REVIEW : Growing Up (PC)
Growing up is a game where you can relive those years which you have left behind. The main idea is that you are born in a family, grow and become an adult, and take a lot of decisions and make choices on this path.
The makers of this game have given opportunities to gain skills as per your liking or how you want to perceive your character to be. You can develop relationships with the parents and the ones around you, and you can choose everything. This game goes on till the time your character is eighteen and finally graduates from school. Then you will be presented an analog of what person you chose to become based on all your decisions. You can even choose the one to fall in love with.
The game begins from the time your character is just born. Like a minigame, you choose your name and the gender of your character. You can choose the baby’s face, and it’s rather surprising to see that those looks are carried out during different stages. The baby remains at home when he is small. Then you learn things from your parents like crawling, speaking and then you visit the pre-school. During all these things, you can choose what you want to learn and gain skills. There is a limited time in which you can learn them, and then you can receive Knowledge points when you learn something new. The child will give exams during his growth stages. Those are minigames and puzzles. The more points you collect in the game, the more you can score in exams. You are supposed to make your schedule. You have to devote time to different things at each level of the child’s life. The game is pretty easy in the beginning and can indulge the player into the game flow. A brain map is a thing that is used to increase the character’s attributes and plan everything.
After going to school, the game’s difficulty level increases. You meet many people, and you can choose your friends who play a keen role in growing out to be. You will be given the answers to meet a certain person, which will decide your bond with them. You can wander around his town and explore the neighborhoods. You can visit new places and get points for them. Your parents will have expectations from you. If you carry them out nicely, you get points that you can spend on recreational activities and clothes and merchandise.
The music is appropriate in different stages and suits the vibes. You can choose the kind of attire your character wants to dress up in. With every playthrough, you are given a conclusion and ending, suiting your choices and decisions. It is interesting, the mix of play and study and learning new things and then using the time wisely in the brain map. There is an important aspect of choosing between Mental health and Parents Satisfaction. Scores have to be maintained in both, which can feel like a task. The parents say some harsh comments at some stages regarding academics and fitness and dont have much involvement throughout the game. The people you will meet throughout will share their lives with you, and some stories are rather engaging. There are over 40 occupations to choose from, and you can plan your education accordingly. However, it’s not easy to get into anything that one may want. One needs to meet the people to get along with, which will eventually unlock the occupation. You will meet a lot of friends who have the potential to become your romantic partner. You can choose according to your interest and preference. Those friends have their preferences too. You are asked to have a baby together or even adopt (if you went ahead with same-sex marriage). And that is how you can continue the game for the next generation.
