Software:Unpacking (video game)

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Short description: 2021 video game
Unpacking
Unpacking game cover.png
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
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
  • 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

The game is divided into stages named by the years in which they take place: 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. The gameplay in each stage comprises unpacking a female character's possessions from boxes into a new dwelling, representing significant life events. The player is tasked with fitting each unpacked item into the living space, learning the protagonist's life story through her items and the places she lives.[1]

There are eight stages[2] made up of a total of 35 rooms.[3]

Development

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

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

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPC: 84/100[11]
NS: 86/100[12]
XONE: 81/100[13]
PS5: 84/100[14]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Easy Allies8.5/10[15]
GameSpot9/10[1]
Hardcore Gamer4/5[16]
IGN8/10[17]
Nintendo Life9/10 stars[18]
Nintendo World Report6.5/10[19]
Push Square8/10 stars[20]
Shacknews7/10[21]
The Guardian4/5 stars[22]
TouchArcade4.5/5[23]

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,[1] 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

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

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Petite, Steven (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking Review - The Things We Carry". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/unpacking-review-the-things-we-carry/1900-6417774/. 
  2. ↑ Tran, Edmond (November 2, 2021). "Unpacking Review - A poignant reflection on the ups and downs of life". https://www.gameshub.com/news/reviews/unpacking-review-a-poignant-reflection-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-life-6560/. 
  3. ↑ Kerr, Chris (November 16, 2021). "Intimacy from the inanimate in house-moving puzzler Unpacking". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/intimacy-from-the-inanimate-in-house-moving-puzzler-unpacking. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Button, Chris (November 2, 2021). "The making of Unpacking: From bullet-hell to domestic heaven". https://www.gameshub.com/news/features/the-making-of-unpacking-from-bullet-hell-to-domestic-heaven-6597/. 
  5. ↑ Bayliss, Ben (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking Accessibility Review" (in en-US). https://caniplaythat.com/2021/11/01/unpacking-accessibility-review-can-i-play-that-pc/. 
  6. ↑ Notis, Ari (November 4, 2021). "Hit Puzzle Game Unpacking Features 14,000 (!) Audio Files Replicating Ordinary Sounds". https://kotaku.com/hit-puzzle-game-unpacking-features-14-000-audio-fil-1848000220. 
  7. ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (October 19, 2021). "How Unpacking kept a steady heartbeat after going viral years before launch". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-10-19-how-unpacking-kept-a-steady-heartbeat-after-going-viral-years-before-launch. 
  8. ↑ Beckhelling, Imogen (November 2, 2021). "Have a chill time moving house in Unpacking, out now". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-a-chill-time-moving-house-in-unpacking-out-now. 
  9. ↑ "Unpacking for PS5, PS4 launches May 10" (in en-US). May 6, 2022. https://www.gematsu.com/2022/05/unpacking-for-ps5-ps4-launches-may-10. 
  10. ↑ Devore, Jordan (April 1, 2022). "Limited Run's Unpacking physical edition is up for pre-order on Switch, PS4, and PS5". https://www.destructoid.com/unpacking-limited-run-games-physical-edition-ps4-ps5-nintendo-switch/. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Unpacking for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/unpacking/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Unpacking for Switch Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/unpacking/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Unpacking for Xbox One Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/unpacking/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-one. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Unpacking for PlayStation 5 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/unpacking/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5. 
  15. ↑ Jones, Brandon (November 2, 2021). "Review: Unpacking". https://easyallies.com/#!/review/unpacking. 
  16. ↑ LeClair, Kyle (November 1, 2021). "Review: Unpacking". https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-unpacking/413612/. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 LeBoeuf, Sarah (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/unpacking-review. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Ingram, Roland (November 10, 2021). "Unpacking Review (Switch eShop)". https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/unpacking. 
  19. ↑ Ronaghan, Neal (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking (Switch) Review". http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/58849/unpacking-switch-review. 
