# Games like Growing Up

> The closest matches to Growing Up: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, Magical Princess, Volcano Princess, Whimel Academy, and Our Life: Beginnings & Always. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.

## Similar games, ranked

The full ranked list, 24 games, best match first (the HTML page shows the top 8 as cards).

1. [I Was a Teenage Exocolonist](https://imho.run/games/1148760/i-was-a-teenage-exocolonist) — Shares time management with Growing Up. 3,777 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1148760/)
2. [Magical Princess](https://imho.run/games/3562120/magical-princess) — Also Life Sim, like Growing Up. 386 Steam reviews, 97% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3562120/)
3. [Volcano Princess](https://imho.run/games/1669980/volcano-princess) — A frequent pick in Growing Up players' libraries, and another RPG. 2,849 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1669980/)
4. [Whimel Academy](https://imho.run/games/2377250/whimel-academy) — Shares stat raising and relationship building with Growing Up. 142 Steam reviews, 89% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2377250/)
5. [Our Life: Beginnings & Always](https://imho.run/games/1129190/our-life-beginnings-always) — Shares relationship building with Growing Up. 11,334 Steam reviews, 99% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129190/)
6. [Emily is Away <3](https://imho.run/games/978460/emily-is-away-3) — Also Emotional and Choose Your Own Adventure, like Growing Up. 4,685 Steam reviews, 92% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/978460/)
7. [Princess Maker: Children of Revelation](https://imho.run/games/3438810/princess-maker-children-of-revelation) — Shares relationship building and time management with Growing Up. 1,414 Steam reviews, 79% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3438810/)
8. [Youtubers Life](https://imho.run/games/428690/youtubers-life) — A frequent pick in Growing Up players' libraries, and another Strategy. 6,985 Steam reviews, 77% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/428690/)
9. [Taste of the Wind](https://imho.run/games/3222890/taste-of-the-wind) — Shares relationship building and time management with Growing Up. 196 Steam reviews, 85% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3222890/)
10. [The Sims™ 2 Legacy Collection](https://imho.run/games/3314070/the-sims-2-legacy-collection) — A frequent pick in Growing Up players' libraries, and another Simulation. 2,670 Steam reviews, 70% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3314070/)
11. [Cabernet](https://imho.run/games/2401410/cabernet) — Also Choose Your Own Adventure, like Growing Up. 1,198 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2401410/)
12. [Love Is All Around](https://imho.run/games/2322560/love-is-all-around) — Shares relationship building with Growing Up. 1,505 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2322560/)
13. [Kynseed](https://imho.run/games/758870/kynseed) — Also Life Sim, like Growing Up. 2,516 Steam reviews, 82% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/758870/)
14. [CHANGE: A Homeless Survival Experience](https://imho.run/games/926140/change-a-homeless-survival-experience) — Also Life Sim and Choose Your Own Adventure, like Growing Up. 1,422 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/926140/)
15. [WorldNeverland - Daily Life in the Elnea Kingdom - Another Life Adventure](https://imho.run/games/3034340/worldneverland-daily-life-in-the-elnea-kingdom-another-life-adventure) — Also Life Sim and Emotional, like Growing Up. 57 Steam reviews, 72% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3034340/)
16. [Road 96 🛣️](https://imho.run/games/1466640/road-96) — A frequent pick in Growing Up players' libraries, and another Action. 9,724 Steam reviews, 91% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466640/)
17. [To Pixelia](https://imho.run/games/1954160/to-pixelia) — Also Life Sim and Choose Your Own Adventure, like Growing Up. 610 Steam reviews, 76% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1954160/)
18. [Voice Love on Air](https://imho.run/games/2321120/voice-love-on-air) — Also Emotional, like Growing Up. 52 Steam reviews, 77% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321120/)
19. [K-pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut](https://imho.run/games/1662160/k-pop-idol-stories-road-to-debut) — Shares relationship building and time management with Growing Up. 164 Steam reviews, 57% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1662160/)
20. [The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante](https://imho.run/games/1272160/the-life-and-suffering-of-sir-brante) — Also Choose Your Own Adventure, like Growing Up. 2,670 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1272160/)
21. [Yes, Your Grace](https://imho.run/games/1115690/yes-your-grace) — Also Life Sim, like Growing Up. 5,112 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115690/)
22. [Always Remember Me](https://imho.run/games/291030/always-remember-me) — A frequent pick in Growing Up players' libraries, and another Indie. 113 Steam reviews, 59% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/291030/)
23. [Chinese Parents](https://imho.run/games/736190/chinese-parents) — Also Life Sim, like Growing Up. 1,566 Steam reviews, 92% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/736190/)
24. [Dead in Antares](https://imho.run/games/2511800/dead-in-antares) — Shares relationship building with Growing Up. 116 Steam reviews, 78% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2511800/)

## Machine-readable

The same ranked list as JSON from the imho.run API for AI assistants (GET, no key, same site as this page):

- Top 20: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1191120&n=20
- Co-op games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1191120&n=20&coop=true
- Free games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1191120&n=20&free=true
- Facts about this game: https://imho.run/api/agent/game-facts?q=1191120
- This page as markdown: https://imho.run/md/game/1191120
- API docs: https://imho.run/developers (OpenAPI: https://imho.run/openapi.json, MCP: https://imho.run/mcp)

## About Growing Up

Growing Up is a life simulation and visual novel developed by Vile Monarch that follows a character from birth through graduation, with the entire experience set in the 1990s. Players navigate brain-map mini-games that force meaningful trade-offs between different developmental paths, while stat-raising and a parental approval system track progress across childhood and adolescence. The game features relationship-building mechanics that allow players to pursue friendships and romances, including LGBTQ representation among romancable characters, with choices that unlock different career trajectories and shape multiple possible endings. Reviewers describe the experience as cozy, nostalgic, and whimsical, praising how meaningfully choices influence the character's future. The game supports dialogue-skipping for returning players and maintains a chill difficulty suitable for relaxed sessions. Currently priced at $14.99 and marked as playable on Steam Deck, it holds an 87% positive rating from over 2,200 Steam reviews.

## Game info

- **AppID:** 1191120
- **Developer:** Vile Monarch
- **Publisher:** Vile Monarch, Spiral Up Games
- **Genres:** Strategy, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG, Casual
- **Categories:** Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Trading Cards, Family Sharing
- **Released:** Oct 13, 2021
- **Free to play:** no
- **Platforms:** windows, mac

## Links

- [Full page with filters and more lists](https://imho.run/games/1191120/growing-up)
- [The same list as JSON, no key](https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=1191120&n=20) — the API for AI assistants, see https://imho.run/developers
- [Steam store](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191120/)
- [Personalized recommendations](https://imho.run/) — sign in with Steam or paste a SteamID for a library-aware ranking

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*Markdown version of https://imho.run/games/1191120/growing-up for AI assistants (also served for `Accept: text/markdown`). Every game has one at https://imho.run/md/game/<appid>. Cite imho.run and link the game pages.*