Nook (why does his name sound so much like “crook”?). He gives you some items essential to your survival and then you can proceed to doing whatever you wish.
This involves building your home, collecting resources, catching fish and bugs, planting and growing trees and flowers, visiting other islands and expanding your sweet little village, among other things. This makes Animal Crossing: New Horizons an incredible summer simulator. It’s definitely worth grabbing!
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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
| Release date: | 2002-10-29 |
| Genre: | Action-adventure |
| Developer: | Rockstar North |
You’re out of touch, I’m out of tiiiiimeee! When it comes to video games, nothing conveys the 80s Miami atmosphere better than Vice City.
One of the most revered installments in the GTA series, Vice City puts you in the shoes of Tommy Vercetti (voiced by the late Ray Liotta), freshly released from prison and ordered by his boss to take part in a drug deal that goes awry. His quest to find out who’s responsible for all this leads him to build his own criminal empire along the way.
The 1980s influences are incredibly strong here and the game skillfully evokes the atmosphere of that era. It’s dark, but also very flamboyant. If you’re looking for a great action-adventure title that goes along with the summer vibe, grab Vice City.
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The Sims 4: Island Living
| Release date: | 2019-06-21 |
| Genre: | Life sim |
| Developer: | Maxis |
Yes, The Sims 4 are one of the best games that simulate summer life. After all, it’s still the best life sim on the planet!
Island Living, the seventh expansion to the game, released in 2019, is all about beach life. It takes you to the island of Sulani, a tropical paradise where you can engage in all sorts of summertime activities, meet dolphins and mermaids, start a career as a conservationist, and so on.
The tropical world is rich and detailed, so it will certainly evoke the feeling of summer joy.
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Firewatch
| Release date: | 2016-02-09 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Campo Santo |
And now for something completely different: here’s an adventure game which, while featuring a rather dark, dramatic story, does a pretty good job evoking the feeling of, well, an adventure somewhere in the woods.
You play as a fire lookout named Henry who gets assigned to his own fire tower. Strange events soon occur and you need to investigate them, uncovering a darker plot, all in Shoshone National Forest. As far as the summer vibe is concerned, it’s very strong here. The art style is simply amazing and there’s even a mode where you can just wander around the forest and explore it freely.
So, if you’re looking for a simulator of forest walks, Firewatch is one of the best picks around.
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Subnautica
| Release date: | 2018-01-23 |
| Genre: | Survival, action-adventure |
| Developer: | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
Summertime activities are often related to the sea/ocean, so you’ll be pleased to learn that Subnautica is a fantastic underwater exploration experience.
Sure, there are some dangerous fish in the game, including…you know what, we won’t spoil that. There’s hunger and thirst and you can run out of oxygen pretty quickly. All this stuff obviously contributes to increasing your stress levels, but…
…but you can easily just select a mode which removes all that, letting you just explore the wonders of the ocean freely and without any necessary distractions. Atmosphere-wise, Subnautica is one of the best summer games around. It looks fantastic and feels phenomenal.
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Sunset Overdrive
| Release date: | 2014-10-28 |
| Genre: | Third-person shooter, action-adventure |
| Developer: | Insomniac Games |
The last game on this list is sort of a cautionary tale. It turns out that you better steer clear from energy drinks, as they might turn you into mutants known as Overcharge Drinkers.
Sunset Overdrive obviously “forces” you to clean up all this mess as a customizable protagonist with some sick parkour skills. The game focuses on defeating your enemies as fast as possible using a wide variety of weapons.
Coupled with great visuals and the overall zaniness, Sunset Overdrive is definitely one of the best games with that lovely summer vibe, even if the premise and presentation are somewhat over-the-top. But this is what makes this title so great!
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So, if you’re looking for some great video games to put you in the summer mood, these surely fit the bill. Naturally, these are just a few examples. You can find plenty more. Simply head over to our marketplace to discover other amazing titles with strong summer vibes!