First details unpacked for Unboxing Mr. Coo

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Sequel to 2023 surrealist point-and-click animated adventure revealed for Windows PC

You can slice 'im, you can dice 'im, but you just can't keep a good man (or WHATEVER the titular star of Nacho Rodríguez's 2023 surrealist puzzler The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo actually is) down, as the curiously detachable little fellow is set to return in an upcoming sequel, Unboxing Mr. Coo.

The first game saw Mr. Coo beside himself – literally, as his body became split into three pieces, each with its own abilities but in desperate need of a physical reunion to be complete. For an encore, it seems the titular star will remain whole but his love of gifts once again lands him in trouble. This time, through the "not-so-simple act of opening a gift box," he discovers that what's inside the box is much different than appearances from the outside would suggest. It's "anything but square," for one thing, and before long "things get out of hand, and size." The only way out of this "mesmerizing toy" is through, so you'll need all your wits about you to help Mr. Coo through the many bizarre puzzles that await.

As with its predecessor, Unboxing Mr. Coo is a "hand-drawn, wordless journey through a strange world and oddball creatures," all of it animated frame by frame. The story promises to avoid "narrative clichés and overused tropes," while the whimsically stylized cartoon aesthetic presents players with a variety of new "dreamlike scenarios" to overcome. Gameplay is designed to be both funny and challenging, with "out-of-the-box thinking puzzles" to solve and a "what happens if...?" vibe that encourages experimentation along the way. It still won't be a long experience, but at a projected play time of approximately four hours, it has the potential to be twice the length of the short original game. 

There's no release date just yet for Unboxing Mr. Coo, which perhaps is just as well after the first game sparked a turbulent post-launch dispute between the developer and publisher. For now it appears Rodríguez will be self-publishing for Windows PC on Steam, where the game is now ready for wishlisting.