I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a deeply affecting narrative role-playing game that combines life simulation, choice-driven storytelling, and light deck-building mechanics into an experience that feels both intimate and vast in scope. Developed by Northway Games and published by Finji, the game follows a single life from childhood to early adulthood on Vertumna, an alien planet where humanity is attempting to build its first extrasolar colony. Rather than focusing on conquest or spectacle, the game is concerned with growing up—how identity forms, how relationships shape us, and how individual choices ripple outward to affect an entire community struggling to survive in an unfamiliar world. The structure of the game is built around time and routine. Each year is divided into seasons, and each season you choose how to spend your limited time: studying, working, exploring the wilderness, helping the colony, or deepening friendships. These decisions quietly but persistently shape who your character becomes, influencing skills, personality traits, and long-term opportunities. What makes this system compelling is how naturally it mirrors real life—there are no clearly labeled “good” or “bad” paths, only trade-offs. Time spent excelling academically might come at the cost of social bonds, while emotional investment in friends can leave you unprepared for looming crises. The game captures the bittersweet tension of growing up, where every choice closes some doors even as it opens others. Narratively, the game is rich, thoughtful, and often emotionally heavy. The colony on Vertumna is fragile, facing environmental dangers, political conflict, and moral questions about coexistence with the planet’s native life. These larger issues are always filtered through personal experiences: childhood friendships tested by tragedy, ideological rifts between authority figures, and the slow realization that adults do not always have the answers. The writing excels at portraying adolescence honestly, blending curiosity, fear, idealism, and insecurity without romanticizing the process. Loss and failure are not only possible but common, and the game does not shy away from letting the player sit with those consequences. A distinctive aspect of I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is its memory-based card system. Challenges and key moments are resolved through drawing from a deck composed of memories—experiences your character has accumulated throughout their life. Stronger memories come from meaningful events and relationships, while traumatic experiences can linger as permanent cards that complicate future challenges. This system elegantly reinforces the game’s themes: who you become is shaped by what you’ve lived through, and the past is never fully erased. Mechanically, it adds a layer of strategy without overwhelming the narrative, encouraging players to think about how experiences stack and interact over time. The cast of characters is one of the game’s greatest strengths. Friends, rivals, mentors, and potential romantic partners all feel distinct and human, with their own goals, flaws, and evolving arcs. Relationships are not static rewards but ongoing dynamics that change based on shared experiences and ideological alignment. Romance options are inclusive and thoughtfully written, but they never overshadow platonic bonds, which are treated with equal care and emotional weight. Over multiple playthroughs, characters reveal new facets of themselves, making it clear that no single life path can fully capture the depth of the colony’s social fabric. Visually, the game’s watercolor-inspired art style gives it a soft, dreamlike quality that contrasts beautifully with the often harsh realities of the story. Character portraits are expressive and memorable, while environments evoke both wonder and unease, emphasizing the alien nature of Vertumna without resorting to spectacle. The soundtrack complements this atmosphere with gentle, melancholic tones that underscore moments of reflection, tension, and hope. Together, the visuals and music create a cohesive emotional space that invites introspection rather than distraction. Replayability is woven directly into the game’s design. Each completed life unlocks new narrative possibilities in future runs, as retained memories allow your character to anticipate events, avoid past mistakes, or intentionally pursue different outcomes. This creates a powerful sense of growth not just for the character, but for the player as well. Subsequent playthroughs feel less like repetition and more like parallel lives, each exploring different values, relationships, and philosophies. The sheer number of possible endings ensures that the story never feels fully exhausted, even after many hours. Overall, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist stands as one of the most emotionally resonant and thoughtfully designed narrative RPGs in recent years. It is a game that asks players to reflect on identity, responsibility, and the cost of choice, using the framework of science fiction to explore profoundly human questions. Its blend of strategic systems and heartfelt storytelling creates an experience that lingers long after a playthrough ends, inviting return visits not for completionism alone, but for understanding. For players who value narrative depth, meaningful agency, and stories about growing up in an uncertain world, it is a truly exceptional journey. Rating: 9/10