COCOON Review
Nominated for Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at the 2023 Game Awards, Cocoon follows in the footsteps of eerie and clever puzzle games like Limbo and Inside.
- Just the right game for Rick & Morty lovers
- Original and high-quality mechanics
- Has nice flow to its gameplay
- Some puzzles take too much time to complete
However, it distinguishes itself from the formulas that made those games great by focusing on a world of serene exploration and discovery instead of constant threat of death and violence. Nothing will kill you in Cocoon, and even boss fights send you back to the beginning until you can overcome them.
In Cocoon, you control a small moth-like entity, navigating landscapes that accompany your search for meaning, purpose, and order. These landscapes range from desert and swamp biomes to alien environments filled with organic fauna and industrial docks. The setting within the game could be a distant planet, the interior of a spaceship, or perhaps even within a much larger entity. As you begin to solve the complex puzzle environments in Cocoon, the constant change, accompanied by the subtle yet effective synth soundtrack, emphasizes the mystery at the heart of the game.
Gameplay Mechanics
The core innovation of Cocoon lies in the use of interwoven worlds represented through spheres you can carry in your surroundings and activate various devices. Each sphere possesses unique abilities, such as the orange sphere activating energy bridges or the green sphere allowing you to ascend and descend in columns where the liquid solidifies and vaporizes. These innovative mechanics allow players to revisit old areas and overcome new challenges, enriching the gaming experience.
Strategy
There are a total of four spheres, providing the game with four different power sets and working advantages with four interwoven worlds. While the possibilities could quickly become complex, Cocoon's significant feature is its limitation. Each new area focuses on the exact number of items required to solve the puzzle and unlock a new path. There are no unnecessary elements, and distractions are minimal. Cocoon offers a deep strategy range.
Most games typically take one of two approaches to puzzles: relying on natural world mechanics or establishing a set of logical or narrative rules, guiding the player to decipher them like hidden languages. Cocoon, however, stands out by combining these two approaches. The color-coded powers and rules governing interwoven worlds initially feel arbitrary and alien. Yet, as you progress, they start feeling like natural laws embedded in the fabric of the space around you. What once seemed challenging becomes as intuitive as Tetris, making Cocoon's extraordinary puzzle experience unique and memorable.
Is Cocoon worth playing?
Cocoon provides a worthwhile experience with its innovative puzzle mechanics, impressive interwoven world structure, and fluid gameplay dynamics. The color-coded powers and interworld transitions offer players a unique puzzle-solving experience. If you're intrigued by unusual and memorable puzzle games, Cocoon could be a fantastic choice to play.