📦 Unpacking and Agency

Hey there,

Today's Listening: Throwback time

How many choices do you think you make in games? And how many do you think you need?

the italics are very important

Games offer a myriad of choices, it is what separates them from film. By giving the player agency, they get to be a player. Depending on the game, the player can be the hero or villain, powerful or weak, or do nothing at all.

Many players talk about how they wish for more freedom, more choices, more agency...but when developers give them that, there is no guarantee it will make a good game.

Look at the top games on Metacritic and my point is made. Most of the highest rated games have very scripted endings, and not a lot of choice in how the story unfolds. It normally is a fairly linear experience.

So which one is it? Do people want choices or not?

Well let me ask you this? How many ways can you organize your room?

In the game Unpacking, you are there to do one thing, unpack.

Shocker I know.

You are given a room with furniture, and you decide where to place various knick-knacks and worldly possessions. You are able to place things anywhere it will fit, total freedom.

But once you've unpacked everything...the game will not let you move on until you put things in a place that "makes sense".

You can't put the soccer ball in your bed. You can't leave the laptop on the window sill, and you can't tape the poster to the underside of your desk.

But until you make it to the end, you can totally do all of those things (except for the poster thing). Until the end, you can cover your bed in books if you want.

It is fun to create little stories with objects. You place the toy robots next to the map, making it look like they are planning world domination. You place books in random locations implying a treasure hunt. You place the camera on an pedestal, dedicating your life to the photos.

The game lets you do it, until the very end.

So even though there is a proper solution to every "unpacking puzzle", it will let you play around with the pieces up until the end.

And as usual, art imitates life.

There is only so many ways you can organize your own room. Yes you could create book fort or toss your action figures on the floor. But eventually you will have to find a place for them. They have a place they belong.

And that is what those highly rated games do. The developer gives you freedom within the moment to experiment and express yourself with play.

But, eventually you will need to cross the finish line…the fun part is getting there.