Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Grounded 2
  • The Fantastic Four: First Steps
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 Starter Pack
Recommended reading
Mixtape protagonists lounge in a sunlit bedroom with purple walls and fairy lights
Adventure Games Nostalgic indie game from publisher Annapurna is a "respite from the current cursed reality" inspired by real-life, dev says: "Ended about as well as you can expect, including a nice scar, and cow s***"
2D pixel art of a lone man on an island littered with shells with the blue ocean surrounding him, in a screenshot from Nice Day for Fishing.
RPGs If collecting fish in Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, or Dave the Diver consumed your life, this new fishing RPG might be perfect for you
Neverway screenshot showing lead character Fiona in the center holding a sword with four residents standing either side of her
Simulation Games Playing a horror game is my worst nightmare, but these two gnarly farming sims make me want to brave the genre
KYY Portable Monitor connected to Switch with Mario Kart 8 on screen.
TVs & Monitors For $10 less than Mario Kart World, you can buy this portable monitor for your Switch 2 and race your pals in the garden
Flexispot Under Desk Treadmill under E7 plus desk with monitor on top and Oblivion Remastered running on gaming PC.
Hardware I've put together a walking desk setup that's helping me hit my daily steps while playing Oblivion Remastered
Dune Awakening
Survival Games I'm still scratching the surface of Arrakis in Dune: Awakening, but it's already doing at least one thing better than Villeneuve's films
Sunderfolk key art featuring the various playable characters
RPGs My bat bard absolutely cannot stop pushing people off ledges in Jackbox-meets-D&D RPG Sunderfolk, and honestly, that's tabletop, baby
  1. Games
  2. Action

How to make outdoor summer activities more like video games

Features
By David Houghton published 2 August 2013

Video games and sunlight need not be mutually exclusive

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Cruel summer

Cruel summer

Summer. It should be the optimum time for gaming. The annual games drought has started, leaving a few solid months of play-time in which to clear up last year's Christmas backlog before the autumn release schedule starts kicking in like an angry mule with a hangover. But there's a problem with summer. It's summer. The weather is great, there's plenty going on outside, and thus you're irretrievably drawn to the outside world, devoid as it is of TVs, monitors and convenient power supplies.

But there's a solution. Gamify all of those outdoor summer activities. Modify them so that they provide the same core experiences that video games furnish. Do that, and although you might be far from a controller or a mouse, you'll never be away from the gaming you crave. We've worked out nine such options, and if you click on we'll happily explain how they work.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Simulate an MMO...

Simulate an MMO...

...by going to a sunny beer garden alone, befriending a few random strangers, and persuading them to go on a pub crawl with you. Just make sure to refer to it as a raid, and for extra authenticity try to communicate with your new friends only via text message.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Simulate FPS...

Simulate FPS...

...by painting your barbecue red, soaking the coals with petrol, and then lighting it with a burning match fired from a Nerf gun. Extra points if you have time to construct a home-made barbecue out of an actual barrel.

And as a follow-up barbecue activity, once the food is ready to go why not...

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Simulate reading game reviews...

Simulate reading game reviews...

...by asking a friend if they like their burger. If they say "Yes", tell them that they're an idiot for liking that burger, as the relish is clearly more cheap and commercial these days. Exclaim that they're obviously being paid by the burger manufacturer to promote their burgers. If, however, they say "No" (like for instance, if their burger is burnt), call them an idiot for not liking it, on the grounds that you happen to really like burnt burgers and thus they are inalienably wrong. Make sure to also accuse them of taking bribes from sausage manufacturers for bad-mouthing burgers.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Simulate an Elder Scrolls game...

Simulate an Elder Scrolls game...

...by going to the beach and fighting a crab. And while you're at the coast, why not...

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Simulate GTA III and early Assassin's Creed...

Simulate GTA III and early Assassin's Creed...

...by simply sitting down and staring at the sea in primitive dread.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Simulate draw distance...

Simulate draw distance...

...by going on a ramble through the countryside wearing powerful convex lenses. Usually used to treat long-sightedness, these will blur out everything in the distance by focusing the incoming light nearer to your eyes, thereby creating an authentic distance-fog effect. If you're already short-sighted, just take your glasses off. Use of convex lenses will give you the extreme PS1 experience, but you'll have to be very careful around cliffs.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Simulate old-school arcade gaming...

Simulate old-school arcade gaming...

...by having a picnic consisting only of whole roast chickens and fruit. For ultimate authenticity, serve all the food out of a bin.

And as an additional picnic activity, why not...

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Simulate survival horror...

Simulate survival horror...

...by shooting the inevitable wasps with a Super Soaker. If you want an extreme challenge, pour a ring of fruit juice around the picnic area once the first wasps arrive in order to initiate your own Horde Mode.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Simulate a water level...

Simulate a water level...

