I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is a narrative triumph. Despite being in the midst of an infant colony on the other side of the universe, it is captivating, tragic, grand, sensual, unexpected and poignantly reflective of our own reality. Northway Games and Finji have crafted a story of individual consequence, where our characters could possibly make the biggest decisions that are unimportant to the broader picture of global colonization and picking up pieces of humankind that have long been their own. have become responsible for premature death. ,
You can choose to be a rebel who is determined to poke holes in the socio-political structures that underpin your existence, or instead become a disinterested citizen who is only interested in your well being. Establishing a career, finding love, and maintaining a group of friends while knowingly oblivious of one’s own privilege amid a household on the verge of constant destruction. All of these perspectives are valid, and there’s a beauty in following your heart and making the decision to do the right thing, whether it tempts others to oblivion or sows a black seed in your existence that will soon turn into resentment. Will bloom There are plenty of moments of unparalleled joy and bitter heartbreak, which make Journey feel so real despite its lofty premise.
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Even when I first rolled the credits and sat back in a state of precarious sadness, I knew my character could become anyone or go anywhere. So, I revisited the whole experience, believing that the mistakes I made could be undone, or I could choose to build up ways that are impossible to predict. Life is fleeting, so we enjoy it best.
Arriving on a new planet for the first time as a child, your mind is filled with curiosity. Having spent his entire life in the confines of a colony’s ship, even the most mundane pursuits are filled with fascination. Plants, animals, and the concept of fresh, breathable air are things you’ve never experienced before, and the early hours are spent learning and making friends about this new place because your guardians are naturally hostile planets. Let’s run to establish the arrangement on the surface of. , Times are tough, and all we can do is take things as they come.
I found a charming innocence in it, reminiscent of our own childhoods, when we could only roll with punches and react to authority we were powerless to question. During the first few years, I often sought refuge in my loving father’s arms or learned a lesson from my tough mother, oblivious to the fact that they might one day be taken away from me. We celebrated birthdays in the comfort of our shared quarters, sneaking in the initial order of rations, and accepting gifts out of nothing, knowing that we can find love in the darkest of places through sheer perseverance. I Was A Teenage Exocolonist may be a colorful and confident life sim on the wide reaches of space, but it’s also a story tinged with tragedy as we are often forced to make difficult decisions and live with consequences.
The narrative spans an in-game decade, ending on your twentieth birthday as you go through puberty and establish a foundation for adulthood that you can choose to either embrace or break away from. It is nuanced in its writing, creating an immediate sense of empathy for the entire cast regardless of their flaws. We grow up with said characters, watching them understand love and loss in our own similar way. Sessions of innocent bouts and bouts of flirtation soon turn into something more substantial, often resulting in bittersweet ultimatums that I never saw coming.
The seasons on this planet are rain, sand storms, and a hostile pollen that curses the land with an unexpected disease. The end of each year brings with it a long darkness, giving evil demons a chance to tear the colony to pieces and leave their loved ones with little means to defend themselves. It seems that each year is preparing for this event, knowing that you can choose to either stand with the defenders or take shelter in favor of your salvation. I often didn’t have the skills needed to hold a weapon, let alone use it without killing myself. So I went into hiding, occasionally finding the bravery to check on loved ones and protect them from harm. Each decision came with relief or regret, and I’m not afraid to admit that I reloaded my savings on multiple occasions to pursue the desired outcome.
The characters you meet are all excellent, but I’ll be here for a few days to describe each one of them — so here are some of my personal highlights. The anemone was born with a mutation that causes hard scales at the site of the lesions, and thus is known to cause chaos and throw itself into scraps to destroy the identity it has placed on it. She begins the game as a dear friend, but due to family losses she joins forces, fighting for a morally gray cause that we can choose to embrace with her or leave behind. Tangent is an initially cold girl, her emotions punctuated by enhancements that prioritize raw knowledge over her ability to understand human emotions. Yet we can peel away those layers and uncover something deeper. Cal loves animals and wants to understand the planet’s wildlife rather than fight them, while Marz is a cocky bitch on the surface who secretly harbors a Heart of Gold.
Everyone you meet is layered and prone to misunderstood, attitudes often clouded by the prejudices we form about how this colony should function and who we really want to be. My first play I was a reserve girl who would often fall in line and instead of supporting the colony leadership questioned the mistakes that often forced us to starve due to lack of rations, or engage in those battles. For which we were not even remotely prepared. I was a timid engineer repairing robots and teaching classrooms to a new generation, so who was I to play an authority figure when so many others were better placed to do the same. Another play saw me constantly fighting against orders, alluding to how this colony was being organized and how we were bound to repeat the same mistakes that made our home planet in the first place. Saw him falling. All approaches are valid, mainly because I Was a Teenage Exocolonist offers so much versatility in its progression.
On the surface, it’s simple – and similar to games like Stardew Valley. You explore the colony and engage in conversation, often choosing to give gifts to favorite characters and learn more about the colony with each passing day. This may also include taking classes or providing supplies, working hard on the farm, or helping out to gather resources or become a seasoned hunter. The outcome of each individual path reveals stories and character moments with which you wouldn’t otherwise engage, which made me both mad that I was always missing something, yet convinced that, at least for my character For this permutation, that I was experiencing the right things and cementing my place in this world.
Each action takes minutes, but you are always deepening relationships and building towards a climax that is entirely yours. It would be a dick move on my part to spoil where things go and how much of an impact you can have on the colony, but the real genius comes from setting up a character that people come to care about, and who you are. The people you meet and the things you do will leave behind a legacy on this new planet that won’t fade into fluorescent clay the moment your heart stops beating. It’s a simplistic game at its core, but one with myriad elements that have been executed so masterfully that I can’t help but fall in love. There’s also a collectible card game that outlines most of your progress that I accidentally turned off in the menu and forgot about my entire first playthrough.
That’s fine, yet serves as a barrier to storytelling as opposed to a meaningful mechanic. While attending classes, doing a job, or overcoming obstacles, you’ll be thrown into a card game that asks you to get a specific number of points in order to be victorious. You do this by adding a sequence of colored cards – red, blue and yellow – that each have their own distinct values and abilities. I often saw this as an obstacle to overcome, so I could go back into the narrative, and have yet to buy extra cards from a storefront in the colony, forcing my way through most of the challenges rather than drowning. I can The strategy of it all. I was enjoying the game more when I accidentally turned the feature off altogether, reassuring it instead of feeling like I’d screwed myself. I saw it as an afterthought, and so should you.
Card game shenanigans are entertaining to see in this game at its best. there are so many Moments that took my breath away. Whether it’s the sudden loss of a loved one, my first kiss in a long time without a crush, or a big step forward for an entire colony—I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is consistently surprising and unafraid to show a narrative ambition. Sports have been able to match this year. It is effortless in its character writing, queer representation and sense of place far beyond the stars. Yet despite all these foreign concepts and story woven far from home, it still feels intrinsically human.
Northway Games has prepared one of my highlights of the year with this narrative adventure. It’s wonderfully entertaining and so many worthwhile character moments and grand mysteries worth uncovering. I’ve already spent so many hours with the game and I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface, ready to dive back and live this life over and over again until I settle on an imperfect resolution. Which doesn’t sound well and really my own.
A review code was provided for the purposes of this review.
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