Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun co-op sim is appropriate for all ages, skill levels.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Moving Out
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Everyone's dreaded request -- a friend asking you to help them move -- is now a multi-platform video game in MOVING OUT. You play a furniture mover for a small company called Smooth Moves, who takes on all kinds of jobs in the fictional town of Packmore. Your goal is to recruit help to move people's items from their home or farm (or haunted mansion) to a van, as quickly as you can. You'll have to navigate tight spaces -- like carrying an "L"-shaped couch through a narrow door -- and do it all within a predetermined time limit, no less. The game includes a single-player story mode, but up to four players on the same TV or PC can team up and move heavier furniture, like a piano or bed. The simulation is physics based, so you can apply real-world rules to navigate through the environment -- even if it means tossing items through a window to shave a few seconds off your time.
Is It Any Good?
Honestly, who knew moving could be so fun?! Moving Out is a blast to play -- especially with friends or family with you -- and at under $30, it's well worth it. Right from the start with its cheesy '80s instructional video, a humorous tone is set for this co-op (cooperative) simulation. It first covers the basics of moving furniture, like couches, from someone's property to a spot inside the truck. Not only is it a challenging to move several items through narrow passageways, but some are super long couches or TVs connected to a wall with its power cord, which snap and spin you around when you walk away with the appliance. Plus, there are time limits to beat -- with bronze, silver, and gold awards -- which adds extra fun tension to your mission. Racing against the clock while carrying large items in tight areas makes it a ridiculous fun co-op experience.When you get really good with your co-op buddies, you can throw and catch fragile items, like vases, through a second-story window to help speed up your missions.
It gets even more fun as you unlock different areas, like a farm or haunted mansion, and face new obstacles and challenges. You'll also enlist help from different characters as you go about the town and grow the business. Easy to play but difficult to put down, the game offers kitschy graphics and catchy '80s-esque music. There isn't much to complain about with Moving Out, but an online co-op (or even competitive) mode would be a fantastic addition. Still, Moving Out is a blast, and a highly recommended as a sleeper summer hit.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes a game fun. How did the designers of Moving Out turn something that's tedious in real life (helping someone move) into a fun video game? What makes it fun, exactly?
Why is diversity important in a game? Why should games make sure to include characters of different genders, skin colors, and abilities (including someone in a wheelchair)?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Team 17
- Release date: May 26, 2020
- Genre: Simulation
- Topics: Horses and Farm Animals , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires , Wild Animals
- ESRB rating: E for Mild Cartoon Violence
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: August 4, 2020
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