Developed by Brisbane-based indie studio Witch Beam, the puzzle game Unpacking was released to great international acclaim, becoming one of Australia's best-known indie successes.

The premise is simple: in the two-decade stretch between 1995 and 2015, players help the unnamed narrator pack her possessions as she prepares to move to a new home. In this excerpt from the podcast Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games, Witch Beam developers Wren Brier and Tim Dawson offer insight into their storytelling process, including grafting emotional beats within the confines of a largely wordless, object-based premise.

Their conversation with host Nick Suttner reveals a love of minimalist structure and how the barest of elements can trigger universal emotions. By stepping the audience through some key creative decisions, they demonstrate how narrative structure, sentimental objects and careful writing can all work together. Adding the 'tiniest bit of context into a hot pan' leads to a work of great emotional power.

Unpacking picked up multiple international awards, including two BAFTA Games Awards, a DICE Award for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, and Game of the Year by Eurogamer. Locally, it won Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game, and Excellence in Accessibility at the Australian Game Developer Awards (2021).