You’re stranded. Again. It’s pitch black, the mosquito buzz is drilling a hole in your skull, and your Satsuma is currently upside down in a ditch near Loppe. If you’ve played more than twenty minutes of Johannes Rojola’s masterpiece of Finnish suffering, you know the map of My Summer Car isn’t just a background—it’s the primary antagonist.
It's huge. It's empty. It’s terrifyingly easy to get lost in.
The game doesn't give you a GPS. There is no mini-map in the corner of your screen pulsing with a quest marker. Instead, you get a literal paper map pinned to the wall of your hallway and a compass if you’re lucky enough to buy one. Navigating the Alivieska region requires a mix of genuine orientation skills and a bit of "Finnish Zen." You have to learn the landmarks. You have to memorize the dirt tracks. Honestly, if you don't respect the dirt roads, the map will eventually claim your life.
The Layout of Alivieska
The map of My Summer Car is essentially a giant loop centered around a massive lake, Lake Peräjärvi. At the heart of everything is your home, located at the end of a long, winding driveway in the Kesselinperä area. To get anywhere meaningful, you have to commit to the "Great Loop." This main highway is the only paved road in the game, and while it feels safe because it's smooth, it’s actually where you’re most likely to die in a high-speed collision with a green hatchback or a bus.
Peräjärvi is the hub. That’s where Teimo’s shop is. It's where you get gas, sausages, and the occasional beer. But getting there from your house isn't a straight shot. You have two main choices: the long way around the paved highway or the "shortcut" through the dirt backroads. The shortcut is notorious. It's shorter in distance but takes longer because if you hit a bump at 80 km/h in a car with loose bolts, you’re going to lose a muffler, or worse, your life.
Most players underestimate the scale. It takes several real-time minutes to drive from one side of the map to the other. If you run out of fuel halfway between the repair shop and the town, you aren't just "in a spot of trouble." You are potentially looking at a forty-minute real-life walk through the woods, praying that the local drunk, Pena, drives by so you can hitch a ride.
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Key Locations You Can't Ignore
Teimo's Shop is the lifeblood of the game. It’s located in the town of Peräjärvi, on the western side of the lake. It’s not just a store; it’s a post office, a pub, and a fueling station. If Teimo closes (which he does at 8:00 PM sharp), you’re stuck sleeping in your car or on a bench.
Then there’s Fleetari’s Repair Shop. This is located in Loppe, to the south. Fleetari is a grumpy guy who fixes your engine and does alignments, but his shop is tucked away off the main road. If you’re towing your broken Satsuma there with the tractor, it feels like an odyssey.
Don't forget the landfill. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, west of the airfield. This is where your items go when they glitch through the floor or when you throw them away. It’s a depressing place, but essential for recovering lost parts. The airfield itself is a massive flat strip where you can test your car's top speed without hitting a tree, located in the northern section of the map.
- Your House: Northeast. Isolated. Safe-ish.
- Peräjärvi: West. The only place to buy food.
- Loppe: South. Where Fleetari lives.
- The Drag Strip/Airfield: North. Good for testing, bad for fuel economy.
- The Waste Water Plant: Near town. Where you dump the sewage you've sucked up for money.
Why the Map Feels So Hostile
The map of My Summer Car uses a very specific type of environmental design. It’s meant to feel lonely. There are very few buildings. Most of the terrain is dense forest or open fields. This lack of visual noise makes it very easy to lose your sense of direction once you step off the road.
If you venture into the woods to find the "Junk Car" shells for Fleetari, you’ll realize how quickly the world starts looking the same. Every birch tree looks like the last one. Without a landmark like the lake or the radio tower, you’re toast.
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The density of the forest also hides the "Pena" factor. Pena is the NPC who drives the small green car. He speeds like a maniac on the dirt roads. Because the map has so many blind crests and tight corners, he is often the leading cause of death for players who think they own the road. The map isn't just a physical space; it’s a set of hazards.
Mastering the Shortcuts
After a while, you’ll realize that the water is actually a highway. If you have the boat (the Jonnez is too small, use the motorboat), you can cross Lake Peräjärvi in a straight line. This is often the fastest way to get to town from your house if you just need groceries and don't want to deal with the car. Just make sure you bring two-stroke fuel for the outboard motor. If you run out of gas in the middle of the lake, you have to row. Rowing in this game is a slow, rhythmic torture that you want to avoid at all costs.
There is also the train track. It runs through a significant portion of the map. You can drive on it, but it’s bumpy and incredibly dangerous. If the train catches you, there is no "repairing" that. Your car will be deleted from existence.
Understanding the Map Symbols
If you look at the paper map in the hallway, it’s all in Finnish. You’ve got "Koti" (Home), "Kauppa" (Shop), and "Rata" (Track). Understanding these basics helps, but the map also shows small dots for houses where you can perform jobs. The sewage jobs (Kaivon tyhjennys) are marked with small brown icons after you get a call.
The map also hints at the rally route. Every weekend, the dirt roads transform into a racing circuit. If you’re out for a Sunday drive during the rally, you will be hit by a professional rally driver. Check the map, know the route, and stay off those roads on Saturdays and Sundays unless you’re competing.
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Survival Strategies for Long Hauls
Never leave home without a "survival kit." The map of My Summer Car is unforgiving to the unprepared. Even a trip to the store can turn into a three-day survival epic if you flip your van.
- Always carry a wrench set. Specifically the 10mm.
- Pack a case of beer or water. Thirst kills faster than hunger in Alivieska.
- Two bags of sausages. They don't spoil quickly.
- A Jerry can of gasoline. Because the Satsuma's fuel gauge is more of a suggestion than a fact.
If you do get lost, look for the power lines. They generally follow the main roads. If you follow a power line, you’ll eventually hit a road that leads somewhere civilized. It’s a classic survival trick that actually works in-game.
The Mystery of the Map Borders
The world isn't infinite. If you drive far enough away, you’ll hit the "void" or an invisible wall. But the game does a great job of making the world feel larger than it is by wrapping the roads. The sense of scale is achieved through speed—or the lack of it. When your car is doing 40 km/h because the valves are misfiring, the map feels like the size of a small country.
There are also hidden locations. The "Ventti" house (the gambler's shack) is tucked away in a corner of the map that you’d never visit unless you were specifically looking for it. It's dark, creepy, and feels like it belongs in a different game. This is the beauty of the Alivieska map; it has these little pockets of personality hidden in the vast greenery.
Actionable Tips for New Navigators
To truly master the map of My Summer Car, you need to stop relying on your memory and start using the tools provided.
- Use the Boat Early: Before your car is built, the boat is your best friend. It’s the most direct route to Teimo’s.
- The Van is a Mobile Base: Once you get the blue van from Uncle Kesseli, treat it like a camper. Keep a mattress in the back so you can save your game anywhere on the map.
- Memorize the "Campsite": There is a small island in the middle of the lake with a cabin. It’s a great place to hide out if you have a high police wanted level or just want to grill some fish.
- Watch the Clock: The map changes at night. Visibility drops to near zero, and the "moose" start appearing. If you see a moose on the road, you’re dead. Period.
The Alivieska region is a place of brutal beauty. It rewards patience and punishes arrogance. Whether you're hauling wood to the firewood guy or desperately trying to get your car to Fleetari's before he closes, the map is the stage for your specific brand of Finnish chaos. Learn the turns, respect the ditches, and always keep an eye on your fuel. Good luck. You’re going to need it when the Satsuma inevitably dies in the middle of the forest.