Summerland

About

Summerland is a single player simulation game with mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by FYRE Games and was released on December 1, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

Summerland is a first-person narrative game about morality and the afterlife. You take control of Matthew, a detective reliving the events of his past, being questioned on his morals along the way. In every door lies another memory, and every memory unlocks another door.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,402 reviews

story465 positive mentions

optimization32 negative mentions

Beautiful visuals and sound design that enhance the emotional experience.
Thought-provoking story that challenges players' perceptions of morality and ethics.
Engaging voice acting that brings the characters to life.

Significant performance issues and lag, especially in certain scenes.
Gameplay can feel tedious with some items being hard to find and interact with.
The story may feel predictable and lacks depth in exploring complex moral dilemmas.

story
870 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The story of "Summerland" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its emotional depth and thought-provoking themes surrounding morality and personal choices. While some found the narrative engaging and well-crafted, others criticized it for being predictable or lacking in complexity, with a few noting that the choices made during gameplay did not significantly impact the outcome. Overall, the game is recognized for its strong voice acting and immersive storytelling, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of narrative-driven games, despite some technical issues.
- “The story is phenomenal, and seems very well thought out and kept me invested the whole time.”
- “This is a downright awesome story about morality and the ends justifying the means.”
- “The story was genuinely riveting and really creates a great look into the inner space of the human mind.”
- “For some reason, the story just didn't grab me.”
- “The story is linear and retrospective.”
- “The story was predictable pretty often.”
graphics
211 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the beautiful art style and visuals, while others criticize the optimization and performance issues, leading to frame rate drops and blurriness. Some users noted that the graphics, although decent, felt dated or poorly optimized, impacting their overall experience. Despite these concerns, the visuals are often described as aesthetically pleasing and well-integrated with the game's narrative and atmosphere.
- “Beautiful visuals with an amazing soundtrack.”
- “Summerland is a gorgeous game, the graphics are beautiful, but the real treasure is in the story.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, but sometimes there's a weird balance.”
- “It doesn't have the highest quality graphics, and the god-awful white screens between trials are blinding to the point of being painful.”
- “Very poorly optimized graphics - my PC that can run Elden Ring smoothly on high graphics settings slows to a slideshow on some of the scenes with grass in them.”
- “The graphics are muddy and caused a lot of eyestrain for me.”
optimization
99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
52%
32%
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, low frame rates, and poor graphical optimization, even on high-end systems. While some users noted that the game runs smoothly for them, the overall consensus is that it requires substantial improvements to enhance the gaming experience. Despite these technical shortcomings, many players still found the story and gameplay enjoyable, suggesting that the game has potential if optimization issues are addressed.
- “Despite the fact that it wasn't optimized all that well, I genuinely enjoyed the experience.”
- “Definitely needs some optimization but it doesn't ruin the experience and is still worth a play.”
- “Sure, there are some performance issues that could be better optimized, but it's an indie game by a high school student.”
- “There are a few optimization errors as there was frequent stuttering in the game.”
- “The story was quite predictable, the thought-provoking aspect wasn't very convincing, and it's probably one of the worst optimized games I've ever played: 30fps with a GTX 1080... what?... I did like the voice acting though.”
- “Be aware that it is really, really badly optimized; Cyberpunk 2077 ran better on my machine than this little Unity game did.”
gameplay
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
58%
7%
The gameplay is generally described as simple and straightforward, often involving walking and interacting with objects, but it suffers from clunky mechanics and occasional performance issues like lag and framerate drops. While some players found the gameplay limited and repetitive, many appreciated the engaging story and philosophical themes, suggesting that the narrative compensates for the lack of depth in gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game offers a short but enjoyable experience, particularly for those who value storytelling over complex gameplay.
- “A short but engaging story with simple but well-executed gameplay and a very good ending!”
- “Amazing game, became one of my top games, amazing story and gameplay, would definitely recommend this game to anyone that loves a good story and stuff that makes your brain start thinking.”
- “The game mechanics are really smooth and easy to figure out, and the attention to detail throughout the game is impeccable!”
- “All mechanical aspects of the game are clunky and the supposedly deep story about morality is really just copaganda; the protagonist makes the absolute worst decision possible at every step of the game and we're supposed to feel bad for him?”
- “The gameplay is somewhat boring and not much more than a walking/clicking sim.”
- “The actual gameplay consists entirely of 'find 12 or so of these things that are hard to find and click on them.' At two different points in the game, I actually had to watch a walkthrough after combing the level three times over.”
emotional
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players reporting profound feelings ranging from tears to deep introspection. Reviewers highlight the touching storyline, character development, and impactful music, which collectively create a heartfelt experience that resonates on a personal level. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay mechanics, the overall sentiment is that the game offers a meaningful emotional journey worth experiencing.
- “I was skeptical at first, but the story was really heart-touching.”
