Moving Out

Moving Out is a physics-based dexterity and co-op game about a moving company in Packmore. As employees of Smooth Moves, players clear out houses and haul sofas, beds and other furniture into a transport cart. Instead of a realistic moving simulation, the focus is on shared planning, improvised routes and the reactions of the objects.

SMG Studio and DevM Games developed the game, and Team17 published it in 2020. The jobs can be played alone or with up to four people on one screen.

Released April 28, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. In some regions, including Japan, the PlayStation version was released later.

The expansion Movers in Paradise followed on February 25, 2021. The sequel Moving Out 2 was released on August 15, 2023.

Moving Out was released natively for Windows PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. On newer PlayStation and Xbox consoles, the previous version may be playable via backward compatibility. A separate native PS5 or Xbox Series version of the first game is therefore not confirmed.

On PC, Steam also supports Remote Play Together. This feature streams a local game over the internet and is not a standalone online multiplayer mode.

Each job requires moving certain items from the building into the truck. Tables get stuck on corners, fragile objects react to bumps, and particularly bulky furniture is easier to move with two people. Doors and windows may also stand in the way on the route to the goal: the game deliberately allows chaotic shortcuts.

Time trials reward efficient routes. Later jobs leave ordinary homes and lead, among other places, to farms, haunted houses and unusual locations.

Movers in Paradise was released on February 25, 2021 and moves the moving jobs to a tropical island. The expansion adds 14 story missions, ten arcade levels and four playable movers. New obstacles such as zip lines and animals change how furniture is transported.

The Employees of the Month Pack expands the selection of characters. The free Moving In update adds a reverse game mode for twelve existing levels: furniture is now carried into buildings. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, both content packs and the soundtrack.

For Windows, Steam lists at least an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 or AMD Phenom II X2 550, 4 GB RAM, Intel UHD 630 or Radeon Vega 8, and 1 GB of free storage. Recommended are, among others, an Intel Pentium G4600 or AMD FX-4350, a GTX 750 or Radeon R9 270X, and 2 GB of storage.

The original Windows 7 figure comes from the release. Since January 2024, the Steam client only supports Windows 10 or newer Windows versions.

Up to four people can play together on one device. Single players can also tackle the campaign completely, with heavy items easier for them to handle. To move furniture, it often makes sense to split tasks: one person clears paths while others bring bulky objects to the cart.

The original Moving Out has no regular cross-platform online co-op. Online play via Steam Remote Play Together simulates a shared screen. Only Moving Out 2 introduced true online co-op with crossplay.

Assist mode can relax time limits and simplify tasks so that players of different ages and experience levels can move together. Team17 also mentions customizable controls, freely assignable keys on PC and a font option for people with dyslexia.

Subtitles help with understanding spoken content. The aids change the game rules without replacing the basic furniture moving.

The moving company's employees can be selected as different, humorously designed characters. Solo players, as well as local teams, can work their way through the jobs. The Employees of the Month Pack and the Movers in Paradise expansion add extra playable characters.

The first jobs take place in ordinary homes and front gardens. As the moving company's reputation grows, more unusual locations are added, including farms, haunted houses and virtual environments. Various obstacles force teams to re-plan their routes from job to job.

The PC version offers a German user interface and German subtitles. The voice audio is available in English. On PC, keyboard bindings can be changed. The Steam version also supports controllers and Remote Play Together.