‘Urban Jungle’ Takes Lo-Fi Beats and Plant-Based Feats to a New Level, and It’s So Relaxing

Games like Unpacking and Urban Jungle are just the perfect way to unwind after a hectic day. While I unceremoniously dilly-dally on unpacking my stuff into my office, I’m more than happy to make the room of someone’s dreams in a game like Urban Jungle. Creating a space that is both organized yet unabashedly your own is so satisfying. It’s easy to see why hours can fly by in what feels like minutes. And Urban Jungle may be my favorite entry in the Unpacking-like genre yet.

this Has an Undeniable Vibe to It, and I Love the Wiggly Plants

When starting my journey into Urban Jungle, I was prepared for it to feel just like its inspiration, Unpacking. But while it does play similarly, they’re completely different beasts in many ways. Decoration, alongside plant care, is the main vibe here. Meshed together with a beautiful visual style that isn’t going to push your PC to the max, it’s a relaxing and serene escape from the real world. Pair it with a lo-fi soundtrack that’ll lull you into a trance, and you’re in for a fantastic evening.

It’s not a long game by any means, either. It’s roughly three hours of pure bliss. But it’s also, in a way, infinitely replayable. Finding the optimal spots for plants, items, and everything in between is serene. And the story that unfolds along the journey is one that I wouldn’t mind playing through again. It’s short, sweet, and to the point, and I love that about it.

Jumping between different timeframes and points of life in Urban Jungle, it was up to me (and my wife, who was supervising me from a distance) to create the ultimate living space. Sprucing things up with succulents was incredibly relaxing. And since I’m not exactly a plant expert, I was very glad to see that I could learn which plants got along with others. No dead plants on my watch.

Maybe the Real ‘Urban Jungle’ Is The Friends We Made Along the Way

Life isn’t all about plants, however. It’s about how we nourish the friendships that we make along the path of life. The story that unfolds is that of friendship, love, and loss, while just being unafraid to be yourself. Meeting up with characters like Pharita, whom we bond with over our love of Mobile Suit Gundam, is refreshing. Putting little anime figures on a shelf while also making room for our plants feels weirdly cathartic. And we learn as we grow, just like the plants we’re taking care of.

Using humidifiers, light, and space to put plants in is reminiscent of how we spend our lives. We sometimes forget to do the things we need to do, but Urban Jungle reminded me that I needed to do just that. Not only in the game but also in real life. Taking some time to reflect on the smaller things in life, like Urban Jungle asks us to, is just what we all need at times.