An excellent bit of sci-fi writing with enough gameplay chunkiness to be engaging for people who need a bit of that anchor (like myself). Starts off precious but quickly Gets Real, and then takes a deft hand with pretty much everything it brings up throughout the playthrough, not the least of which is the thorniness of colonization as a concept regardless of whether there is a native people to bulldoze or not. Despite outward appearances, this is not some cozy hangout game, and there are moments of real violence and struggle that were a pleasant surprise. The game bits are easy but engaging enough to string you along with a bit of strategy and numbers going up, and metaphorically tie into the conceit of the game nicely. Was also very impressed with how multiple playthroughs are contextualized, though admittedly being sent back to the beginning with my little baby deck was deflationary enough for me to not go for it - would be nice to try one day though.

no spoilers as always
I initially was a lil turned off by the art style, but had to try for the queer rep & cause so many folks seem to love this game, & I'm so glad I did! I actually warmed up to the art style quite quickly~ the environment BGs in particular are so pretty!
I thoroughly enjoyed the extensive options for pronouns & other social terms/titles, & how such a wide variety of different kinds of queerness were woven into the characters & their relationships so naturally (whether gender, sexuality, romance, relationship style, family structures etc). I really loved the characters, they all felt real & had interesting arcs, which u really need to do multiple playthroughs to experience, it's designed really well for replayability! I really appreciated that following the kids from age 10-20 was well handled, with everything feeling v age-appropriate.
while it maintains a fairly light & sweet not-too-deep vibe, it definitely doesn't shy away from darker things like death, grief, illness, mental health, trauma, tragedy...
I loved the way relationships between the characters & ur player work!! all the characters maintain their agency & stay true to their desires & needs, even when they change- it doesn't stoop to that gamified/coercive/transactional entitlement zone that games too often do. i do have a few critiques, like how even though there are some open relationship & polyamory options (which is wonderful!), they are still based in a hierarchical relationship escalator ideal (ie: open relationship is less serious/commited than an exclusive "romantic" relationship) & most options are actually quite mononormative, but overall I was quite impressed!
the gameplay is very straightforward & simple, & I found the whole combo of everything to be quite engaging and enjoyable! I may utilize the dice rolls in place of the card game on further playthroughs (which I for sure will do!), a cool option if u wanna focus on story.
that being said, the story is alright? it's nothing groundbreaking that's for sure, it's definitely more focused on the characters, but I felt like it didn't really need to be anything more than it was.
it does touch a bit on the complications of what it means to colonize a planet, & I was sort-of satisfied by the level of critique in my playthrough, though I think it could have easily been focused on more, & I wonder how different playthroughs will affect what I think. I did appreciate that it wasn't heavy-handed & focused more on giving space for u to think on things. however, keep in mind that there is a wiiild amount of different possibilities & variations on how each playthrough might unfold, so I'll see how further playthroughs inform my perspective~
overall, a breezy & cozy game with a simple & enjoyable gameplay loop, adorable characters & a satisfyingly huge amount of choice & variation in how the story could unfold!

It took me a couple of playthroughs to really get what this game was going for (which is not a bad thing, the nature of the game is that it wants you to play multiple times). This is a game where you really have to choose which mechanics you want to engage with, so things that seem superfluous or irrelevant on one playthrough may be crucial in another. I found that both times I played, I achieved all the goals I really cared about by age 16 or 17, after which the game really dries up in terms of things you can do which are relevant to your character. There were a few bugs here in there, like extra events playing when they really shouldn't have, but overall my time with this game has been great and I look forward to playing more. I haven't chosen a favorite character yet, maybe Dys or Cal or even Nomi-Nomi - they're all super well written but some of them (cough Vace) you can just tell were made to be hated lol.

Might be a perfect game? Heartbreaking and anxiety-inducing in an incredibly novel, choice-driven way. To go too into detail would be to spoil this game's trick, which is something everyone should experience for themself, so: growing up is a uniquely terrifying process. Everything changes--your friends, the world, yourself. I Was a Teenage Exocolonist captures the feeling of watching the entire universe uncontrollably drift, your closest friends warping in frightening and confusing ways, the environment you live in gradually growing more hostile and less accommodating, and the government dropping its veneer of protection to reveal the ugliness underneath. And all the while, you can do nothing but watch. Nomi-Nomi is literally me.