COCOON, the much anticipated puzzle-adventure from the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE, features alien worlds nested within one another. Thanks to last week's Annapurna Interactive Showcase, we now know when we’ll be able to start unraveling this intriguing game: September 29 on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
From the new trailer, we get a sense of some of the gameplay we’ll be encountering in COCOON. Mechanically reminiscent of games like Patrick's Parabox and Recursed, COCOON has the player jumping in and out of orbs that contain entire worlds within them. Transport the orbs around, even from one world to another, rearranging and untangling the twisted connections between spaces. It's not yet clear if COCOON will explore mind-bending recursive structures — worlds that contain themselves — but it certainly seems to be a natural direction it might take.
Each orb appears to have additional powers, interacting with the environments as you work your way through them; one orb reveals nearby hidden platforms, while others fire projectiles and activate strange biomechanical devices. Not confined to pure puzzle gameplay, COCOON also includes exploration and platforming elements, some kind of gliding mechanic, and boss battles with the guardians of each world. All this with such a stunningly distinctive sci-fi aesthetic.
Combining the mechanics of Recursed with the adventure and exploration elements of games like Tunic and Fez seems like the perfect recipe for an excellent game. I’m looking forward to jumping in (and in, and in) when COCOON releases on September 29.