Unpacking Reviews
Little cute game with unpacking items in your new home.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
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 undoubtedly a game as entertaining and relaxing, as stressful if they suffer from anxiety or some obsessive compulsive disorder related to order. I must also admit that it is not a game for everyone, since the lack of some kind of challenge, extra modes, or even a story with a more interesting presentation, may not be to everyone's liking.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Unpacking manages to do several things very well, all at the same time. It's a touching story told through interaction, it provides the creative play space of a great dollhouse game, and it deftly applies established game design ideas from completely different genres. Its only real shortcoming is the repetition that is a necessary byproduct of landing its message. Effort has gone into making the controls satisfying on Switch, and the visual and sound design are delightful throughout, making Unpacking, like any sane person's cutlery, absolutely top-drawer.
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!
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 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 is real gem that deserves a wide audience. It is short, but the sheer love and care put into the entire game shines through at every turn and the careful balance achieved between freedom and restriction ensures satisfaction without frustration. Add in a wonderfully realised and intimate narrative that makes brilliant use of the values we place upon objects and you have an indie game that should find a place in your collection.
This compact little puzzle-story-game has care in every line. It tells a lovely story without words, leaves you room for interpretation, and invites you to be playful. It's absolutely lovely.
Two decades of house moves are condensed into one relaxing puzzle as you help the narrator to unpack – and unpick her life in the process
Unpacking is a zen and satisfying experience, but it's much more than just a game with minimalist but oh so effective gameplay. Without a word, without an image, the title manages to tell the intimate and touching story of a woman over the most significant moments of her life.
Review in French | Read full review
Engaging, relaxing, cathartic, Unpacking turns a laborious real-life exercise into a beautiful experience. Undoing the boxes at every stage of the main character's life provides a nice sense of accomplishment.
Review in French | Read full review
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.
Unpacking is a jewel, one of those video games able to leave its mark thanks to their extreme simplicity, and the ability they have to communicate themselves and their stories through gameplay, without disturbing words.
Review in Italian | Read full review
But, 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.
Ultimately, though, the majority of the game’s value and impact comes from the three or so hours it will take you to play through for the first time, and for some people, what’s here is not going to be quite enough to leave you feeling completely satiated. For some, this will be a matter of the depressingly ever-present “monetary value versus amount of content on offer” question; for me, though, it was more about a sense of the game’s more artistic, narrative elements simply not quite feeling like they resolved in a completely satisfactory manner.
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 remarkable piece of work that elegantly evokes the ebbs and flows of life.