After a long day, the thought of doing household chores can be daunting. However, there is a unique genre of video games that transforms mundane tasks into exciting and entertaining experiences. Games like ‘Untitled Goose Game’ and ‘The Sims’ have achieved immense success by turning everyday chores into art and entertainment. Australia, in particular, has produced some inventive video games that allow players to perform household tasks that would otherwise be repetitive or unpleasant in real life. These games offer a refreshing escape and a new perspective on common activities.
In the game ‘Moving Out’, players take on the role of removalists with a time limit to move various objects, such as fridges, beds, and sofas, out of homes. Developed by Australian and Swedish studios, ‘Moving Out’ brings a unique twist to the genre by incorporating elements from the cooking game ‘Overcooked.’ The game presents removal as an athletic activity, challenging players with obstacle courses filled with animals, swimming pools, and even ghosts. Whether it’s moving furniture in haunted houses or on space stations, each new setting adds an element of the unreal to an otherwise mundane task. ‘Moving Out’ allows players to break windows and throw objects instead of using stairs, embracing the pleasures of recklessness and offering property destruction as a cathartic alternative to a world consumed by materialism.
‘Unpacking’ is a ‘zen puzzle game’ that takes players on a journey through someone’s life from youth to adulthood. By sorting through their possessions during a series of removals, players learn about the unseen occupant’s life. The game’s pixel art design adds an air of mystery to the occupant’s book covers and journal entries, leaving much to the imagination. ‘Unpacking’ offers a unique opportunity to explore other people’s lives and unexpected environments, taking us out of our own everyday routines.
In ‘Florence’, players face the challenge of limited storage space as they organize kitchen utensils, clothing, and books while navigating the dynamics of a relationship. Designed by the creator of the immensely popular ‘Monument Valley’, ‘Florence’ allows players to engage in familiar domestic tasks in an unfamiliar setting. As players organize the couple’s possessions, they are left unaware of the words exchanged between the characters in blank speech bubbles. Similar to ‘Unpacking’, ‘Florence’ focuses on organizing used possessions rather than promoting materialistic consumer culture.
In ‘Rumu’, players take on the role of a robot vacuum cleaner in a futuristic home where the owners have disappeared. As the vacuum cleaner, players clean up spills, tidy clothing, and investigate the mysteries surrounding the house. This game presents a unique blend of advanced technology and emotional depth, turning the vacuum cleaner into more than just an appliance. The abandoned and dysfunctional home serves as a puzzle-like environment that players must navigate. ‘Rumu’ showcases the surreal mix of the everyday with the extraordinary.
Video games offer a platform to challenge societal norms, including traditional gender roles. Women spend more time on unpaid work than men, and with nearly half of video game players in Australia being women, these games provide an opportunity to challenge gender, work, and domesticity stereotypes. Players have the ability to choose avatars of various genders and species, or control characters with both masculine and feminine traits. By linking domestic labor to fantasy and adventure, these games encourage players to imagine everyday life and ordinary places as extraordinary.
The surge in popularity of video games set in everyday settings emphasizes the unique appeal of turning mundane tasks into entertainment. Australian video games, such as ‘Moving Out’, ‘Unpacking’, ‘Florence’, and ‘Rumu’, offer players an escape from reality and an opportunity to experience the surreal, extraordinary, and magical elements of the everyday. These games not only provide entertainment but also challenge societal norms and allow players to reimagine the concept of domesticity. Whether it’s embracing recklessness, exploring other people’s lives, or defying traditional gender roles, these games offer a refreshing perspective on everyday tasks and the spaces we inhabit.
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