Growing up as a Teenage Exocolonist can be hard. There are plenty of things to do and not much time to do them. As you grow up you’ll need to build your skill set to see what best suits your interest and future contribution to the colony. What skills you choose to build will in turn unlock what perks, facilities, jobs, activities, story paths and more for you growing up.
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist wasn’t meant to be played in a single playthrough. So don’t expect to max out all 15 different skills and subsequently the activities and jobs that come from it in one run.
That being said the skill system of I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is straightforward. Skill points get earned every month, primarily through school/work activities. As your skills increase, so do your opportunities. However, while building skills opens some doors, it can close others, affecting the course of your character’s life. So try and focus on different stats each time you play for a completely different story experience.
All 15 Skills In I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
There are 15 skills you can grow throughout your life as a Teenage Exocolonist. But for the most part, they can be divided into 3 categories. Social, Mental and Physical Skills.
| Social Skills | |
| • Empathy – Understanding other people | • Persuasion – Understanding other people |
| • Creativity – Artistic ability and capacity for novel ideas | • Bravery – Courage in both social and dangerous situations |
| Mental Skills | |
| • Reasoning – Problem-solving and general knowledge | • Organising – Problem-solving and general knowledge |
| • Engineering – Study of machines, physics, math, and programming | • Biology – Study of plants, biochemistry, and the human body |
| Physical Skills | |
| • Toughness – Physical strength and stamina | • Perception – Ability to find things and sneak past things |
| • Combat – Tactics and weapons | • Animals – Familiarity with xenofauna, hunting, ranching |
What Skills Should You Prioritise?
While you could spend your time in Vertumna becoming a jack of all trades, it may pay more to become a master of one. Consistently dedicating time and effort to specific skills will raise their level. In addition, you’ll gain a new perk whenever one of your skills raises a level.
Skills can reach up to three levels: Level 1 at 33 points, Level 2 at 66 points, and Level 3 at 100 points.
How To Earn Skill Points
Pretty much everything you do in I Was A Teenage Exocolonist contributes to your skill points. As it does in life you’ll build your skill points by going to school, getting a job and even just making friends.
Card Challenges: Most card challenges occur when taking on a work or school activity from month to month. However, you’ll also encounter multi-round story card challenges, such as the ones seen in the Vertumnalia Festival competitions.
Story Events: Throughout the game, story scenes will occur, requiring you to make pivotal choices affecting their outcomes. The results of your choices will influence what skills you learn from these experiences.
Friendships: As you build relationships with other characters, they will impart their skills to you. For instance, spending a lot of time with Anemone will increase your Toughness, while spending time with Tang will increase your Reasoning.
Gear: Some gear grants considerable skill boosts when equipped. However, these effects only last as long as you equip the gear, making these boosts temporary. Furthermore, skill points from gear do not contribute to your skill level.
Genetic Enhancements and Childhood Memories: When creating your character, you’ll compile several childhood memories such as your favourite bedtime story, childhood friend, and genetic enhancement. These choices will build your foundational skillset and determine what skills you have a propensity for learning.
Locations Influence Your Skill Growth
Each location and activity always highlight which skills they increase. And the more you learn about each facility, the better you’ll understand its activities and the skills they can improve.
- Command Centre (Yellow): +Organising and +Persuasion
- Engineering (Yellow & Blue): +Reasoning and +Engineering
- Garrison (Red): +Bravery and +Toughness
- Geoponics (Blue): +Biology and +Animals
- Living Quarters (Yellow): +Empathy and +Creativity
- Expeditions (Red): +Combat and +Perception
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
You have your whole life ahead of you. Will you spend it studying in school, or diving into the intriguing flora and fauna of this new world? Or will it be spent on introducing space-age technology, or live in harmony with nature? Will you battle massive beasts, or nurture future generations? Realized in brilliant watercolor, the world of Vertumna is yours to explore.
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist is out now on the PlayStation 4|5, Nintendo Switch, PC – Steam, Mac
