The zen puzzle game Unpacking has been exclusive to Xbox, Switch and PC since its release, despite PS4 and PS5 players constantly asking when it will come to the console. Now we finally know, and it’s very soon.
In a post on the PS Blog, Tim Dawson, an artist and programmer at Witch Beam Games, confirmed that the PlayStation release date for Unpacking is May 10.
“We wanted an experience that felt authentic because we thought that’d be the best way to draw you into the story we wanted to tell,” Dawson said in the post.
“There are so many details and connections throughout the game, and we hope you enjoy experiencing them yourself when our game comes out on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on May 10.”
Dawson also spoke about the real-life inspirations for some of the items you see in the game — which is about the process of moving house and how you unpack your everyday belongings to set up a new life.
At its simplest, Unpacking is a puzzle game about fitting your belongings together like Tetris blocks; really, though, it’s a story of one person’s relationships, family and career that you experience as you sift through their things.
“The items are personal to our main character, and let you learn about her and watch her develop over the course of the game,” Dawson wrote.
“The items often have a personal connection to you, the player, as you encounter things that remind you of your own life or those people you know.”
The dragon plush toy you unpack in the first level, for instance, was inspired by a webcomic Dawson created when he was seventeen. The set of coloured pencils represents the main character taking their first steps in an art career, and was inspired by a set Dawson received when he was a kid that played a similar role in his life. The climbing shoes and chalk bag was a homage to Dawson’s brief time as a bouldering fan, which he added to the game.
“They’re readily recognisable to people who know what they are but end up feeling like mysterious oddities to everyone else,” he said.
The Unpacking PS4 and PS5 release date comes just a month before the launch of the new PlayStation Plus. Read about the Australian prices for each tier and the games we know are going to be included at launch here.
