Unpacking review – Make space in your games library for this one

Every one of us comes with baggage. Literally. Even the most militant Marie Kondo disciple will have some item that perpetually “sparks joy,” with the result being that it journeys through life with them. A childhood plush toy. A framed diploma. Expensive heirloom silverware. Even a clumsily painted souvenir Big Ben. What keepsakes we choose to take with us, and what we leave behind (or even burn), reveals a lot about us.

That’s an insight at the core of Unpacking, from Australian indie developers Witch Beam, and published by Humble Games. Chilled and charming, Unpacking is a satisfying low-effort puzzle game on multiple levels.

On the surface, over three to four hours of playtime, you progress through eight stages by unpacking moving boxes and finding a place for their contents in increasingly complex living spaces. Free of the stress that comes with moving house in real life, Unpacking is an immensely gratifying, and replayable, home decorating sim that players can tweak to their wants through a very accommodating Accessibility menu.

Don’t want the anxiety of assessment when you’ve fully unpacked a stage? Tick the “Allow items anywhere” box to disable the puzzle aspect of the game (some possessions have rigid set positions), and just relish pottering around in a series of colourful, yet credible, domestic environments.

For the record, certain item interactions and placements will unlock achievements and, more importantly, stickers to further enhance the game’s photo mode. Then there’s a Quick Playback video option, and gif export of the same fast-forwarded unpacking replay.

If all you want from Unpacking is a zen, wholesome gameplay experience (unusually more comfortable with keyboard and mouse than controller), it ticks those boxes. And yet the game also goes beyond lightweight expectations to offer something more; something meatier: a touching tale of one person’s life, told almost entirely through their possessions and changing residences.

Over the course of 21 years, from 1997 to 2018, we follow the game’s unseen protagonist – we can assume a cis woman due to their traditionally female wardrobe and toiletries – as they progress from adolescence through college into adulthood, with all the relatable highs and lows of independence.

When you complete a stage of Unpacking, a photo is taken of your efforts, and it’s pasted into an album with a single sentence underneath to give it context. This is the extent of the game’s confirmed narrative. Drawing heavily on the notion that the contents of our home reflects who we are, Unpacking offers a story and character jigsaw in addition to its block-fitting challenge.

Players essentially become anthropologists or “lived present” archaeologists, making assumptions based on the evidence they encounter in the evolving environments. For example, a dreidel and menorah establish that our protagonist is Jewish. She pursues a career in the visual arts, with her stationery supplies, reference books, and tablet always coming with her. There’s even a relationship red flag of moving in with a partner who has set aside no space for her in his tiny Sydney apartment. Right from the start of this particular stage, you know how things are going to end.

Even if you only go through it once or twice in your lifetime, moving is a tedious and exhausting experience. But it’s also an opportunity for change. Good change. Without a spoken word, Witch Beam conveys that heart-warming progression surprisingly well. Maybe I’m just feeling especially frayed right now, but I was shocked when I reached the game’s post-credits scene, and teared up. I’d been emotionally hooked by this “casual, cozy game” – which doesn’t even neglect queer experience – and I didn’t even realise it.

It turns out that the immersive, satisfying, and all-round feel-good experience Unpacking offers is as much about finding a place for things as it is about watching its lead character find her place in life and love.

Released on November 2, Unpacking is available now for PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox. It’s also currently playable with Xbox Game Pass for console and PC.