I Was a Teenage Exocolonist: What Critics & Players Say
A summary of critic and player reviews — not a hands-on review.
▶ I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is widely praised as a heartfelt, genre-blending coming-of-age story with deep replayability and emotional impact.
What is I Was a Teenage Exocolonist?
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a narrative RPG and life simulation game set on a distant alien planet. Players experience a decade of growth, starting at age ten and ending at twenty, navigating the challenges of adolescence while contributing to the survival of a fledgling colony. The game blends elements of visual novels, dating simulators, and card-based strategy to tell a story about friendship, love, and survival.
How It Plays
The core gameplay revolves around managing a character's development over ten in-game years. Players engage in dialogue choices and explore the colony to build relationships and master skills. These memories and abilities are represented as cards, which are used in card-based battles and narrative encounters to determine outcomes. The loop consists of making daily choices that influence the plot and the survival of the colony, with different paths unlocking across multiple playthroughs.
The Consensus
Both critics and players agree that the game is a rich, emotionally resonant experience that successfully blends multiple genres into a compelling coming-of-age narrative.
What Critics Say
While aggregate scores are unavailable, critic coverage from sites like Destructoid and GameSpew is positive. Reviewers describe it as a 'rich narrative RPG filled with heart' and a touching story about life. Some critics highlight the emotional weight of the experience, noting that the game effectively balances 'gut-punching disasters' with the warmth of exploring new connections.
What Players Say
Players have given the game an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' reception on Steam. Many praise the challenge of unlocking different storylines and achievements across multiple runs. However, some players note that the game feels more like a 'digital boardgame' than a traditional roleplaying game where choices matter in every single instance, suggesting that the genre blend is unique but specific.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Deeply emotional and heartfelt storytelling
- ✓ High replay value with multiple branching paths
- ✓ Innovative blend of life sim, visual novel, and card mechanics
- ✓ Strong character development and relationship building
Cons
- ✗ May feel more like a digital board game than a traditional RPG
- ✗ Genre blending may be confusing for some players
Who It's For
👍 Who it's for: Fans of visual novels, life simulators, and branching narratives who enjoy emotional storytelling and strategic card mechanics.
👎 Who should skip it: Players seeking a traditional high-action RPG or those who dislike the restrictive nature of board-game-style mechanics.
💲 Worth it? At $24.99, players generally find it a satisfying investment due to the hours of gameplay provided by multiple playthroughs.
How It Compares
| Compared to | How I Was a Teenage Exocolonist differs |
|---|---|
| Slay the Spire | Focuses on narrative growth and life simulation rather than pure combat roguelike progression. |
| Stardew Valley | Replaces farming and crafting with card-based narrative encounters and a fixed ten-year timeline. |
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the game take?
The story follows the protagonist from age ten to twenty over a decade of in-game time.
Is there a lot of replay value?
Yes, players report playing through multiple paths and storylines to uncover different endings and achievements.
What are the main genres?
It is described as a blend of RPG, visual novel, card game, dating sim, and life simulator.
Does it have combat?
Yes, it features card-based battles that utilize the skills and memories the player has acquired.
Is the story linear?
No, the game features branching plots and choices that determine the course of the character's life and the colony's survival.