Moving Houses

About

Moving Houses is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by Gordon Little and was released on October 1, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Moving Houses" is a physics-based game where players pack up a house for moving, with the option to be neat or cause chaos. The game offers casual, task-based gameplay with a runtime of approximately 3 hours for the main story and an additional 3 hours for completionists. Players can interact with household objects, pack them neatly, or throw them around, all while experiencing the satisfaction of checking items off a list.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 228 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and cozy experience centered around the mundane task of packing, which many players found relaxing and enjoyable.
The atmosphere is well-crafted, with effective sound design and a compelling story that unfolds as the game progresses, particularly in the latter half.
Players appreciated the creative mechanics and the blend of horror elements with the simulation genre, making it a fresh take on both styles.

The game is criticized for being too short, with many players feeling that the content does not justify the price, especially given the linear gameplay and lack of replay value.
Some horror elements were seen as underwhelming or poorly executed, with jump scares relying on clichéd visuals and audio cues that detracted from the overall experience.
The gameplay loop can become tedious, as the packing mechanics may feel repetitive and the pacing suffers, particularly in the first half of the game.

story
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The game's story is described as minimalistic and often feels like an afterthought, with players expressing a desire for a deeper narrative and more engaging elements. While some found the story intriguing and appreciated its unique twists, many felt that the gameplay mechanics overshadowed the storytelling, reducing it to a series of fetch quests without a compelling context. Overall, the narrative lacks depth and fails to create a sense of impending danger, leaving players wanting more from the experience.
- “The bits where it finally got spooky were well made too, and the overall story was surprisingly intriguing.”
- “The story is completely unique, and the game is a rich experience even if you haven't read the book-- though I do find that there are some references (intentional or not) in the design of the game.”
- “I loved how the story isn't laid bare for you and the atmosphere really affected me.”
- “I wanted to like this game, but both for the price (for an hour-long game with no replay value) and the minimal storyline, with almost no easter eggs to find at all, I just can't recommend it.”
- “The environments were cool, but I feel like more love and care was put into crafting little gags to find, and then the main story felt more like an afterthought.”
- “Very minimalistic approach to storytelling.”
gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
62%
16%
The gameplay is characterized by a repetitive and mundane packing mechanic that lacks variety, leading to a tedious experience for many players. While there are moments of psychological horror and some decent jump scares, these elements are introduced too late in the game to significantly enhance the overall experience. Despite some players finding enjoyment in the simplicity of the tasks, the gameplay ultimately feels underdeveloped and fails to provide meaningful progression or engagement throughout its short duration.
- “Honestly, more horror games could stand to have bits of systemic player expression and mechanical advancement like this, even if they're not parodies of other genres that rely on physical interactivity.”
- “The gameplay loop is simple and easy to grasp but doesn't overstay its welcome - it's a short and sweet experience that approaches (but does not cross) the line between pleasant and tedious.”
- “The combination of mechanics often led me to making little mini challenges for myself - like only packing a room into boxes by throwing objects.”
- “I was wondering if anything would change as a reward for the monotonous gameplay for sticking with it, but no, it's really just the same game again but more tedious.”
- “The core gameplay loop is intentionally mundane.”
- “Interesting enough concept for a fakeout horror game, but neither the mundane gameplay nor the walking sim spooky segment really warrant the $13 price tag, especially when the game is an hour long.”
atmosphere
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
59%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its ability to create a creeping sense of dread and unease, effectively building tension throughout the experience. While some players noted that certain visuals and mechanics detracted from the overall impact, many found the atmosphere to be engaging and immersive, with well-executed scares and a palpable sense of unpredictability. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, enhancing the horror elements and keeping players invested.
- “The atmosphere is great and the developer did a lot of creative things within the world!”
- “Short and sweet game, on your first playthrough the atmosphere and the way the horror aspects creep up are very impactful; the sense of unease as things ramp up is palpable.”
- “The best part of the game was the atmosphere that really changed as you kept playing - I felt chills at certain parts, not knowing what to expect next!”
- “Moving houses is begging to be allowed to breathe with creeping dread and eerie atmosphere, but this desire is often let down by the inclusion of haunted house style cheap visuals and events.”
