New game Cocoon from former Limbo dev is all about orbs and worlds and world orbs

Cocoon screenshot showcases the protagonist looking at some strange, colorful alien machinery
(Image credit: Geometric Interactive/Annapurna Interactive)

Cocoon, first revealed at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase around this time last year, is back with a fresh look at the upcoming isometric, multiversal, puzzle adventure during today’s Day of the Devs stream. And it's looking good, and strange, but mostly good.

If you didn’t catch the initial reveal last year, Cocoon is from developer Geometric Interactive, which was founded by Limbo and Inside lead gameplay designer Jeppe Carlsen as well as programmer/composer Jakob Schmid. The core conceit is that each of the game’s worlds are within an orb carried on your character’s back that you can then travel between in order to solve puzzles.

Each of these orbs has some core ability to unlock, which then can be used to help solve puzzles in other worlds. These abilities can range from revealing hidden objects to allowing certain objects to be interacted with at range and more.

But unlocking these is not always easy as guardians protect each world/orb. Defeating them will require some quick thinking – and showcasing an understanding of the abilities you’ve already unlocked while traversing the alien environments.

Cocoon is coming to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Steam. It’s published by Annapurna Interactive and developed by Geometric Interactive, as noted above.

While E3 2023 itself is not really a thing this year, Summer Game Fest 2023 continues to be hopping – including the Day of the Devs stream. Be sure to check out our Summer Game Fest 2023 live coverage for all of today’s biggest announcements.

PRODUCTS
Rollin Bishop
US Managing Editor

Rollin is the US Managing Editor at 12DOVE. With over 16 years of online journalism experience, Rollin has helped provide coverage of gaming and entertainment for brands like IGN, Inverse, ComicBook.com, and more. While he has approximate knowledge of many things, his work often has a focus on RPGs and animation in addition to franchises like Pokemon and Dragon Age. In his spare time, Rollin likes to import Valkyria Chronicles merch and watch anime.

Read more
Faraway screenshot of shooting stars and a level up sign next to the Big in 2025 logo
Faraway is a minimalist outer space puzzle game that was inspired by high level Tetris mastery
South of Midnight Big Preview GamesRadar
12DOVE Big Preview reveal: This month, we are diving deep into South of Midnight
A giant crocodile from South of Midnight breaking out of a Big in 2025 frame
South of Midnight's gothic folk tale could be Xbox's ace up the sleeve for 2025
South of Midnight screenshot
South of Midnight wants you to feel like you're "inside a miniature" – and after playing one chapter, I want to stay in this world forever
Split Fiction screenshot
It Takes Two dev reveals new co-op game Split Fiction – it's out in March and you only need one copy to play with a friend
Cloudheim
Former Epic and BioWare devs reveal their new co-op action RPG, a gorgeous sky-high dungeon adventure "in a fully breakable world"
Latest in Puzzle
Key art for in Is This Seat Taken? showing shapes waiting at a bus stop
This puzzle game almost made me want to talk to strangers after its chill Steam Next Fest demo got me hooked on organizing seating charts
Screenshot from Mindwave
This weird WarioWare-like's demo got thousands of positive Steam reviews, and now its Kickstarter's $40,000 goal has been smashed 11 times over
While Waiting screenshot showcasing the main character waiting for class to end with an Indie Spotlight tag in the corner
This puzzle game has done the impossible: waiting around for something to happen has never, ever been this fun
Wilmot Works It Out screenshot showing Wilmot who's a square with a face receiving a delivery of puzzle pieces at the front door
Wilmot Works It Out might be the perfect puzzle game if you hate Jigsaws as much as I do
Green symbols on a computer screen making up a skull and the words "Hacked by Hal"
In a huge win for niche games, this solo dev's 4-hour software adventure has racked up $1 million in revenue
Sutte Hakkun
The obscure SNES puzzler Nintendo originally distributed via satellite broadcast has just been released outside of Japan for the first time on Nintendo Switch Online
Latest in News
The Blood of Dawnwalker
The Witcher 3 dev says his new vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker wants to challenge genre conventions, but only if "we're changing them to actually achieve some goal"
Daredevil recap: The Defenders
Marvel fans are discussing which of the Netflix series characters would have survived the Blip
A misty, forested mountainside in Prologue: Go Wayback!
PUBG creator's wilderness survival game actually draws inspiration from an unexpected place - a whole raft of zombie games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, and Left 4 Dead
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
The Witcher 3 devs created a Jekyll & Hyde-style character for their new vampire RPG "because nobody yet has done that"
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil fans are wondering if Born Again season 2 will set up a darker comic book arc for Matt Murdock
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025