It’s a mix of many genres, but there’s thankfully a good driving simulation to underpin it all
As far as automotive simulation games go, My Summer Car situates itself way out in the left field. It’s an independently developed title, the work of a single Finnish car fan who wanted us all to feel what it like to have the summer to yourself, build your own car and then take it racing.
The game’s action revolves around a small open-world map, with two roads that go around a lake. The premise is that your parents are away on holiday and you have the whole house to yourself, as well as various means to finance your automotive assembly ambitions.
It starts with you in the house, all by yourself, the barren shell of a car sitting outside the garage which is full of all the bits you’ll need for building. Its main mechanics will have you assembling the car piece by piece (this includes detailed engine assembly), driving your small van to run errands, chopping firewood which you will deliver with a tractor and finally driving a sewage sucking truck; the latter two are your only means to make money.
The game is still in an early stage of development, but it’s already quite fun even as is. Driving any car anywhere on the map is a perilous endeavor, and the game’s survival aspects add another layer to the gameplay. It’s far from finished, though, and there are quite a few bugs to be encountered.