Growing Up

I like this game because I can pretend to have a functional family as many times as I want

I love being able to play with generations of the same family, but the game get's a bit repetitive if you play for long enough. Do recommend though, for relaxing gameplay.

Oh, growing up is definitely an adventure, with friends, enemies,your parents hating you for playing chess and repeating the same things over and over through generations, becoming a parent yourself and looking exactly as your parents did. And then there's a world of secondary characters who never get old and at every generation you can try to unfold their story.. but don't worry if you don't, they'll keep being there, as young as always. Will you be able to marry your school crush? I did, and with my fav character of the whole game ^^.
Despite flaws and an overall repetitiveness that makes you quit before having seen all possible secondary characters (they are "assigned" as friend or foes randomically), this game emanates love from the devs, which totally poured their hearts in this! Honorable mention to the soundtrack, which is uber-cute. This definitely is an adorable game.

Grow up in the United States during peak 1990s.
Information
• 12 romanceable characters? (There a guides that claim they know each characters’ romantic preferences, but I keep finding conflicting info, and experiencing different stuff in playthroughs. I honestly have no idea what the characters’ official preferences are supposed to be. This is why, for game mechanic simplicity, everyone should be bisexual.)
• 52 career endings.
• Typical gender binary assigning at birth. No option for child to realize differently later.
Praises
• Gameplay is very addicting. Played for 12 hours first session.
• The art for the character portraits and backgrounds are very nice. I really like how detailed everything is. So American 1990s!
• You can change your character’s clothes at age 5, then both hair and clothes once they reach middle school.
• Some of the romance scenes are actually written well. Cute and/or thrilling teenage love. My favorites were Nathan, Kato, and surprisingly, Alicia.
• A lot of the lesson animations are amusing and over-the-top.
• Racial diversity is decent.
• Thicc character rep.
• Disabled character (with prosthetic arm) rep.
Complaints
• The devs want credit for being LGBTQ inclusive but without actually being that inclusive. Alex should totally be a trans man. I thought that’s where the story was going, but nope. She looks the part at the end of her story and has a triggered reaction to the given name “Alexandra” but is still called “she/her” at the end of the story. Richard seems like a sex-repulsed asexual, but that’s never actually confirmed. I don’t want hints, bruh, I want the words spoken. Hints and implications are for cowards. Charles is only confirmed as gay at the epilogue and I had no idea he was supposed to be. There’s no indication of that while playing as a female character. The same goes for Vivica, unless you try to kiss her. Then, omfg, during Flick’s story, there’s so much homoeroticism while playing a female character, but she’s supposed to be hetero and I’m like “wtf is this teasing sh!t?” Don’t be cowards. You’ll just piss off the social minority you’re supposedly trying to represent.
• I hate Sam’s route. It seems like there is no way to get through it as a female character without her demeaning herself. No thanks. He’s the only character I enjoy seeing getting a bad ending over and over again.
• The English occasionally has British English, which is weird to read when there is an American flag in the background of many scenes.
• “Skip” skips choices. Just because I don’t want to re-read dialogue I’ve already read doesn’t mean I don’t want to make good choices to get characters’ good endings still. There is no option in the settings to change this.
I know it would’ve been a lot more work, but what would’ve been really cool is if the game had a set amount of generations and with each one there was a different time era, rather than being perpetually stuck in the 1990s. Just a thought I had.
Despite my b*tching, I did enjoy the game. Like I said, addictive af. I just wish people wouldn’t be cowards when it comes to queer representation. Stop giving too many f*cks about how bigots might react to the game, when it clearly isn’t for them. Other than that and some other needed improvements, it’s a good game. I recommend it to people who like the genre.

A great pick for anyone who enjoys narrative-based life or raising sims. I’ve played through a few generations now, and while there are things that could be refined in a sequel, overall it’s a thoughtful and fun game - especially for the price.
Visuals & Music
The art style is honestly one of the best in the genre. It’s warm, expressive, and fits perfectly with the story’s tone. The soundtrack also deserves praise - chill, nostalgic, and really sets the mood.
Customisation
Being able to customise your character is a nice touch, though I wish there were a few more options to make each generation look more distinct.
Tone & Story
The writing is emotional and often relatable, but it leans heavily on sad or serious storylines. I found myself playing therapist to my friends more often than expected! A few more lighthearted or uplifting moments would help balance things out.
Friendships
Friendships are a big focus, but they sometimes feel one-sided - you spend a lot of time helping others through tough times without much in return. A bit more mutual growth or fun in these relationships would make them feel more rewarding.
Skills & Choices
The skill system is enjoyable, but some paths seem to matter more than others (sports in particular). I also didn’t always feel like my choices had much impact on how the story played out, which made some playthroughs feel similar.
Parents & Mental Health
Balancing your mental health with parental expectations can feel harsh - simple leisure activities can tank your relationship points fast. It’d be nice if there were more positive interactions or family moments to offset that.
Exams
Exams are presented as a mini-game, which is fine, but a little underwhelming after all the skill-building. Something that ties more directly into your progress could make it more satisfying.
Overall
I really enjoyed Growing Up, even if it can feel emotionally heavy at times. There’s a lot of heart and nostalgia in it, and you can tell the devs put personal experience into the story. It’s a unique, touching take on growing up - I just wish it had a few more bright and playful moments along the way.

It's fun, not much to do, but it's a good distration when you're bored.
Just wished that the game continued until after high school, making decisions in college and adult life.

A DLC would be nice to add that.

its so realistic how my parents start to hate me when i start putting a ton of hours into dungeons and dragons