YouTube is your best friend. But yeah, it's slow burn for sure.
Summertime Saga is a sprawling adult visual novel where you'll navigate school, relationships, and a whole load of bed sheets. With over 70 characters, 50 locations, and red-hot sex scenes at every turn, there's plenty of smut to keep you entertained.
Like many adult visual novels we’ve played, Summertime Saga offers a crazy story and a lot of filth - but also more than a few growing pains.
Will it ever get a full release? Eight years on... who the hell even knows anymore?
Alas, you step into the shoes of a young protagonist navigating the aftermath of his father’s mysterious death, juggling school, part-time jobs, and, of course, plenty of romantic entanglements. The game boasts over 50 locations to explore, a massive cast of characters, and several storylines to unravel. And yes, there’s no shortage of risqué content. But Summertime Saga isn’t just about the porno cutscenes - it’s about the choices you'll make along the way.
From deciding how to spend your time to which characters to prioritize, the game thrives on player freedom.
That said, freedom can quickly become chaos. The sheer size of the game world and the overlapping storylines often left me scratching my head. Missions aren’t always intuitive, and unless you’re glued to a walkthrough, expect a fair amount of aimless wandering. And while the humor and drama keep things lively, the game’s long development cycle (eight years and counting - holy s***!) means many storylines still feel incomplete.
On the plus side, the hand-drawn art style is gorgeous, with vibrant characters and detailed environments. And the mini-games aren't bad either.
Summertime Saga is one of the more ambitious (and beloved) adult visual novels in the space.
Summertime Saga is a story-driven visual novel combining elements of a coming-of-age drama, romance, and adult humor.
Set in a small suburban town, the game follows the journey of a young man navigating school, relationships, and life’s challenges after the mysterious death of his father.
You control the protagonist as he juggles daily responsibilities like attending school, working part-time jobs, and managing his social life. (Spoiler: It's not what mine looked like back in the day!)
The game’s open-ended structure allows you to explore over 50 locations and pursue multiple storylines at your own pace. The ultimate goal is to uncover the truth behind the father’s death while building relationships and progressing through various tasks and challenges.
Oh, and did we mention? There's a bunch of sex to be had along the way.
Open-World Exploration: Explore a diverse town featuring locations like schools, parks, homes, and businesses.
Character Interactions: Meet over 70 characters, each with distinct personalities, backstories, and carefully prepped dialogue. Your choices determine how relationships evolve (and who you get to bed).
Storyline Progression: The game’s narrative is divided into three main story arcs, blending drama, humor, and mystery. Completing tasks and solving puzzles helps advance these storylines.
Mini-Games: There's a bunch of simple mini-games to earn money, improve stats, or unlock specific scenes. Weightlifting, fishing, and cleaning... sounds a bit weird to have these sitting next to illicit sex scenes, but that's Summertime!
Skill Building: Level up your character’s traits like charisma, strength, and intelligence (key to unlocking certain interactions and progressing).
The hand-drawn art style is really well done, giving the game a vibrant and cartoonish aesthetic.
Character designs are expressive, while the backgrounds are detailed enough to make the small town feel alive. The NSFW scenes are tastefully done and align with the game’s lighthearted tone (although some of the scenes can actually be quite dark & depressing...).
As a crowdfunded project, Summertime Saga is still in active development, with regular updates that expand storylines and add yet more layers to the saga.
While the game’s scale is impressive, some areas remain incomplete, and updates can take time to release. That's an understatement. The developers have received criticism for years of stalling, and we're still not sure when we'll see an 'official' full release.
Unlike many visual novels, Summertime Saga offers a lot of freedom. You’re not locked into a linear narrative, so you can build relationships at your own pace, or simply explore the world.
- A massive open world with over 50 locations to visit.
- Over 70 characters with unique stories and interactions (probably more by the time you read this!)
- Three primary story arcs and countless side quests.
- Fun and simple mini-games for stat-building and rewards.
- Regular updates with new content and refinements.
Summertime Saga uses the Ren'Py Visual Novel Engine.
Yo, WHY is it so hard to figure out wtf to do next?? I’ve been stuck trying to find some stupid wrench for hours and the game gives ZERO hints. Still tho… the art is dope and some of the scenes?? Chef’s kiss. Just wish they’d make it easier to follow the quests.