It is known that moving house is one of the most stressful experiences that we go through and yet we often do it multiple times. We pack up our entire life into cardboard boxes with some tissue paper and bubble wrap holding all our fragile memories. Playing Tetris with the boxes in the moving van, closing the door and hoping it makes it to the other side intact and then in reverse unpacking it all and deciding where it all should go in the new space.
You can tell a lot about someone when you enter their house for the first time, how many pairs of shoes are tittering on the shoe rack or silently judging their bookcase. We all have our own preferences on where we like to store our cleaning products or what order the cutlery drawer should go in and so Unpacking is the perfect game to explore a wordless storyline by satisfying that organisational itch.
Unpacking is an indie puzzle game where, unlike reality, moving house becomes relaxing rather than stressful. The game captures the beautiful art of organisation but with a subtle storyline. It is a classic point and click with stunning pixel style graphics. Unpacking is easy, but there are some puzzle elements to the game as sometimes there isn’t room left for certain objects or they need to be placed in a specific location. However, it’s not so challenging as moving house in real life so you can enjoy the game without those frustrations. When you first begin the game, you skip the often overly long tutorial that’s common in other games and get straight into unpacking your first room. Although you never meet the character behind the story, it has a unique way of telling their life story through the objects and knickknacks you pull out from cardboard boxes. The game begins in the year 1997 and each level is a new house. The levels don’t necessarily get harder but instead you move with the character into their next life stage. You help move the character into university, their first boyfriend, first girlfriend and eventually into their forever home.
What makes this game so addictive is that it gives you the freedom to organise as much or as little as you want, you can decide on aesthetics or how objects are arranged but you can also decide on satisfying practical details such as what pictures should go on the wall or where to fit the never-ending mugs. Each item you pull from boxes is a surprise with some recurring items which move with you and the character to each new house. You can rearrange the items as much as you want, and the game mechanic gives you a satisfying stacking ability to allow you to be as neat as you desire. As you unpack the room, you also unpack your own memories. We all relate to growing up and moving out; this game gives you nostalgic vibes and subtle hopes for the future as you watch the character go through familiar life stages. Once you finish a level, a photograph is taken and saved in a scrapbook with one written line summarising the core memory that the character has just gone through.
The storyline is something which is so impressively simple but compelling and emotional. You may question how this kind of game can showcase a storyline, but the game creators have come up with some very creative ways to do this. Firstly, the objects showcase the kind of person the character is, for example, there are lots of drawing supplies and artwork. You also find photographs, memory books and even gain some belongings which may have been owned by roommates or family. As you progress through the rooms, you see the character move into university and eventually find their career path, but they also experience romantic relationships. Without giving too much away, these relationships are shown through the different houses. For example, the character moves into what is very clearly an apartment belonging to a man, but it doesn’t match the same vibe and interests the character has. Subtly, there are less spots to put our belongings and you feel restricted. There isn’t even enough space for the characters’ achievements like their diploma which makes you as the player dislike this relationship. This was such a beautiful way to explore the storyline and provoke these emotional moments for the player, especially with a moment of returning home after a breakup.
The game itself is short with gameplay of about 5 – 6 hours, but you can replay the levels as much as you want and come up with different ways to organise the rooms. You can even compare how you styled each level with friends and family with the photo feature. Although the game came out a while ago and may not be as relevant now, it was certainly overpriced for what the game is. Now it’s dropped in price and is frequently part of holiday sales, so is the perfect game to buy for the New Year. Although many called for a sequel game, it hasn’t been confirmed by the developers but if you enjoy it then you will love the game A Little to the Left.
Overall, Unpacking is a game which appeals to everyone as a universal experience but just wait for when it goes on sale. It showcases a beautiful story of maturity where we get a glimpse into someone else’s life while relating to our own experiences.
Kommentare