Clickers and idlers are divisive; some players can’t get enough of their soothing, meditative gameplay loop, while others can’t stand playing through a “number go up” game. If you fall into the former camp, you’ll get a kick out of Unboxathon.
- The Escapist recaps
- Bubbles, boxes, and bombs
- Bite-sized, cozy gameplay
- Ask The Escapist
Unboxathon is a cozy incremental game, developed by Skye <3 and published by EVIL CORP GAMES. Here, you’ll find The Escapist’s full Unboxathon review, looking at everything from the adorable pixel art to the looping gameplay.
The Escapist recaps
- Unboxathon is a cute incremental clicker game that revolves around opening mystery boxes and selling their contents for profit.
- Developed by Skye <3 and published by EVIL CORP GAMES, the game is short but sweet, with a meditative style of play. If you’ve played titles like Scritchy Scratchy, you’ll know what to expect.
- There’s a surprising amount of depth to the upgrade system in Unboxathon, along with the Synthesis feature, which is unlocked later in the game. Synthesis makes Unboxathon feel like more of an idler than an incremental clicker.
- Other than a few small visual quirks with text popping out of boxes or overlapping, Unboxathon runs well and looks fantastic, with a delightful art style and soundscape.
Bubbles, boxes, and bombs
Do you like mystery boxes and lucky dips? If so, you’re in for a treat with Unboxathon. This cute incremental clicker game from Skye <3 and EVIL CORP GAMES offers a cozy unboxing experience, complete with bubble wrap, pastel pixel art, and soft music.
The core gameplay in this cozy game revolves around opening boxes, unsurprisingly, requiring you to pop bubbles to unlock your first box, then cut open the tape, remove the packaging, and evaluate the goodies inside. You’ll then be able to sell the items inside for cash or store them in your archive.
As you earn more money, you’ll be able to access even rarer mystery boxes, moving from a box of random trash to online shopping returns, then, eventually, ancient relics and magical goods. There are five different box types overall, each with its own unique roster of items and theme.
Rare mystery boxes aren’t the only thing you’ll be able to spend money on, though. There’s a comprehensive upgrades system, with skill trees for everything from the boxes themselves to the bubbles that float along in the background.
The bubbles can help you get new mystery boxes without having to spend any cash, generating points once popped, but they can also provide you with extra items, experience, or currency. You’ll be able to access needles, bombs, and spiked balls to help you pop bubbles quickly.
New currencies will unlock as you progress, ranging from green shards to golden cogs, each letting you access more powerful and interesting upgrades while tearing into boxes. The amount of currencies can admittedly be a little confusing in the earlier stages of the game, but once you’ve got access to all the boxes, it makes more sense.
Bite-sized, cozy gameplay
Once you’ve progressed to the point of unlocking the Cog currency in Unboxathon, you’ll be able to unlock Synthesis.
The Synthesis system takes Unboxathon from being a pure incremental clicker to somewhat of an idle game. It allows you to create items over time, and with enough upgrades, you’ll be able to sell them automatically, too. It provides passive income, making it easier to afford rare boxes.
Unboxathon is enjoyable from the get-go, but it’s arguably the most fun in its last hour or so. Some of the late-game upgrades are ridiculously enjoyable, with one of the best letting you set fire to box paper instead of destroying it with your cursor, and being able to access a wide variety of items makes the Synthesis system even more valuable.
While the clicker style of play might not be for everyone, it’s hard to deny how impactful Unboxathon is visually. The pixelated artwork is adorably cozy, with each item in the game feeling well-crafted. It’s also got a fantastic, soothing soundtrack, too.
Something that’ll be a sticking point for some Unboxathon players is that it’s quite a short game. This reviewer netted all but three achievements on Steam during the review session, clocking in at roughly three hours. Chances are, you’ll be able to play through the entirety of the game in anywhere from three to five hours.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – clickers can get quite repetitive and outstay their welcome with a padded runtime. It’s a pleasant game to dip into if you want something soothing to play through, but it may not be the best game for you if you’re looking for something lengthier.
In terms of performance, Unboxathon runs smoothly and doesn’t throw up any glitches or bugs. There were a few visual quirks where text didn’t quite sit inside a text box or sat over the top of another piece of text when selling an item, but these weren’t critical issues.
Outside of this, Unboxathon is a delightful experience for fans of incremental clickers, mystery boxes, and gacha games. It’s a simplistic and soothing game in terms of its core mechanics, with a short runtime and a burst of achievements that make it ideal for completionists who want a bite-sized game to chew through.
Ask The Escapist
Unlike its more action-oriented counterparts, the clicker game genre is simple to engage with and provides a low-stress way for players to have fun. Gameplay is minimalistic, the art style is often engaging, and there’s usually an element of completionism as well.
The best relaxing games include Unpacking, A Little to the Left, and Tiny Bookshop. Journey may also provide a relaxing experience for some, as might Tiny Glade.
The best relaxing games on the Nintendo Switch include Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Tamagotchi Plaza, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
The most popular idle games include Banana, Cookie Clicker, and Bongo Cat.
Last Updated On: Jan 2, 2026 1:17 pm CET