Unbox: Newbie's Adventure

About

In "Unbox: Newbie's Adventure," players control a cardboard box that can run, jump, and even fly through a variety of challenges. The game features a single-player campaign with numerous levels, as well as multiplayer modes for up to four players. With bright and colorful graphics, this game offers a unique and charming platforming experience.

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Play Modes

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 451 reviews

gameplay49 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

gameplay
142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
63%
2%
The gameplay of "Unbox" is characterized by its unique "unboxing" mechanic, allowing players to perform up to six extra jumps, which adds a layer of verticality and exploration to the platforming experience. While the controls can feel clunky and the core gameplay somewhat simplistic, the charming visuals, engaging level design, and nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic 3D platformers contribute to an overall enjoyable experience. However, some players noted that the gameplay lacks depth and can become repetitive, with a reliance on collecting items and completing straightforward challenges.
- “An excellent platformer with responsive controls, simple yet robust mechanics, charming world and character design, and rewarding collectibles.”
- “The controls are intuitive and the gameplay is challenging but not impossible, making it accessible to players of all skill levels.”
- “The unboxing mechanic adds a lot of potential for verticality and freedom of movement, and I feel like the level design incorporated it quite seamlessly.”
- “Gameplay basically revolves around doing a series of pointless minigames or collecting hundreds of useless little collectibles.”
- “The controls feel sloppy (in addition to the 'boxy' movement) and the unboxing mechanic seems as if it's a leftover from alpha-testing where you got stuck all the time.”
- “The gameplay feels tight, surprisingly since you're controlling a cardboard box.”
story
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
- “A love letter to PSX 3D platformer games like Toy Story 2 and Stuart Little 2 that I loved as a child; also, the graphics look super cute and the story is nice and enjoyable. Loved every bit of it.”
- “The quirky world, story, and inhabitants are enjoyable, and the janky movement is good fun when you get the hang of it.”
- “The story is sweet, the graphics are unusually great, and the performance is wonderful.”
- “The actual main story plummets after act 1 of the story mode, but nobody's really here for that.”
- “The story and writing are both very poor.”
- “The major problem I have with the story is the fact that the developers never actually figured out a driving force.”
graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
45%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant, cute, and charming art style, appealing to players of all ages. While many reviews highlight the beautiful visuals and immersive worlds, some mention inconsistencies in texture quality and occasional performance issues. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's engaging atmosphere and enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “The game has a great sense of humor and a vibrant art style, which makes it very appealing to all ages.”
- “Unbox has stunning visuals and big immersive worlds, putting me in mind of choice stages from Super Mario Sunshine, and the sea rig which serves as a hub world always makes me think of de Blob.”
- “The graphics are bright and cheerful, the humor is ridiculously cringeworthy, but the controls are kinda sloppy.”
- “The graphics are a mixed bunch with a combination of some great water textures and rock textures combined with some very plain ones mixed in, which works for the most part but at times can seem a little strange.”
- “The graphics kinda look like poop with lots of geometry LOD pop-in, but its a lot of fun, very fast with bouncy goodness!”
- “Longer play sessions of this game give me nausea that's why I don't recommend it, there is some fun in the game though - big world to explore, funny dialogues, graphics are good except for awful detail popping.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
63%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its catchy and immersive qualities, particularly the Caribbean-inspired tracks that evoke nostalgia for classic titles. However, many players find the soundtrack repetitive and lacking in variety, leading to a desire for more diverse compositions. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere and fits the game's themes, it can become monotonous over extended play sessions.
- “Matt Griffin, who would later show his insane talent on The Impossible Lair, does a lot of the music here and it's fantastic.”
- “The music in this game is a real joy to listen to, particularly on the first world.”
- “With surprisingly great controls, high mobility, very shiny graphics, and delightful music, Unbox coalesces all of its strengths into an experience that simultaneously feels grand and innocent.”
- “The characters are bland, the story is bland, the music is... okay, it's all just... bland.”
- “The soundtrack suits the levels, but each soundtrack is short and repetitive.”
- “Both the hub world and the first main level you go to have very similar, very repetitive Caribbean-themed music with two-chord backing tracks and I never want to hear another steel drum in my life.”
humor
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
- “The writing and the story revolve around this concept as well and it contains many jokes about deliveries and other postal references with meta humor.”
- “The game has a great sense of humor and a vibrant art style, which makes it very appealing to all ages.”
- “It's funny, cute, great graphics, and a brilliant concept.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and frustrating, with players noting poor controls and a lack of engaging features that would encourage continued play. While some find enjoyment in exploring and collecting items, the overwhelming number of collectibles and the lengthy processes involved can make the experience feel laborious. Overall, it appeals mainly to those who enjoy achievement hunting, but many players find the grind to be a significant drawback.
