Back in 2021, the relaxed town-building art tool (of sorts) Townscaper hit PC and Switch, and more crucially, Xbox Game Pass. Now, five years later, comes SUMMERHOUSE – a similar chilled experience centred around creating cosy neighbourhoods, with a special focus on sun-drenched locations. While it isn’t available on Game Pass, which is the ideal platform for shorter more experimental experiences, it is priced at a very reasonable £3.99.
Featuring a HUD with chunky pixel art icons, and no tutorial to speak of, SUMMERHOUSE lets you pick a location from a choice of four – ranging from the suburbs to a dry desert – and freely create buildings using blocks before applying decorations.
It’s viewed from a side-on perspective that allows you to zoom, while blocks can be placed in the background or foreground. There are no restrictions – blocks can overlap and even float in midair if need be. While a pixel filter is in place, it can be switched off, revealing a low-poly aesthetic with a few neat touches, such as billowing grass and reflective pools of water. The time of day can also be altered, complete with tranquil transitions. All in the name of creating a cosy little environment.
There are around thirty items in each category, split into walls, doors, windows, nature (plants, trees, etc), and decorations. It doesn’t take much longer than a few minutes to create a row of small houses, or a tower block with a small garden or similar, before placing items such as trash cans, vending machines, and even a lick of graffiti if you so wish. It’s possible to watch an animation of your accomplishments from start to finish too. A nice, if unnecessary, touch.
Creations can be saved but not shared – which is a little disappointing. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a way to remove the HUD either, ergo activate a screenshot mode.
When it comes to dissecting SUMMERHOUSE’s building tools, it falls a little short. You’re able to undo, redo, flip (but not rotate) objects, and remove blocks – and that’s it. Items cannot be altered in size or recoloured, and neither is it possible to add your own text to shop signs and such. Sinking blocks into the ground gives some leeway when it comes to building sizes, so there is a slight workaround to the inability to shrink blocks. Still, you may have to get a little creative with the limited toolset if you’re trying to create something incredibly specific.
One other nice touch is that a bunch of hidden blocks can be discovered, most of which introduce pixel art characters or animals. The means of unlocking hidden stuff is a mystery; it’s up to you to figure it out. For example, placing all three vending machines in a row unlocks a new machine with a workman standing beside it, while placing lots of balcony blocks unlocks someone leaning over a ledge while admiring the view. All of this serves to give SUMMERHOUSE personality beyond its calm music and general placidness.
SUMMERHOUSE has a personal project feel, in the sense that the developer wanted a tool to create cosy environments enriched by summertime haze, and so this was made to fulfil that desire. It’s a bit limited in what it can offer, mostly due to its lack of online functions, yet there’s just enough here to satisfy creative minds, creating quaint riverside cafes, forgotten desert ruins, dilapidated townhouses, and cosy abodes surrounded by woodland. If you spent hours sketching the world around you as a child, or even as an adult, you’ll likely find this curiously niche package a pleasant way to fritter away an afternoon.
Friedemann’s SUMMERHOUSE is out now on PS5, Xbox Series and Switch. Published by Future Friends Games. A PC version launched in 2024.