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The RPS Advent Calendar 2023, December 4thDid you ask for marbles for Christmas this year?
Did you ask for marbles for Christmas this year?
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
The fourth game in our 2023 Advent Calendar is really carrying the world on its back.
Solve puzzles with balls and bugs inCocoon!
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
I’ve heard some puzzleheads haven’t clicked with it because it’s not complicated enough, which is fair! But I don’t think that’s what the game sets out to do. Yes, it wants to prod and tickle your brain a bit, but I’d say it’s more like a massage. As you roll over the metallic knots of the world with your marbles, it presents you with interesting little problems and, crucially, a sense you’re undoing the wrongs of some corrupted, godlike insects. Unfurling the world is the real treat.
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
And as you unfurl, the patter of your insect lad’s feet and the plop of your marbles provide a soothing accompaniment to relative silence. What this means is when the synth soundtrack kicks in, it elevates whatever you’re uncovering or about to uncover. Again, even little snippets of a tune or the odd jingle can help push you towards a new discovery.
If you’re a fan of insects, not a fan of puzzles, or like both things, I’d urge you to give Cocoon a go. It’ll add some nice relaxing energy to your Christmas.
Alice Bee:Cocoon is one of those games that’s quite hard to explain, because conceptually it has a bunch of layers to it, but in the course of playing it you can hold those layers in your head like tissue paper and understand them all. It starts to get confusing if you think too hard about it. It’s like looking at a magic eye picture, if a magic eye picture contained more magic eye pictures, and also there’s a nice beetle.
