- Publisher: Witch Beam
- Release Date: Nov 2, 2021
- Also On: PC, Xbox One
- Summary: Unpacking is a zen puzzle 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.
- Developer: Witch Beam
- Genre(s): Puzzle, Action, General
- Cheats: On GameFAQs
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 8
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Mixed: 1 out of 8
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Negative: 0 out of 8
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Nov 4, 2021But, like I've said, those nifty puzzles are just the jumping-off point for what makes this such a remarkable, memorable experience. A clever game of unloading boxes would have been enough to make Unpacking worth playing, but it's the way it weaves its beautiful story through those puzzles that makes it truly sublime.
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Nov 1, 2021To make a process that is usually so mundane into something so magical makes Unpacking a must play.
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Nov 10, 2021I started Unpacking mostly expecting an interesting puzzle game about item placement and ended up with a story and protagonist I cared about. The art is beautiful, the world detailed, and the ambient sound of simple things, like a refrigerator running, put you in the world. Beyond minor woes, Unpacking does everything you’d want in a puzzle game and then some.
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Nov 1, 2021That's what makes Unpacking such a treat. I peered into the life of someone else and saw myself. It compelled me to look back on my own experiences, the good and the bad, through the simple act of unpacking the contents of their life. Unpacking may be a zen puzzle game that's just relaxing for some, but for me it was a more profound experience that I'll never forget. Sometimes we put our past into proverbial boxes; ripping off the tape and rediscovering what we hid away can be cathartic and illuminating.
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Nov 3, 2021When Animal Crossing: New Horizons released around the time people were going into lockdowns across the globe, a lot of people praised the way it helped people. Unpacking is exactly that for me right now with so many long games and deadlines. It has been a perfect game to dip into as a break from longer and more stressful games. While the gameplay might be too simple for some, Unpacking has managed to make something as mundane as arranging furniture and items be a lot of fun. It also helps that Unpacking on Nintendo Switch makes great use of the system’s features.
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Nov 1, 2021If this review has sounded a little contemplative, it’s a testament to some clever design that invites you into that headspace. Arranging the protagonist’s collection of belongings is a subtle but thoughtful way of telling a person’s life story without saying a word, and the act of doing so, as well as how you choose to do it, might just end up saying a bit about yourself. Unpacking is a calming, enjoyable journey through time that is as satisfying as it is self-reflective. Much like every object you unpack, this game itself is simple and unassuming at face value. The sentimentality you choose to attach to it, however, is up to you.
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Nov 1, 2021Unpacking on Switch doesn’t quite stick the landing of the zen experience it aspires to be, but if you can tolerate some frustrating interfaces and controls, this is still a game worth exploring. Just maybe consider playing it on PC since that experience should be much stronger without the control caveats.
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2 out of 4
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Mixed: 1 out of 4
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Negative: 1 out of 4
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Nov 25, 2021
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Dec 16, 2021
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Dec 8, 2021I honestly thought it's gonna be much better. it is still fun but i don't know..... it's just not THAT good.
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Nov 18, 2021
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