...by going swimming and making resolutely sure not to enjoy yourself. Make a point of trying to do normal, everyday, land-based activities in the pool, and complain that none of them work very well once water-resistance comes into the equation. Spend the rest of your week doing fun things, while occasionally thinking back and complaining to friends about "that one water day".

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Off into the sunset?

Off into the sunset?

So there's our guide to keeping summer gamey, whether there are games to be had or not. But have you got any other suggestions? Any ways you're finding to stop the summer fun from stopping your gaming? Let us know.

And while you're here, check out some of our other variously related stuff. Maybe try The Top 7... Games that deserve their own theme park attractions, and then give 11 random objects that look like gaming executives a go.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms
PRODUCTS
Grand Theft Auto V The Elder Scrolls Online The Evil Within Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Grand Theft Auto 3 World of Warcraft The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Resident Evil 6 Dead Space 3 Streets of Rage The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Virtual Console Doom
David Houghton
David Houghton
Long-time GR+ writer Dave has been gaming with immense dedication ever since he failed dismally at some '80s arcade racer on a childhood day at the seaside (due to being too small to reach the controls without help). These days he's an enigmatic blend of beard-stroking narrative discussion and hard-hitting Psycho Crushers.
See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
Mixtape protagonists lounge in a sunlit bedroom with purple walls and fairy lights
Nostalgic indie game from publisher Annapurna is a "respite from the current cursed reality" inspired by real-life, dev says: "Ended about as well as you can expect, including a nice scar, and cow s***"
2D pixel art of a lone man on an island littered with shells with the blue ocean surrounding him, in a screenshot from Nice Day for Fishing.
If collecting fish in Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, or Dave the Diver consumed your life, this new fishing RPG might be perfect for you
Neverway screenshot showing lead character Fiona in the center holding a sword with four residents standing either side of her
Playing a horror game is my worst nightmare, but these two gnarly farming sims make me want to brave the genre
KYY Portable Monitor connected to Switch with Mario Kart 8 on screen.
For $10 less than Mario Kart World, you can buy this portable monitor for your Switch 2 and race your pals in the garden
Flexispot Under Desk Treadmill under E7 plus desk with monitor on top and Oblivion Remastered running on gaming PC.
I've put together a walking desk setup that's helping me hit my daily steps while playing Oblivion Remastered
Dune Awakening
I'm still scratching the surface of Arrakis in Dune: Awakening, but it's already doing at least one thing better than Villeneuve's films
Latest in Action
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Aerith actor takes Legend of Zelda movie casting in good spirits after saying she'd love to audition: "Thank you all for your support during this very difficult time"
A young Noctis and Lunafreya in Final Fantasy 15 Kingsglaive
The Legend of Zelda movie has finally cast its titular princess, and it turns out she was already a video game movie veteran at roughly 12 years old thanks to Final Fantasy
Assassin's Creed art
The co-CEO of Ubisoft's new Assassin's Creed and Far Cry subsidiary is the son of Ubisoft's actual CEO, but he says he's definitely not a nepo baby
GTA 5
Ahead of GTA 6, Rockstar makes more changes to Social Club before seemingly taking down its dedicated site entirely
James Bond in 007 First Light
"Don't make him a killing machine!": Hitman developer IO Interactive got the James Bond gig because its games are more about creativity and stealth than shooting
Death Stranding 2
After Metal Gear Solid 5 made sparing or killing enemies so important, I'm disappointed Death Stranding 2 wasted its most interesting mechanic
Latest in Features
Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Five questions I hope Fantastic Four: First Steps answers
Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Starlord (Chris Pratt), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Drax (Dave Bautista) in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
I've watched all the best James Gunn movies and TV shows, and this is how I'd rank them
One of the new Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 is releasing in just under 2 months, so I'm revisiting the 5 best Gearbox games while I count down the days
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature screenshot of a fairy, a ghost, and a mermaid looking scared
After 400 hours in The Sims 4, I've finally met my match: an occult-only household riddled with phantoms, house fires, and dead plants
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild screenshot of Link cooking over a campfire
The Legend of Zelda and Red Dead Redemption 2 have whetted my appetite, so I've found the 7 best cooking games to tuck into
David Corenswet as Superman fighting back flames
I’m tired of MCU post-credits scenes that go nowhere, which is why Superman’s organic world-building is such a breath of fresh air
  1. DK and Pauline look surprised in Donkey Kong Bananza
    1
    Donkey Kong Bananza Review: "Destruction isn't just a flashy gimmick for the Minecraft generation, it's one of the best inventions Nintendo has had in years"
  2. 2
    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans"
  3. 3
    College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf”
  4. 4
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  5. 5
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  1. David Corenswet as Superman inside the Fortress of Solitude in James Gunn's Superman.
    1
    Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU"
  2. 2
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  3. 3
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  4. 4
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  5. 5
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...