Unpacking is a puzzle game developed by Witch Beam. It was published by Humble Bundle. The game was released on November 2, 2021 for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. On May 10, 2022 it was released for Playstation 4 and 5.
The game has eight levels, each one takes place in a different year. Your goal is to unpack that that year and in doing so you discover the events that lead up to the move. You start as a girl, Sadie, in her childhood bedroom and go through her life. Along the way you find out what she’s been up to since her previous move.
In 1997 we learn that this girl moved into a bedroom at her parent’s new home. Before this house, she was sharing a room with her sister. Even though we don’t know much at this point, her belongings tell us that she’s a Jewish child who enjoys soccer. We also see that she’s interested in art by the numerous art supplies that are in the boxes. She also has a GameKid, which is inspired by the Nintendo Gameboy. At some point she has visited London, most likely with her parents and sister. She also has a stuffed pig that will travel with her to each move.
The girl goes off to college in 2004. Her dorm consists of a bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom. You unpack a number of art books as well as a wooden model showing that she’s an art major. At some point over the last seven years, she has visited Paris based on her newly discovered souvenir.
In 2007 the girl moves into a house with 2 roommates. The house includes a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a dining room. The dining room has been turned into a game room. She started to get more into gaming and has the GameBox and GameKid Advanced, which are inspired by Nintendo’s GameCube and Gameboy Advanced. She also started getting into table top games as discovered by her 20 sided dice. Based on her drawing tablet, it seems she wants to still do art, but her work clothes seems she’s not quite able to do that yet. At some point in the last three years, she had visited Italy, based on her Leaning Tower of Pisa souvenir.
In 2010 she moved in with her boyfriend into his apartment. The apartment has a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. She has started to play the ukulele. Her boyfriend is a gamer as well and seems wealthier than Sadie. At some point Sadie got as pet bug. There’s no place on any wall for her diploma though.
In 2012 Sadie moves back into her childhood home. Unlike in 1997, this time it includes a bathroom too. Things didn’t end on good terms with her ex-boyfriend and whenever you put his picture up on the pegboard, a tack goes in his head.
She moves into a new house alone in 2013. This house has a bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen, and an office. At some point over the last year it seems Sadie has injured herself and requires a cane. She has acquired a Wiitch console which is inspired by the Nintendo Wii and Switch. At some point it seems that her pet bug has passed away based on a photo of it and it no longer being in her place.
In 2015 you aren’t unpacking Sadie’s stuff, instead, her girlfriend is moving into the same house you unpacked in 2013. We never find out the girlfriend’s name. She appears to be of Thai descent, she has a statue of a Naga and a Thai fish hot pot. She enjoys gardening as she brought in many plants and empty pots along with fertilizer. She enjoys tabletop games as well. It looks like she works on the TV Show AntiHero.
2018 is the last move that Sadie makes, this time she moves with her partner and their child. Their house is the largest one yet, having two bedrooms, a nursery, closet, one and a half bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, office, and the entryway. We find out that Sadie is a children’s book author and illustrator. Her book was just published and looks like it is about the stuffed pig that has been with her since the beginning. It also looks like she has decided to give the pig to her own child.
The final shot of the game is Sadie and her partner in the backyard. Her partner is holding their child while Sadie plays the ukulele.
