I enjoyed playing Unpacking much more than I would have expected. I was instantly sold on the simple task of unpacking the game protagonist’s belongings and placing them where they belong throughout her various addresses. I even managed to convince my friends to play as well. Initially they were hesitant to play what they deemed to be a pointless game, but they eventually came around and found the simple game mechanics as comforting, and addicting, as I did. However, beyond the mechanics of placing objects there they belong, we found ourselves caught up in the narrative of the protagonist’s life and the game’s use of objects to tell that narrative.
As players move on to new levels, we see that the protagonist’s life change as well. As she grows up and goes through relationships, items we unpack are both familiar and new. Items range from stuffed animals she’s had since she was a kid to new kitchenware as she moves into a house with her spouse. I think Unpacking’s ability to highlight how much importance we place on objects in our daily life is truly what makes it an interesting game. Daily, we make connections over different object, whether its complimenting someone on their attire, bonding about having the same shoes, or gathering around a game console with a group of close friends. In that same vain, we learn what the protagonist values and who she is from her objects. We know that she’s Jewish because of the Menorah that she always has, we know she’s a writer with several awards, and we know she loves playing videogames herself. This is how we learn about the character the people who enter and leave her life, by analyzing the objects they own and the spaces the protagonist is moving into. I think this unconventional way for creating a narrative makes Unpacking an innovative chore/cozy game.
