It is solely been a yr since Amistech launched its notoriously difficult Finnish life sim, My Summer season Automobile. After almost a decade of early entry, it lastly hit 1.0 in January 2025. Amistech hasn’t been resting on its laurels since then, although. Whereas PC Gamer was taking its massive vacation nap, My Winter Automobile launched in early entry.
Videogame sequels normally include the caveat that it’s very OK to skip the unique. Even when doing so really appears a bit absurd, like a direct follow-up to a story-driven RPG. It is sensible: devs do not need to give individuals too many causes to not choose up their new recreation.
However My Winter Automobile is a sequel to a recreation that was particularly marketed as “not enjoyable”. It is not going for mass attraction. As an alternative of the problem stage ranging from scratch, it is meant to construct on the trials and tribulations you confronted within the authentic recreation.
It options “added problem for individuals who can grasp the unique recreation,” the Steam web page warns. Given the complexity of My Summer season Automobile, this implies you are most likely going to have a fully horrible time, which for video games like that is completely a promoting level.
In the end that is nonetheless a recreation about fixing up an outdated challenge automobile, perhaps to race, or maybe simply to indicate off. Now, I do not personal a automobile, however motion pictures have taught me that American youngsters are consistently fixing up outdated bangers, a course of that normally ends with each a functioning automobile and a stronger relationship with their distant father. It sounds simple and rewarding.
However My Winter Automobile shouldn’t be American. It is Finnish. This isn’t a straightforward recreation about bonding with a mum or dad, then, however a survival recreation that wishes to kill you.
So, together with fidgeting with 200 distinctive components to create your good challenge automobile, you may have to cope with the specter of permadeath, foul climate and cops. “Even with all of the enjoyable and fascinating issues,” Amistech says, “there may be nonetheless horrible coldness and darkness of Finnish winter that makes the life harmful, miserable and tiring”.
This brutal, meticulous life sim is perhaps too daunting for some, however there isn’t any dearth of individuals up for the problem of placing collectively a automobile in deeply disagreeable situations. My Winter Automobile hit early entry on December 29, and it is already spawned almost 5,000 opinions, leaving it with a powerful Overwhelmingly Constructive ranking on Steam.
I’ll most likely by no means play My Winter Automobile. I am constructed for pleasure. However I am completely going to foist it upon a colleague so we will have a correct dig into it quickly.
