I first played Moving Out at PAX West last year and was taken with the game from the start. The game was not on the main floor of the show but was instead in a small booth upstairs where many of the Indies are displayed along with non-electronic games and some hardware.
Three of us played the game and despite not having a fourth player, we were able to get through the level after a few tries and some serious mayhem.
The game casts players as a whimsical animal who works for a moving company. From driving the truck around and clearing homes; you are a force to be reckoned with. On a work site players must work with one another to remove objects from a house and get it safely on the truck before time runs out. This is not as easy as it seems as players move at times like they are on ice and trying to move a curved couch around an obstacle is not easy. There is also the fun task of trying to get beds and other large objects through various doors.
Once you get to the truck you have to make sure to arrange it to allow space for the other items to come. Sure you can throw them onto the pile but trust me; spacing is important.
Another problem are appliances as they are plugged in and often require some pulling to get the chord out before you can store it on the truck.
As levels increase so does the challenge as objects become harder to move and obstacles such as ghosts and other hindrances arise. Sure you can smack them out of the way but time is money so in many cases jumping through a window was fine as was tossing an object through a window so another team member can secure it. Yes there will be a bit of collateral damage but hey; it is moving day right?
The characters are a fun mix and the game is lots of fun even though it can be a challenge. I had wished for an online option where random players could drop in versus having to have all of us in the same room but my wife and I were able to enjoy the game very well with just the two of us.
If you want a fun and challenging game, look no further than Moving Out as it is a real treat.
4 stars out of 5
