Get on Steam"Été is a single-player Role Playing game with good graphics and music, where you play as a traveling painter exploring Montreal during the summer. Use watercolor to paint the 3D world and reveal its wonders, collect ideas for your album, and create 2D watercolor artworks on canvas. Befriend locals and fulfill inspiring commissions in this relaxing and creative game."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful watercolor art style that immerses players in a charming representation of Montreal.
- It offers a relaxing and meditative gameplay experience, allowing players to explore, create art, and engage with diverse characters at their own pace.
- The mechanics for creating artwork are intuitive and enjoyable, making it accessible for players with varying levels of artistic ability.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and frame rate drops, even on capable hardware, which can disrupt the gameplay experience.
- There are several quality of life and optimization issues, such as the need to manually load stickers and the in-game time not pausing while painting, which can be frustrating.
- Some players have reported bugs and crashes that hinder progress, leading to a less polished experience overall.
- graphics36 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning visuals and charming art style, creating a beautifully realized painterly world that enhances the overall experience. However, many players report performance issues even on capable systems, with the game struggling to run smoothly even at lower settings. Despite these technical challenges, the artistic creativity and immersive environments make it a favorite among players seeking a relaxing and visually captivating experience.
“It is absolutely stunning visually, has a wonderful and soothing soundtrack, and offers you unprecedented creative possibilities. I've never seen a game that lets you create such cool artwork, and I've played my fair share of Passpartout-adjacent games.”
“So much content, and the graphics and colors are breathtaking.”
“Everything from the painting mechanics to the beautifully realized painterly world aesthetics drew me in; I'm also a sucker for bringing out my inner artistic creativity, which this game allows in such an amazingly fun and 3D way.”
“I have a decent box (well above their minimum requirements), and even with the graphics dropped to the lowest quality, this game chugs.”
“I have tried even the lowest possible settings with every optional graphic setting disabled to improve performance, but this sadly changed nothing.”
“My computer isn't the best gaming laptop but it's not the cheapest either, closer to mid with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, AMD Ryzen 4000 H, and 3 TB of storage available.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around a unique painting mechanic that allows players to create art while exploring a beautifully rendered Montreal, fostering a relaxing and immersive experience. Players appreciate the straightforward controls and the ability to turn 3D objects into 2D artworks, enhancing their artistic creativity. The combination of engaging mechanics, a captivating soundtrack, and witty dialogue contributes to a chill yet captivating gameplay loop, although some users report performance issues on lower-end systems.
“I think my favorite part about this game is the way the core gameplay mechanic of painting the world as you explore it, collecting references, reinforces something that I always preach about art: 'you have to be an observer before you can be a creator.' I truly believe this applies to every style, not just (semi) realism.”
“In addition to the absolutely wonderful visuals and music, the gameplay is also super interesting and relaxing, which makes for a perfect game to chill out in the beautiful city and get lost in your paintings.”
“Everything from the painting mechanics to the beautifully realized painterly world aesthetics drew me in; I'm also a sucker for bringing out my inner artistic creativity, which this game allows in such an amazingly fun and 3D way. I was not expecting it, but it works wonderfully.”
“My only problem, which is a personal issue, is that my computer drops FPS quite a lot once I start painting the world; it gets under 20 FPS because it's below the minimum specs (mine is NVIDIA 1050), even with the lowest settings.”
“The mechanics are pretty easy and straightforward, although I prefer the controller style over keyboard and mouse.”
“I love how you can paint the world and how the mechanics work while painting on an easel.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 31 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting various performance issues such as frame rate stuttering, long load times, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some users noted that it runs adequately on standard PCs and Steam Decks, many expressed frustration over the need for better optimization, especially in specific areas where performance struggles were pronounced. Overall, there is a consensus that improvements are necessary for a smoother gameplay experience.
“Ui & performance nitpicks aside, it's incredibly soothing to watch the city reveal itself.”
“The game runs smoothly on my computer, and the loading times are short too.”
“I really hope the developers will fix some non-critical bugs and improve the performance so that as many people as possible can enjoy this game.”
“Now I have a pretty standard PC; it's not top of the line, but it can handle running all other indie and AAA games I have tried just fine, so some optimization is clearly needed.”
“Unfortunately, I must cut a few points because the version I played suffers from an unfortunate amount of performance hitches, and I even discovered a handful of bugs.”
“The performance in certain areas of the game struggled so much that I got a headache until I had to turn it down to a 720p window, which still didn't remove the stutter and frame rate decreases.”
- story20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is charming and interwoven with gameplay, featuring relaxed quests and character interactions that enhance the painting experience. Players can engage in various side quests and commissions, which add depth to the exploration and art creation. Overall, the narrative complements the artistic elements, keeping the gameplay fresh and enjoyable throughout.
“The writing is really charming, and I enjoy the exploration and the amount of commission side quests you are given.”
“That itself would've been a great little exploration game, but add onto that a painting creator, characters to talk to, side quests, and an apartment to decorate with things you can buy at the second-hand store, using cash earned from selling your paintings at the local coffee shop. The game kept itself fresh for the entirety of its runtime.”
“The various components of gameplay - learning to navigate, finding subjects for your paintings, meeting characters, and completing quests - all happen in a very organic, interwoven way, so you're never letting one element falter by seeking out another.”
“The writing is really charming, but the story feels underdeveloped and lacks depth.”
“While the game has interesting characters, the overall narrative is weak and fails to engage.”
“The story feels more like an afterthought, overshadowed by the painting mechanics and side quests.”
- music16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its beauty and soothing qualities, enhancing the relaxing atmosphere of the gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a perfect accompaniment to the stunning visuals and creative possibilities, making it an ideal choice for players looking to unwind. Overall, the combination of captivating music and charming art style contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“The music is beautiful too, very relaxing.”
“It is absolutely stunning visually, has a wonderful and soothing soundtrack, and offers you unprecedented creative possibilities.”
“Beautiful soundtrack, interesting characters, and relaxing yet captivating gameplay.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game appears to involve controversial and potentially illegal themes, as players are prompted to create promotional content for illicit activities. This raises concerns about the appropriateness and ethical implications of the game's monetization strategies.
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere has consistently captivated players since they experienced the demo at the next fest, highlighting its immersive and engaging qualities.
“Ever since playing their Next Fest demo last year, the entire atmosphere of the game had me captivated.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players often find the game emotionally engaging, with many expressing a strong connection to its heartfelt narrative and characters, which is highlighted by the initial excitement sparked by its announcement trailer.
“This game took me on an emotional rollercoaster, making me laugh and cry in equal measure.”
“The storytelling was so powerful that I felt deeply connected to the characters and their struggles.”
“I was genuinely moved by the game's ability to tackle complex themes of love and loss.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from the ease of creating amusing and visually appealing art using 3-dimensional stamps, making it accessible to players regardless of their artistic skills. This simplicity allows for a fun and lighthearted experience.
“Painting with 3-dimensional stamps is surprisingly simple, and you don't need an artistic bone to create something good-looking or funny.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect for fostering creativity while avoiding tediousness, making the experience enjoyable and engaging.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have significant stability issues, with multiple users noting that it is "very buggy."
“It is very buggy.”
“It is very buggy.”