- “There are a couple of decent jump-scares accompanied by audio stings, and a few moments of fair creepy atmosphere, but the pacing really suffers from the tedious packing mechanic.”
- “It's a cute attempt at horror, wanting to use House of Leaves and the calming effect of games like House Flipper to set up an atmosphere by building up a 'safe' environment before unveiling its gimmicks.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews consistently highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is overly tedious, with repetitive tasks that lack variation and fail to provide meaningful rewards. While the gameplay starts off as enjoyable, it quickly devolves into monotonous mechanics, leading to frustration and a lack of motivation to engage with side content. Overall, the experience is described as a short journey that borders on tedious rather than being engaging or rewarding.
- “I was wondering if anything would change as a reward for the monotonous gameplay for sticking with it, but no, it's really just the same game again but more tedious.”
- “It took me a little over an hour to complete the main story, but the road to get there felt too tedious for me to want to try any of the side content.”
- “The packing elements started off as fun but quickly got tedious as nothing new was introduced... just more tedious tasking.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics of the game are described as having a cozy aesthetic that effectively sets the mood, with minimal visuals that work well in creating atmosphere, especially during evening scenes. However, some reviewers noted inconsistencies, such as cheap haunted house visuals and jarring stock footage that detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the art style and synergy with sound design received positive remarks.
- “But on positive notes, I do enjoy the art style and visuals.”
- “Visuals were super nice too, very big Skinamarink vibes!”
- “Moving houses is begging to be allowed to breathe with creeping dread and eerie atmosphere, but this desire is often let down by the inclusion of haunted house style cheap visuals and events.”
- “It's scuffed in some areas (not to mention the weird stock footage in flashbacks that completely clashed with the tone/art style of the game itself) and I didn't really feel like the $12 tag is worth it.”
- “The graphics are very minimal but they do a fine job of setting the stage, and the lighting and mood is generally quite good, especially as time passes and it gets to be later in the evening.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many praising the catchy main theme and end credits song, which are described as memorable and enjoyable. The sound design complements the art style, enhancing the overall cozy aesthetic of the game. Players have noted that the tunes are so catchy they often find themselves humming them long after playing.
- “The sound design, art style, and music are very well put together and synergize well, and the game nails that surface level 'cozy game' aesthetic.”
- “The credits song is an absolute banger; I can't get it out of my head.”
- “Best theme song for a game this year, easy peasy.”
- “The credits song is an absolute banger, I can't get it out of my head.”
- “Also, the music is stuck in my head.”
- “However, the theme song is catchy.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is criticized due to its short duration and lack of engaging content, with some users noting minimal storyline and few hidden elements to discover. While a few players believe there is potential for replayability, the general consensus leans towards a lack of incentive to revisit the game.
- “I think it has great replayability.”
- “The game offers a lot of replayability with its diverse choices and outcomes.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh, making the replayability factor really high.”
- “I wanted to like this game, but both for the price (for an hour long game with no replay value) and the minimal storyline, with almost no easter eggs to find at all (like no way to get into the treehouse at the back or on your roof), I just can't recommend it.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends emotional depth with a touch of spookiness, resonating well with players who appreciate indie titles that evoke feelings of nostalgia and bittersweetness. Reviewers express a desire for a more developed narrative, suggesting that deeper storytelling elements could enhance the emotional experience even further. Overall, the emotional undertones are a standout feature, leaving players eager for more from the developers.
- “Altogether, the game is fairly good and I recommend it for anyone that likes an indie game with some emotional overtones and a little spooky vibe.”
- “Whether it's to make it more faux-arcadey with even more ironic sweetness slathered over the pain of leaving or to have a genuinely heartfelt background story far more thoroughly hinted at through documents, more realistic pictures, environmental clues, etc., that's the absolute best kind of gripe you could get, because I genuinely want to see more of this team's work!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences several glitches that negatively impact stability, making gameplay challenging for users.
- “There are a few glitches that make the game hard.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its use of stock footage and exaggerated sound effects, which some players find amusing rather than frightening. However, the lack of narrative depth in the items encountered detracts from the overall comedic experience.
- “None of the things we pick up to move out tell a story; there's 'oh no, a thing fell and there's a scary sound to accompany it' and little stock footage videos, which I found more funny than scary.”