Unpacking

Developer: Witch Beam
Steam Deck Compatibility?: Verified
Rrp: £15.49 (Gog.com, Humblebundle and Steam)

Unpacking is one of the growing number of ‘cosy’ games I’ve been seeing appear within the indie sphere. So what does cosy mean when it comes to a video game? I’ve taken it to mean a game with little to no stakes, one that is more about a general feeling, something with low stress and generally a cute and comforting aesthetic. In that regard this game definitely fits that bill, its a wonderful little experience.

What makes this game so interesting is that it manages to tell you the general direction of an individuals life just though what you unpack after each move and where they go. You follow this person from their childhood bedroom into university and beyond, each time unpacking their boxes and seeing what items survive the move. You’ll start to see items that always come with you, some that only last a single move and a few that change their state over time.

Each time you finish unpacking any items that are out of place will be given a red outline (unless you tick the ‘put anything anywhere’ box in the options menu). Once you’ve gotten everything where it should be you can move on to the next stage of this persons life.

This game was great, I never thought I’d grow attached to a set of virtual stuffed toys and see the emotional significance of a Gameboy. But that’s the beauty of this game, you can’t help but wonder where their life is leading and how it’ll turn out.

It’s a rather short game, if that sort of thing matters to you, but I found it to be one well worth experiencing.

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