Summer of '58

About Summer of '58

Summer of '58 is by EMIKA_GAMES, the studio behind Find Yourself and Father's Day, and was released on Steam in July 2021. The store calls it a first-person psychological thriller and gives an average playing time of 90 minutes.

The pioneer camp Yunost was the kind of place where parents left their children every summer, until one day in 1958 its residents and counselors were killed. One of the children was blamed when souvenirs of the dead turned up in his things, but he was never found, and the camp was shut. In 2008 Alex Morton, a blogger who films videos about the paranormal, goes there at his followers' request to see whether the rumours of restless souls are true.

It plays as a walking simulator. You go from room to room through bunk-bed dormitories, washrooms and long corridors, often through the green of a night-vision camera, noticing changes, finding hidden objects and notes, and learning what happened that day. The store promises natural sounds that convey presence and draw you toward madness.

Players praise the atmosphere and the constant background noise that keeps them on edge, and many find the jump scares too frequent. The maker warns of violent scenes, alcohol and drug use and flashing images. It suits players who want a dark story told through exploration and do not mind sudden scares.

How to play Summer of '58

1. Enter the abandoned camp building with your camera and flashlight.
2. Walk from room to room and watch for what changes behind you.
3. Search for notes, hidden objects and items that open the way on.
4. Read what you find to learn what happened in the summer of 1958.
5. Follow the sounds deeper into the building to the end of the story.

Tips

• Turn the volume up; the sounds of the building tell you where something has moved.
• Search every room carefully, since the items that move the story on are easy to miss in the dark.
• Expect jump scares; players say they are frequent.

Questions