- “The story line and character development is almost heartbreaking but amazing all the same.”
- “This game made me cry and not in a good way; I can't stop playing.”
music
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
34%
4%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its emotional depth and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as beautiful, haunting, and perfectly suited to the game's narrative, often evoking strong emotional responses from players. Additionally, the voice acting and sound design complement the music, creating an immersive atmosphere that significantly contributes to the game's impact.
- “The soundtrack and voice acting are superb, and really make the game so much better.”
- “The music and voice acting are some of the best I've heard in any video game ever made, and I don't say that lightly.”
- “The music really sets a somber, reflective, & ominous tone.”
- “The music in this game is so haunting especially the end track.”
- “Fitting music, although at times the interactions between characters seem a bit off as if they didn't listen to the tone their line feeds off, which creates a bit of stutter typically with the main character and Charlie.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
26%
12%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its emotional depth and visual appeal, with many players noting the beautiful lighting and immersive environments that enhance the overall experience. While some technical issues and a lackluster storyline were mentioned, the strong atmosphere and effective voice acting were highlighted as key strengths that make the game enjoyable and engaging. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a captivating and atmospheric gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere is emotion evoking and the lighting is gorgeous.”
- “Super atmospheric, you can tell a lot of passion went into making it.”
- “The story is so rich, the character development is unbelievable and don't even get me started on the whole atmosphere... it's like I was in a movie.”
- “I can tell a lot went into the atmosphere of the game, but the storyline needs work.”
- “Consequently, the parts with the questions lose many meanings and atmospheres.”
- “There was a major glitch after the 2nd trial when I fell through the floor and watched the underside of the building slowly disappear from view... I first thought this was part of the game, but I realized it wasn't after about 5 minutes or so when I was just floating around in the sunny atmosphere.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
86%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often citing lengthy item searches, slow movement, and repetitive tasks as major drawbacks. Many reviewers expressed a desire for tighter gameplay and more efficient design to alleviate the drawn-out nature of certain sequences. While some appreciated the story, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding elements detract from the overall experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “So much of this game is drawn out by having to run around trying to find objects, which became tedious.”
- “This is a very tedious and frustrating process.”
- “Decent story but the 'where's Waldo' of tasks are ridiculously tedious and outright maddening at times.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is primarily delivered through the character of the judge, whose simplistic and often misguided moral reasoning leads to unintentionally funny moments. While the game attempts to tackle deeper philosophical themes, it often contrasts these with the judge's comedic ineptitude, resulting in a blend of humor and emotional depth that resonates with players. Overall, the humor is both intentional and accidental, contributing to a unique narrative experience.
- “I like the story and the judge is really funny.”
- “The judge was hilarious in this game, lmfao.”
- “The judge demonstrates really poor moral intelligence and some of his statements are so childishly simplistic that they become unintentionally funny.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is limited, with many players noting that the primary factor for replaying lies in a few binary ethical choices that offer minimal variation in outcomes. While some find it infinitely replayable due to the simplicity of mechanics, the consensus leans towards a lack of substantial replay value.
- “ infinitely replayable”
- “I'm still trying to figure out if there is good replayability based on your decisions in the game.”
- “Replay value is non-existent.”
- “Similarly, there's not a ton of replay value present, in that the only things that really could change up the experience come from the three ethical choice interludes, and as they're binary options it's not like there are all that many combinations available to begin with.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is marked by occasional bugs and optimization issues, leading to glitches and lagging. However, many players find that these technical shortcomings do not significantly detract from the immersive storytelling and overall enjoyment of the game.
- “There was a lot of glitches and lagging but otherwise I enjoyed it.”
- “Technically, the game is a bit buggy at times.”
- “While this game had a few minor glitches, the storyline was very immersive and really drives the point across that morality is a complicated issue.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and emotional impact, with players noting that it enhances the overall storytelling experience. The combination of rich lore, compelling choices, and strong voice acting contributes to a cinematic atmosphere that makes the characters feel real and relatable. Overall, the character arcs are described as both heartbreaking and masterfully crafted, elevating the game to a masterpiece status.
- “The storyline and character development are almost heartbreaking but amazing all the same.”
- “The story is so rich, the character development is unbelievable, and don't even get me started on the whole atmosphere... it's like I was in a movie.”
- “Hello, Connor, I would just like to say that this is a very interesting game, and everything about it: the graphics, the art style, the music, the sound development, the voice acting, the storyline, the character development, etc... it's a masterpiece!”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I was disappointed by the limited choices in character development, which made my decisions feel meaningless.”
- “The game promises rich character arcs, but ultimately fails to deliver any significant growth or change.”