Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 87 | 96 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 90 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 95% | 89 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 84 | 257 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 99% | 95 | 42 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 120 reviews sampled · 89 total reviews in window · weighted 61.6 up / 0.7 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (85)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
“A stunningly well-executed game, Cocoon takes you on a physics-bending adventure that has you leaping between worlds to solve puzzles that guide an endearing little alien home. It absorbs you fully into its unique and beautiful corner of space until its orb-based mechanics make more sense than reality.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“While I wouldn’t say Cocoon achieves wordless narrative perfection, it succeeds in presenting a story full of emotional resonance and mental stimulation with little to no communication to the player. What results is a great video game, and more importantly a great work of art, one that causes those who engage with it to mull over its events, its structure, and its atmosphere.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“If you feel longing for something like INSIDE, Journey or ICO, then drop everything and just buy Cocoon. It's one of the most important games this year, and one that will be talked about years down the line.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“One of the best puzzle-adventure games with tons of cool ideas and their flawless execution. We didn't expect less from the game designer of Limbo and Inside.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Every step of the way is littered with details big and small that absolutely sing, from the way that you can see the solution for a problem reflected in a puddle at your feet, to the ways the aphids and fireflies floating through these strange new worlds coalesce into funny little helpers along the way. Even with a phobia of everything this world was made to embody, it’s hard to not become transfixed by the beauty and enormity of it all.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“All it takes is an analog stick and a single action button to let yourself be swept away by a breathtaking, enchanting world. And this journey is an artistic experience. Moreover, it’s not just an artistic experience, it’s also a gaming experience. As a result, you’ll see Cocoon featured in polls for the best indie video game, and perhaps even the best video game overall, of 2023.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Cocoon is a fun and addictive puzzler. Its unique mechanics and gameplay had us glued to our screens, and it’s gorgeous to boot. Its lack of story is a minor disappointment, but if you love puzzles and aren't bugged by fast-paced combat, this game will be an easy favourite, even if it flies by all too quickly.”
read full review ↗ - 83
“If I have a major issue, it’s that just as this sensation is fully kicking in, this relatively brief journey comes to a close. The problem isn’t so much the game’s length but that it only reaches its full potential in this last hour or so as it bounds towards its climax. Also, while the ultimate conclusion doesn’t necessarily undermine what came before, it doesn’t quite elevate it either, as its fairly straightforward demonstration of what it’s all “about” is somewhat clumsy compared to what it more elegantly achieves through its mechanics. Still, even if it doesn’t entirely stick the landing, Cocoon’s mind-warping puzzles and well-realized setting make for an out-of-this-world experience.”
read full review ↗ - 89
“Cocoon is a pearl in the world of puzzle adventures. It has no macroscopic defects that compromise its structure. Its level and game design are constructed with precision like a sophisticated machine. The defects that we can find arise from the very genre to which the title belongs. If you love this genre, however, it is a title not to be missed, which evolves the previous experiences of Limbo and Inside and takes them to a higher level. A wonderful surprise of this year.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“With a mind-bending core concept, breathless pacing, and splendid presentation, Geometric Interactive's debut puzzler will keep you rapt up through every world within a world.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Cocoon is one of this year’s brightest gems, both form and function dazzle. I can only begin to guess at what its conclusion means, but that didn’t hinder my appreciation in the slightest. Masterful design, stunning environments, brilliant concepts, intuitive gameplay, it all adds up to an unmissable experience. ”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Mixing together impeccable artistic design and aesthetics with ever-changing puzzle objectives, Cocoon is quite endearing”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- COCOON Hotfix #3Jan 17, 2024
- Cocoon Hotfix #2Oct 25, 2023
- Cocoon Hotfix #1Oct 4, 2023