Growing Up

About Growing Up

Growing Up is an indie simulator with visual novel elements from Vile Monarch, released in 2021. It’s a life-cycle game where you control a character from toddlerhood to old age, with choices shaping careers, relationships, and family legacies. Set in a stylized city, you manage daily routines, attend school, make friends, and navigate adulthood. The game splits between simulation and narrative decision-making, with a generational cycle where you eventually play as your own child. Available on PC and iOS, it’s designed for single-player, casual sessions. The core hook is how small decisions ripple into long-term outcomes, blending strategy with storytelling.

Gameplay

Each session involves managing time slots, wake up, eat, study, socialize, via a calendar-style interface. Choices in school subjects, hobbies, and interactions build traits like intelligence, charisma, or athletic skill. Romantic paths require balancing compatibility with timing; early flings might fade if you focus on academics. Career options depend on skills earned, with some paths demanding internships or exams. The interface feels clunky on PC, relying on mouse drags for scheduling, but iOS adapts well. Later stages introduce parenting, where you repeat similar loops for your child. The gameplay is methodical, with no real failure states, but pacing can lag during mundane tasks like job applications.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate Growing Up 7.2/10, with 65% “curious” and 30% “nostalgic” moods. Average playtime is 12 hours, but 40% complete the full cycle. The IGDB score is 79.4, driven by praise for branching narratives and emotional weight. Reviewers note “it’s charming but repetitive,” with one calling it “a digital scrapbook of life’s mundane moments.” Achievement data shows 50 total, with 30 hours needed for 100% (though 90% can be done in 18). Completion rates drop after the adult phase, as 25% abandon the game when parenting begins. Critics split between its “delightfully wholesome” design and “slow-burn pacing.”

PlayPile's Take

Growing Up works best for players who enjoy slow, branching stories over action. At $29.99, it’s a mid-tier indie with replay value for different life paths. Achievements push 50, but many are filler. It’s a safe pick for fans of Oxenfree or Story of Seasons who don’t mind grinding through time slots. Skip if you crave fast action or dislike repetitive scheduling. The generational cycle is a clever twist, but it risks feeling like a never-ending chore. Worth a try if you want to see how a digital life could mirror your own.

Storyline

Experience the entire journey from toddler to adulthood as you learn new skills, participate in various activities, develop your mind, manage your daily schedule, explore the city, forge friendships, and survive through school. Upon reaching adulthood, your future career, as well as your romantic partner will be revealed to you as you continue the legacy of your family by having a child of your own! And then... experience the life of your child, as the cycle begins anew, and brand new adventures await you!