Ah, summer vacation — ! Whether it be to the beach, an out-of-town trip, or a camping trip, there is nothing like a good getaway during this time of year. However, maybe you don't want to or can't go out of town. Even if you can't physically go on a vacation, you can go on a virtual one through the magic of video games.
From cozy games with low stakes to RPGs set in idyllic locations, here are five video games that will make you feel like you're on a summer vacation.
A Short Hike (2019)
Created by Adam Robinson-Yu and released in 2019, A Short Hike is a game where you play as a bird named Claire as you explore Hawk Peak Provincial Park and try to hike to the summit of the mountain. Along the way, you can do various side-quests and activities such as fishing and a mini volleyball-like game called "beachstickball." And you can collect certain items, such as golden feathers and running shoes, that will make it easier to navigate the park.
Not only is this game very short, but it is also non-linear and very leisurely, letting you explore the mountain trail at your own pace. It encourages you to slow down and appreciate the journey as you meet other people on the trail. The graphics are also reminiscent of a Nintendo DS game, with simple 2-D pixels that harken back to childhood gaming. Finally, this game has an ambient soundtrack that changes depending on where you are and how you are moving.
You can play A Short Hike on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, XBox One, and Steam.
Persona 4 Golden (2012)
Created by Atlus, Persona 4 Golden has you playing as a silent protagonist who is sent to the small rural town of Inaba for an entire year while your parents work overseas. There, you are taken in by your uncle and younger cousin and start attending a new school. However, when a string of murders involving a mysterious world inside televisions occur, it is up to you and your steadily growing friend group to investigate, save potential victims, and bring the killer to justice. Through the power of Personas (the psychological manifestation of a person's truest self) you and your friends can protect Inaba and learn more about each other.
With a murder-mystery at its heart as well as turn-based combat and dungeon crawling, you might be wondering what this game has to do with summer vacation. The answer lies in its social links and certain side-content. By hanging out with your family and friends, you level up your social links and increase the power of the Personas you and your friends summon. You can also interact with the town of Inaba solo, doing activities such as reading in your room, catching bugs near the town shrine, and fishing beside the local river. Alongside certain character interactions such as an omelette-making contest and the school camping trip, Persona 4 Golden captures a quaint teenage coming-of-age experience reminiscent of a feel-good summer vacation.
You can play Persona 4 Golden on Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, and Playstation 4.
Blue Reflection: Second Light (2021)
If you like the concept of Persona but wish it had more female characters and gay moments, this game is for you. From Koei-Temco and Gust comes this 2021 turn-based RPG set during the summer. Blue Reflection: Second Light has you in the shoes of Ao Hoshikzaki, a teenage girl who ends up at an isolated high school surrounded by water while on the way to summer classes. She's not alone, though. Three other girls also ended up at the high school without their memories. Now you must uncover their respective pasts by exploring their personal Heartscapes, in the hope of learning how they were all brought together.
One thing that makes this game stand out: These girls fight their personal demons by transforming into alternate-forms known as Reflectors, which are basically magical girls but not quite like Sailor Moon. For example, the main protagonist Ao fights using a scythe while another fights with a rifle! The combat is also pretty action-packed for a turn-based game, with each party member attacking alongside another character and gradually building up their "ether" meter in real-time to unleash more powerful attacks. There are also moments where a character fights a demon solo, requiring the player to have a quick reaction time to anticipate and counter the demon's next move.
The social side of this game consists of dates with the other female characters, as well as building or crafting certain items or locations to increase the power of the Reflector abilities. This could be anything from building a food stand, making curry with your friends, or goinging on a date on the school rooftop.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't talk about this game's gorgeous graphics. Each dungeon you explore ranges from a forest with beautiful red leaves to a train station in the afternoon. You can also take selfies as you explore, which enhances the picturesque experience. Alongside the social elements of the game, Blue Reflection: Second Light is a summer vacation wrapped in a chill JRPG with an all-female cast.
You can play Blue Reflection: Second Light on Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
Cassette Beasts (2023)
Created by Bytten Studios, Cassette Beasts starts with your newly-created character washing up on the island of New Wirral. There, you meet Kayleigh, who tells you that there is seemingly no way for you to return home. Soon, you find yourself using a cassette player and mic to transform into a quirky monster and encounter a mysterious being known as an Archangel. When the Archangel tells you that there are other Archangels that can help you leave the island, you decide to explore New Wirral in order to find them.
Not only does this game let you catch funky-looking monsters, you can fuse with or transform into one too. You can also engage in friendly battles alongside a diverse cast of characters who can become your partners. Some of these friendly battles include Ranger Challenges, which are interesting battles against a series of park rangers scattered throughout New Wirral who specialize in a specific cassette beast type or battle style. As you battle Rangers, Archangels, or random NPCs, you and your partner can fuse your beasts into a giant form that lets you do more damage. While fused, the music changes from an epic instrumental with synths and guitars to one with kick-ass vocals and lyrics sung by Shelby Harvey and written by Joel Bayliss.
In between Ranger Challenges and Archangel battles, you'll be exploring New Wirral using unique cassette beasts abilities like flight and a rocket dash, solving puzzles, doing subquests, and completing character quests unique to each of your partners. As you explore the island, it is easy to fall into a gameplay loop of unlocking a new path forward, recording new monsters, and doing part of the mainquest or subquest before switching partners at the Gramophone Cafe and doing it again. It is this loop, the game's gorgeous pixel art, and Joe Bayliss' soothing ambient soundtrack that makes being in New Wirral feel like a fun getaway.
Cassette Beasts is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, and Gamepass.
Mythwrecked:Ambrosia Island (2025)
From Whitethorn Games comes this quirky "friend-em-up" adventure game. You play as Alex, a backpacker taking time off from work to go on an island vacation. However, she gets more than she bargained for when she gets up shipwrecked on an island filled with Greek gods who have lost their memory. In order to find a way off the island, she must search for each god's mementos to restore their memories and befriend them. You can also solve puzzles and collect ambrosia fruit to bargain with for useful items.
One of the main draws of this game for me is how it allows you to explore the island at your own pace. While there is a day-to-night cycle, it's more for the gods scattered throughout the island than Alex. The gods are only available during certain times of day, and Alex can sit on any bench on the island to save and sleep to pass time as needed. Other than that, you can explore to your heart's content as ocean waves crash in the background and the island's freshwater areas sparkle. There are even little areas where Alex can stop and take in the scenery while listening to ambient music on cassettes you find scattered throughout the island.
Another aspect of this game that appeals to me is how down-to-earth these Greek gods are shown to be. While this is not my all-time favorite video game interpretation of them (that honor goes to Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical), these gods are still likable. My two favorites that I have encountered so far are Hephaestus and Ares. The latter is a wheelchair user who is good at crafting objects but is a bit prickly with people, while Ares makes weapons but is also developing a green thumb.
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Xbox.
If you haven't already, consider supporting worker-owned media by subscribing to Pop Heist. We are ad-free and operating outside the algorithm, so all dollars go directly to paying the staff members and writers who make articles like this one possible.
