Guide
How to Play Cobb Can Move
Everything a new player needs: what you are trying to do, the loop that drives every level, the items you will rely on, and a walkthrough of your very first run.
Last updated May 19, 2026
Your objective
You are a lone warden trapped in a dark, procedurally generated dungeon with Cobb, a red long-armed creature that hunts in the dark. Your job is simple to say and hard to do: escape alive.
Each floor is a small survival puzzle. You cannot kill Cobb; you manage light, sound, items and timing long enough to open the route and reach the exit.
The core loop
Every level follows the same survival loop. Learn this and the changing rules become easier to handle.
- Find coal before panic starts.
- Burn coal to keep important rooms lit.
- Flip the breakers that open your route.
- Reach the exit before Cobb closes the distance.
Noisy actions have a cost
Breakers, sprinting and thrown rocks make noise. Sometimes that is useful, but on sound-based levels it can also pull Cobb straight to you.
Items you rely on
| Item | What it does | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | Fuel for light. | Collect it before you need it. |
| Light | Creates safer zones Cobb avoids. | Light your route, not the whole map. |
| Carrots | Counter hunger. | Eat when starvation pressure starts. |
| Rocks | Distraction and stun tool. | Throw to redirect Cobb or buy an escape window. |
| Breakers | Open the path forward. | Flip them as part of a planned route. |
Story and Endless modes
Story mode
Story mode is seven levels and teaches the loop, items and rule changes at a controlled pace. Clearing all seven means escaping the dungeon.
Endless mode
Endless mode starts from level 3 and keeps going with randomized layouts and rules. It is for players who want repeated pressure rather than a fixed finish line.
Your first run
- Read the rule banner before moving.
- Scan for coal, light, exits and breakers.
- Collect coal while the level is calm.
- Keep your intended route lit.
- Flip breakers only when you know where you are going next.
- Use a rock if Cobb blocks the exit.
- Reset your plan on the next floor because the rule will change.
Expect early deaths
Cobb Can Move is short and unforgiving by design. Treat the first runs as lessons, not failures.
When you know the loop, dig deeper: full keyboard and gamepad controls, and every rule and modifier explained.
Frequently asked questions
Every level rolls a new random modifier that changes how Cobb hunts you — by sound, sight, smell, reach, by splitting in two, or by moving faster — and can also apply a debuff to you. Reading and adapting to that rule is the core of the game. Full breakdown: [rules and modifiers guide](/guide/rules-explained).
The Story campaign is seven levels and most players describe it as short but brutal. Endless mode then runs indefinitely from level 3 onward for players who want more.
Ready to play Cobb Can Move?
Play Cobb Can Move online for free and put what you've learned to the test.