Unpacking Copycat Games Being Sold on Switch Eshop

Summary

• Despite its success, Unpacking faced copycats on mobile and Nintendo’s eShop.
• The copycats reskinned Unpacking’s assets on mobile and disguised themselves as official DLC on the eShop.
• Unpacking offers a relaxing gameplay loop, telling a story through unpacking belongings without words, making it approachable for all players.

Until very recently, Witch Beam’s cozy puzzle game Unpacking still had several copycats on Nintendo’s eShop despite co-creator Wren Brier calling attention to the situation two weeks ago. After its release in 2021, Unpacking received predominantly positive reviews and took home a gamut of awards, including BAFTA’s EE Game of the Year and DICE’s Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, as well as nods for narrative, sound design, accessibility, animation, environmental art, and game design from other outlets.

With the praise and recognition inevitably came others wanting to profit from the game’s successful premise, and Unpacking almost immediately found itself the victim of copycats on mobile game stores. Rather than being able to relax after years of development, the small indie team at Witch Beam had to get to work battling to protect its IP. And the copycats were shameless, in many cases barely reskinning Unpacking’s assets before filling it with ads and posting it in the shops.

The blatant copies eventually made their way to Nintendo’s eShop, a situation that Wren Brier called out on December 15 after having contacted the gaming giant two weeks prior. Rather than being ad-filled free-to-play games like on mobile, these Switch copycats were being sold for just a few bucks to contrast with Unpacking’s $19.99 price tag. The oldest of them was posted in late October, while four others were added a month later, apparently from the same account. They seemed to be marketed as DLC for the real game, with titles like “Chill Music Pack,” “New Chapters,” and “Haunting Locations.” At the time of writing, these Unpacking copycats seem to no longer be available on the eShop.

Unpacking’s Copycats Seem to Have Scattered for Now

The appeal of Unpacking is undeniable. Originally conceptualized in early 2018 by Wren Brier, the puzzle game was initially designed and developed with her partner, Witch Beam’s co-director Tim Dawson. As the project ramped up, more members joined the small indie team before Unpacking was finally published in 2021 by Humble Games. Part of its draw is the simple and relaxing gameplay loop.

Unpacking follows an unnamed protagonist through several years of her life, and her story is told only through her belongings. Beginning in 1997, players unpack her stuff as she moves from one location to another, uncovering details about her personality and experiences through the items that she owns. The cozy game induces a kind of meditative state as players satisfyingly remove items from boxes and find just the right spot for them in every new home. Throughout it all, a pleasant soundtrack accompanies the gameplay, and since there are no words, Unpacking is approachable for everybody right… out of the box.