Camper Van: Make it Home Review

As a millennial woman, I feel the call of the tiny home and the converted camper van deep in my bones. I love videos that go into detail on creative storage solutions for small spaces, or building furniture that converts into different configurations for multiple uses. Camper Van: Make it Home, developed by Malapata Studios, promised to provide a taste of that experience without making me investigate parking fees at campsites or how on earth to clean out the tank of a cassette toilet. And to boot, it boasted gorgeous 3D graphics and cute home decor objects, all washed in a soothing soft light filter. So I was sold immediately. In fact, I should disclose that I did support this game on Kickstarter back in 2023.

Camper Van: Make it Home is a cozy decorating game, with light puzzle solving and a subtle, uplifting narrative. The main character is presumably a young woman who has set out on a new life, living in a converted camper van that has been decked out with the bare necessities for living on the road. In each level of the game you are presented with her van in a beautiful new outdoor location, and must fill it with all of her belongings which are conveniently categorized into categories on the side of the screen. The light puzzle solving comes into play as you work out which items can be stored where inside the living space of the van. You’ll find items large and small, and lots of quirky, space-saving storage options to choose from.

Camper Van: Make it Home in Action

I didn’t expect that Camper Van: Make it Home would make me self examine on levels almost approaching Wanderstop. I saw a lot of myself in the main character. Mostly in how this girl’s addiction to acquiring new coffee mugs, house plants and bikinis is actively ruining her life. Or at least her ability to find a reasonable place to store all her belongings. I heard myself saying things I never thought I’d say, like “it doesn’t matter if you can afford another mug, if you can’t afford a bigger space to put it.” Who even am I anymore?

Personal character development aside, I really appreciated the two-phase approach to level design in this game. As you progress through your camper van journey and settle into the nomadic lifestyle, you’ll upgrade your vehicle several times. First, you get to customize the paint job and interior of the van. Then, you’ll get two levels with that vehicle in different outdoor settings, in which to unpack your belongings, before the next upgrade. The first level starts you off with a completely empty van, but the second phase sets you in a new environment, but leaves most of your belongings where you placed them the first time around. I could feel myself outgrowing each van by the second level, but loved that I didn’t have to find a place for everything all over again.

Everything in its proper place (as long as that place is one of your three cupboards)

In terms of finding a place to store everything, I actually didn’t run into too many scenarios where I felt that pressed for space. I was on the lookout for this because I did feel this way a bit when I played the first demo for the game in the summer of 2024. I had managed to store everything, but only just barely. In contrast, I felt like there was ample space for all my items in almost every level, as long as I was willing to make some compromises about storing different categories of items in the same cupboards or drawers. But I suppose that’s just how it goes when you’re living the van life! Sometimes you have to live with your toothbrush sitting next to your scrapbooking materials.

For players who really don’t want to stress about space, you can always place tricky or odd objects outside! In fact, every level comes with a set of items that are designed to live outside, creating a relaxing little picnic hangout area next to your home-on-wheels. Camper Van: Make it Home doesn’t just want players to focus on putting everything in its rightful place. The game offers many little moments to celebrate the spaces you’re in, and to make them your own.

Camper Van: Make it Home doesn’t just want players to focus on putting everything in its rightful place. The game offers many little moments to celebrate the spaces you’re in, and to make them your own.

Am I a camera control freak?

One area of gameplay that may cause some players to sweat a little bit are the camera controls. Simmers, especially fans of The Sims 3’s camera, will probably feel pretty comfortable panning, tilting, zooming around the nooks and crannies of the van. But for folks who are excited for this title because they love similar decorating puzzle games like Unpacking or Urban Jungle, they’ll probably run into a bit of a learning curve.

Even as someone who is fairly comfortable with a Sims-style camera, there were occasional moments where I had to fumble around to find an angle and zoom so that I could see into the right cupboard or get the proper angle to place an item on a specific surface. I noticed that most of the surfaces require that you be able to hover over them at a certain angle and distance in order to activate them for placement. It makes sense, with so many planes in such a small area, it needs to be very clear which spot a player is trying to access. But it did create brief moments of confusion or frustration for me.

Camper Van: Make it Home Trailer

I imagine fans of Unpacking’s narrative will flock to Camper Van: Make it Home, for its similar gameplay and approach to storytelling. Unpacking does a superb job of conveying a powerful story, completely wordlessly, simply through the living spaces and belongings of its main character. Without spoiling anything, I’ll say that Camper Van does something similar, but players should come in expecting a lighter focus on the character’s personal journey, with fewer dramatic twists and turns. Instead, the game places a stronger emphasis on the player’s ability to put themselves in the shoes of the main character.

The game invites players to shape the living spaces to make themselves feel at home, while discovering hints at the character’s relationships, friendships, and personal growth. Maybe most importantly, you do get to select a pet eventually. And yes, you CAN pet the dog (or cat, or lizard)!

Camper Van: Make it Home provides the taste of van life that I’ve been craving, but without the real life complications and far more Pinterest-perfect aesthetic options than I could ever achieve on my own. Everything about the game feels light and airy, including the puzzle solving gameplay and narrative. Overall, Camper Van delivered on its promise to provide a chill, relaxing decorating experience, focused on creativity, personal expression and aesthetics.

Emily was provided with a review key of Camper Van: Make it Home by Future Friends Games

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No Small Games is an indie game recap and review podcast brought to you by hosts Kate and Emily! They became friends while streaming on Twitch and bonded over their love of indie video games. In each episode of No Small Games, the two will discuss an indie game they both played independently. They’ll compare their experiences: the good, the bad, their most memorable moments of their playthroughs.

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