I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME ENDING SPOILERS My main problem with this game is that I fundamentally disagree with the direction the devs took some of the endings. Humanity's submission to an alien AI is treated like a good ending only because it stops humanity's constant struggle against the AI's efforts at exterminating us, but the ending where you destroy that AI instead isn't given a proper set of epilogue screens. This means that version of peace isn't given equal weight to surrender, in spite of the fact it would still have prevented basically all of the tragedies from the neutral "endless warfare" endings. It's clear the devs think of surrender as the best outcome, in spite of the fact that The Array ending is literally just self-defense on the humans' part. And of course, The Array (and Tangent's Cure, I guess) is the only option for humanity to escape submission or constant warfare, because there is literally no option to negotiate humanity's equal co-existence with the AI. This is compounded by the fact that the humans are not a colonial force sent to steal the planet from the native populace, they're basically a bunch of anarcho-communist climate refugees fleeing a decaying Earth who thought the planet had no intelligent life on it and can't leave because their ship was destroyed (some fascist humans do show up later but you can depose them). Apparently that doesn't matter and we all need to surrender our freedom to a hive mind? Annoying. Still, the option to fight back is still there even if it feels like the game resents you for taking it, so I won't fault them for it too much, and if you find surrender particularly annoying and still want all the special epilogue screens, you can just flip off Noctilucent and do the neutral endings. Besides that, the biggest issue I have is that after I played it, every other game I played in this genre felt like a bunch of shallow twee anime ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ in comparison. It's a really good game, the characters are delightful, the gameplay is fun, the philosophical themes are intriguing, and doing repeat runs allows for some really interesting new options because of the time loop mechanic. Absolutely a recommend, and if I didn't love the game so much I wouldn't be so frustrated by the ending. (Also you shouldn't be able to tell Tangent you remember growing old with her in a past life if you literally can't stay in a relationship with her in any ending no matter what. That's just mean.)

Gave me an existential crisis

If you like visual novels at all, I think you'll love this game. While it does have elements of a card game, there are settings to play normal (which is fairly easy tbh), hard, and as a dice roll (though it's a favorable yes/no roll, really). Where this game really shines is in replayability. There are mutiple endings. I won't spoil how many or what changes, but you won't be able to unlock everything in a single playthrough. And after five times (in 21 hours), I'm still realizing how early choices affected my later stories. In fact, there are a few stories where I want to go back and change a choice, to see how it affects the story. Plus, there are quality of life settings for replayability, so you can move much more quickly through later playthroughs if you wish. This game does a lovely job with gender identity and sexuality (or lack thereof). The characters feel fleshed out and realistic (though it may take a playthrough or two to see the depth of some characters). This game also has whimsy and fun, alongside some darker themes...but it never feels like a dark or gritty game. I can see why this game has excellent ratings. I hope the devs make an even more in-depth, longer game. This does a wonderful job of scratching that visual novel itch (I never replay games let alone five times!!!) but, I can also imagine this game with additional features like base-building, etc. I'd say this is a must-play if you like VNs.

I've played this game to 100% on the Switch, and I honestly can't recommend it enough. The game uses card (battles? Hands?) where you need to arrange the cards you've drawn in a way that results in enough points to overcome the challenge. That challenge could be physical conflict, but it could just as easily be how well you do on the physics test you're taking, and whether that's 3 of a kind or straight is really worth an A. There's cards with effects, too, so don't just think classic poker hands. Spending time with different activities (in the form of spending a day of what is effectively a month) levels and adapts relationships and skills, and you can get wildly divergent outcomes based on your choices. Some events are required or are always triggered, but you may be able to react to or handle them in diy ways. You'll gather new cards based on your lived experiences and those past events are that you'll then use for future challenges... And then it has a time loop mechanic where you can carry some of those experiences into a new loop and change things that may have been inevitable in a previous timeline... Or just get hospitalized for being crazy for warning people about the future too often... Either/or, really. There's romance of varying levels of queer, and most of the characters feel well written and worth getting to know. You can freely change your gender or pronouns at any given time, and the puberty scenes are handled really well from a trans perspective. Then there's a ton (30+?) endings based on relationships, jobs, colony outcomes... This rocketed up my list of favorite games and now sits in my top 10 (maybe even 5?) ever. It's cozy, it's heartfelt, it can be painful and tense, has great queer rep and characters... This is the game I will keep recommending to someone over and over and over until they finally play it. Strongly recommend!! Hope you enjoy your new life on the other side of the wormhole ;)

This is such a unique and fascinating story that keeps building on itself with every replay. The visuals are gorgeous and the storyline is enchanting. Going through again and again to experience all the possible outcomes and unlock all the different achievements is built into the gameplay and they make it so smooth and worth the replay every time with new layers to the story being added with every new experience you go through. I'm on my 7th replay and it's still such a different story every time that there's no getting bored with this game. I'm determined to unlock EVERYTHING.

If you like story-focused games, just buy it. A truly incredible story-focused game that's excellent if you go in blind. My one gripe is that the card game mechanic can get a bit old on repeat playthroughs but that shouldn't deter you from picking this game up.

excellent game ! (and that's not something I say often, the only games i consider as "excellent" are this one, OMORI and maybe In stars and time but I haven't finshed it.) I just finished my first playthrough, and i already love it ! There are 29 endings (which is already a lot) but each one have variants depending on which character you are friend/partner with, who died and who you managed to save, and even your pets ! And since I already made one playthrough (for now) i didn't even see the replayability mechanics yet ! (and i love the fact that the main menu definitely change when you befriend a character, at start it's only a beautiful landscape but each time you befriend someone they appear on it (I only unlocked Cal(yet))).

An amazing game with replayability. This is my second playthrough and I befriended someone else this time which lead to all new experiences. The story follows your choices. Highly recommend this game.

Played it, cried my eyes out for days. Got a path matching my IRL so perfectly, I was shocked. It is an experience of self discovery, if you'll allow it to be. It is heavy, emotional, real. Be honest, don't chase an ideal goal, and you will have a soul searching journey. This is a true gem, I reserve a special place in my library for. When I am ready, I will do another playthrough.

Honestly, this is one of the best games I have ever played. The intricate story captures the reality of building a new life on an exocolony while exploring an alien planet. Every storyline is packed with detail and imagination. The gorgeous art style showcases the research, creativity, and aesthetic care behind the characters, backgrounds, and creatures. Building relationships with the characters is a mesmerising experience; the game’s openness and diversity regarding different relationship preferences and outlooks feels refreshing. As a visual novel, it delivers dialogues and events that are an absolute joy to read, all paired with a brilliant soundtrack and beautiful illustrations. I loved it so much that I had to unlock every single ending and achievement. Plus, its themes surrounding humanity's relationship with nature resonate with my personal views, which was a wonderful bonus.