Review: Unpacking

Available on: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox

Cost: €19.99, £17.99, $19.99 or included in Xbox Gamepass

Genre: Puzzle game, Zen Puzzle

Developer: Witch Beam

Publisher: Humble Games

Unpacking is a unique zen puzzle game that transforms the tedious task of unpacking boxes and moving home into a soothing, meditative journey. Through your organising and arranging of belongings into various homes over a period of 20 years, the game has a simple yet deeply engaging gameplay. Unpacking offers a mix of light puzzle-solving that allows subtle storytelling to be revealed as you learn more about the character’s life through her belongings, inviting you to reflect on the personal and emotional significance of each object.

Story

While not an obvious story form the outset, Unpacking allows you to learn about the belongings owner’s life over a period of 20 years, from childhood bedroom, to student digs, to flat shares and eventual forever home. Through the items you learn that the character is an aspiring artist, you can see where they’ve travelled to with their souvenirs, and witness their life choices based on the homes they move to and try to make their own. The story is subtly threaded throughout the unpacking of each room, and offers a sentimental and thoughtful experience to reminisce on old memories, both happy and difficult all leading to life lessons to build to a home of their own. I found this element charming, and a sweet elevation to the simple drag and drop gameplay.

Gameplay

Each year within the game you are moving to a new room, apartment or home. You have a series of full boxes to unpack, from your art supplies to your shoes to your kitchen appliances and bathroom toiletries. You drag and drop the items to organise exactly as you would like it, stacking books, organising your cutlery drawer and placing your souvenirs and cuddy toys around your space to make it your own. There is a small element of puzzle to the game, certain items need to be within certain rooms or in drawers, and some items don’t go where you would initially expect them. There’s not always a great amount of space to place everything but that’s part of the challenge, and it’s very satisfying to see your shelves and wardrobes fill up with your belongings.

Graphics and Visuals

Each room has it’s own unique style that either allows you to express yourself and make it your own, or in other ways shows that it’s not always easy to fit in with another person’s space. The detail in each of the items are a vibrant pixellated design and it becomes quite exciting to see what you are going to pull out next. Another sweet element of the items is the changes in technology over the years you’re following the character, from Gamecube to Ninendo WII, or from chunky CRT monitors to sleek LCD screens over time. These little elements really helped with the passage of time in the game, and added some fun little easter eggs to find.

Longevity

The game is around 4 hours to complete, but they are a very satisfying 4 hours. There’s very little challenge to the game but that’s not the point, it aims to be a relaxing, meditative tidying game and for that it succeeds. There are stickers to unlock that work as acheivements adding to a little replayability once the story is over, but all in all it is a 4 hours and done. I would be interested in playing again after some time if I fancied the experience again, but the gameplay and results wouldn’t be much different, just slight different placement of items. I would definitely play some DLC or if a sequel to the game came along.

Conclusion

Unpacking offers a delightfully relaxing, zen, organising experience travelling through the character’s life story over the course of 20 years, from childhood bedroom to forever home. The gameplay is simple and puzzles are straightforward, however this is a pleasing element to the relaxing nature of what would usually be a stressful task. The design of the rooms and details of the unique items are lovely, and it’s fun to find new technology and travelling souveniers with each new year you experience with the character. All of this adds to a thoughtful, sentimental and contemplative experience learning more about the character and viewing her life through her belongings. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a quiet 4 hours to relax, unwind, and unpack in this mindful puzzle game.