Even small games can provide delightful surprises for years to come. Now, about two years after its release, unpacking Fans are suddenly discovering a previously revealed secret mode after a TikTok video brought it back into the public eye. The mode is called Dark Star and essentially forces players to win the game by throwing items on the ground instead of neatly clearing them away like in the main mode.
In unpackingIn standard mode, players complete levels by dragging objects from a box and finding a suitable place to store them. For example, if you put toilet paper in the kitchen sink, the game will mark the item with a red line and won’t let you complete the level. However, once you complete the game the normal way, you can enter Dark Star Mode, where you beat each level by making sure every single item is misplaced and highlighted in red. Once a player misplaces every single item, the game gives them a dark star and lets them advance to the next level.
Developer Witch Beam touted Dark Star as a secret mode ahead of the official reveal and then shared a video documenting it Part of an April Fools’ Day post in 2022. “So many people thought it was a fake April Fools’ Day feature until they tried it themselves,” says Tim Dawson, co-founder of Witch Beam and chief technical officer of unpacking, Polygon said via email.
Since this official reveal, some content creators have even streamed their Dark Star performances. Still, it’s clear that many fans didn’t know about the mode. After December 22 Witch Beam TikTok went viral, with fans sharing reactions like: “THERE’S A DARK STAR MODE?!?!” and “I 100% own this game and I didn’t know that!?” WHAAAAAAT!?” beat this game like 10 times and just hearing about it?!”
Dawson told Polygon that the secret mode offers players new ways to experience the game’s puzzles. In the comments, several fans commented on how difficult Dark Star mode can actually be.
“I think what makes Dark Star so interesting is that it seems like a gag at first,” Dawson said. “But after a few levels you realize how much work it is, and continuing can feel absurd, transgressive or cathartic. But in the end, it’s just another way to think about objects and how they relate to our lives and the spaces we live in, and that’s what the game is about.”
Dawson also says that while the mode “started out as a joke,” the developers now appreciate it as an addition to the game. “Because we decided not to extend unpacking With DLC or a sequel, we often mention Dark Star mode when fans contact us and ask if we will make more levels,” he said. “In many cases it gives them another way to experience the game.”
Personally, I think Dark Star mode shows how our own media diet and certain bubbles on the internet can sometimes maintain a sense of surprise in a game. For Dawson, this kind of surprise can add character to a game.
“I think secrets help give games their personality,” he said. “They are the twinkle in the eye that suggests that these virtual worlds we spend time in may be a little bigger than we think. I think it’s great that we were able to come up with something good unpacking.”
