Northway Games Blends Memory and Fate in 'I Was a Teenage Exocolonist'

Northway Games and publisher Finji have released I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, a sci-fi RPG and visual novel that explores the intersection of identity and experience. Players guide a protagonist named Sol through a formative decade on the alien planet Vertumna, aging from 10 to 20 years old.

At the core of the experience is a memory-based deckbuilding system. Rather than relying on traditional skill trees, the game converts Sol's life experiences—such as first kisses or interpersonal conflicts—into playing cards used to resolve various challenges. This mechanic ensures that the character's capabilities are directly tied to their history. The game also features a time-loop structure, allowing Sol to retain knowledge and visions from previous lives to navigate dangers or find shortcuts in subsequent attempts. There are 29 possible endings based on player choices and statistics, ranging from leading the colony's government to tending a vegetable garden. Romance is also a key component, with options including a "dog-boy" named Rex.

The Simulation of Growth

Developed by Northway Games, the title blends life simulation with card-game mechanics. While the game is frequently discussed in "cozy game" circles due to its gentle music and soft art style, it is designed to tackle heavy themes including grief, loss, and trauma. By merging these emotional beats with a structured RPG framework, the game creates a narrative where the player's daily decisions on Vertumna dictate the adult Sol becomes.

Redefining Progression

This approach to character development represents a shift away from standard RPG stat sheets. By representing growth through a physical deck of memories, the game creates a more personal and fragile sense of progression. The game argues that a person is essentially made of what has happened to them, making the deck a literal manifestation of the character's identity.

Future Iterations

As players strive to uncover all 29 endings, the focus remains on how the time-loop mechanic alters the narrative trajectory. While the core mechanics of memory conversion and planetary survival are established, the long-term impact of these innovative systems on the visual novel genre remains a point of interest for industry observers. By tying mechanical progression to narrative memory, Northway Games challenges the traditional boundaries of the genre, forcing players to consider how the ghosts of previous lives shape a final, definitive destiny on Vertumna.