- “It's unpleasant to control, tedious and frustrating to play, and doesn't offer a single feature that compels me to pick it back up again.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It can get quite tedious, though, because the world is very large and there are many things to collect.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its charm and immersion, with engaging characters and well-designed levels that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the captivating soundtracks and vibrant visuals that contribute to a lively and enticing environment. However, some contrast this with less favorable experiences in other games, where the atmosphere felt flat and characters lacked depth.
- “The atmosphere is great, the characters are all charming with unique personalities, the levels are for the most part well-thought-out and never feel empty, the 'unboxing' mechanic is interesting and what makes this game really stand out in my opinion.”
- “It creates a lovely atmosphere.”
- “Beautiful game, nostalgic hyper gameplay and awesome atmosphere.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report a smooth, bug-free experience with good optimization and visuals, others encounter significant glitches and game-breaking bugs that require restarts. The presence of occasional freezing and other issues suggests that while the game shows promise, it may still need further refinement to enhance stability.
- “The game runs great and I have had no issues at all.”
- “Bug-free experience, excellent optimization, good looking, a lot to do, and a cheap price.”
- “This game goes to prove it is far from obsolete; on top of collecting things, it is a good concept, runs great, and is visually appealing.”
- “I have to say that the game has surprisingly good graphics, despite some glitches here and there. Some of those lead to game-breaking bugs where you have to restart since you become stuck under or inside the scenario.”
- “By going into the box, the only 'puzzle' stamp is located in, your game freezes permanently (alt+F4).”
- “Some glitches, but I expected these since it's this dev's first game, I think.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with players reporting smooth performance and high framerates even on older hardware. While there are minor graphical issues like screen tearing and geometry pop-in, these do not significantly impact gameplay. The uncapped framerate allows for a fluid experience, making it suitable for speedruns and racing modes.
- “The story is sweet, the graphics are unusually great, and the performance is wonderful.”
- “Well optimized considering I'm on an old Core 2 Quad with 8GB of RAM and a 750 Ti.”
- “This will affect your performance in speedruns and racing mode.”
- “There's a teeny bit of screen tearing around the outermost pixel of the screen's border, but I think it's more a display issue than a performance issue.”
- “The only negative side to this title is performance.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers local multiplayer and opportunities for collecting hidden items, many players feel a lack of motivation to continue after completing initial goals. Some find replay value in the challenge of collecting everything, but others report that once certain objectives are met, the desire to replay diminishes significantly. Overall, it has potential for replayability, particularly in multiplayer settings, but individual experiences vary widely.
- “The game also includes a local multiplayer mode that adds a new level of fun and replayability.”
- “The replay value of the game is here, in collecting everything.”
- “Unbox is a very fun game which is suitable for a lot of people of many ages. It has an expansive and colorful environment and quality gameplay to boot. While being not too difficult, it's also not too easy and definitely has replay value.”
- “Not only that, but there's no replay value.”
- “Although I didn't manage to find all the hidden logs and gold tape scattered across the levels, I don't feel an urge to continue playing to hunt them down, unfortunately, so replayability is based on whether you want to do that.”
- “Replayability: 3.5 / 5; as soon as I got one gold tape, it was over for me.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and family-friendly nature, making it enjoyable for players of all ages, including young children. The gameplay fosters a sense of excitement and connection, particularly in shared experiences, such as playing with family members. Overall, it evokes positive feelings and encourages bonding through its engaging mechanics.
- “Wholesome yet exciting, I thoroughly enjoyed playing this with my 4-year-old daughter.”
- “Family friendly and wholesome :D”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Character development in the reviewed games varies significantly; "Wuppo" is praised for its immersive world, engaging story, and humorous character arcs that enhance player motivation, while "Unbox" suffers from shallow characters and a lackluster narrative, leading to a disconnection from its 3D environment. Overall, effective character development can greatly enhance player engagement and emotional investment in a game.
- “For a 2D game, I was surprisingly immersed in the Wuppo world due to the OST, character development, humorous story, and atmospheric worlds. I felt motivated to make progress.”
- “The character development in this game is engaging and adds depth to the overall experience, making the world feel alive and worth exploring.”
- “The charming character design and their growth throughout the game create a rewarding experience that keeps players invested.”
- “I didn't feel engaged with the 3D world and its characters in Unbox; for example, the forgettable, mellow OST works counterproductively. I couldn't care less about any of the shallow characters and their unintelligible and sometimes annoying voices, and the story is lackluster.”
- “The character development is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters or feel invested in their journeys.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a straightforward monetization model with no DLC or microtransactions; players pay a single price for a complete and enjoyable single-player experience that can be played multiple times.
- “No DLC, no microtransactions; you pay one price, you get a fun game. You play through it once or twice, and it stands on its own as a great single-player experience.”

66%Critics’ scoreBased on 12 critic reviews

Buy Unbox: Newbie's Adventure

14h Median play time

12h Average play time

5-16h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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