Packmaster Review: Multiplayer Switch Game
We recently finished Packmaster and want to share our thoughts. Our Nintendo Switch gets a lot of use since we mostly play 4 player couch games. Packmaster is no exception. It’s a puzzle game so there’s no running, jumping, or fighting.
In Packmaster you need to pack your suitcase since you’re traveling around the world. You fill your suitcase with a variety of items. But there isn’t much room so you have to arrange all the items neatly so everything fits.
There isn’t much too this game other than packing the suitcase. The size and shape of the suitcase varies throughout the game. There’s a wide array of items than need packed. The levels follow a theme depending on where in the world you’re traveling.
Why Packmaster?
If you like fitting as many items in a suitcase an you can then Packmaster is an ideal game for you. Every level is just placing items in a suitcase. Any item overlapping the edge of the suitcase or another item is highlighted. You have to arrange every item until there’s no overlap.
If you like puzzle games then Packmaster is a good option. It’s a bit redundant, but not many puzzle games aren’t. While the rules don’t change. The amount of items, the type of the items, and the shape of the choice are different on each level.
Some items and suitcases are recycled throughout the game. But it isn’t that noticeable. The colors change throughout the game as well. If you like Tetris you’d like Packmaster.
We tested Packmaster with 4 players, 3 players, 2 players, 1 player. Our tests revealed the game is the same no matter how many players there are. Having more players allows you to cheat by looking at how other players arrange the items to fit. But it doesn’t give you an advantage since they would be ahead anyway.
Pros and Cons
Packmaster is fun even though it’s a bit redundant. It isn’t a game we could play for hours at a time. But it’s good for 20-30 minute sessions.
It appeals to people of all ages. Anyone can learn and play. You pick up items, move them, then put them down. It’s that simple. There’s no flipping or rotating items.
A minor complaint is tiny movements are difficult. Occasionally, an item needs moved just a hair to avoid any overlap. But this isn’t a huge frustration. It just takes a few light taps on the joystick to get it right. It wasn’t an issue on most levels.
The funny thing is it was a huge issue on the final level. What seemed to only happen a few times, happened with every item on the final level. It took a dozen tries on the final level to even get close to figuring out an arrangement that worked.
Packmaster went from hardly ever running out of time to nowhere near enough time on the final level. The final level was ridiculously hard compared to every other levels.
Comparable Games
Packmaster is similar to Tetris. Instead of random shapes falling from the sky, all the items are available. It’s up to you to piece them together to fit in the suitcase in time.
It shares elements with other puzzle games that involve shapes or matching. For example Bejeweled or Blockus. I enjoy packing boxes and suitcases so it appealed to the inner pack master in me.
In a way Packmaster reminds me of Snipper clips. You have to figure out how shapes work together, but Snipper Clips is much more complex. While Packmaster is very simple.
Review Summary
Our Packmaster review gives it 6 out of 10 stars. I don’t regret getting this game. However, it wasn’t able to hold my interest as long as other puzzle games.
Packmaster is a simple puzzle game that doesn’t quite rise to the level of Tetris. It’s surprisingly fun in spite of being redundant. We did enjoy packing suitcase after suitcase. Still, I found it isn’t as engaging as other puzzle games and lost interest after about 20 minutes.
After many sessions we did make it to the final destination. The final location was ridiculously more difficult but we rose to the challenge instead of being discouraged.
If this game wasn’t fun we would have just walked away after the first session. But it does have it’s good points so we stuck with it until the end. Overall, Packmaster is a good game if you find puzzles appealing.
Packmaster review brought to you by David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
