Summary
Like all great puzzle games,Cocoongives you plenty of freedom to figure things out on your own. The game sets you in itsbeautiful worldand allows you to wander off, interacting with its colorful creatures, strange technology, and the incredible universes contained within its magical orbs.
While you’ll have a great time discovering how everything in Cocoon works, it’s always nice to go into games prepared, especially games with minimal dialogue and a great deal of environmental puzzle solving. Knowing what the game expects from you, and what you can expect from it, can sometimes improve the entire experience. With that said, here are a few things we wish we’d known before starting Cocoon.
6Venture Off The Beaten Path…
Cocoon’s various worlds are usually composed of winding paths that you’ll wander across as you reveal secrets and solve puzzles. Often, you’ll feel pressed to choose the right way to explore, but don’t concern yourself too much — the game wants you to take a look around.
Many of the puzzles you’ll find involve backtracking short distances to bring an object, drone, or orb from one place to another, and you’ll find yourself taking each of these paths regardless. There are also a handful of secrets to discover if you’re perceptive enough. Beyond that, Cocoon’s world is one that’s full of curiosities and small marvels, if you know where to look.
5…But Don’t Expect A Ton Of Collectibles
When speaking of discovering the game’s secrets, it’s important to not oversell expectations. Often, your exploration will be tied to solving the area’s primary puzzle, and while there are collectibles to find in Cocoon, there’s only one type to discover throughout the brisk adventure.
As you quest around the game, you may come across strange, otherworldly creatures known as Moon Ancestors. There 11 of these ethereal beings in the game, and you’ll unlock a different achievement with each one. For the completionist, they’re a nice additional goal to strive for throughout your playthrough, and for the true puzzle enthusiast, they can add yet another challenge to many of the game’s worlds.
4Pay Attention To Your Environment
You may be surprised to find yourself stumped by a few of Cocoon’s puzzles, especially as you progress through the game. There is a subtlety to this quest that requires a keen eye to continue making progress from world to world.
There is one reoccurring puzzle in particular that requires a bit of environmental exploration. You’ll come across a series of rune-like switches in the game, and making contact with them will make nodes on a tower light up. Tapping these runes in the right order is necessary to continue through the game, and there are instances where you may need to look around a bit to discover clues on how to activate them.
3Don’t Be Afraid To Jump Out Of The World
Of course, not every puzzle in Cocoon will require the same type of thinking to reach its conclusion.
Sometimes, you may reach a seemingly impassible enemy or force that leaves you scratching your head in confusion. In cases like these, it can be easy to forget about what makes Cocoon so special, but the game leaves you uniquely equipped to navigate the dangers of its worlds.
Be sure to look around for the terminals that allow you to leap out of the game’s universe orbs. There will be obstacles in Cocoon that can’t be solved without exiting the tiny universe you’re in, and you can usually see what’s happening within a world in the liquid surrounding the terminal, allowing you to re-enter when the coast is clear.
2Use The Game’s Mechanics Together
The way that Cocoon’s world works never stops being fascinating throughout its brisk playtime. The various mechanics differ from world to world, with an impressive amount of variety, and that’s not even counting the fact that the universe-holding orbs themselves have unique and spectacular abilities.
A part of what makes Cocoon’s puzzle-solving mechanics so unique is the way that its various elements come together to help you accomplish things in the game. Every now and then, you may need to take advantage of this fact, like bringing an orb with you into another universe that can help you achieve a certain goal.
1Don’t Worry Too Much About Boss Battles
Generally speaking, Cocoon is a very relaxed game. You’ll spend most of your time virtually isolated, wandering from area to area as you uncover new orbs and activate mysterious electronics scattered throughout. Despite this, you’ll always know that a threat is looming.
As you enter each world, you’ll encounter a different ominous creature who’s unleashed to enter it with you. Just as you might expect, you’ll run into these large and dangerous beasts at the end of each of these worlds, serving as its final boss. Thankfully, falling prey to the boss' attacks will typically just send you flying out of the world, leaving you primed and ready to try again.
