Unpacking

Developer: Witch Beam | Publisher: Humble Games | Release Date: 2021 | Genre: Casual / Simulation / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Stuffing all of one’s belongings in boxes, carting them somewhere else, and then unpacking everything is one of the most stressful things in life. Yet, with Unpacking, Witch Beam has managed to turn this endeavor into a zen puzzle game. Even more surprising is that they have also crafted a moving story to go with it despite there being no cut-scenes or walls of text.

Each of the eight levels in Unpacking is set during a different year of the protagonist’s life. Starting in the late nineties, when she is still a child moving into her own room for the first time, the game continues through major milestones in her life—attending university for the first time, moving in with a roommate, falling in love, breaking up and moving back home. These moments and many more are present in Unpacking.

Unpacking eases players into the swing of things by starting with a single room. From the items in the boxes, the room clearly belongs to a young girl, and it is also quite obvious what her hobbies and passions are. Progressing through the years, it is great to see how some of these hobbies are nurtured while other interests fall by the wayside. It is also very apparent what items hold a special emotional attachment to them as they continue to turn up while others are left behind.

From a pure gameplay perspective, Unpacking is about taking things out of boxes and then finding a proper space for them. There are no timers, meters, or scores to put any pressure on players, and for the most part, the game is also pretty lenient about the placement of stuff. Clicking on a box reveals one item, which must be placed in the room before players can take out the next. Once all the boxes have been emptied, the game will highlight anything not appropriately placed in red. Once these items are put in their correct spots, the level ends, and it is on to the next one.

Visually, Unpacking is a treat thanks to the detailed pixel art style. Each level has many items for rooms that range from bedrooms and kitchens to bathrooms and living rooms. Most things are instantly recognizable, too, although we were stumped a few times by certain objects.

While most of the objects are fairly generic household goods, there are also plenty of items that provide a glimpse at the personality of their owner. For example, we can see where she has traveled during her life thanks to the growing number of souvenirs from different countries and that she is a gamer based on her console collection and games. It is also really gratifying to see how hobbies from her childhood become a career path. Of course, there are some sad moments too for those paying attention, but we don’t want to spoil any of the wonderful surprises in the game. Suffice to say that seeing this level of environmental storytelling in such a seemingly simple game is pretty neat.

The incredible visuals of Unpacking are complemented nicely by a soothing soundtrack courtesy of Jeff van Dyck. He is a BAFTA award winning composer and audio director with plenty of great soundtracks behind his name, and Unpacking is no exception. The sound effects are really good, too, and objects will even make a different sound depending on what surface they are being placed on. We had no issue playing the game with a keyboard and mouse, as placing items is as simple as pointing and clicking. Players can also zoom in or out for a closer look, and things can be rotated before placement. In addition, the placement of some items is context-sensitive, so moving a book to a bookshelf will put it down vertically while putting it on a desk or table leaves it lying flat. Most items can also be stacked, and while the game generally doesn’t care how things look as long as they are in the right location, it is pretty satisfying to create order out of chaos.

Overall, Unpacking is an incredible game that had us hooked from start to finish despite its simple premise. Unfortunately, this also meant that we played it in one sitting, and completing the eight levels with 100% achievements took about three hours. Some rooms are definitely more fun to decorate than others, too, and just like in real life, we usually left the kitchen for last. In addition, it’s not always obvious where some items belong as nothing is labeled, which can make it tricky to identify unusual or unfamiliar objects. Thankfully, these situations were few and far between, so for the most part, we had no trouble getting everything into its proper spots. There’s even an option to disable the challenge entirely and allow items to be placed anywhere if that’s what you desire.

Unpacking is very much a casual game, so it might not appeal to everyone. However, Witch Beam should be commended for turning menial tasks into something so much fun. The fact that they also managed to cram in plenty of thought-provoking moments and hidden details is just the cherry on top. We wish there were more to it, but the game leaves an impression that lasts much longer than its playtime.