Bonelab is a VR action game for Meta Quest that combines realistic physics, melee combat, gunplay, parkour-style exploration, and mod support.
Right after the game begins, you are suddenly placed on the gallows. You cut the rope just before death, escape the execution site, and then fall into underground caves and a mysterious research facility.
You can fight enemies with axes, handguns, melee weapons, and a wide range of physics-based objects. With mods, you can also add new characters, maps, guns, and special stages.
If you like the realistic physics of Boneworks and want a fast-paced VR game with plenty of freedom and mod support on Quest 3 or Quest 3S, Bonelab is an easy game to consider.
However, the motion sickness can be fairly intense, and installing mods is a little complicated. It is easier to enjoy if you already have some experience with movement controls in VR.
Game Introduction
What if you were not just watching this story unfold, but were already the one hanging from the gallows?
A convicted “criminal” is led to the execution platform while a crowd gathers in front of him to watch. The floor drops away beneath his feet, leaving his body suspended in midair. The rope tightens around his throat, and no matter how desperately he struggles, he cannot escape his fate. Eventually, his strength fades, and his body slowly stops moving.
You are terrified. You cannot breathe. None of this feels fair.
Do you want to escape this fate? Do you want to make it out alive?
Or do you open your mouth and cry out in a hoarse voice:
“Mom! I swear it wasn’t me!”
That is the first question Bonelab throws at the player.
It does not ask whether you are ready to fight. It drops you straight onto the gallows and forces you to escape when you are already seconds away from death.
Bonelab is a game built around realistic physics and a strong story-driven opening. At the beginning, you take the role of a prisoner who was supposed to be executed by hanging.
The floor beneath you slowly gives way as death gets closer and closer. Just when the fear and the rope crushing your throat become almost unbearable, lightning suddenly strikes right in front of you.
Something is lying where the bolt hit, surrounded by bright, colorful light. When you look closer, you realize it is a small knife.
You quickly grab it and cut the rope around your neck. The next second, gravity pulls you down into the seemingly bottomless pit below.
You land in a dark, foul-smelling hole that looks like a garbage dump. Somehow, you are still alive.
After climbing out, you pick up a torch from the ground and slowly make your way through the cave.
You find signs that someone else once made it this far. But a stone wall blocked their path, leaving them trapped inside the cave. They slowly wasted away until nothing remained but a skeleton.
You are different. You already escaped your fate, so now all you can do is keep moving forward with everything you have.
You pull away the boards blocking the passage, break through stone walls, and overcome one obstacle after another until you finally reach Bonelab.
From that moment on, your future begins to change.
Controls Overview
This section explains Bonelab’s controls and what each button does as simply as possible.
The controls are not especially complicated, but they may feel a little confusing if this is your first time playing this type of game.
The control layout and button functions are listed below.
Controls and Button Layout
Most of Bonelab’s controls focus on handling weapons and moving around. The easiest way to learn them is to start playing and get used to each action over time.
- Left and right Grip buttons: Use these to touch and grab objects. You also use them to hold weapons, grab walls, and pull levers.
- Left and right Trigger buttons: Use these to adjust your grip and change where you are holding an object. They are also used to fire guns and pull triggers.
- A button: Jump. Hold the button to crouch, then release it to perform a higher jump.
- B button: Open the backpack, menu, and settings. Hold the button, point at an option with your finger, and press the Trigger button to select it.
- Y button: Open the backpack, menu, and settings. Hold the button, point at an option with your finger, and press the Trigger button to select it.
- Right Thumbstick left and right: Turn your view. If smooth turning makes you feel sick, you can change the setting to snap turning in 15-degree or 30-degree steps.
- Right Thumbstick up and down: Crouch or stand up. Unlike many other games, Bonelab lets you freely adjust your height anywhere between fully standing and fully crouched. You can crouch slightly or lower yourself about halfway.
- Left Thumbstick: Move forward, backward, left, and right. Press the Thumbstick once to switch between walking and running. You do not need to hold it down.
- Menu button on the left Controller: Reset the game. You can restart from the beginning of the stage or stop your current progress.
- Meta button on the right Controller: Open the Meta menu.
System Menu
You can open the game menu with either the B button or the Y button. The menu is divided into three sections.
- Levels: Change locations. You can move to areas such as the lobby, research facility, and main screen.
- Preferences: Adjust settings such as the volume and display.
- Inventory: Open your backpack. It has two slots for handguns and two additional slots for other items.
Mods
Mods greatly expand what you can do in Bonelab. They are still updated regularly, so if you own the game, they are worth trying at least once.
From the main menu, select MODS to open the mods screen.
Select DOWNLOADS.
Installing mods in this game works a little differently from Blade & Sorcery: Nomad. You need to open a separate webpage to download them.
Select Mod.io.
When you open the screen, a five-character code made up of letters and numbers appears on the right.
Log in to the webpage and enter this code to link it with VR. You can do this from a phone, PC, or the browser inside your headset.
Use the link below to open the connection page.
https://mod.io/connect
Open the website, select Bonelab, and go to the Bonelab page.
On the Bonelab page, find the mod you want and select Subscribe.
