Image via Fat Alien Cat and Nomo Studio
Ever since Unpacking, we’ve seen a whole genre of indie and cozy games that offer a new take on the organizing and incidental storytelling experience, and Wholesome Direct SGF 2026 shadowdrop Momento is the latest one. Now, it isn’t as perfect an experience as Unpacking was. That was a very unique and trendsetting title. But this does build on the genre in some fun ways with its atmospheric puzzles and different life paths.
Momento starts with a single room. There’s a rocking chair, some toys scattered around, and hints that a sibling is on the way for this new baby that owns all these items. By arranging them around the room, we eventually unlock a small chest that presents a choice of three stuffed animals. Picking one allows us to move to the next phase of a life and a new room to tidy or unpack in the game. The critical element here is that depending on the selections we make, the next stage in the story could prove different. This encourages replaying and experimentation, so we could see what other options are out there for this individual depending on what we choose as “important” to them.
The thing about Momento is that I sometimes felt like Fat Alien Cat and Nomo Studio wanted it to feel like Unpacking, but the narrative elements aren’t strong enough for that. It seems like I should be caring about the “path” taken and where selected items lead. And it does take care to establish a relationship with family members like a sibling and absent father and offer opportunities to figure out who the character’s best friend is. But I didn’t feel like the items and narrative elements were as strong as the Witch Beam game.
Where it does make up for that is with the actual items. There are puzzles tied to discoveries and positioning. For example, if you unlock a chess board for the room, finding and properly arranging all the pieces solves a puzzle! If you get the items in the moon landing diorama back together, that does too! Put all the crayons away in their proper place? Well done! Tick that box! Properly arrange books? That does too. Don’t forget that plants need sunlight! There are a lot of these and, while some are tied to progression and advancing to the next phase of the character’s life, most of them are there to reward you for working out how things should go. I loved that! Especially since “finishing” a level would unlock a ton of more bits and pieces.
As for that element of choice, I feel like Momento handled it a lot better than similar unpacking and packing game A Storied Life: Tabitha. We still are shaping the character’s future and, in a way, determining who they turn out to be. At certain pivotal points, interacting with and arranging objects will unlock a small, golden chest that lets us choose between different options. These pivotal choices determine the next scene we see. Because of the organization and design choice, I felt like my selections mattered. Likewise, I ended up feeling encouraged to return to the stages to see what the other path and room might have looked like if I’d chosen differently.
What’s also good about Momento is that it is very easy when it comes to unpacking and arranging items in the game. It’s easy to find stuff on PCs. Grabbing items is easy, and the game registers when correct arrangements are made without a lot of fiddling around with things. Every object is very clear and possesses a great sense of style. I never misinterpreted what things were. Being able to also click to read notes or additional text for some items was helpful too.
Momento may not be as momentous or genre-defining as Unpacking, but it is a charming organizational and puzzle game. It’s very easy to move items around, sort, and position them around rooms. The puzzles tied to arranging aren’t terribly challenging, but can feel satisfying if you do something like find all the baseball cards and properly display them. It’s definitely a good addition to this sort of cozy kind of experience. I do feel it’s a little more niche and might be more appealing to folks who already enjoyed Unpacking than people who are completely unfamiliar with these types of titles.
Momento is available on the PC and will eventually come to the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X.