My Summer Car turns the project of owning a car into a hands-on survival and life simulation set in the Finnish countryside during the 1990s. Its central undertaking begins with hundreds of loose parts: assemble a car and engine, then keep both the vehicle and yourself in working order. Food, drink and sleep are part of the routine, while the game’s permadeath design makes survival a defining concern rather than a decorative backdrop.
Driving is only one part of the work. Players can take random jobs to earn money for essentials, order upgrade parts by mail, and shape the car into a rally machine, a loud disco build or a carefully restored factory-condition vehicle. Inspection can bring trouble with the police if the car fails, and the countryside offers other vehicles, AI traffic, dirt and paved roads, and a rally event. The detailed engine and driving simulation, along with support for steering-wheel and shifter controllers, reinforces its focus on sustained automotive tinkering.
The result is a single-player experience organized around a personal project and a simulated summer routine, not a shared-session format. Its appeal rests on the demanding detail of the vehicle work and the freedom to decide what the finished car should become.
