Discover the Overlooked Gem: Why Cocoon Deserves More Praise
Daniel Lopez
Published May 17, 2026
By Published Apr 18, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2026 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more.
In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now.
He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on , , and at Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
members typically get 3 free games each month with the basic Essential tier (some recent months have been 4 games, though), and that can mean we don't always get the chance to play through all the games before a are on the way. It sadly means some games get overlooked, including ones that many PS Plus subscribers may hail as masterpieces.
Over on , one user was looking for recommendations on quick, fun games that had been previously released on the Essential tier for PlayStation Plus. While a few have since been added to Extra or Premium, there are still a number of games that you can play if you managed to add them to your library when they were free with Essential.
This PlayStation Plus Freebie Is A Genuine Masterpiece
One of those recommendations was Cocoon, a 2026 game from Annapurna Interactive, that has you solving puzzles while looping through "worlds within worlds." It's from the same creators of Inside, in its own right. As a number of people who've played it have noted, Cocoon is a bit of an underrated masterpiece. It was, however, kind of overlooked by a larger audience, which is a real shame.
back in 2026, praising its puzzles and mind-bending moments. The visuals were another highlight we pointed out, and in the years since, Cocoon still holds up really well. It's a gorgeous game that's also a ton of fun, and if you're looking for a shorter game to play this weekend, it's pretty much perfect for that kind of thing.
Cocoon Can Be Beaten In A Single Weekend
Cocoon is definitely one of those "short but sweet" kind of games. How long you spend with it will likely come down to how well you can solve its puzzles, but you can still easily beat Cocoon in a single weekend. lists the average playtime for the Main Story as 5 hours, with 5.5 hours for both Main+Sides and Completionist.
If you're not rushing through Cocoon (or get stumped a time or two), you can still beat the game is 7 hours or less. If you're trying to 100% it and take a leisurely pace, you might end up spending 8–9 hours in Cocoon. All of that is still easily manageable for a weekend if you've got free time.
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And even if you're not trying to beat it all at once, Cocoon is worth playing. Yes, it's pretty quick to beat, but it's such a wonderful game that you shouldn't feel compelled to hurry through it. Regardless of how you play, it's a great time to check out Cocoon if you grabbed it when it was on the Essential monthly games with a PlayStation Plus membership.
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