Unpacking is a charming game – one that targets a specific type of audience. Whether you like interior design, or you’re OCD, or you just want to have a relaxing casual gaming experience, Unpacking delivers flawless execution within its niche. The music, pixel art, small interactions, and thought that went into every possible placement makes this game feel “perfect” at what it does.


If there were more interactions, levels, and maybe even custom levels, co-op, etc., it would start to show its worth, but seeing as I 100% the game in 3.1 hours, it’s questionable why the asking price is so high. Not that the game is in anyway bad or not deserving of a high price, but it’s double a blockbuster movie in pricing, or a third of a triple-A game (roughly) - which is something to consider. I could see myself putting in more hours just to get each layout looking picture perfect, but even that would only maybe take an hour or two.


The gameplay is as it shows: you unpack several boxes, making the house a cluster of different items you have to sort into different locations around the house. Some are obvious where they need to go, others are not. While the game is quite lenient on placement, meaning you could just spam paraphernalia around, there are certain specific story related placements or things that just wouldn’t cross your mind. One in particular, without spoiling anything major, would be a picture you put on a picture board, however you pin it up by stabbing through the face of someone in the picture, giving you a clue as to what you might need to do with this particular item. Also, as you progress, things that were deemed okay placements before, are now seen as bad placements as you get more room to store items. It’s not hard to figure things out for the most part, and all achievements are quite obvious/easy to get. If you take your time, and you really put thought into your design, you should have little-to-no issues, and the game might be even more enjoyable that way. Or you could be like me, and try speedrun each level, ending up with a sense of “chaotic order” by the time you're done with them.

Unpacking has a lot of LGBTQ+ themes, and I’d argue that while the story itself explores other areas of life, and the overall game is about progressing through life as a whole, the LGBTQ+ narrative is the most overarching. This might be a turn off for you, or maybe something that you’d enjoy – however it’s not obvious, with it being its 15th tag, and subtly hinted throughout each level. It’s up to you whether you care about this or not, but I thought I’d add this to my review, as politically divisive messages like this might not be everyone's cup of tea.


Unpacking is a cute and casual game, one that covers a woman’s life, with each object you unpack telling its own story. The music has a certain melancholy to it, giving a sense of nostalgic depression, as you interact with all her belongings – some new, some old, some upgraded, some hidden, some forgotten, and some destroyed. Explore the different hobbies, lifestyle choices, passions, jobs, and relationships, as you organise her into each new house/space. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, despite how short it was. It made me reflect on my own life and the different objects that have passed through it, and the stories that they tell.

I recommend getting Unpacking on sale, and spending time with it, not rushing the experience; think about each item, and try to uncover the stories hidden within...

[h2] Introduction [/h2] Unpacking is a charming game – one that targets a specific type of audience. Whether you like interior design, or you’re OCD, or you just want to have a relaxing casual gaming experience, Unpacking delivers flawless execution within its niche. The music, pixel art, small interactions, and thought that went into every possible placement makes this game feel “perfect” at what it does. [h2] Cost [/h2] If there were more interactions, levels, and maybe even custom levels, co-op, etc., it would start to show its worth, but seeing as I 100% the game in 3.1 hours, it’s questionable why the asking price is so high. Not that the game is in anyway bad or not deserving of a high price, but it’s double a blockbuster movie in pricing, or a third of a triple-A game (roughly) - which is something to consider. I could see myself putting in more hours just to get each layout looking picture perfect, but even that would only maybe take an hour or two. [h2] Gameplay [/h2] The gameplay is as it shows: you unpack several boxes, making the house a cluster of different items you have to sort into different locations around the house. Some are obvious where they need to go, others are not. While the game is quite lenient on placement, meaning you could just spam paraphernalia around, there are certain specific story related placements or things that just wouldn’t cross your mind. One in particular, without spoiling anything major, would be a picture you put on a picture board, however you pin it up by stabbing through the face of someone in the picture, giving you a clue as to what you might need to do with this particular item. Also, as you progress, things that were deemed okay placements before, are now seen as bad placements as you get more room to store items. It’s not hard to figure things out for the most part, and all achievements are quite obvious/easy to get. If you take your time, and you really put thought into your design, you should have little-to-no issues, and the game might be even more enjoyable that way. Or you could be like me, and try speedrun each level, ending up with a sense of “chaotic order” by the time you're done with them. Unpacking has a lot of LGBTQ+ themes, and I’d argue that while the story itself explores other areas of life, and the overall game is about progressing through life as a whole, the LGBTQ+ narrative is the most overarching. This might be a turn off for you, or maybe something that you’d enjoy – however it’s not obvious, with it being its 15th tag, and subtly hinted throughout each level. It’s up to you whether you care about this or not, but I thought I’d add this to my review, as politically divisive messages like this might not be everyone's cup of tea. [h2] Conclusion [/h2] Unpacking is a cute and casual game, one that covers a woman’s life, with each object you unpack telling its own story. The music has a certain melancholy to it, giving a sense of nostalgic depression, as you interact with all her belongings – some new, some old, some upgraded, some hidden, some forgotten, and some destroyed. Explore the different hobbies, lifestyle choices, passions, jobs, and relationships, as you organise her into each new house/space. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, despite how short it was. It made me reflect on my own life and the different objects that have passed through it, and the stories that they tell. I recommend getting Unpacking on sale, and spending time with it, not rushing the experience; think about each item, and try to uncover the stories hidden within...