Comparison

Mare vs Unpacking

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mare

Embark on a cinematic adventure as an artificial bird, guiding a helpless AI companion through strange lands. Unravel a mysterious narrative, discover hidden secrets, and explore vast landscapes in this atmospheric puzzle game.

Highlights
  • Explore vast landscapes as an artificial bird
  • Guide and protect an AI companion
  • Unravel a mysterious narrative across 8 chapters
  • Immersive ambient atmosphere and music
  • Search for hidden artifacts
Features
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“A Breathless Beauty Of A VR Game” – UploadVR “Mare is a class act from start to finish. It’s a macabre and mysterious adventure that offers a haunting experience” – 6DofReviews “The barren environment coupled with the superb musical score ensures Mare has an ambience and soul few VR projects achieve.” - VR Focus “It’s a strikingly beautiful yet solemn adventure that pushes you ever forward toward the unknown.” – The VR Grid As you wake up, stirred from a dreamless sleep with an unknown purpose, you find yourself in the strange lands of Mare embodying a mysterious artificial bird. Crossing paths with a helpless companion you venture deep into unknown territory on a puzzling adventure while unraveling a mysterious narrative and the secrets hidden within. All in order to ensure the arrival of the companion at her impending destiny. Features: • Explore the vast and strange landscapes by the means of an artificial bird. • Guide and protect a vulnerable AI companion on her unexpected adventure. • Let the curiosity of the companion inspire you to explore and discover the underlying narrative spanning over 8 chapters. • Immerse yourself in the ambient atmosphere and otherworldly music for a soothing experience. • Search for lost artifacts hidden throughout the world in order to unlock the final secret of Mare.

About

Unpacking

Experience a zen puzzle game where you unpack belongings into new homes. Discover a life story through the items you place, creating satisfying living spaces. Enjoy meditative gameplay with no pressure, perfect for unwinding.

Highlights
  • Unpack homes from single rooms to entire houses
  • Meditative gameplay with no timers or scores
  • Explore domestic environments and arrange items
  • Discover a character's story through possessions
  • Mobile-optimized with touch controls and haptics
  • Handcrafted story experience
Features
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Unpacking is a BAFTA Award-winning zen game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Part block-fitting puzzle, part home decoration, you are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking. Over the course of eight house moves, you are given a chance to experience a sense of intimacy with a character you never see and a story you’re never told. FEATURES - Unpack a home — from a single bedroom to an entire house - Meditative gameplay with no timers, meters or scores — perfect for playing at your own pace or on the move - Explore domestic environments with all their nooks and crannies while you stack plates, hang towels, and arrange bookshelves - Discover a character's story through the items that come with her to each new home (and the items that get left behind) - Perfect for mobile — Unpack with the touch of a finger, feel the world through haptics, and easily create snapshots and videos for sharing on social media - Soundtrack by BAFTA award-winning composer and audio director Jeff van Dyck - Winner of over 20 awards, including the 2022 BAFTA Games Awards for Narrative and EE Game of the Year - Experience this handcrafted story in its entirety right in the palm of your hand

Screenshots

Mare4 screens
Unpacking4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Unpacking at 4.8 against Mare's 4.0. Unpacking also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (6.8K vs 4). Mare's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 74%) and price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Mare costs $4.99 and Unpacking $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Unpacking holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Unpacking has 6.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Mare's written reviews are positive against 74% of Unpacking's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mare ships an update every 6 weeks, Unpacking every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Mare versus Unpacking: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMareUnpacking
Price$4.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.8 (6.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better73.7% of reviews
Number of ratings46.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#26 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.8 GB549 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperLonekite Ltd.Balor Games

Customer experience

Mare

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Unpacking

All ratings6,566 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews634 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral12.5%
Negative13.9%

Bugs and requests

Mare

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Unpacking

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with placing certain items in the correct spots
  • Glitches preventing level completion

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and stories to unpack
  • Ability to play as different characters
  • Expanded gameplay with additional rooms/houses
  • Customization options for rooms and decor

In-app purchases

None

Mare

No in-app purchases

None

Unpacking

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mare free?
Mare costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Unpacking free?
Unpacking costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Mare or Unpacking?
Unpacking is rated higher. Mare averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Unpacking averages 4.8 from 6.8K ratings.
Do Mare or Unpacking have ads?
Neither Mare nor Unpacking shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mare or Unpacking?
Mare ships an update every 6 weeks, and Unpacking every 5 days. Most recently, Mare was updated on October 8, 2026 and Unpacking on October 23, 2026.

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