Unpacking
A truly “moving” story
by Katrina Gutierrez
Review Date: February 10, 2022
Developer: Witch Beam
Publisher: Humble Games
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Price: $19.99
Available on PC, Mac, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
Version reviewed: PC
Your stuff can say a lot about you. From your hobbies, favorite movies, sense of style, to even your tendencies, what you own reflects your personality and your journey. Unpacking(2021) is a puzzle game where you, as the player, unpack, organize, and decorate the things of a newly moved-in character as they enter one new home to another.
The game takes you on the ordinary adventure of a person’s life, starting from their childhood bedroom to their first house. Unlike conventional storytelling, where you often start with a backstory in detail, there is no text, no dialogue, and no character to be seen or heard throughout almost the entire gameplay. When you begin the first chapter of the game, set in the year 1997, you are given but a sparingly furnished room and a few boxes. The premise is not clearly disclosed nor are you presented with any information about the main character. At least, not until you begin to slowly unravel their story with every item you unbox.
Oftentimes, the unseen protagonist takes with them significant memorabilia and accessories in addition to gaining new ones throughout their journey, which convey their hobbies and identity. Souvenirs of monuments illustrate where they’ve traveled. Sketchbooks and game controllers tell us that character is an artist and an avid gamer. Each possession intuitively unveils an interesting aspect of their personality. Despite the absence of clear context, Unpacking still successfully delivers an impactful story.
As you unload familiar garments and personal essentials into new homes, you begin to find unrecognized possessions. New characters with different hobbies and interests create pieces of this ever-growing puzzle. We start to look beyond the protagonist’s superficial characteristics and understand their relationships and struggles, from friendships, heartbreaks, to new love, which suits for a very compelling narrative.
Unpacking also offers fairly smooth and easy gameplay. The goal is to help the protagonist settle in their new environments by placing belongings in their proper places. Other than recognizing where certain objects traditionally belong in a household, the player is free to arrange and decorate however they please at their own pace. Doing so in the game is also not a difficult task to understand. On PC, you merely click, drag, and drop an object with your left click and rotate it with your right click. The lack of customary instructions and its straightforward mechanics leaves for a rather simple, yet comforting zen-like experience. This simplicity pairs well with the subtle, yet satisfying click-and-drop sound effects as well as the relaxing music ambiance.
Unpacking, however, is not without its flaws. Objects can sometimes have unclear restrictions on where they can be placed. The game clarifies this by highlighting that item with a red outline indicating that you should relocate it. Obviously, toilet paper does not belong in the kitchen. But if let’s say, you want to decorate the protagonist’s work desk with their favorite stuffed pig, you simply cannot progress in the game unless it's elsewhere, like their bed or on a shelf. You are granted a few conspicuous spaces, but nonetheless, still bounded by several more vague object limitations.
This game conveys emotion and drama even without the formal tools of storytelling. It’s cozy yet immersive and engaging, a mystery that is far from ambiguous. Unpacking is a beautifully and intricately crafted game that presents an overall inviting and memorable experience.
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics/Visuals: 10/10
Music: 9/10
Story: 10/10
Replay value: 6/10 (Very quick to complete which is not comparable to the price)
Katrina Gutierrez is an Interactive Multimedia student at TCNJ who enjoys playing games.
