Welcome to the Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club. Our 25th game of 2023 is Cocoon. The target completion date is December 4, 2023.

We ask that until that date you use the forum software to mark any spoilers, either story based or mechanical, in the discussion below. Ideally the bulk of the discussion will occur after December 4, but if you want to comment before then you are welcome to so long as the spoilers are marked. We ask that if you leave a comment before that date you also come back to the thread after it to read other people’s comments and respond to them, though of course we cannot force you to do so.

All are welcome to participate regardless of whether you have stated a preference to or not and there is absolutely no commitment. You do not have to finish the game to participate but please let us know if you have not.

You are also free to come back any time after the completion date and share your thoughts! This club is meant to be open to all whenever you want to join in the fun!

You can find out more about the Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club or suggest future games for it here.

What is Cocoon?

An isometric puzzle exploration game from talent behind Limbo and Inside, in a trippy insect-influenced sci-fi setting.

How long is Cocoon?

How long to beat lists it as 4.5 hours long.

Been waiting to use that image, I bet!

I cracked this open yesterday, so I didn’t feel right about putting in any last-minute votes for it, but I’m glad it was selected. I had forgotten the connection to the classic Playdead games, so my first thought of “wow this feels like Inside in a lot of ways” feels obvious in hindsight. The gameplay of this one has a good, snappy feeling, something that all the other Playdeadlikes (not using “Limboners”, sorry Dan) have lacked. It’s also short and sweet; I’m 2 hours in or so, and my completion percentage is listed as 60%.

One really neat thing with the load game mechanic is that you can rewind it to any previous completion percentage. I don’t think I’ve seen a game do that before, but I’d like to see more do that in the future.

@allthedinos: Actually the image was a last minute decision. I went as far as booting the game up and playing the first 20 minutes or so to get some screenshots before deciding that Wilford Brimley deserved the place.

I'm not sure why you wouldn't feel right about voting for a game just because you've started it. I've definitely tie-broken in favor of games I've started or even finished. The whole point is to talk about games so voting for something you're already playing or have already played just guarantees that you'll have something to say and should be encouraged!

From the beginning of the game it's pretty cool. I don't really get an Inside vibe because it's not so much about trial and error and obviously the aesthetics are totally different, but it does have some similarities in art style and in the intelligence of the puzzle design. I'm also really digging the trippy visuals and unexpected ways that you interact with the environment.

The rewind feature sounds fantastic (especially for collecting stuff) and in general I am in favor of such systems. I think every game where it is feasible should have chapter select and the ability to view any cinemas you've seen. You can rewind to any scene in a movie or TV show, or flip to any page of a book, so why not a game?