Unpacking is a fairly simple game in the way that it revolves around the experience of unpacking things from a box and organizing them. While the mechanics of this game is very limited to just clicking and moving objects around, the game still conveys a strong narrative. The interpretation of this game relies heavily on how the player interacts with the objects and comes to their own conclusions about who the character is/how their life plays out. For instance, I thought it was sentimental how despite moving from place to place, the character still kept some objects as mementos such as the chickens and stuffed pig animal.
What I also found interesting is how drastically this character’s life progressed through each level. I remember unpacking stuff for “what I believe to be” dorm and suddenly having to unpack things to move in with the boyfriend. The shift from moving in with the boyfriend and moving back into their parents house was also very interesting and had me wondering what could have caused that to happen. But despite that chaotic time period in their life, they still managed to bounce back and start a new chapter. This game evokes a lot of feelings such as nostalgia, confusion, and happiness. There is a rollercoaster of emotions to be felt while playing this game yet this game is quite the opposite in terms of gameplay which is rather calming. I think that I was very impressed at how the narrative of this game was built around the evocative spaces that immerse the player into the game. While playing this game I couldn’t help but remember the reading by Henry Jenkins we were assigned, he spoke about how evocative spaces allow players to enter spaces that create an interactive environment where we can wander through and interact with. I think this perfectly describes what Unpacking accomplished as it supports the intentions behind the game.
“They can paint their worlds in fairly broad outlines and count on the visitor/player to do the rest.“
(Game Design as Narrative Architecture by Henry Jenkins)
Another notable aspect of the game is that during the first couple of levels you are able to arrange items in any matter you like but as soon as they move in with roommates that changes. Instead, the game does not allow you to move their belongings and makes it a bit more difficult to arrange items. This is interesting because it gives players the understanding that a person has to eventually learn to “fit in” and be understanding of the people around them. I think that one of the purposes of this game is to have the player understand that the situations that a person may encounter can be frustrating but aren’t impossible to solve. While this game may seem tedious at times and can feel frustrating, it still gives the player the satisfaction of having finished organizing a room. The setbacks of trying to “fit in” with living with other people, at the end of the day, can feel even more rewarding.
I really like your discussion of the game’s significance being derived from the player’s interpretation of evocative spaces. Your discussion of how it relates to the game’s intention is really clarifying, since it explains the rationale behind the simple mechanics but deep storyline. The point you raise about the chickens and pig being continuous throughout the scenes is also interesting – I think it’s especially significant since, in the very last level, we see sketches about pigs and chickens on the wall of her professional artist office. It’s a nice full-circle moment that adds to the player’s feeling of satisfaction.