By Kendyl Brower
Unpacking captures the experience of, you guessed it, unpacking. Offering a relaxing, organizational game, users place things around the house and reveal much more than tangible goods. Unpacking turns the mundane experience of moving into one of emotional intimacy and leisure. With eight different moves, users walk through a character’s life, from a child’s bedroom to a dorm to a house. Each move unpacks new storylines and personal details about the character as you put away new and old items. Seeing what the character holds onto, their interests, aspirations, and setbacks through materialized goods reveal more and more with every box. Users put away everything in a home, from extra rolls of toilet paper under the bathroom sink to magnets on the kitchen fridge. My only complaint: the game needs to be longer! I was able to finish Unpacking in a couple of days, and once completed, I was yearning for more. Though the game is quite short, it is thoroughly enjoyable, addicting, and blissful. I adored discovering so much about a character while simultaneously decorating the house with treasures. If you love interior design or games such as Sims or Animal Crossing, I believe you will love to play Unpacking! It is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One for $19.99.