A game about moving and unloading boxes might not sound that appealing, but Witch Beam’s 2021Unpackingproves that it can in fact be quite a zen and relaxing pastime. Organizing everyday household items while an upbeat tune plays in the background is surprisingly enjoyable, which is why many people found it bewildering thatUnpackingwasn’t even nominated for The Game AwardsBest Indie category the year it released. Nevertheless, the puzzle title earned numerous accolades from the Annual DICE Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards, among others.
Unpackingis simple, both in concept and gameplay, so much so that even non-gamers found themselves attracted to the isometric, pixel art, home decorating sim. In the game, players must unpack the main character’s belongings every time she moves and organize them logically in each new dwelling. Beginning in 1997 when she is just a child, the story moves through different stages of the protagonist’s life. An astonishing amount of information can be gleaned from somebody’s possessions, andgamers learn a lot about the character inUnpackingand her life experiences, perhaps even becoming attached to her by the end.
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Witch Beam’s puzzler was originally released on Nintendo Switch and as a day one Xbox Game Pass title for both console and PC. Luckily, PlayStation owners will no longer have to go without the game’s relaxing atmosphere in their lives. The developers have announced thatUnpackingwill be coming to PS4 and PS5on May 10. The game retails for $19.99 on other platforms, so that will likely be the price on Sony’s consoles as well.Unpackingis solely available as a digital release, since the physical Limited Run edition on all platforms has sold out.
The calming life simulator proved to be so popular, with an average review rating of 84 on Metacritic, thatmobile copycats ofUnpackingquickly made an appearance on both Google Play and the App Store. The small team of developers at Witch Beam expressed dismay at the turn of events, stating that it was demoralizing to see years of work carbon copied and pasted just a few months after launch. And it’s not only the concept that’s been duplicated. Almost pixel for pixel, mobile developers have reproduced every detail ofUnpacking, changing only colors and occasional textures.
Witch Beam is anindie gamedevelopment studio based in Australia and founded in 2013;Unpackingis only its second title. The idea for the gamecame when studio founder Tim Dawson moved in with his partner, creative director Wren Brier, who found the process of helping Dawson unpack to be oddly game-like. She didn’t know what was in Dawson’s boxes, and the pair would have to complete one box in order to “unlock” the container beneath it. According to Brier, creating “order out of chaos” was satisfying, and manyUnpackingplayers agree.
Unpackingis currently available on PC, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The PS4 and PS5 versions release on June 02, 2025.
