One Move Away has been on my radar since I saw it last December. At the time, I thought it looked like Unpacking, but with a car. Now that it’s part of Steam Next Fest and there’s a demo available, I downloaded it immediately.
Spoiler: it’s not really like Unpacking at all — but it’s definitely one for fans of Tetris and finicky physics-based controls.
Players start the demo as a baby, loading blocks into a tiny truck, and then progress through different life stages. You can check which items need to be packed and see outlines showing how high you’re allowed to stack them. You move from the baby stage fairly quickly to larger-scale moves involving cars and other vehicles.
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Unlike Unpacking, One Move Away has you physically walk around and pick up items to place them. You can rotate and stack things, knock them over or nudge them around using “Poke” if needed. But the main challenge is doing all of this with just a mouse.
It’s surprisingly hard to place things exactly where you want them — especially with oddly shaped items like the ukulele.
I often ended up smashing objects into place and hoping for the best. It reminded me a little of Death Stranding, trying to balance a heavy load — frustrating, but deliberate.
I have to admit, I was hoping for something a bit more meditative — a gentle, no-stress pack-and-place game. By the third level, I hit a wall. Trying to cram chairs, a table, and countless items (including roller skates) into a tiny hatchback got old fast. I gave up with eight boxes left, wondering if I was supposed to stack them on top of the car. Can’t I tie them down with bungee cord on the roof?
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That said, the changing settings and charming objects gave One Move Away a lovely, whimsical feel. I enjoyed discovering the different environments and little interactions, even if the experience wasn’t quite as straightforward as the announcement trailer suggested.
You can play the demo on Steam now — if you’ve got the patience.
