This free Steam download is perfect if you love Unpacking

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to buy a vintage Volkswagen camper van, fill it with all of my favourite things and go travelling. Although that dream is currently out of reach for me, I can still experience what it would be like thanks to this upcoming organisation puzzle game.

Camper Van: Make It Home is perfect for fans of 2021’s Unpacking with both games offering a narrative to uncover alongside relaxing organisation puzzles.

Instead of organising and decorating houses, Camper Van: Make It Home tasks players with both the interior and exterior design of our protagonist’s camper van and a demo for it is now available for free courtesy of Steam.

Malapata Studio

With the demo offering players the chance to hop in and organise the camper van and surrounding area ahead of its full release, I took the opportunity to check out a game I have been excited for for a long time.

The demo opens with the first look at our home-on-wheels as we see it parked in the most beautiful, secluded setting. A river trickles nearby, birds chip in the surrounding trees and you can almost feel the sun on your skin as you get to work sorting out everything the protagonist has brought (and it’s a lot).

With items sorted by area - kitchen, bathroom, dining room - as well as your everyday items including keys, mobile phones and books, you have to find a way to fit everything into the very small, but beautiful camper van.

It is worth checking every nook and cranny for hidden drawers and shelves as well as battling with where to put the giant paella pan and all the food that is meant to fit inside the tiniest of fridges. It can be puzzling deciding on where to put everything but oh so rewarding when you are finally done and have made the camper van a home.

Malapata Studio

The demo only gives you access to organising the camper van, rather than any story-related content but it still left me intrigued to wonder why the protagonist has left everything behind to stay there and where they are planning to go next.

If I had one gripe it was that navigation could feel quite clunky. I played on PC and alternated between using the mouse and the on-screen arrow keys to move around the camper van. However, it didn’t feel as smooth as I’d like and I’d often find myself zooming in the wrong direction and having to slowly reorient myself.

However, this is a minor issue for what already seems like such a relaxing puzzle game. I can’t speak for how much more difficult the organisation puzzles will get, but for now, they are guaranteed to keep you engaged without making you cry out for a hint button.

With Camper Van: Make It Home promising fans “a journey of personal discovery” for our main character, I am excited to see where the story takes us and if it can live up to the beautiful narrative shown in Unpacking.

The full release promises zen puzzles, multiple missions and locations to uncover and most importantly, a pet companion who will come along for the ride. Oh, and yes, you can pet your animal friend.

Malapata Studio

Camper Van: Make It Home has not yet received an official release date but is now available to try out for free on Steam so don’t miss out on this title if you are a fan of organisation puzzles, interior design and a beautiful narrative journey.