From indie game team Geometric Interactive in Copenhagen, Denmark, here is the mighty COCOON.
This one is extra special as it's the work of Jeppe Carlsen, lead gameplay designer of LIMBO (2010) and the exceptional INSIDE (2016), and composer Jakob Schmid. We mean, INSIDE is one of the best games of all time.
That meant we downloaded COCOON, which is available on all consoles and PC, straight away. We were not left disappointed.
The Cosmic COCOON Offers Puzzles Aplenty (and weird bug things)
So, yes, Jeppe Carlsen and Jakob Schmid were part of Playdead, the Danish indie studio responsible for INSIDE. Following the critical acclaim of that title, they founded Geometric Interactive in 2016.
COCOON is the first title to come out of their indie studio.
A brave move for any first-time indie developers, but one that's gone spectacularly well. COCOON is already hailed as one of the best games of 2023.
Its concept is a bit like Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010), where a dream goes within a dream. For this game, there are orb worlds within other orb worlds.
Moving back and forth between the inner/upper orb worlds to complete puzzles is the name of the game. Initially mind-bending, after a few minutes of play it'll click.
That's when you realise this is quite brilliant—fiendishly inventive puzzle concepts that are often sensational in the beauty of their delivery.
It's stunning Jeppe Carlsen has created some of these concepts. To conceive them and map them out in the game world is a remarkable achievement. Here he is, the man himself, to describe how it all works.
COCOON has a natural grace to it that's uncommon in games. This is simply down to outstanding gameplay design.
Its flow is quite mesmerising to behold. The complexity of its areas, interconnecting and weaving back and forth, all presented in a way the player must unlock through a keen sense of critical thinking and exploration.
This is our demonstration of it all in action. It's super clever.
Downsides? Well, as with LIMBO and INSIDE the narrative is vague. You're dumped into the alien world and guide the insect through the orb-based cosmos.
All rather abstract. It bothers same gamers (and some gaming critics noted it), but it's not something we care about. We prefer games that get straight into it.
What does matter with these Playdead-styled games is how visceral they are. Almost like you're not playing a video game, but living the experience. They're so immersive, they just have that special capacity to draw the player in.
COCOON nails that in one.
However, it's not going to be for everyone. AAA gamers after explosions and guns will baulk at the lofty concepts and stop-start puzzle solving.
COCOON is very indie game. Clever concepts, an advancing core gameplay mechanic, and a short time of it (about three hours or so).
We'd still say INSIDE is the total masterpiece from Playdead's team (whether they still work for the studio or not). It's right near the top of our best indie games of all time list.
But for a first time outing for a new studio, COCOON is an outstanding achievement. An intellectually inspired and unique work of genuine art that floored us with its endless creativity.
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