Unpacking

Title: Unpacking
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Developer: Witch Beam
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Genres: Puzzle
Platform: Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, Steam
Where to Find It: Website
Rating:

Unpacking is a zen game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told.

Review

I remembered this game blowing up on release and I was surprised that it had such a simple concept: you unpack moving boxes and move into a space. I didn’t pick it up until recently after receiving a strong recommendation from a friend, and after playing it I completely understand the hype. This game was COZY!

Starting from 1997 and going up to 2018, you unpack the life of the unseen and unnamed main character. There is an emotional story told through each level, and I was frankly impressed with the game’s ability to weave a narrative without a single line of dialogue. I ran through a whole gamut of emotions; nostalgia unpacking a room very much like my own childhood room, frustration trying to make room in someone else’s life, the depressing ego hit moving back home, hope and sheer joy for the future. I can’t express how the design of each level managed to pull this off. There are two instances of “moving in” with someone that felt so drastically different. So much of this game hit close to home for me and my own experiences growing up and navigating adulthood.

This game was incredibly therapeutic to play, when I started I didn’t stop until I was finished with the game. The soundtrack was wonderful and set the mood for each level, and finding all the silly little hidden animations and stickers as a nice addition. I clocked four hours on the game, though that was with me getting up to do other tasks and then spending time afterwards collecting all the achievements. A short and sweet game that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome yet remains heartfelt and memorable.