Like myself, the character had neglected exercise for a while, so the yoga mat went under the bed, but the video game and Blu-Ray collections were displayed prominently.Įverything, from the gameplay loop of opening boxes and discovering its contents, to the beautiful pixel art, and the lovely small flourishes – be it the satisfying box-disappearance animation or the ridiculously detailed foley – is an absolute joy. Some objects required specific placement, but others gave you the freedom to show the character’s priorities. What I loved about Unpacking, even more than the satisfaction of putting things away tidily (what a fantasy!), was how it inherently let you put a bit of yourself into the story. It turns out you can say a lot with very few words by showing someone’s possessions at various stages of their lives. It’s not a game that seeks to challenge you – unless you have very specific ideas about where household items belong – instead, it understands that everyone plays in their own way. Possibly the game I enjoyed most consistently from start to end in 2021, Unpacking is a masterclass in narrative design. It’s a game that understands the connected nature of human existence, and how ‘things’ can come to define people in strange and personal ways.Īs a look at the modern human experience, Unpacking is brilliant in every way. It’s a relaxing game, it’s a wholesome game, and at times it depicts sadness in ways that are rarely explored in traditional media. There’s a layer of care here that makes the game sing, and it’s why Unpacking is one of the most unique games of 2021. Rather than focusing on the ‘telling’, Unpacking is all about the ‘show’ as you literally unpack the life of a mysterious figure.Įach object has been carefully thought of, as has its placement in the game’s world. Unpacking is a treat of a game that explores a dense narrative with no traditional storytelling tools to speak of. – Edmond Tranįrameborder="0" allow="accelerometer autoplay clipboard-write encrypted-media gyroscope picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> It’s simply one of the most cohesive, delightful, heartwarming, and memorable games of 2021. And even without a point of comparison, Unpacking so clearly excels in every part of its design. There is nothing else out there quite like Unpacking. The opportunity to organise a fresh set of kitchen or bathroom drawers is a chance for your own kind of domestic creative style and expression. The act of having way too much stuff to fit neatly in the space you’re given might be reminiscent of similar stress in your own life. It might be a DVD or a GameCube game with art that’s just evocative enough to make you recall the time you brought those things with you in a move. Broader narrative aside, it’s wonderful how Unpacking can tickle those personal emotional centres in your brain by simply letting you pull something from a box. Most significantly though, I feel like it’s one of the most relatable video games in recent memory, and there’s a lot of power in that. When the demo for Unpacking became available long ago, I played it repeatedly. The sight of perfectly-lined sock drawers or neatly stacked plates is a great joy. The rustle of paper, the clink of the drinking glasses, the sloshing of the hot water bottle, and the satisfying thuds when you place all those objects. Read: The making of Unpacking: From bullet-hell to domestic heavenīut something should be said for just how well-executed the actual motions of unpacking in Unpacking are, too - the utilitarian but attractive pixel art, the phenomenal sound design, and all the subtle touches that make this abstracted version of unpacking feel so real (despite the abstraction), and so good to do (despite the mundanity). The high degree of thought and surgically-precise design decisions employed to create the game’s understated, powerful moments is masterful. If you haven’t, believe me – it really is that strong. If you’ve played it, you’ll likely relate. #Unpacking xbox fullWhen you see people talking about the virtues of Unpacking, you’ll hear about the clever ways it manages to tell a story, full of emotional twists and turns, through the act of unpacking boxes and putting away a person’s possessions. A finely crafted, one-of-a-kind game, Unpacking is GamesHub’s Game of the Year for 2021.Ĭongratulations to the team at Witch Beam: Wren Brier (Creative Director), Tim Dawson (Technical Director), Jeff van Dyck (Audio Director), Angus Doolan (Pixel Artist), Michelle Whitehead (Pixel Artist) and Angela van Dyck (Audio Assistant).īelow you’ll find a few of our personal endorsements of the game.
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