Unpacking Reviews
Usually when you think of casual games puzzles and the like are usually what comes to mind, or perhaps something akin to a visual novel...
Unpacking is a point and click moving game where you go in to sort the objects in the boxes and stay for the details.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I ended Unpacking with a huge smile on my face. Offering a truly unique storytelling experience, one few games can really compare to, I loved seeing a developer very much go their own way and try something different, especially since it all came together so wonderfully. Combine that with the zen-like comforts of designing these various rooms and Unpacking is a game that players should definitely unpack. Now to get back to unpacking my own stuff.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent more time thinking about the objects that I own (apart from that time I watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and accidentally got rid of half of our stuff). I come from a long line of renters and have moved around a decent amount of times. And yet, some things – a Beanie Baby named Freckles, a box of old photographs – have moved along with me, adding permanence to something transient. Ultimately, Unpacking resonated so deeply with me, more so than any narrative-heavy games I’ve played this year. Life is not about things. After all, we don’t take things with us in the end. But things do tell a story of who we were. Things take on a meaning that we perhaps don’t even realize they have. Things are an outward clue about the things that matter to us. Unpacking shows this in a way I had never thought about before, just by forcing me to place each item one by one, and it reminds me of the unique power of video games to tell a story in a way that cannot exist in any other medium. I took the wine cooler. It lives on my windowsill. I use it to store kitchen utensils, and I don’t really notice it anymore. But every time I reach for a spatula, I see it. It reminds me, subtly, of my roots, of where I came from. And that’s no small thing. Look, I’m getting emotional. Just play Unpacking, alright? It’s gorgeous. You won’t regret it.
Unpacking is a remarkable piece of work that elegantly evokes the ebbs and flows of life.
Unpacking may take only a handful of hours to complete, but it stays with you for far longer. A beautiful, emotional, and unforgettable story awaits beyond a simple and calming puzzle-solving experience. Simply put, this is one of the best games of 2021.
Sometimes, all we need is just some peace and quiet, and Unpacking reminds us that life is filled with those moments. So we should appreciate them whenever we can, even when just opening boxes all day.
Unpacking is undoubtedly a very complete game in his field, and that everything he does, he does it well. It is an "all" that makes it a very good game. Graphically, it complies with what is proposed, with an outstanding artistic section. An excellent sound section with a huge palette of sounds, along with an OST that accompanies us throughout our adventure. Playable, it is very simple, being accessible to all audiences
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you’re looking for something chill to play in between the stressful first-person shooters this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with this calm puzzle game, one that doesn’t overstay its welcome either, lasting only a few hours max. At the end of the day, Unpacking unpacks, a captivating story through its use of the stuff we collect in our lives.
As such, Unpacking is a surprise all on its own. It can be a short 3-5 hour adventure but has so much to appreciate in it. Opening up boxes and sorting the items into a house never sounded fun or engaging to me at first. But it prevailed by having such a unique way of telling its story, finding a simple way to be compelling. While the gameplay, while simple as well, always remained fun and engaging. It’s a niche experience, that is easily recommendable, especially at its price.
Unpacking is a truly satisfying and wholesome experience for me. The soundtrack is especially great and even made me cry.
Review in German | Read full review
Unpacking is a lovely game to play, a thoughtfully crafted experience where an empathetic approach rewards the player.
Although the idea may sound simplistic for anyone who is used to large video game productions with open worlds and thousands of complex missions, Unpacking surprises with the amount of details and the narrative communicated exclusively by scenario's elements. Although the game's story is one, ours are many and are changeable according to the sense we want to preserve from our own narratives. May we always be open to our own changes.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Unpacking is an incredibly accessible, meditative game revolving around room decoration and block-fitting puzzles. There is no pressure here and the only target is to make each environment a satisfying place for the main character to live. This may not be the type of game that you usually play but it is well worth checking out, although short sessions of a level at a time may be a good idea due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay. Being another recent arrival to Xbox Game Pass there really is no reason not to try it. Let’s just hope the neighbours are ok, but let’s face it, they never are!
Unpacking is a lovely little indie gem. If you are a puzzle player like me who wants to get lost in playing a game, this one is certainly addictive. Even more so if you want to experience a nice little story and maybe ponder about life. I highly recommend it!
Unpacking was absolutely worth the wait. A delightful experience in every sense of the phrase, Unpacking will resonate with anyone who loves that feeling of fresh possibilities a new place offers. Even in its downturned moments, that unflappable optimism shines through, giving players a sense of excitement with each unpacked item. With its charming aesthetics, playful nature, and nuanced storytelling that will tug at your heartstrings, Unpacking unequivocally deserves a place in your game library.
A lot of puzzle games involve finding the right place for things. In Tetris, you try to organize tetrominos to create perfect rows. In Puyo Puyo, you want the puyos to fall into the right places to trigger combos. Upon closer review, Unpacking is a game that is sort of similar, though the item placement involves no competition, no stress, and almost no worries about doing things “wrong.”
Unpacking is truly a unique game that has done something no other video game has done before by crafting such a tremendously relatable character out of nothing but the rather mundaneness of unpacking boxes.