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#7 – Unpacking
While Moving Out was a fun take on moving house, one of life’s most stressful and lamentable necessities, Unpacking is a far more zen take on what follows. As a puzzle game, it’s top-notch with its thoughtful design and accessible nature, but as an exercise in catharsis, it’s something else entirely.
The game explores priorities and the sacrifices of getting older in some neat ways and tells a surprisingly impactful story set over two decades, Unpacking is certainly one of the more surprising gems of the year and we’re rapt to have this Aussie-developed title on our countdown.
In his review, Kieron gave Unpacking a perfect 10/10 and said: “Unpacking is proof that a pixel tells a thousand words. Through simple, zen gameplay and a startling attention to detail, a story unfolds in this tiny, pixelated world in a way that just wouldn’t have been possible in another medium. That’s truly something special on its own – a wholly unique and original narrative experience – and the fact that it’s wrapped up in an incredibly cathartic and tangible puzzle game makes it all the more praiseworthy. Witch Beam has something incredible on their hands with this one.”
As it stands on Metacritic, Unpacking is sitting at 87 based on just 8 critic reviews for the Nintendo Switch version.
PRESS START’S 2021 GOTY LIST
#7 – Unpacking
#8 – Psychonauts 2
#9 – Forza Horizon 5
#10 – Halo Infinite
