Moving Out: 5 helpful tips for beginners

One would think that moving furniture and boxes into a truck would be a lot easier if property damage suddenly wasn't a concern. The idea behind Moving Out is to move things as quickly as efficiently as possible without worrying about little things like mayhem and destruction. As it turns out, this can be a little tougher than it sounds. So if you're thinking about playing for the first time, you might need a few tips.

Shacknews has been getting caught up in the latest from Team 17, SMG Studio, and DevM Games. And so we're taking some time today to offer up a couple of beginner tips for those looking to dive into Moving Out. We don't have fancy VHS video, like the game's tutorial offers, but the quality of our advice will hopefully make up for that. So let's get started.

1. Make sure you have at least one partner

Let's preface this by noting that Moving Out is entirely playable as a single-player effort. Objects that are normally multiple-person jobs become doable by solo players.

However, if you're looking to up your odds of success, then you want to hire some help. The more, the merrier, as they say. Recruit a partner or three and tackle jobs as a team, mainly because it opens up a wealth of different team-based strategies. (We'll even hit up a few specific ones a little later.) It helps having somebody else around, especially near the end of a job when the priority becomes organization and creating space on the moving truck. And it always helps to have a free hand available when unexpected obstacles arise, like pesky tortoises or chickens trying to throw their weight around.

Plus, it's just more fun to play with others. If you have a significant other or younger siblings around, Moving Out is loads of fun and really easy to pick up.

2. Focus on two-handed furniture first

Again, prefacing this one by noting that this is less of an issue in single-player, since two-handed furniture becomes liftable by a solo mover. But if you're playing co-op, your priority should be moving the heavier furniture.

Focus on the bulkier items, like sofas and beds. These will eat up a majority of the space on your moving truck and you'll want to make sure you aren't struggling to find space in-between a bunch of smaller items. Remember that just because something is loaded onto the truck doesn't mean it will stay on the truck. Because of Moving Out's physics system, it's entirely possible for something to spill out. You want to be as elegant in your stacking as possible. Think Homer Simpson trying to fit a bunch of junk (and his family) into his car.

After you finish with the larger items, focus on the other two-handed stuff, like the refrigerator. Once you've wrapped up with the multi-person jobs, you're free to split up and take whatever remains. This should make stacking everything a lot easier.

3. Throw smaller items on top of bigger ones to make room

This one goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. Some items can be stacked on top of one another. But you're not exactly going to be throwing a bed on top of anything fragile or on top of a smaller box. Moving doesn't work that way. However, you have a throwing function and it's best to take advantage of it after loading in the larger items.

Before proceeding any further, take a moment to get the hang of throwing items. Don't be afraid to change your preferences in the options menu. If you prefer your throw to be toggled, go for it. Getting the best out of your throws is a big key to success in Moving Out.

Take a smaller item and use your throwing function to toss it on top of the bed, sofa, or table. Small boxes and tinier appliances, like your toaster or your computer, will stack nicely atop that bigger stuff. Plus, that will leave extra room in the moving truck. You're going to need that extra space, especially for yard items like that pesky grill or other single-person items that can't be thrown.

The eyeball test should be enough to determine what can be thrown. Just be careful not to throw anything fragile, which is indicated by a red icon. If you throw a fragile item, it will shatter and respawn in its original place, wasting precious time.

4. Pass smaller items around when obstacles are present

This is where it really comes in handy to have one or more partners. Eventually, you're going to bump into stages with much larger obstacles, like swimming pools. Late in the game, you'll even be moving stuff in the middle of active traffic. Yikes! So teamwork is going to be essential here.

After getting the bigger items out of the way, you're going to want to move the smaller items by safely tossing them to one another. Use your throwing function to chuck boxes or smaller pieces of furniture across dangerous gaps, like those aforementioned swimming pools. Make a game of hot potato out of it. Have somebody stationed by the moving truck and have them ready to receive the smaller items. You'll want this person to be your best organizer, somebody proficient at making space in the truck and tossing the smaller stuff on top of the bulkier items.

Needless to say, this does not apply to fragile items. Split up and tackle the fragile items last and take them the long way, unless you create a shorter route. Speaking of which...

5. Make shortcuts wherever possible

In Moving Out, there is no penalty for destroying items. The game makes multiple references and jokes about it. So yes, players are encouraged to find as many shortcuts as possible. If you can bust through windows, do it! If you can break down a flimsy wall, do it! You can use the new path to either bust into the house yourself or use it as a path to toss smaller items to your partner.

Just know that making a shortcut isn't always a viable option, so plot out an escape route as best as possible. Specifically, have a plan for how to get those beds and sofas through to the truck as efficiently as possible. However, if you and your partner have truly mastered the art of throwing, you can attempt to throw the bulkier beds and sofas to more favorable spots. Your timing has to be spot-on, though, so make sure to practice together.

These beginner tips should help you and your partners get started on your Moving Out journey. Before long, you'll be good enough to start aiming for each stage's bonus goals. Do you have any advice you'd like to share for Moving Out players? Join the conversation and let us know. Moving Out is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One (free for Xbox Game Pass users), and Nintendo Switch.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?