Moving out is a couch co-op party game and is available on Steam, Humble Bundle, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One including Gamepass. Joseph Pugh conducted this review on a standard Xbox One console.
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Overview
Moving Out is a couch co-op game about working together to relocate furniture. The game is physics-based and players have to learn to maneuver around various stages that often throw wacky obstacles into to mix.
Speed is the name of the game, the faster the team loads up the truck, the shinier medal they earn, allowing you to “move” on to more challenging stages.
While some jobs are relatively simple, others will require you to throw furniture from a moving plane into a truck below, contend with ghosts in a haunted mansion or navigate a secret test facility using switches and levers. All while carrying boxes and furniture.
The game can be played single-player or up to four people in local co-op. There is no online component.
Relationship Destroyer 5000
If you have ever attempted to move a couch in real life with someone who wasn’t on the same page as you about how to do it. You know how much frustration and heated words can stem from that situation.
The same principle applies to Moving Out. While you can technically play the game single-player, it reduces the entire game to a dull and mindless slog. You simply end up running around grabbing things with very little thought.
In multiplayer, the game adapts to require teamwork. Some objects can only be lifted or thrown by multiple people and trying to wiggle and navigate an L-shaped couch through a narrow doorway will test the strongest of bonds between you and your partner.
Most objects have physics to them and when two people are carrying the same object they both affect how it moves. You have to work together to angle and turn objects and throwing them requires players to work in tandem pushing and letting go of a button.
Even loading the truck can be a challenge, if you don’t leave yourself enough room. Furniture may tumble out and cost you precious seconds.
This can take some effort even in a basic house. Later levels have you navigating a variety of mechanical hazards and contraptions. You will be tested. However, Moving Out is incredibly simple to learn, pick up, and play. The teamwork required is not a negative, it’s the game’s strongest point.
You and your friends are certified F.A.R.T’s. Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technicians. That sets the stage for every other joke and pun in the game. The humor is hit or miss, but always innocent and cute.
Early levels are simple houses. You don’t get in trouble for breaking most things or messing up the house, so you’re free to throw a couch from a second-story window if you wish.
Later story missions throw more and more complications at you. A standard house might feature snowy slopes or oil slicks, the next one might have you wrangling cows, pigs, and chickens. Eventually, you end up in complex puzzles like stages with buttons, switches, and fans. The more complications the game adds, the more entertaining it is.
The sheer simplicity of the early game could give you the wrong impression. Your first-hour doesn’t require much in the way of coordination or teamwork, it’s basically a free for all between players simply grabbing stuff and running to the truck with a moment here or there where two people have to move a couch.
However, the games level design really starts to shine as you progress. Most of it is very clever and prevents the game from getting stale. Getting chased by ghosts in a haunted mansion has a different feel from navigating a moving train while throwing the furniture into a truck traveling alongside it.
As you play you also unlock memory levels and arcade stages. Both of these usually encompass a different mechanic altogether. Arcade levels are set in a virtual space and tend to be a specific navigation challenge. Such as moving a couch through a narrow walkway.
The memories are more varied, one might just be a soccer game between you and you’re friends, another will have you carrying a box while running from a boulder Indiana Jones style.
Both add fun to the game but I will mention that unlike story missions, Arcade and memories don’t have medals to earn. Simply completing them is all you need to do. The arcade levels are plenty challenging without this. The memories, on the other hand, felt really easy.
There are around fifty levels between the story, arcade, and memory missions. Story missions, in particular, have quirky side objectives, such as throwing a basketball into a hoop or to avoid breaking windows. Completing these is what actually unlocks the arcade missions in the first place.
The side objectives add a bit of replay value but they are underutilized. You simply need to obtain a bronze medal when doing them. Bronze medals are quite generous with the time limit so going back and completing the side objectives really doesn’t offer any challenge.
Verdict
Something striking about Moving Out is just how polished it is, something that I have found many party’s game lack. The controls are smooth and nothing about the game feels clunky, which is no small feat given the point of the game is physics-based furniture movement.
It’s easy to pick up and play and the level design, once you’re through the initial five or so levels, is very clever and fun. It’s not as teamwork intensive as something like Overcooked, but you definitely have to work together to obtain the best times and the gold medals.
Whenever the game starts to lose its luster, the next level throws a curveball at you to keep you engaged. The single-player is pretty pointless and for the price, I do wish the game was a bit longer.
Overall Moving Out is a great party game that would make a solid addition to anyone’s couch co-op repertoire. It’s entertaining and depending on your company, hilarious as things inevitably go wrong.
You may also enjoy my reviews of Overcooked 2, Tools Up and Totally Reliable Delivery Service.
Pros
- It’s very polished with simple and smooth controls
- The physics-based furniture relocation gameplay is entertaining
- Tons of fun trying to move large objects with friends through the games wacky obstacles
- Level design is clever and varied
- Nice focus on teamwork and coordination
Cons
- Length is short for the price, around 6 hours for everything, and that was to ensure we got gold medals on most of the levels
- Single-player is very dull
- Some levels are a bit easy
- Early levels while nice to learn the game on, aren’t incredibly entertaining.
- Optional side objectives aren’t linked to your main performance, making them somewhat easy complete
