100
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is not short of becoming an exemplary title in fantastic writing and storytelling, and easily my favourite entry into the visual novel genre thus far.
100
These small efforts to make the experience enjoyable mean the mechanics of the game receded as I played, allowing me to immerse myself in Exocolonist’s narrative and philosophical reflections. I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a beautiful game, a synth-laden ode to growing up and allowing yourself to fall, fail, succeed and explore in a posthuman world that asks thoughtful questions about what it means to exist alongside the natural environment.
95
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a game to get lost in, from its heartbreaking, hopeful storytelling to its engaging gameplay. I think it’s a shame that this title probably didn’t get as much widespread recognition as it deserves, because it has to have one of the most touching stories about what it means to be human that I’ve seen in games. I’m so thrilled that this title is meant to be played on a loop, because it’s a game I’m looking forward to returning to, and learning from, again and again.
9
Not a difficult journey but it rewards study and discipline. Good story. Graphics are colorful but simple in function. You are encouraged to bring your enhanced skills into a new play-through and see if you can improve some of the outcomes. Offers plenty of choices in how you skill your character, not to mention your appearance, gender, name, pronouns, clothing, occupations, and relationships. I'm looking forward to reliving my character with better understanding of the dynamics of the story.
9
This game is hella sick! The story is very well made and emotional. I felt attached to pretty much all the characters and really strove to save everyone. I really enjoyed how you really do need to play multiple times to have an understanding of the whole story. When you finally get the ending you do want, it is a very rewarding feeling. The only reason I don’t give it a 10 is due to a few gripes. One is that if you choose a girl, you still look like a boy, just with long hair. They could have made her a bit more feminine. I also think the characters can be a bit stereotypical at times, with people's profession dictating their behavior. They are minor complaints and only slightly hinder my enjoyment of the game.
0
I hate it very much. It is just a choose yourown adventure book with little to no story.
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
Released On:
Aug 25, 2022
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
91
User score
Generally Favorable
7.9
My Score
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Metascore
Universal Acclaim
100% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Mar 27, 2023
100
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is not short of becoming an exemplary title in fantastic writing and storytelling, and easily my favourite entry into the visual novel genre thus far.
Jan 24, 2023
95
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a game to get lost in, from its heartbreaking, hopeful storytelling to its engaging gameplay. I think it’s a shame that this title probably didn’t get as much widespread recognition as it deserves, because it has to have one of the most touching stories about what it means to be human that I’ve seen in games. I’m so thrilled that this title is meant to be played on a loop, because it’s a game I’m looking forward to returning to, and learning from, again and again.
User score
Generally Favorable
80% Positive
67 Ratings
67 Ratings
8% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
12% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
Nov 2, 2023
10
Amazing game. Love it so much. Could not stop playing it during neither my first nor my 2nd playthrough. It’s all so well written and engaging, the art direction is fabulous,the main story and the cast of characters are brilliant… i’ll play a third and a fourth time no doubt. If you like storyrich games, with impactful choices, it’s definitely a must play
Sep 5, 2022
95
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a storm of punches that hits straight in the stomach. It’s a video game that monopolized my free time and that I'll continue to dissect well beyond my (current) fourth playthrough. It’s a game that has crept between my mind and my heart, something that I’ll hardly be able to chase away from there. Not that I’d want to, to be honest. Northway Games has managed to create something that transcends genres, a video game that I’d like to be enjoyed by as many people as humanly possible.
Aug 26, 2022
90
Live as many lives as it takes to be happy in I Was a Teenage Exocolonist. The addition of a little roguelike side to this narrative and progressive Sci-Fi life simulator gives it all its charm and makes it addictive.
Aug 25, 2022
90
Northway Games has crafted one of my highlights of the year with this narrative adventure. It’s wonderfully engrossing and hiding so many worthwhile character moments and gorgeous secrets well worth uncovering. I’ve already spent so many hours with the game and feel like I have barely scratched the surface, prepared to dive back in and live out this life over and over again until I settle on an imperfect resolution that feels well and truly my own.
Aug 25, 2022
87
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a quality life-sim role-playing game with plenty of events, endings, and adventures to enjoy. Visually enchanting and musically inspired and varied, the journey devised by Northway Games is an adventure that enthralls. The only unsurprising element is the card game, great for breaking up the pace but less profound than we would have hoped.
Sep 5, 2022
85
A deep and immersive narrative experience with a gameplay that shortly falls into a repetitive loop.
Jul 5, 2023
10
This game makes you feel emotions you don't even know you have, and there's so much of the narrative to discover
Feb 25, 2023
10
Probably the best narrative game of 2022. The replayability via interesting late game mechanics make this an all time great!
Nov 29, 2022
7
Pros: -The Card system is fun and adictive. -Some characters and situations are engaging. -Decisions with real consequences. -Plot a bit wasted (IMHO it has potential for something more), but well written in general, like reading a young adult novel. Cons: -The romance. Underdeveloped, a bit forced, with more soap opera than genuine tenderness and sadness and fun. And it should has more relevance in the plot. And some routes only have bad endings, no matter what you do, which is annoying. -A bit repetitive sometimes. -There were some really tragic moments where i was like: ok, ok, whatever... and I consider myself a very emotional person, so...
Jul 5, 2024
6
The gameplay is perfectly passable but pretty basic and gets boring after a bit, but the writing is pretty good. The plot is unfolds fairly slowly (as it does in all games, because there's gameplay in-between plot points), but is a perfectly good plot. However, the writing is significantly hurt by the fact that the writers have a really messed up worldview in a variety of ways, including the view that it would be good for all humans to be killed because it would be better for "nature", and a vague overarching anti-heterosexual vibe. The writers actually took the time at the end of the game to tell me that they were disappointed in me for choosing an ending where humanity is allowed to thrive (this really actually happened), and there are various points were the writers include really messed up, sociopathic views as basic truths, it's really weird. Playing this game as a human feels like what it would be like for a woman to read a book written in the 1600s by a man who thinks all women are dumb and writes all women as inherently incompetent, as if that's just an objective truth.
Jul 21, 2025
0
I hate it very much. It is just a choose yourown adventure book with little to no story.
SummarySpend your teenage years on an alien planet in this narrative RPG with card-based battles. Explore, grow up, and fall in love. The choices you make and skills you master over ten years will determine the course of your life and the survival of your colony.
Platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date:Aug 25, 2022
Developer:
- Northway Games
Publisher:
