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Unpacking (video game)

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Unpacking
Developer(s)Witch Beam
Publisher(s)Humble Bundle
Director(s)Wren Brier
Producer(s)
  • Kip Bunyea
  • Erika Mariko Olsen
Designer(s)
  • Wren Brier
  • Tim Dawson
Programmer(s)Tim Dawson
Composer(s)Jeff van Dyck
Platform(s)
ReleaseWindows, Switch, Xbox One
  • WW: November 2, 2021
PS4, PS5
  • WW: May 10, 2022
iOS, Android
  • WW: August 24, 2023
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Unpacking is a puzzle video game developed by Witch Beam and published by Humble Bundle for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The game received positive reviews, and won several awards, including two BAFTA Games Awards, a D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, and Game of the Year by Eurogamer.

Gameplay

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The game is divided into stages[1] named by the years in which they take place: 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. In each stage, the player unpacks a female character's possessions from boxes into a new dwelling. Each unpacked item must be fit into the living space, learning the unseen and unnamed protagonist's life story through her possessions and the places she lives.[2] Some items have designated places they must be put into in order to complete the stage. There are a total of 35 rooms across all dwellings.[3]

Development

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The development team accepting Best Audio at the 22nd Game Developers Choice Awards

Unpacking was developed by Witch Beam, an independent game studio based in Brisbane, Australia. The studio was founded in 2013 and had previously released Assault Android Cactus, a twin-stick shooter, in 2015. The game was first conceptualized by Wren Brier when she moved in with her partner, Witch Beam co-director Tim Dawson, in early 2018. She found that unpacking unlabelled boxes, not knowing what is stored inside, was an experience that could be translated into a video game. The two participated in the Stugan games accelerator program in Sweden, and the game entered full production in early 2019.

Unpacking is mostly a wordless experience, with the narrative mainly told through objects the player unpacks from boxes.[4] The team put a lot of thought into making Unpacking's accessible: The nearly wordless nature of the game ensures that anyone who may have language or comprehension barriers can still enjoy playing the game, and many additional accessibility features were implemented.[5]

The sound design includes over 14,000 foley effects, with multiple pick-up and placement sound effects unique to each item.[6]

Release

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While Witch Beam managed most of the game's social media channels, the team recruited Victoria Tran, the community director of Among Us, to help operate Unpacking's Discord server and TikTok account.[4] The team initially expected development of the game to take about a year and a half, though actual production of the game took twice as long.[7] Unpacking was released for personal computers, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on November 2, 2021.[8] Versions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were released on May 10, 2022.[9] Physical versions of the game, published and distributed by Limited Run Games, were available for preorder between March 29 and May 1, 2022.[10]

Reception

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Unpacking received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[11][12][13][14] The game received positive reviews from Rock Paper Shotgun,[24] GameSpot,[2] Eurogamer,[25] Nintendo Life,[18] IGN,[17] Kotaku,[26] and TouchArcade.[22] It sold over 100,000 copies across all platforms in its first ten days.[27] GamesRadar+ praised it for its innovative narrative,[28] and it was awarded a Can I Play That? award for its accessibility.[29] The game was nominated for Game of the Year at the Gayming Awards 2022 and won Best LGBTQ Indie Game and Authentic Representation.[30] Unpacking also won 2 IGDA Global Industry Game Awards in 2022. One for 2D Animation and another for 2D Environment Art.[31]

Awards

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Unpacking was named one of the best video games of 2021 by The New Yorker,[32] Los Angeles Times,[33] Forbes,[34] the Financial Times,[35] CNET,[36] and NME.[37] Eurogamer selected Unpacking as their Game of the Year.[38]

With Gayming Magazine, it won Best LGBTQ Indie Game and Authentic Representation Award, and was nominated for Game of the Year.[30]

Year Award Category Result Ref
2021 Australian Game Developer Awards Game of the Year Won [39]
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game Won
Excellence in Accessibility Won
2022 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game Won [40]
Game Developers Choice Awards Best Audio Won [41][42]
Innovation Award Won
Best Narrative Nominated
Independent Games Festival Awards Seamus McNally Grand Prize Nominated [43][42]
Excellence in Narrative Nominated
Excellence in Design Nominated
Excellence in Audio Nominated
18th British Academy Games Awards Family Game Nominated [44]
Narrative Won
Original Property Nominated
EE Game of the Year Won
IGDA Global Industry Game Awards 2D Animation Won [31]
2D Environmental Art Won
2023 Peabody Awards Interactive & Immersive Pending [45]

References

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  1. ^ Tran, Edmond (November 2, 2021). "Unpacking Review - A poignant reflection on the ups and downs of life". GamesHub. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Petite, Steven (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking Review - The Things We Carry". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  3. ^ Kerr, Chris (November 16, 2021). "Intimacy from the inanimate in house-moving puzzler Unpacking". Game Developer. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Button, Chris (November 2, 2021). "The making of Unpacking: From bullet-hell to domestic heaven". GamesHub. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  5. ^ Bayliss, Ben (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking Accessibility Review". Can I Play That?. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  6. ^ Notis, Ari (November 4, 2021). "Hit Puzzle Game Unpacking Features 14,000 (!) Audio Files Replicating Ordinary Sounds". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  7. ^ Dealessandri, Marie (October 19, 2021). "How Unpacking kept a steady heartbeat after going viral years before launch". GameIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  8. ^ Beckhelling, Imogen (November 2, 2021). "Have a chill time moving house in Unpacking, out now". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "Unpacking for PS5, PS4 launches May 10". Gematsu. May 6, 2022. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  10. ^ Devore, Jordan (April 1, 2022). "Limited Run's Unpacking physical edition is up for pre-order on Switch, PS4, and PS5". Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Unpacking for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Unpacking for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Unpacking for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Unpacking for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  15. ^ Jones, Brandon (November 2, 2021). "Review: Unpacking". Easy Allies. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  16. ^ LeClair, Kyle (November 1, 2021). "Review: Unpacking". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  17. ^ a b LeBoeuf, Sarah (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Ingram, Roland (November 10, 2021). "Unpacking Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  19. ^ Ronaghan, Neal (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Banas, Graham (May 12, 2022). "Mini Review: Unpacking (PS5) - Making Chores Fun". Push Square. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  21. ^ Mejia, Ozzie (November 2, 2021). "Unpacking review: Does it spark joy?". Shacknews. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Stuart, Keith (November 9, 2021). "Unpacking review – moving house has never been so moving". The Guardian. Guardian Media group plc. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  23. ^ Musgrave, Shaun (November 2, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'DUSK' and 'Dungeon Encounters', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  24. ^ Bell, Alice (November 9, 2021). "Unpacking review: the exact same joy as unwrapping a kinder egg and building the toy inside". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  25. ^ Hetfeld, Malindy (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking review - incredibly satisfying tidy-'em-up". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  26. ^ Plunkett, Luke (November 4, 2021). "Unpacking: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  27. ^ Kerr, Chris (December 14, 2021). "Unpacking topped 100k sales in 10 days". Game Developer. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  28. ^ Stuart, Keith (December 22, 2021). "7 innovative video game moments that pushed game design forward in 2021". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  29. ^ "Can I Play That? Accessibility Awards 2021 — The Winners". Can I Play That?. December 13, 2021. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Gayming Awards 2022". Gayming Magazine. Gray Jones Media Ltd. April 28, 2022. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  31. ^ a b "2022 IGDA Global Industry Game Awards Winners Announced – IGDA". Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  32. ^ Parkin, Simon (December 12, 2021). "The Best Video Games of 2021". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  33. ^ Martens, Todd (December 14, 2021). "The 10 essential games of 2021 that helped us define who we are now". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  34. ^ Gardner, Matt (December 21, 2021). "The Top 10 Indie Games Of 2021 On Consoles And PC, Ranked". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  35. ^ Faber, Tom (December 20, 2021). "Top 10 games of 2021". Financial Times. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  36. ^ Fillari, Alessandro (December 17, 2021). "CNET's 2021 Game of the Year awards". CNET. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  37. ^ "The 20 best games of 2021". NME. December 6, 2021. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  38. ^ Robinson, Martin (December 30, 2021). "Eurogamer's game of the year is…". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  39. ^ "2021 winners announced for the Australian Game Developer Awards". GCAP21 Raising the Bar. October 6, 2021. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  40. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (25 February 2022). "DICE Awards 2022 Winners: The Full List". IGN. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  41. ^ Hafford, Hayden (December 7, 2021). "The Game Awards 2021: Nominees, start times, and where to watch". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  42. ^ a b Dealessandri, Marie (March 24, 2022). "Inscryption wins big at GDC and IGF Awards". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  43. ^ Van Allen, Eric (January 11, 2022). "IGF 2022 nominees include Inscryption, Unpacking, and more". Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  44. ^ Purslow, Matt (March 3, 2022). "BAFTA Games Awards 2022 Nominations Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  45. ^ Hipes, Patrick (April 13, 2023). "Peabodys Nominations Include 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Better Call Saul', 'Fire Of Love'; PBS Leads Field". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
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