I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is presented as a science-fiction life-simulation RPG that combines the time-loop structure of Majora’s Mask with romance, exploration and card-based challenges. Players guide Sol, a child born on a colony ship bound for the alien planet Vertumna, from age 10 to 20, with choices shaping relationships, abilities and possible storylines. The article argues that its central mechanic makes the game’s emotional themes especially effective: memories become playable cards, suggesting that identity is built from experience.

Each season, players choose activities such as studying, socialising, laboratory work or exploration, earning points to develop traits including Rebellion and Empathy; specialising can unlock or close off characters, dialogue and romances. The game is often described as cosy because of its gentle art, music and unhurried routine, but it also addresses trauma, grief and loss. After completing a life, New Game+ allows Sol to retain knowledge from previous playthroughs, creating decade-long loops that reveal new routes and avert earlier mistakes.