Camper Van: Make it Home
Last updated: 2025-06-10
- Relaxing, cozy atmosphere with soothing music.
- Satisfying item organization and interactions.
- Detailed and immersive world.
- Short playtime and lacks content.
- Frustrating, inconsistent item placement.
- Awkward, cumbersome camera controls.
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 89% · Negative 11%. Score: 11 / 100
Positives:
- The game provides a relaxing and cozy experience through its cute art style, calming music, and chill gameplay. Players enjoy decorating and organizing the van, finding it to be a perfect way to unwind and de-stress. The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its ability to create a peaceful and enjoyable environment.
- Many reviewers compare the game favorably to 'Unpacking,' noting similarities in gameplay but highlighting the greater freedom in item placement. Players appreciate the ability to decorate without restrictions, making it a satisfying experience for fans of the genre. This freedom enhances the creative aspect of the game.
- The game is praised for its attention to detail, immersive world, and the many interactive elements and secrets to discover. Players enjoy exploring the environment and finding hidden nooks and easter eggs. These small details contribute to a more engaging and rewarding experience.
- The game's music is consistently praised for being relaxing, soothing, and complementing the gameplay. Reviewers note that the soundtrack effectively sets the mood and enhances the overall atmosphere. The music contributes significantly to the game's calming and enjoyable experience.
- The game features a subtle but engaging storyline that unfolds through item interactions and environmental changes. Players learn about the main character's life and experiences through the van's contents and decorations. This implicit storytelling adds depth and emotional connection to the gameplay.
Negatives:
- Many reviewers found the game too short for its price, lacking replayability and sufficient content. Some felt the story was weak and the gameplay became repetitive quickly. Some reviewers expressed disappointment that the game did not involve driving a van around a map as initially expected.
- Players experienced frustration with item placement due to inconsistent stacking, awkward controls, and illogical space limitations. Some items don't fit where they should, and the game forces specific arrangements, limiting player freedom. Some reviewers also noted that clothing items don't return to their original folded size after being put on a hanger and taken off again.
- Camera controls are frequently criticized as slow, cumbersome, and difficult to use, especially in handheld mode or with a controller. Some players experienced motion sickness due to the camera movement. Reviewers compared the camera unfavorably to similar games like Unpacking.
- Some reviewers found that later levels, which start with items already partially unpacked, diminish the core gameplay experience. This reduces personalization and makes item placement feel pointless. The content in each destination is often repetitive, which the reviewer found disappointing.
- Some reviewers found certain levels overwhelming due to the number of items, while others felt that some spaces were difficult to fill satisfyingly. The increasing amount of plants in later stages felt messy and overwhelming.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay revolves around unpacking and organizing items within limited spaces, primarily a camper van. Players have creative freedom in item placement, resembling a 3D Tetris or a more open-ended version of 'Unpacking'. The goal is to arrange belongings aesthetically and strategically, sometimes extending beyond the van into the surrounding environment.
- The game features a subtle storyline told through interactive elements, a photobook, and changes in the character's belongings. The character evolves, adopting new hobbies and interests, and transitioning to more sustainable products. However, the main storyline is considered weak and slow-paced.
- Players can find souvenirs in nature to add to an album, and new items are occasionally added to the belongings. The cars appear in two locations, and some reviewers enjoyed finding spots for newly added items in the already filled car.
- The game provides specific locations with corresponding items and clothing. However, the caravan aspect is limited to placing pre-determined items, and the fire element is restricted to small candles, which may not fully capture the essence of van life.
- The game includes a pet cat that can be petted, but it serves no other gameplay purpose. This feature is a minor element of the game.
Performance:
- The game generally runs well, even on less powerful hardware like older laptops, Macbook Air, and Steam Deck. Players report smooth performance without significant lag or glitches, suggesting it's well-optimized and doesn't require high-end video settings.
- Some players have reported that the game experiences freezes in certain areas. This can interrupt gameplay and negatively impact the user experience.
- A bug is causing issues with the blur effect in the game. This may be causing visual artifacts or other unwanted graphical problems.
- Players feel limited by the camera perspective when trying to take photos in the game's locations. This suggests a need for more flexibility or wider angles to capture desired shots.
- The game causes the PC to run loudly, similar to more demanding games. This could indicate optimization issues or high resource usage.
Recommendations:
- The game is widely praised as a relaxing, cozy, and enjoyable experience, especially for fans of decorating and organizing games like Unpacking. Many reviewers highly recommend it, intend to replay it, and consider it worth the money, with some calling it a must-have for those seeking a tranquil and creative outlet.
- Some reviewers feel the game is overpriced, while others find the price reasonable. This point reflects conflicting opinions on the game's value proposition.
- The game is better experienced with mouse and keyboard. PC players will have a much better and easier experience.
- The game is a great base to build into a fun little game.
- Players who speed through the game without paying attention to item placement may not find it as valuable.
Miscellaneous:
- The game's core concept draws inspiration from the camper van transformation trend popularized on platforms like YouTube. This theme resonates with players interested in off-grid living and travel, providing a familiar and appealing foundation for the gameplay experience.
- The game is currently in early access, with developers planning future updates and additional content. Players anticipate potential DLC releases to expand the game's features and extend the gameplay experience.
- The game currently lacks Chinese language support, which may limit accessibility for some players. However, the English used in the game is simple and infrequent, making it relatively easy to understand. The game is also designed for players who prefer a more relaxed and unhurried pace.
- The reviewer mentions being an early backer on Kickstarter. This information doesn't provide specific feedback on the game itself.
