Summertime Madness

46%
Game Brain Score Based on 31 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Summertime Madness Game Cover
Despite some pretentiously cryptic puzzle design in the latter half, DP Games' first effort still succeeds from all of its strengths.
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"Summertime Madness" is a single-player first-person puzzle game where you play as a painter who, after being cheated and trapped in a painted canvas, must find your way back to the real world. Explore an evolving island with surreal landscapes, as solving puzzles and uncovering mysteries will cause new areas to emerge. The game takes place in Prague, July 20th, 1945 during the city's siege, adding historical depth to this artistic and mysterious world.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

46%
Audience ScoreBased on 31 reviews
graphics9 positive mentions
gameplay3 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful art style that creates an engaging atmosphere.
  • Some puzzles provide satisfying challenges and moments of discovery, making for enjoyable gameplay.
  • The developers have shown responsiveness to community feedback, implementing improvements and additional modes.
  • Many puzzles are overly simplistic or rely on trial and error, leading to a lack of intellectual engagement.
  • The game suffers from excessive walking and time-wasting mechanics, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The linear design and confusing maze-like levels can lead to frustration, making navigation tedious.
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their beauty and artistic style, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and diverse scenery that enhance the overall experience. However, some players noted that certain aspects of the art can be jarring or simplistic, detracting from the gameplay. Overall, while the visuals are a strong point, they are sometimes overshadowed by issues in puzzle design and gameplay mechanics.

    • “Absolutely gorgeous visuals.”
    • “Summertime madness is a short, yet challenging adventure puzzler with a great story and amazing visuals that create a very unique aesthetic.”
    • “Summertime madness is an engaging puzzle-adventure title with challenging puzzles, stunning graphics, a beautiful soundtrack and a wealth of collectibles.”
    • “An art style that's too obsessed with appearing simple and charming.”
    • “This culminates in a final level that feels like a personal insult, which includes jarringly confusing graphics that are purposely meant to waste time, terribly bored 'puzzle' design, with very little time needed to think about the solution but a whole hell of a lot of time needed to complete.”
    • “Overall I'm disappointed by the puzzle design and artificial difficulty by length, but if you're more disposed toward the low-poly graphics or are even properly charmed by them, I imagine the length I complained about might just be a positive.”
  • gameplay7 mentions

    The gameplay features a mix of creative moments and interesting mechanics, though it is often criticized for being short and lacking depth. The time limit mechanic is seen as a contradiction to the game's theme, and while some players appreciate the passion behind the design, others find the overall execution lacking. Despite these issues, the game remains engaging enough to keep players invested until the end.

    • “It can be played without a time limit and there are some very creative moments and interesting mechanics along the way.”
    • “Whether you pick it up for the gameplay, the artwork or both, you won’t want to put it down until the summertime (or the madness) ends.”
    • “Finally, the time limit mechanic seems to directly contradict the theme of the game.”
    • “Turns out, there is a new feature that I could have used to avoid this time squeeze, but I did not fully understand the mechanics.”
    • “The developers clearly put a lot of passion into this, but the gameplay isn't quite up to scratch at times.”
  • music7 mentions

    The music in "Summertime Madness" receives mixed reviews; while some players find it relaxing and well-suited to the game's atmosphere, others describe it as depressing and not to their taste. Overall, the soundtrack is praised for enhancing the game's visuals and providing an elegant backdrop, though it may not appeal to everyone.

    • “Summertime madness has some good things going for it, with some nice visuals and a soundtrack which can help relax in the game's early-mid stages.”
    • “There are several quotes to some of my favorite painters and the music really helps you to relax and to focus on the game.”
    • “Summertime madness is an engaging puzzle-adventure title with challenging puzzles, stunning graphics, a beautiful soundtrack and a wealth of collectibles.”
    • “The artwork is pretty, but some parts of it could be an eyesore. The music just isn't my type most of the time and is more depressing than relaxing.”
    • “Not to mention that unless you have an ear for music and know how to read notes, the only way to solve the piano boat puzzle is by chance.”
    • “The music really helps you to relax and focus on the game, but it doesn't resonate with everyone.”
  • story5 mentions

    The story of the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it unengaging and counter-intuitive, others are drawn in by its intriguing premise, elegant narration, and unique visuals. Overall, it is noted for its strong aesthetic and music, but some feel it ultimately lacks depth typical of indie games.

    • “I only found out about this game one day before its release, but the story and the visuals pulled me in immediately.”
    • “Excellent music with both elegant story and narration, but tragically falls short in classic indie fashion.”
    • “Summertime Madness is a short, yet challenging adventure puzzler with a great story and amazing visuals that create a very unique aesthetic.”
    • “Personally, the premise of the story seemed counter-intuitive to me.”
    • “The story felt disjointed and lacked coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I was disappointed by the predictable plot twists and underdeveloped characters.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of "Summertime Madness" to be tedious and frustrating, with puzzles that lack engagement and a particular level that is excessively difficult. The inconsistency in hint quality further exacerbates the experience, leading to a sense of wasted time.

    • “Summertime Madness is a collection of tedious and uninteresting puzzles, and games that blatantly try to waste your time are a big no.”
    • “There is one level in particular that is so tediously difficult that it reaches a point of frustration, and throughout the game, the hints are either too easy or too complex.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its stunning visuals and emotional impact, effectively immersing players in its beautifully crafted environments. The art style and scenery, particularly in the neo Prague level, evoke strong feelings and draw comparisons to other visually striking games like The Witness. Overall, it creates a captivating experience that enhances gameplay.

    • “It's quite a gorgeous game in many ways and really evoked some strong feelings in places just with very effective atmosphere setting!”
    • “A great little game to spend your afternoon on, with cool scenery and an art style that kind of reminds me of The Witness. I especially like the scenery and atmosphere in the Neo Prague level.”
    • “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth needed to truly immerse players in the game world.”
    • “While the visuals are appealing, the overall atmosphere fails to create a compelling experience, leaving me feeling disconnected.”
    • “Despite some interesting design choices, the atmosphere is often dull and fails to evoke any real sense of wonder or engagement.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Many users feel that the game lacks significant replayability, with some noting that even after missing secrets, there isn't enough incentive to revisit the experience.

    • “While I didn't find most of the secrets, I don't see much replay value either.”
    • “The game feels linear, and once you've completed it, there's little incentive to go back.”
    • “After finishing the main story, I found no compelling reasons to replay the game.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    "Summertime Madness" is praised for its heartwarming experience, offering players an emotional journey that resonates deeply with both the mind and soul.

    • “Summertime Madness is such a beautiful game; it's a heartwarming experience for both your mind and your soul.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game's optimization has been criticized for its confusing graphics and poorly designed puzzles that waste time rather than challenge players, culminating in a final level that feels frustratingly unfair due to a misleading timer that undermines previous performance.

    • “This culminates in a final level that feels like a personal insult, which includes jarringly confusing graphics that are purposely meant to waste time, terribly boring 'puzzle' design, with very little time needed to think about the solution but a whole lot of time needed to complete, not to mention a timer that speeds to 15 minutes remaining, nullifying your performance in the rest of the game up to this point.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

74% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
6-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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