  20. ↑ Banas, Graham (May 12, 2022). "Mini Review: Unpacking (PS5) - Making Chores Fun". https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/unpacking?utm_source=pushsquare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=review-notification. 
  21. ↑ Mejia, Ozzie (November 2, 2021). "Unpacking review: Does it spark joy?". https://www.shacknews.com/article/127454/unpacking-review-does-it-spark-joy. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Stuart, Keith (November 9, 2021). "Unpacking review – moving house has never been so moving". Guardian Media group plc. https://www.theguardian.com/games/2021/nov/09/unpacking-review-moving-house-has-never-been-so-moving. 
  23. ↑ Musgrave, Shaun (November 2, 2021). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'DUSK' and 'Dungeon Encounters', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales". https://toucharcade.com/2021/11/02/switcharcade-round-up-reviews-featuring-dusk-and-dungeon-encounters-plus-the-latest-releases-and-sales/. 
  24. ↑ Bell, Alice (November 9, 2021). "Unpacking review: the exact same joy as unwrapping a kinder egg and building the toy inside". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/unpacking-review. 
  25. ↑ Hetfeld, Malindy (November 1, 2021). "Unpacking review - incredibly satisfying tidy-'em-up". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-01-unpacking-review-incredibly-satisfying-tidy-em-up. 
  26. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (November 4, 2021). "Unpacking: The Kotaku Review". https://kotaku.com/unpacking-the-kotaku-review-1847994273. 
  27. ↑ Kerr, Chris (December 14, 2021). "Unpacking topped 100k sales in 10 days". https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-unpacking-i-topped-100k-sales-in-10-days. 
  28. ↑ Stuart, Keith (December 22, 2021). "7 innovative video game moments that pushed game design forward in 2021". https://www.gamesradar.com/7-innovative-video-game-moments-that-pushed-game-design-forward-in-2021/. 
  29. ↑ "Can I Play That? Accessibility Awards 2021 — The Winners". December 13, 2021. https://caniplaythat.com/2021/12/13/can-i-play-that-accessibility-awards-2021-the-winners/. 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Gayming Awards 2022". Gray Jones Media Ltd. April 28, 2022. https://gaymingmag.com/awards/. 
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "2022 IGDA Global Industry Game Awards Winners Announced – IGDA" (in en-US). https://igda.org/news-archive/2022-igda-global-industry-game-awards-winners-announced/. 
  32. ↑ Parkin, Simon (December 12, 2021). "The Best Video Games of 2021". The New Yorker (Condé Nast). https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2021-in-review/the-best-video-games-of-2021. Retrieved July 19, 2022. 
  33. ↑ Martens, Todd (December 14, 2021). "The 10 essential games of 2021 that helped us define who we are now". https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-12-14/best-games-of-2021. 
  34. ↑ Gardner, Matt (December 21, 2021). "The Top 10 Indie Games Of 2021 On Consoles And PC, Ranked". https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2021/12/21/the-top-10-indie-games-of-2021-ranked/. 
  35. ↑ Faber, Tom (December 20, 2021). "Top 10 games of 2021". Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/1f34c226-cbb4-4c23-8b54-6227292d4fca. 
  36. ↑ Fillari, Alessandro (December 17, 2021). "CNET's 2021 Game of the Year awards". https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/cnets-2021-game-of-the-year-awards/. 
  37. ↑ "The 20 best games of 2021". December 6, 2021. https://www.nme.com/features/nme-best-games-of-the-year-2021-3111730. 
  38. ↑ Robinson, Martin (December 30, 2021). "Eurogamer's game of the year is…". https://www.eurogamer.net/eurogamers-game-of-the-year-is. 
  39. ↑ "2021 winners announced for the Australian Game Developer Awards". October 6, 2021. https://gcap.com.au/2021-winners-announced-for-the-australian-game-developer-awards/. 
  40. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (25 February 2022). "DICE Awards 2022 Winners: The Full List". https://www.ign.com/articles/dice-awards-2022-how-to-watch-all-the-nominees-and-what-to-expect-winners. 
  41. ↑ Hafford, Hayden (December 7, 2021). "The Game Awards 2021: Nominees, start times, and where to watch". https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-game-awards-2021-nominees-start-time-where-to-watch. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Dealessandri, Marie (March 24, 2022). "Inscryption wins big at GDC and IGF Awards". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-03-24-inscryption-wins-big-at-gdc-and-igf-awards-gdc-2022. 
  43. ↑ Van Allen, Eric (January 11, 2022). "IGF 2022 nominees include Inscryption, Unpacking, and more". https://www.destructoid.com/igf-2022-awards-nominees-list-unpacking-inscryption-indies/. 
  44. ↑ Purslow, Matt (March 3, 2022). "BAFTA Games Awards 2022 Nominations Announced". https://www.ign.com/articles/bafta-games-awards-2022-nominations-announced. 
  45. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 13, 2023). "Peabodys Nominations Include 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Better Call Saul', 'Fire Of Love'; PBS Leads Field". https://deadline.com/2023/04/2023-peabody-awards-nominees-list-1235321364/. 

External links



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