SHIP, INC. REVIEW: MY NEW FAVORITE WAY TO DESTROY MY WRIST
Ever wondered what would happen if the most mundane part of an Amazon warehouse job was turned into a surprisingly addictive, cozy, and aesthetically pleasing video game, but it also came with a free, invisible wrist brace because you're gonna fucking need it? Welcome to Ship, Inc., the game that has perfected the art of the zen-like grind.
The Dopamine Hit of a Perfect Package
I'm not going to lie, the main gameplay loop here is like crack for anyone with an organized bone in their body. You get an order. You play a little game of real-life Tetris trying to cram a plutonium rod and a toy car into the smallest possible box. You slap some tape on it, stick on the right labels, and ship it. It's simple. It's satisfying. The "Chill Mode" lets you do this for hours without any pressure, making it the perfect game to play while you listen to a podcast and slowly lose feeling in your clicking hand. It's therapeutic in a weird, late-stage capitalist sort of way. You even get a cat. What more could you want?
My Kingdom for a 'Buy Max' Button
That beautiful, zen-like trance is frequently shattered by some truly baffling quality-of-life omissions. The worst offender? The supply store. You need to restock your shipping boxes. You need 35 of them. You have to click the 'buy' button 35 individual times. It's a testament to the game's addictive core that I actually sat there and did it instead of immediately uninstalling and throwing my PC into a river. It's a small, mind-numbing design choice that becomes a massive, repetitive annoyance every single time you need to resupply.
The Carpal Tunnel Two-Step
This game should come with a disclaimer from a medical professional. Every single action is a click and drag. Drag the item, rotate the item, drag the box, drag the tape, drag the sticker. After a couple of hours, my wrist was screaming at me. It's a game that feels like it was designed for a mobile touch screen but then ported to PC without any thought for the poor bastards using a mouse. I would kill for an accessibility option to automate some of this, because my tendons are begging for mercy. The only thing this game simulates perfectly is the repetitive strain injury of a real-life packaging job.
A Cozy Loop, But Still a Loop
As fun and addictive as the loop is, it's still just a loop. There's no real story to uncover or grand objective to reach beyond "get more money to buy more stuff to make more money." After a few hours, the repetition starts to set in. You realize you're just packing slightly different combinations of the same items over and over again. The grind for the late-game achievements is immense and feels designed purely to pad out the playtime. It's a great way to kill an afternoon, but it's not a game that's going to keep you engaged for weeks on end.
The Verdict
Look, Ship, Inc. knows exactly what it is: a simple, cozy, and dangerously addictive simulator about packing boxes. It does that one thing incredibly well. It’s hampered by some mind-numbing QoL issues and a gameplay loop that will eventually wear out its welcome (and your wrist). But if you're looking for the perfect, low-stakes game to chill out with for a weekend, this is it. It's a beautifully designed Skinner box, and I am a happy little rat pressing the lever.
Score: 8.3/10 - A lovely little game that doubles as a physical therapy stress test.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way.