7 games perfect for beating the summer heat

We’re in the dead of summer, and you know that that means: scorching temperatures, a relentless hot sun, and copious usage of your air conditioning unit. If you have one. Luckily, video games can be played indoors and outdoors. You can sit in the cool air or lounge on the couch. Inside or out, it’s a great season for sizzling adventures.

We’re in the dead of summer, and you know that that means: scorching temperatures, a relentless hot sun, and copious usage of your air conditioning unit. If you have one. Luckily, video games can be played indoors and outdoors. You can sit in the cool air or lounge on the couch. Inside or out, it’s a great season for sizzling adventures.

We’ve curated the perfect selection of summery games that were practically tailor-made for beating that sticky summer heat. From platformers to online shooters, there’s a game for any taste. Pour yourself a cool glass of lemonade and settle in with these seven awesome summer games.

Super Mario Sunshine

Steal away to the tropical Isle Delfino, where Mario and the rest of the crew are taking a vacation. There’s no rest for Mario, even in paradise, when Princess Peach is yet again kidnapped and the whole resort covered in a toxic goop.

This tropical adventure is an eye-popping treat for the senses. If you’re longing for that eternal summer, Super Mario Sunshine is one of the best choices out there. 

Splatoon 2

Nothing says “school’s out” like the Squid Kids (and Octolings!) of Nintendo’s zany, colorful third-person shooter, Splatoon 2. It’s a bright, and uplifting game with a vivid color palette that instantly evokes that summer feeling. When you complete the single-player story, you can take the show on the road with heated online multiplayer matches. Nintendo continues to update the game as well, so there’s always something new coming around the corner with this best-selling Switch game. 

Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune

Dead or Alive Xtreme finds your favorite Dead or Alive girls taking their usual vacation back to Zack Island for some water-based shenanigans. Beach volleyball, “butt battles,” and other romps are all played poolside. One of the few video games you can go suntanning in. It practically screams summer fun, and if you can’t get out there and do all these things in real life, this is a great substitute for a your own beach trip. 

Sunset Overdrive

Insomniac Studios’ open-world Xbox One game Sunset Overdrive drops players in a fictional metropolis known as Sunset City, where people have turned into mutants after downing too many FizzCo energy drinks. It’s weird and wacky, but it also feels like the perfect summer game. From its color palette to its surreal premise, it’s all about wall-running, zip-lining, and grinding the rails to get from point A to point B. It’s frenetic and silly, and it fits perfectly in this list, especially if you just want to run around in an open world and waste time.

Forza Horizon 3

Sometimes, you just need to go for a drive. Forza Horizon 3, the ninth overall installlment in the long-running racing series, takes place in a fictional version of Australia. It’s got views for days as you race around the countryside. Locations like Surfers’ Paradise, the Outback, and Byron Bay. The picturesque Australian landscape makes for some amazing eye candy, and the high speeds you’ll be racing at are just the icing on the cake. 

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD

Summer’s a great time to take a boat trip, and if you don’t own one in real life, you can just borrow the King of Red Lions to sail around the world. You’ll have to settle for the world in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, but there’s plenty of ground to cover. Your talking boat sets the tone as you explore islands, traverse various dungeons, and control wind patterns using your magical baton, the Wind Waker. There’s a ton of blue water around, and you’ll spend a lot of time navigating the seas. It’s a relaxing summer cruise. Except for the whole “Ganon trying to destroy the world” thing. You can take care of that later, though. 

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

What’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold. You can get a ton of that in the latest Donkey Kong game, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. It finds the idyllic jungle worlds covered in snow, thanks to devious invaders known as the Snowmads. Donkey Kong Island is thrust into blizzard-like conditions, with frosty patches and never-ending snowfall. It’s the best of both world: luscious, sunny forests covered in ice cubes, so that you don’t have to think about the humidity. Get the Switch version of this game so you can take it with you to any climate.

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