Summer in Mara, from CHIBIG, was announced originally on Kickstarter back in February 2019. Over a year later, and the game is ready to launch on PC and Switch on June 16th and then later for consoles.
So what is the game? Summer in Mara combines the best elements of farming, crafting and exploration to create an experience that resembles Animal Crossing meets Zelda The Wind Waker. Check out the short trailer below.
Set on a colorful tropical island, you follow the story of Koa through a narrative-driven story and carefully crafted world. Designed to be relaxing, you’ll likely spend hours adding finishing touches to a fence around your farm.
The game press describes Summer in Mara as a ‘farming adventure’, and this is an interesting concept best seen brought to life in a game like Stardew Valley.
Yes, your time will be spent building a farm, crafting tools, and harvesting crops, but there are also over 100 quests to complete and a bunch of different characters to interact with.
Summer in Mara also adds accessible exploration in a way that a game like Animal Crossing: New Horizons has struggled with. Build a boat from raw materials and head out onto the ocean to discover other islands – it’s simple but rewarding.
There’s also a crafting system and skill tree. As you progress you’ll unlock new items to craft and new ways to play with the main protagonist of the game, Koa. Grow trees to get wood, harvest crops for funds…the premise is a well-known one.
The game also features an evil antagonist, the Elit corporation, which wants to take over the ocean and exploit the resources of the islands. Koa must try her best to protect her home and her friends.
Despite the games quite popular tropes – Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the year’s most popular games – Summer in Mara takes the genre in a different direction, primarily stylistically.
You only need to watch the start of the trailer above to get a feel for the warm and smooth art style incorporated into the game, and the in-game graphics look distinct and colorful.
This is likely another relaxing game to add to your Sunday playlist, with music, art and story to boot.