Then return to Bonelab and select Download All on the Mod.io screen to finish downloading it.
For this example, I selected the Backrooms Entropy mod.
Select Subscribe inside the box to add it to your download queue. Then return to the game and download it.
Gameplay Scene
When you enter, you are holding a die in your hand.
Throw it, and your body size starts changing based on the number you roll. Depending on the result, you may grow larger or shrink smaller.
When I look around, I see something swaying in front of me… a rope?
What am I supposed to do with this?
There is no way it means what I think it means… right?
Everything ahead is completely dark, and it does not look like I have any other choice.
When I open my eyes, I see a crowd in front of me, hurling insults and calling for my death.
Lightning tears across the sky, and a knife appears in front of me.
My life is not ending here.
I am getting out of this place.
After falling into a pit that looks like a garbage dump, I move farther ahead and find several skeletons scattered along the path.
I break through a stone wall and continue down the long passage until I spot an axe resting nearby.
It looks like I am supposed to use it to smash the wooden boards blocking the way.
Oh! I think I just figured out what that axe is really for.
As I move farther ahead, monsters start appearing one by one. It looks like I will have to take them down before I can keep going.
The game also has quite a few sections where you need to use parkour to move forward.
For example, in this area, I have to run and jump across the lava to continue.
You jump when you release the button, so be careful not to keep holding it down. You may also have trouble jumping properly while crouched.
These spherical capsules are hidden in corners throughout the game.
Grab one with both hands and pull it apart to unlock a new skin.
Oh, a gun this time.
It looks like I am finally entering the real research facility.
A few humanoid enemies have appeared.
But I have a gun now. If they think they can hurt me, they are going to have to try a lot harder.
Whoa, that is way too high!
I am really glad this game does not have fall damage. If it did, both of my legs would have shattered by now.
Whoa, the way they fall looks strangely realistic. It is almost like a small work of art.
When you take damage, spike-like patterns appear around the edges of your vision. The deeper those spikes extend inward, the more damage you are taking.
Do not jump at me!!!
This spider is way too small. Even with a handgun, it is hard to hit something this creepy and terrifying.
Enemies armed with guns start appearing as well.
I want to take them down with a single shot if possible, without giving them a chance to fire back.
You can also practice shooting in the training area.
You can freely choose the difficulty, weapon type, and how much ammo to bring.
It would not be wrong to call this a shooting game. In fact, some parts play exactly like one.
Scenes from a Mod Playthrough
Have you seen the Backrooms movie everyone has been talking about lately?
Would you like to experience that unsettling Backrooms world right in front of you?
Then download this mod right away.
It recreates the atmosphere of the Backrooms from the movie surprisingly well, and it is absolutely terrifying.
Captain Clark seriously startled me the moment he appeared.
With this mod installed, you can even become Captain Clark yourself.
Just try not to scare yourself when you see what you look like.
These are not the only mods available for Bonelab.
You can download and play with many others, including new guns, characters, and maps.
If that sounds interesting, give Bonelab a try.
Game Rating
The Highlights
- There are plenty of game modes, so the gameplay never feels repetitive.
- It supports mods, with a wide variety available.
- The realistic physics also make the action feel satisfying.
The Drawbacks
- The price is a little high, and the game does not go on sale very often, so it is worth thinking carefully before buying.
- Downloading mods is also a little complicated.
Setup & Safety
You need enough space to swing your arms, so be careful not to hit anything around you!
Final Score & Comfort Level
Final Score: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (Solid Choice)
VR Comfort Level: 🌀🌀🌀🌀 (Intense)
Video Overview
Meta Quest Official Information
Price: 39.99 USD
This game does not go on sale very often.
During Black Friday or holiday sales, it may occasionally be discounted by around 10% to 20%.
If you enter VRPUPU at checkout, you get another 10% off.
Rating: 4.6 / 5 ( 35,000 Reviews)
Official Description
Bonelab officially focuses on physics-based interactions, melee combat and gunplay, character customization, a variety of experimental stages, and user-created content.
You begin by escaping execution and making your way into an underground research facility. As you clear different stages, you unlock items, characters, and clues about the story.
- Improved Physics: Bonelab builds on Boneworks’ physics system, making interactions with objects and the game world feel more natural.
- Satisfying VR Combat: You can use a wide range of weapons, including firearms, melee weapons, and unusual physics-based weapons, to fight the enemies in front of you.
- Become Who You Want to Be: Load a custom avatar and play in any form you like. Each avatar has its own body type and physical abilities.
- A Wide Range of Stages and Story Content: After discovering an underground research facility in MythOS City, you can explore arenas, obstacle courses, tactical trials, sandbox areas, experimental modes, and user-created stages.
- As you move through each stage, you collect items, avatars, and clues while uncovering the game’s mysterious story.
Violence Warning
Players fight a range of enemies, from robots to humans, using guns, melee weapons, and their bare hands.
Blood may appear on enemies and in the surrounding environment.
Players can also injure or kill themselves. Environmental hazards may also cause damage or death.
If Bonelab is not your kind of game, I also cover several other types of action games.
