Unpacking Game Review

moving in real life is the worst. But in Unpacking, a game its creators call a “Zen puzzle,” it somehow becomes cozy and comforting. The game takes you through a series of homes that represent the life of a character you never actually see, spanning from 1997 to 2018. It turns out, you can learn a lot about someone just by looking at the stuff they bring with them from place to place.

The gameplay is super simple—you’re basically taking things out of boxes and finding where they go—but it works. And it sticks with you. It’s the kind of game that reminds you how creative storytelling in video games can still surprise you.

A Story Told Through Stuff: The Narrative Power of Objects

You might not think arranging plates and stacking books would be interesting, but weirdly, it is. Maybe it’s because a lot of us have been there. Personally, I moved a ton because my dad was in the military. That moment when your stuff starts to come out of the boxes. That’s when it starts to feel like your space. That’s the feeling Unpacking nails.

The game doesn’t waste time with tutorials or cutscenes. No character models, no dialogue—just you, some boxes, and a point-and-click interface. You start in a childhood bedroom and move through stages of life: college dorms, shared apartments, new homes. Each object you pull out gives you tiny clues about who this person is. Art supplies, game controllers, souvenirs, postcards—it all adds up. You piece together their story just by figuring out where everything belongs.

There’s no score, no timer, and no pressure. That makes it super easy to get lost in for hours without realizing it. It’s calm, low-stress, and the soft background music and satisfying clicks make it feel even more chill. The pixel art is adorable, though sometimes it’s hard to tell what an item is supposed to be.

The only real hiccup is with the photo mode. I got excited when I unpacked a camera early on and unlocked it—but honestly, it felt a little underwhelming. You can add filters and stickers, but I thought those snapshots would show up in the in-game photo album or be used somehow, and they didn’t. Not a huge deal, but in a game that’s all about memories, it felt like a missed opportunity.

Final Thoughts: A Quiet Masterpiece in Storytelling and Design

Bottom line? Unpacking is short, sweet, and surprisingly emotional. It tells a whole life story without saying a single word—just through rooms, objects, and a timeline. And it really got me thinking about all the stuff I’ve hauled from place to place over the years… and what those things say about me.

If you like this review and want to see more, you can click here.  My snapchat is Cara_lynn97. Twitter and Instagram are the same. I stream on twitch multiple days a week! Be sure to follow me to see the live playthroughs of games and anything else I might do and post online.